Chris G,

You're right on both counts -- it's massively unfair and it's happening everywhere. State and municipal pension funds are so underfunded they make Corporate America look like paragons of fiduciary responsibility. Seriously.

If you are under forty, you are basically screwed, as you will be personally responsible for both your retirement as well as that of your parents.

I'm listening on wnyc.org (AM) - they are talking about it. Apparently they have stopped the clock...

Listen to the radio at wnyc.org for running commentary on how talks are continuing and it sounds like there is no strike so far. But it also sounds like it could happen because nobody knows anything and the parties involved are still talking.

Pugsley said: "Could be a generational problem as another example of young workers having to prop up high living retirements for boomers and then not getting the same deal."

Anyone else want to chime in on this? I think this is massively unfair and its happening everywhere. My g/f's mother is a teacher in the NYC school system and is about to retire, god bless her, after 30 years in the system.

She says that new teachers will never see anything close to the benefits she gets because the unions usually agree to preserve benefits for current workers at the expense of new ones.

Seems massively unfair and no one seems to say anything about it.

No strike tonight. That's what my friend on AIM saw on the news...

12:03....any word??

The "countdown" is counting UP!!!!!!

WHOAH!

Where would we able to check, other than Gothamist, of course?

It's midnight, no updates yet.

Ooook.

So whats the Verdict?? its 12 dammit

5 minutes to go. Also the Flickr Gothamist Pool picture is pretty stupid, that should be changed.

Here's a question: I just watched the dueling press conferences on the news. Both sides are basically spinning and trying to alter public perception of what's happening.

The question is, why? The public is not a party to the negotiations. (Aside fromt the fact that we are all fucked, of course.)

I guess both sides are really talking to the TWU members. Toussaint is trying to convince them that he's not fucking up, and MTA Negotiator Dude is trying to convince them that the demands are unreasonable. (He laid out a pretty good case, I thought, esp. in referring to 62 as "the retirement age in this country.")

Set up a bank of cameras and wait for attention starved jesse jackson and weingartern to appear. Where are the celebrities damnit. Where's b.j. hunnicut. What's ed asner's position on this. I still think that stopping the clock will work to kalikow's and toissant's advantage as they can both appear that they put up a hard battle after they compromise on sunday. Interesting aspect is that the MTA wants to cut pension benefits only for new hires. Could be a generational problem as another example of young workers having to prop up high living retirements for boomers and then not getting the same deal. Some young TWU members have to get in their and stir the pot.

Depends if you have the minimum 4 people you'll get to get into the city Dick.

The weather is supposed to be shitty too. If I were you, I'd stay home. Unless you want to have the shittiest Friday ever.

I'm supposed to drive up to NYC tomorrow.

Is that a really stupid idea?

I'll drive the A train!

time to bring in the replacements!

"contract contract"? "weingartern"? are you guys as drunk as we are?