December 15, 2006
Arbitrator Finally Rules on Transit Contract
What a way to (almost) end 2006 - with an arbitrator making a decision about the MTA's transit workers' contract! And the decision is pretty anti-climactic - it's basically the deal that ended the strike last year, though it was later rejected by the Transit Workers Union, then passed but then denied by the MTA. Anyway, arbitrator George Nicolau said the deal was "the most just and reasonable" solution. From the AP:
Both the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its foil, Transport Workers Union Local 100, hailed the decision as a triumph -- then needled each other.Aw, we just want the TWU and the MTA to make out already!In a written statement, TWU President Roger Toussaint called the MTA's decision to try to "wiggle a worse deal" through binding arbitration "a pigheaded attempt to embarrass transit workers."
MTA chief labor negotiator Gary Dellaverson said the result "proves that last year's illegal transit strike was utterly unnecessary."
Remember the Transit Strike? Mayor Bloomberg's sweater? Biking to work and making friends during walks? Nutty commutes? Ah, 2005, we were so innocent then.
Photograph of people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge on the first day of the strike by Bluejake
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proof that the Taylor law works if it's enforced.
transit workers need no help embarrassing themselves
Just last year...the winter was actually cold.
www.forgotten-ny.com
Who is this imbecile? "Just and reasonable" would have been for the workers to accept this contract to begin with. "Just and reasonable" would have been if millions of people hadn't been inconvenienced by the greed of the transit workers. "Just and reasonable" would have been if the city hadn't suffered untold millions of dollars of damage to its economy because of an illegal strike. So basically, "just and reasonable" means there was no real penalty for the strike. That'll sure keep the next strike from happening.
Whatever happened with those fines for striking? I sure hope they had to pay them.