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Is another transit strike looming on the horizon? Yesterday over 350 furious transit workers took to the streets outside MTA headquarters in protest, some carrying signs like the one seen here. The employees are outraged over an ongoing contract dispute with the MTA board, whose decisions are heavily influenced by the Mayor. The MTA is refusing to accept a plan to raise the hourly pay rate by more than 11 percent over three years; the deal was reached through arbitration in August, but now the MTA is asking a judge to toss it out, claiming that the panel "made legal and factual mistakes." The raises would cost the MTA 350 million dollars.
Subway station agent Bonita Morgan, who earns $22 an hour after 13 years with NYC Transit, tells the Daily News, "We tried to fight fair. Now the MTA doesn't want to give us the contract we won in arbitration." But Curtis Tate, acting president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, stopped short of strike saber-rattling, saying, "We wouldn't do anything to harm the citizens of New York. We love them. We just want to be treated fairly." In December 2005, transit workers loved New Yorkers so much that they went on strike for three days.
In other MTA news, more details have emerged on the authority's plan to relocate residents of some 60 apartments in four buildings on the Upper East Side, to make room for the mythical Second Avenue subway line. The MTA has set aside $10 million for the displaced residents, but payments will vary widely, as some tenants are being forced out of rent-stabilized units they've occupied for decades. Still, many are panicked they won't be able to find comparable homes in the neighborhood. But it will all be worth it on that glorious day in 20?? when east siders can take the subway without walking two blocks over to Lexington.
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There are lots of people working in NYC that have not had a cost of living increase for years -- people who are told on a daily basis, "Be happy you have a job". Aside from the fact that the MTA is probably one of the most wasteful organizations on Earth, the transit workers have to be somewhat reasonable. Just because the MTA gets a dollar it doesn't mean the transit workers have to ask for two.
"We wouldn't do anything to harm the citizens of New York. We love them. We just want to be treated fairly."
Eat a dick. You selfish pricks do no work and get paid well, yet complain every single year. Go back to sleeping on the job and stfu. The MTA is a sinking ship and all the rats on board are demanding more caviar.
well said!
I swear to god, if the transit workers go on strike and make it impossible for me to go to job interviews...well...let's just say some picketers are getting spit on at the least.
The Second Ave Subway Line is the greatest single money pit in the history of civilization... anyone and everyone who has ever supported it in any fashion has exposed themselves as the criminal they are. The only people benefiting from this line are construction companies / contractors that work on the project. The simple fact is, that while I like construction workers and plucky contractors and would never want to ruin a good thing for them, the MTA has been flat broke and gaining a deficit for about 70 years. Currently their deficit is somewhere above 500 million or so. It suffices to say that not only can they not afford to surround themselves with the luxury of plucky contractors... they also cannot afford to be investing in retarded subway lines.
End the second avenue line project forver.
Remove the W train from service and replace it with R trains... who the hell thought the W train was a good idea in the first place? Find them have them shot.
Have the L train made fully autonomous. Remove the station clerks... install cameras... fix the freaking rail lines... STOP SELLING TRAIN YARDS. It's not like we have a surplus of places to park trains.
I mean christ... the MTA could be better ran by a gradeschooler than the retards in charge right now. They aren't even good at being criminals. If our police force wasn't so busy running around protecting terrorists, while at the same time being on the lookout for terrorists ( it's gotta be twice as confusing for them )... maybe they'd be arresting the MTA's leadership.
I nominate you to head the MTA. More better ideas in one post than they have had in years.
While you're at it, privatize the stations. Let mom-and-pop outfits clean the place, open the bathrooms (but watch over them), sell tea, coffee and magazines, etc. They will pay lower wages than $22/hr but have a hundred applicants for every opening. I'll bet crime will drop, commuters will be happier, for a lot less than we're paying now. For the W, there are unused express tracks in Astoria, why not actually run a train on them? For 1/2 the price of the 2nd ave line, you could extend the Astoria line to LaGuardia, where 80% of plane trips end with a trip to the city. So many ideas, so little brains at the MTA.....
blog post graphic compilation WIN
$22 an hour to sit on my ass in a subway station? I'm in the wrong business!
Do the transit workers notice that ridership is down? Because so many people have lost their JOBS! They feel entitled to a nice raise, but the city and country are suffering, and this is before the president lays on the huge tax increases needed to pay for his healthcare, and the carbon tax nonsense. The union wants to threaten strike, somebody tell me how they got dues checkoff restored, and how much jail time and fines they actually paid last time. These crooks have good company in the MTA, one of the most inept agencies the city has ever had. I hope Bloomberg can get control, throw the bums out for squandering our tax and fare money!
11% Over 3 years isn't a "nice raise" rent increases occur at about 3-4% a year. That means they are breaking even after regulated cost of living increases.
If they didn't see a 11% raise over 3 years they'd be effectively taking a pay cut every year they worked there.
if you're unemployed, or was just asked to take a 20% pay cut (cause business is down this yr), it's a nice raise....
11% over 3 years isn't a nice raise????? I haven't had a raise in 3 years. I would love an 11% raise.
Oh by all means... taking a pay cut to cut down on lay offs makes sense. And bobby just because you are getting screwed at your job doesn't mean everyone else should be.
I think we all agree that the MTA is staffed by the dregs of humanity... second only to Traffic Police and Heroin addicts in being truly shunned by society at large.
But, they make the 11% raise seem like an actual raise... which it isn't. It's just addressing cost of living increases, which every employer should do.
Up yours asshole. You don't have a clue as to what you're talking about.
I'm going to make an assumption here. MTA booth 'workers' read the paper more than your average New Yorker. Are they not aware of the current economic climate? What idiotic claims.
Not so keen on Bloomberg since the term limits thing, but if the MTA workers hate him, I may have to re-think...
I don't even know where to start on this one.
They really want to be treated fairly? Are they sure about that? Because fair would be axing at least a third of the MTA and giving significant pay cuts to everyone left.
How does such an incompetent, wasteful organization have the balls to make such absurd claims and demands? Unbelievable.
Strike, don't strike -- I don't give a fuck. I'll still be riding my bike.
I can do the work of five transit workers by myself. If I worked for the MTA I would be worth $110/hr. But these ppl get paid $22 bc they work slow as shit.
Love the pic!
the fact of the matter is that the MTA has us by the kiwis (so to speak). they have a monopoly and unless someone comes up with an alternate system then we are stuck.
I'm sure John D. Rockefeller and other robber barrons would be proud!
Local 100 still owes me $1 Million per worker in fines - give me my fucking money you stupid monkeys. Oops, monkeys could do a better job. If those cocksuckers strike, and the MTA doesn't pull a Reagan and fire their asses then we should revolt in the streets and lynch the strikers and management.
We need a reverse strike, NOW! Refuse all goods and services to MTA workers, specifically local 100 members.
i was not going to give Bloomie my vote -- but now i am, just to piss off those worthless MTA assholes. stations are filthy, vending machines are broken, trains reek of urine, and "agents" sneer at you from their protected booths when you get raped on the platform. ENOUGH. $22/hr is too much for them -- should knock 'em down to $12/hr and those who can't deal with it should be FIRED.
i'm sure they'll be pissed when they realize they'll be 20 mins late to a job interview because of the fucked up trains.