Did Transit Union "Flex its Muscles" By Slowing Morning Traffic?

mister mark davis' flickr

Yesterday disgruntled transit workers took to the streets, protesting layoffs and other budget-cutting measures by slowing morning rush hour at a bus depot in Queens. Or at least that's what the News says. Before sunrise, union inspectors found “equipment defects” on 64 buses as they headed out for their morning trips, then held them for more than an hour. The bus back-up led to the cancellation of 16 more bus runs, MTA officials said, meaning that a third of the College Point depot’s vehicles were affected. Protest delays like this one are illegal, reports the tabloid, but can be hard to prove.

When Transit Workers Union President John Samuelson took office in January he promised to fight MTA layoffs, but no one expected such drastic measures. On Friday he said the morning delays weren’t related to threatened administration cuts. "The union has an obligation to provide a safe workplace for our members and a safe bus for the riders, and by doing these inspections, we're living up to our obligation," Samuelsen said, but an inside source said that union was “flexing its muscles,” striking against the planned layoffs of 500 token booth workers and bus drivers.

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By Sabrina Jaszi in News on March 27, 2010 5:25 PM

Comments [rss]

jgonzz

Actually one could identify a 'slow down' through statistical sampling.

Any enterprising math student (out there) should work on this as a 'pet project'. Think of the fun..!

theevilone

Punish the public, that's the solution. Geniuses.

S.K.

Get to work, union f^cks!

Chase

I second that. F those over paid bastards. A guy I work with, his dad is the one that puts the film on the subway car windows, gets paid $60k plus a ridiculous benefits package which is probably worth $20k plus when considering the pension.

Privatize the damn thing, save us money and get us to work on time.

whitecastlerock

LMAO. A slowdown? Isn't this a daily occurrence? When buses and trains show up on time that will make headlines.

Spirit of 76

"Equipment defects" found? Great! Send those drivers home for the rest of the day with no pay. You want to screw around, you get screwed.

thefacts

A bunch of whiny protesters on a blog or at an MTA hearing get no respect from management. All they get is service cuts.

When labor has the bosses by the balls, the bosses listen.

If this means we get our station clerks back and more bus drivers, that is a good thing.

Thanks,guys, for exhibiting some balls in a city of ball-less wonders.

TooTallJeff

The union doesn't give a shit about service. It's all about keeping there numbers high and their salaries bloated.

thefacts

If you were to benefit from the action of the unions, then what's your gripe with them?

Spirit of 76

Save your keystrokes. "thefacts" is about as pro-union as they come. According to him, if there were no unions, we'd all be risking life and limb at our 80 hour per week jobs to take home $20 each week.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

The one behind this should b the first to be lay off.

Dead Himmler

I think it's pretty safe to say that you would fail the sentence correction part of the GMAT.

harrisgraber

Who are they flexing their muscles against? The public? We're the ones who suffer, not the MTA. Get rid of this union. They are worth crap! They are against the public good. If they are going to work against us, the public, the riders, then dump them. Screw the TWU. I'm not anti-union, but I am anti-crap. This union has gone too far and it's not the first time.