The MTA and Transport Workers Union have an "agreement in principle" for a new contract. The TWU board will meet today with president Roger Toussaint to vote on the plan. Right now, it looks like the workers will get raises of 3%, 4%, and 4% for each year of a three-year contract, and while all workers would need to "contribute toward health insurance," the contract "would not change the existing pension plan or retirement age," according the Daily News' sources.
More stats. From the Post - right now, the union doesn't pay anything towards health care premiums, while the MTA's health care costs are about 12% annually. And from the Daily News, an illustration of what the raises will do: "Bus drivers, the largest job title, have a starting salary of about $35,000 a year and a top salary, not including overtime, of about $50,000. Including scheduled overtime, the base pay rises to about $58,500."
There does seem to be some dissension within the TWU, because some members feel like they aren't getting enough (though others are just relieved). Mayor Bloomberg's decision to use the word "thuggish" in his "stop illegally striking"-press conferences is still being criticized by the black community, and some historians think the Strike of 2005 will be forgettable.
