MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow is offering a not-really-but-sorta mea culpa about wanting the transit union to put their pensions on the line during contract negotiations. As you may remember, pensions were the reason why transit workers went ahead with a 60 hour transit strike (new workers would have to contribute more to their pension funds), and it was when Kalikow took the pension out of the contract that the MTA and Transport Workers Union started talking. In various, Kalikow says he misjudged how passionate transit workers would be about their pensions, but doesn't completely apologize for the third ring of hell he helped create, noting that even big companies like GM are being undone by employee pensions. Plus, he says he's still not sure if he's going to recommend that the MTA's executive board ratify the contract. The TWU's members need to approve the contract as well - or else it's back to strapping on the mukluks and trudging to work!
The Times ended its article with this quote from Kalikow about whether he regretted basically sending the city into a mass transit-less tailspin: "God put eyes in front so we could look forward. He doesn't want us looking backward." Mmmkay, we get it BUT this only reminds us of the anecdote about his grandfather peeing in the snow that Kalikow tried to use as an analogy for the $2 subway fare.
Mayor Bloomberg supports the current transit contract. Newsday reports that Governor was getting "bad advice" to sound off on the MTA's contract with the TWU, and the Daily News' Juan Gonzalez writes that it's up to Pataki to decide whether or not to approve the contract that his appointees (!) endorse. Listen, Pataki, we really don't want another transit strike.
