Preemptive Strike
With the Transit Workers Union set to cripple the City in 8 hours, I am wondering why I foolishly bought a new $76 monthly pass on Monday, when I could have gotten one of the special reduced-fare holiday passes. Yes, with the imminent threat of total shutdown of the MTA system, the MTA decided to use its $1 billion surplus to reduced holiday fares. I appreciate the gesture (especially given the delays, overcrowding, and line closings we straphangers deal with), but what good will my reduced fare do if the trains and buses aren't running?
Nobody in this city drives to work, so this strike will cost economic activity in New York City $400 million per day--a drop of nearly a third. I support the right to unionize, but public employees upon whom the vitality of the city depends simply cannot be allowed to strand 8.1 million people and over 1 million daily commuters without transportation.
The city has threatened to levy $25,000 per day fines against individual strikes, which is totally unenforceable. What is to be done? Arrest the strikers? Suggestions welcome--this disaster must be averted.
Nobody in this city drives to work, so this strike will cost economic activity in New York City $400 million per day--a drop of nearly a third. I support the right to unionize, but public employees upon whom the vitality of the city depends simply cannot be allowed to strand 8.1 million people and over 1 million daily commuters without transportation.
The city has threatened to levy $25,000 per day fines against individual strikes, which is totally unenforceable. What is to be done? Arrest the strikers? Suggestions welcome--this disaster must be averted.
14 Comments:
The city made it through transit strikes in 1966 and 1980. I was a student at Columbia in 1980. If I recall correctly I walked across the street from the dorm to class the same as usual :)
The purpose of a strike is to cause economic damage. Private sector strikes also cause collateral damage to customers and suppliers. If employers in the city were that concerned they would pressure the politicians to settle.
I think estimates of the loss of economic activity are exaggerated. If I were living in the city I would use some of my 350+ hours of accrued vacation time. I have to use it eventually. As far as the ecomonic effects go, does it really matter when I use it?
By doughcrop, At 8:31 PM EST
One person using vacation time has no economic effect, since you figure those vacation days would be well-distributed throughout the year. But thousands of people taking the same day off... It's like voting--my vote won't change the election, but if everyone decides not to vote, then there is no election.
Fortunately the point is mute for now, since the strike didn't go down at midnight.
By Tim McGuire, At 9:15 AM EST
The mta is one of the most corrupt organizations of all time. This is only one of many problems concerning the mta. There needs to be accountablity and a system of checks and balances for the mta. As of right now they can do whatever they want. This is mainly due to the fact that Pataki won't pull up his skirt and do something about, because he appointed most of these scumbags.
I would much rather have the mta negate the far increase in 2007, than have some lame discount on weekends that doesn't affect me that much, because I usually end using a taxi anyway.
An example of one solution could be to stop giving top management $200,000 bonuses every year and use that money to keep the fare where it is. These people already make enough.
As for the strike situation, we already know the mta is greedy. I'm not sure how I feel about the employees, but I probably wouldn't be complaining too much if i was going to get a pension upon retirement for simply driving a train my whole life.
By Jonathan Mars, At 12:16 PM EST
I support the MTA in this battle. The transit workers are asking for a year over year raise of 8% for three years. That amounts to a nearly 26% increase in the cost of labor for the MTA. Is this reasonable? I say no. If you are doing the same thing tomorrow as you do today, you should receive a raise equal to the rate of inflation. Period.
The real problem here is the debt accrued by the MTA's (and most government employer's) ridiculous pension programs. Often these union negotiations lead to an employer promising a world of money and benefits down the road and keeping current salaries low. This is no different than charging operating expenses to a credit card, and it's leading a lot of organizations (GM, the city of San Diego...) into near bankruptcy.
We should really pay people what they're worth when they're doing it and cuts ties afterword.
By Ben Polidore, At 12:33 PM EST
Won't people just make up for the lack of economic activity later on?There must be a slowdown in economic activity around Christmas anyway. There are industries that have shut downs every year. Everyone takes vacation at the same time. I think the whole country does this in August in France
Government employee pensions in New York State are fully funded. The Transit Authority did not have to pay into the fund for a quite a while because the fund was performing so well. Now the fund is not performing so well and the Transit Authority was to pay into the fund again.
Toussaint's comment about "our unborn" is interesting. When John L. Lewis was president of the United Mine Workers in the 1950's his goal was to maintain jobs and benefits for the current employees. He told his members to send their kids to college.
By John Mara fka doughcrop, At 10:02 PM EST
Hey, John. Good points. There probably is a slowdown in business around the holidays, but I think there is some worry about the impact a strike would have on the retail and tourism sectors as well. If I was planning a trip to NYC for Christmas or New Year's, I'd consider making other plans.
The latest offer on the table was for a 9% annual pay increase for 3 years. The TWU rejected it because they're holding out to drop the retirement age to 50 from the current 55. That strikes me as a little unreasonable, given the aging population and the state of other pension and social security plans. If the retirement age drops, how will the system remain fully funded?
By Tim McGuire, At 11:02 AM EST
You're right about tourism. It's interesting how big tourism has become in New York. Broadway shows run forever because people keep coming from Dubuque to see them. Manhattan hotel rooms used to be cheaper on the weekends. Now they're usually more expensive.
I agree that lowering the retirement age is probably not viable. Transit workers (and teachers) compare themselves to cops and firefighters but I don't think it's a fair comparison. Most tranist jobs aren't particularly physically demanding or dangerous.
GM and other private employers used their pension funds to get people to take early retirement. Now they're finding that health care costs especially are killing them.
By John Mara, At 1:50 PM EST
Right, if the retirement age drops to 50, the system will be paying out benefits for 25-30 years--roughly the same amount of time a worker will have been on the job.
Did you know transit workers are afforded the same felony assault protection as firefighters, EMTs, and police officers?
By Tim McGuire, At 10:05 AM EST
It may not help though. This article
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/nyregion/nyregionspecial3/19dignity.html
says that 74% of transit workers polled report a verbal or physical threat from a passenger at least once a year.
I used to investigate discrimination complaints against the Transit Authority. They do have a rather nasty supervisory system. I think this changed in their last contract but they used to have a sick desk which would call you at home if you banged in sick to make sure you were there. If you went to the doctor or drug store you had to call to say you were going and call when you came back. Sometimes they would sent someone to your house to make sure you were there.
By John Mara, At 9:26 PM EST
This sick out policy begs the question: was it necessary? Policies like this don't exist in a vacuum.
By Ben Polidore, At 9:50 PM EST
Unions don't exist in a vacuum either. Management has to mess up pretty badly for a union to get in. There have to be enough pissed off workers willing to form a union.
By John Mara, At 9:41 AM EST
I am going to have to sleep in my office because of the strike. Send in the scabs.
By Tim McGuire, At 7:42 PM EST
Sounds like fun
By John Mara, At 10:03 PM EST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQYo9JyPXdo
By Anonymous, At 4:57 PM EST
Post a Comment
<< Home