NYC Transit Strike: TWU declares series of strikes

[tonypaladino]

The Transit Workers Union has rejected the MTA's final offer and declared a series of strikes.

Effective today, about 3,000 employees of private express bus lines controlled by the MTA will strike.

The TWU is giving the MTA until Tuesday 12:01am to renegotiate. If no conract is reached by then, they will expand the stike to 30,000 subway and bus employees.

[mrkilla]

bastards...
I slept on my cousins couch for nothing, now all I am is over tired and mad /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Evan]

Pretty pathetic showing by the union. If you say you're going to strike, fuckign strike! Who takes private busses anyway? This is like asbestos installers striking.

[Riverman]

Im sure the shutdown of buses in Jamaica will inspire the MTA to give in to all demands, what a joke.

Also, shut up and go to work. Count your blessings that you have a stable income and exceptionally generous benefits/pension for jobs that require little skill or training.

[BottlesOf]

Weaksauce. [censored] or get off the pot.

[samjjones]

Yeah, of course I am happy that they did not strike today (since that would've seriously f-ed up my commute), but they botched this up bigtime. They should definitely walk out before Monday's morning rush if they want to get taken seriously.

[mrkilla]

Private Bus is one the only ways in from some the outer boro's

Usually LIRR or Metro North runs where they are

[B Dids]

Why do I get the feeling that a lot of you are just mad that you don't have a reason not to work on Friday /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[sfer]

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Also, shut up and go to work. Count your blessings that you have a stable income and exceptionally generous benefits/pension for jobs that require little skill or training.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I know. Anyone can fix the subway.

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
Pretty pathetic showing by the union. If you say you're going to strike, fuckign strike! Who takes private busses anyway? This is like asbestos installers striking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, the point isn't going on strike. It's being willing to go on strike in order to get the concessions you want. You should know that.

[mrkilla]

you'd be correct. I wanted to go to the stern tribute , damn union

[Evan]

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[ QUOTE ]
Pretty pathetic showing by the union. If you say you're going to strike, fuckign strike! Who takes private busses anyway? This is like asbestos installers striking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, the point isn't going on strike. It's being willing to go on strike in order to get the concessions you want. You should know that.

[/ QUOTE ]
But it doesn't seem like they are willing to.

[sfer]

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Pretty pathetic showing by the union. If you say you're going to strike, fuckign strike! Who takes private busses anyway? This is like asbestos installers striking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, the point isn't going on strike. It's being willing to go on strike in order to get the concessions you want. You should know that.

[/ QUOTE ]
But it doesn't seem like they are willing to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you ever negotiated anything? Flat "take-it or leave it" offers aren't a particularly good strategy unless your only objective is having a quick decision.

And I think the partial strike suggests that they are, in fact, willing to strike while still leaving open a big opportunity to negotiate.

[KDawgCometh]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Pretty pathetic showing by the union. If you say you're going to strike, fuckign strike! Who takes private busses anyway? This is like asbestos installers striking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, the point isn't going on strike. It's being willing to go on strike in order to get the concessions you want. You should know that.

[/ QUOTE ]
But it doesn't seem like they are willing to.

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly. While the biggest power in the strike lies in the threat, you have to be willing to go through with the threat to make it an effective tool. If your gonna strike, then do it

[xadrez]

[ QUOTE ]
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Pretty pathetic showing by the union. If you say you're going to strike, fuckign strike! Who takes private busses anyway? This is like asbestos installers striking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, the point isn't going on strike. It's being willing to go on strike in order to get the concessions you want. You should know that.

[/ QUOTE ]
But it doesn't seem like they are willing to.

[/ QUOTE ]

As a former Union delegate, I have to weigh in here. I have been on the verge of going on strike before and its not something to take lightly. The hope is, going down to the very last second, that you can avoid it. Striking is viewed as by the Union, as a "nuclear option". Once you strike, the "good faith" of collective bargaining goes flying out the window, and what happens next is something that can go in any number of vastly different directions many of which can turn absolutely devastating to the union members.

For example, if a strike occurs all those MTA workers (who no doubt are not rich) will not be getting paid indefinatetly. Also, NYC will immediately file grievances to the NLRB, and the TWU will incur millions in fines (in fact, they are still paying the fines from the last time they held a strike, in 1980).

The extension to Monday signals that the Union and the MTA agreed on certain issues. I have sat in on bargaining sessions and in many ways its akin to playing a game like poker. Im not going to make any further analogies, I think most people will get the example.

And to the guy who said the workers should quit complaining, STFU. If it werent for Unions and collective bargaining you wouldnt have 1/2 the benefits you are afforded today in your workplace.

[xadrez]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you ever negotiated anything? Flat "take-it or leave it" offers aren't a particularly good strategy unless your only objective is having a quick decision.

And I think the partial strike suggests that they are, in fact, willing to strike while still leaving open a big opportunity to negotiate.

[/ QUOTE ]

The DaveR is more eleoquent than I, and further is 10000% correct.

[Sponger15SB]

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Have you ever negotiated anything?

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I'm sure Evan has had many negotiations over the price of a BJ from strippers in Vegas.

Isnt the union taking on huge fines by going on strike?

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what happens next is something that can go in any number of vastly different directions many of which can turn absolutely devastating to the union members.


[/ QUOTE ]

Like what happened to the MLB Umpires about 10 years ago.

[tonypaladino]

So, apparently these particular union members are still employees of the private bus companies until the MTA takeover is complete in Jan/Feb, so the NY Taylor law doesn't apply to them, and it is not illegal for them to strike.

pussies

[Evan]

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Have you ever negotiated anything?

[/ QUOTE ]
No, I'm 20.

[KDawgCometh]

only a general strike is illegal(I'm just referring to naitonal law, I don't know specific NY law on that)

[tonypaladino]

The law that apply here is the Taylor Law, which is a NY law. which forbids any state or municipal employee from striking.

There is another law that applies to federal employees that was enacted after the postal strike

[eviljeff]

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only a general strike is illegal(I'm just referring to naitonal law, I don't know specific NY law on that)

[/ QUOTE ]

also, murder is illegal. not sure of the specifics with respect to NY employees. hope this helps.

[mrkilla]

in NYS and NYC Muni workers can't strike under the taylor , which is a load of crap. Taking away the right/ability to strike is taking a weapon out of the Union Arsenal. However when they do strike, threaten, or walk out part of the negotations is they drop all fines/charges etc against the Unions "usually". IE you cant arrest the entire brotherhood if you sent the president to Jail it only make union stronger/fight more.

Its a huge cat and mouse game.

However in the EU they strike for 10 minutes or do a work "slow down" for a day and they get what they want.

[Riverman]

To clarify, I am not taking issue with the value of a strike as a bargianing tool or with the use of that leverage by unions. I am simply stating my opinion that they are not getting a raw deal presently.

[tonypaladino]

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in NYS and NYC Muni workers can't strike under the taylor , which is a load of crap.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, what a load of crap preventing a union from essentially shutting down a city of 8 million people.

What an ignorant statement. So you think it should be ok for fire fighters, police officers, corrections officers, and sanitation workers to strike whenever then want?

[mrkilla]

you think its fair that they should have to work with out contract and fair pay?

[JordanIB]

At first I was a neutral observer in this whole strike mess (although I was definitely secretly rooting for a strike for just today to make it a 3-day weekend).

Then I read that a subway cleaner makes about $40k/year, and a station agent makes over $50K (and both obviously get some very nice union benefits).

And that's when I realized that the MTA should just let the TWU walk off the job, and then turn around and hire 33,000 people in this city who would kill to make $40 G's for picking up trash or $50 G's for sitting in a box and reading a newspaper (or magazine, if that is your preference).

They'd probably fill all spots in about 24 hours.

Edit: I don't share this opinion on the bus drivers at ~ $63K. I think they should get a significant raise and deserve it. That's a tough-ass job. I'd never, ever, ever, want that job.

[Riverman]

"Then I read that a subway cleaner makes about $40k/year, and a station agent makes over $50K (and both obviously get some very nice union benefits)."


This is what I was trying to say when I was too lazy to look up the exact numbers. My opinion is also shaped by the fact that I have ever nor has anyone I know ever actually recieved help/friendliness from the people in the little booths at each subway stop. I'm all for unions but these guys are not underpaid.

[DrSavage]

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you think its fair that they should have to work with out contract and fair pay?

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As others have said they're being way overpaid already. They don't strike because they're being mistreated in any way. I find all their demands absolutely unreasonable and a tactic to get them pushed through by shutting down public transportation in New York nothing less than criminal.

[BottlesOf]

[ QUOTE ]
The law that apply here is the Taylor Law, which is a NY law. which forbids any state or municipal employee from striking.

There is another law that applies to federal employees that was enacted after the postal strike

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the Ty Law may also apply. The Ty Law is a cornerback for the Jets

[BottlesOf]

[ QUOTE ]
At first I was a neutral observer in this whole strike mess (although I was definitely secretly rooting for a strike for just today to make it a 3-day weekend).

Then I read that a subway cleaner makes about $40k/year, and a station agent makes over $50K (and both obviously get some very nice union benefits).

And that's when I realized that the MTA should just let the TWU walk off the job, and then turn around and hire 33,000 people in this city who would kill to make $40 G's for picking up trash or $50 G's for sitting in a box and reading a newspaper (or magazine, if that is your preference).

They'd probably fill all spots in about 24 hours.

Edit: I don't share this opinion on the bus drivers at ~ $63K. I think they should get a significant raise and deserve it. That's a tough-ass job. I'd never, ever, ever, want that job.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? Bus Driver seems the best job of the three (the shittiness of the first is obvious and the second seems mind numbingly noring). It's also the highest paying. If I had to choose one of the three, call me Otto.

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I think the Ty Law may also apply. The Ty Law is a cornerback for the Jets


[/ QUOTE ]

Gold.

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If I had to choose one of the three, call me Orenthal the bus drivin' murderer

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[tonypaladino]

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you think its fair that they should have to work with out contract and fair pay?

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Isn't it strange how many people, both union and non-union workers work without collective bargaining contracts and still get paid and receive benefits?

[istewart]

Brilliant, JBB.

[ISF]

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you think its fair that they should have to work with out contract and fair pay?

[/ QUOTE ]
These arguments are retarded. No one has to work for less then fair pay. If they were getting paid less then they were worth they would quit and work somewhere else. Unions may have had a place when it was hard to move and single companies employed entire towns but now they just cause structural ineffeciencies and benefit no one in the long term.

[TomCollins]

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benefit no one in the long term.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try telling that to the union bosses. They get plenty of benefit from unions.

[PITTM]

this is bad news for those boys from coney...the warriors...good luck boppers.

rj