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If they could fire them an replace them, don't you think they would have done that already.

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The MTA is trying to negotiate a settlement without acting as irrationally as the union. The union better hope that higher authority doesn't step in, or they are toast.

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MTA work is [censored] [censored] work that usually causes health problems for workers. Most people don't want to do it, and certainly not for bad pay.

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You cite this without evidence. Another poster earlier cited 30 applicants for every MTA job opening, also without evidence. I believe him, also without evidence. Somebody is getting $50K a year for sitting in a toll booth making change and selling subway tokens. The major health threat he faces is gluteous-more-maximus. You think it would take more than a New York minute to find a replacement for him?

The TWU has gotten away with this crap before, in a time when the economy was fat and happy, and no one wanted to offend anyone. Times have changed, and the rare enlightened labor leaders are changing too. The cavemen in charge of the TWU are obsolete.

If they started firing illegal strikers, the only problem would be people getting hurt in the stampede of applicants for their jobs.