Greedy, selfish NYC transit workers threaten strike

[Chris 62]

Some of you should read what NYers think of the MTA:

http://www.newyorkcitytransit.com/

[GePap]

To me it is a fantasy to say that we can improve the system without fare increases.

First of all, I don't think the MTA workers are overpaid (even if I do see their current demand as impossible to meet). You could not star paying them less and the only staff cutting measure I see worth a damn is getting rid of the token booth operators.

The system needs new trains, more trains on certain lines, we need to connect path and LIR to the subway more efficently(and that federal money alone won't cut it), plus one day perhaps they will finish the second avenue line. They need to upgrdae the buses in some areas. Even if labor cost saty the same (which would not be so great for workers as we all know the cost of living in the ciy always goes up, specially in housing) they need to increase revenue (and I don't think the waste reduction will be enough :they never are, as people like to talk of masive waste as a way of avoiding further input of money)

For all those reasons, regarless of what the public says, fares must go up. If you bet the monthly pass for $67 bucks, and you use it for 2 trips every day (week-ends and weekdays), that's a $90 dollar value for which you paid $67. If you did it regularly, you would have to pay $82 (countin the free 11th trip). So, for those people using the monthly pass, they are spending about $1.20 a fare, which has not been the fare since about 1994, or a fare cut in general, specially if they had a two fare trip back in the days of the two fare system.

[Chris 62]

It's fantasy to think that the fares rising will change anything.

I have seen the fares raised for years, with very little improvement.

Your talking about expanding the sysytem, a bad idea in difficult fiscal times.

Your also the ONLY guy I ever spoke too that WANTS to pay more.

Considering the taxes we pay, we should get the damn ride FOR FREE.

[Caligastia]

Gepap-
How much do you want to bet that service doesnt improve ONE IOTA after the fares go up and the workers get their pay increase?

[gsmoove23]

I don't understand the anger here. First off 45-70,000 has been put as the salary range here while I doubt that is starting salary or that most MTA positions would get you 50,000 in 3 years and 8 weeks might be common after 5 or 10 years of service but again I doubt people start with these benefits. Does anyone have any sources for these claims?

Second, I grew up in NYC, Staten Island to be exact, and I've never found reason to complain excessively about the transit system. Plus, we had a few special deals that cut fares in half for express buses and made our SI ferry free(woohoo!). Guliani liked us, the bastard.

Travelling around Europe I have to say that the fares are not excessive here and could probably use a little hike. Have to agree with others on this board and ask why blaim for MTA problems automatically falls to the workers?

[gsmoove23]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Gepap-
How much do you want to bet that service doesnt improve ONE IOTA after the fares go up and the workers get their pay increase?

? The pay increase should be put in because the MTA isn't making money, not because we want better service. One thing at a time.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Gepap-
How much do you want to bet that service doesnt improve ONE IOTA after the fares go up and the workers get their pay increase?

As cost of living has gone up since the last contract was signed, the transt workers deserve some pay hike, though not what they want.

Chris: the state funds the MTA, which is why the governor appoints he board and why he has the greatest control. So, no, given pour taxes, it shouldn' be free, as it would mean higher taxes statewide. More money must come from fare hikes. servce did imporve markedly in the last few years which is why new riders poured in, putting greater strain on the whole system, and as I states, many people have seen their average fares drop due to the monthly and weekly passes. So te system is beign asked to do more, with less. That enevr works.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by gsmoove23


? The pay increase should be put in because the MTA isn't making money, not because we want better service. One thing at a time.

The transit system rakes in $5mil+ EVERY DAY! How can it be short of money? Someone isn't doing their job.

[GePap]

Well, considering the cost of the system, and all the ongoing improvements, expansions, and so forth, why do we assume 5 million a day is enough?
And as for who's not doing their job: do you have any evidence to show us tis the Union's fault and not the board? if you do, please link us to your documents. Otherwise attacking the union and it's workers is nothing more than an ideologically motivated rant against the idea of Labor in the first place.

As for expansion: The system needs continual improvement. Cutting back during hard financial times is necessary, but they can;t allow the same slide that occured in the finacial crisis of the 70's.

[Caligastia]

You obviously havent bothered to look at the link Chris provided...

[David Floyd]

OK. Striking in this case is ****ing stupid. These ****ers already make more than the national average (and that's assuming they all make the low end salary), and get 1/6 of the year off in paid vacation time.

And the poor deprived bastards want more? **** off, they can do my job and I'll take theirs. Oh wait, doing my job would require a bit more intelligence than theirs (and even a trained monkey could do my job).

I think people should be able to strike. Anyone. In any job. You don't have to work if you don't want to, that seems quite reasonable.

The flip side, though, should be that if you strike, the company can fire you at will. You should receive no legal protection for not living up to your agreements. If you walk off the job, you, in effect, quit, and should be treated as such by the company you work for. Anything the company does over and above that is done from their generosity - they shouldn't have to do anything but tell you to **** off.

Further, public transportation should be privitized. I don't want the government running transportation any more than I want them running schools.

So, in summary:
-Privitize the system
-Fire any worker who strikes
-Hire new workers at more reasonable wages, with reasonable defined as whatever wage people will accept
-Eliminate any legal protection for unions, other than acknowledging a person's right not to work if they don't want to

[gsmoove23]

More accusations about their current incomes but no sources? I've been looking on the net and I just can't find the info can anyone supply a source?

Doesn't the company have the right to fire em anyway? The question is, if its an effective strike they can't fire everyone who walks off and have newly trained workers in a reasonable amount of time. Why are you upset DF? The workers are just exploiting an advantage collectively, fully within their rights.

[David Floyd]

I agree they have the right to strike, but don't you think that shutting a city down over something silly like that is wrong?

I have the right to walk down the street and call people stupid. Does that mean I should?

[Caligastia]

They don't have the right to strike, its illegal.

[David Floyd]

Oh, and by the way, if a company seriously threatens to fire every worker who strikes, don't you think that would encourage workers to tell the unions to **** off? I mean, no one is going to give up a good, well-paying job in today's job environment over the demands of their union. At least no reasonable person.

And maybe the company (or in this case, the city) should offer non-striking workers an extra incentive, such as, say, a 1% raise or a bit of extra vacation time for that year, just as an increased effort to **** over the unions and remove their stranglehold. Hell, I'd tell my union (if I had one) to **** themselves in exchange for an extra week off, or for a Christmas bonus of a thousand bucks.