I don't know if you guys know but I work for Mta nyct.

I just want to say a strike at this time would be terrible for me and my family. Christmas is here and though I have a little money saved a strike would cripple my family.

No one seems to know or care to understand that we will not be getting paid. Actually according to state law, if we go on strike we will be docked 2 days pay for everyday we strike.

What do the workers want? Everyone thinks the workers are greedy. The nyct transit workers are the lowest paid transit workers in the country. They have a billion dollar surplus. They want to take conductors off the train which is a security risk waiting to happen in this time of terror. They want to cut all visible jobs and make everyone the same. They want to cripple workers pay sendind is from middle class to appoaching poverty levels into the commung years.

They want to cut benifits and raise the retirement age to 62. They ignore the health risks associated with the job as it is. Even though we have them, we can't take personal days and we are not allowed sick leave unless we have a doctors note. Personal days are always rejected no matter what it is. For example when my son was born they were going to debt me time off. I was lucky that he was born on my day off or they would have denied me the day off. They told me that I will are him when I get off. This is just the mentality of what we are dealing with.

They have a billion dollar surplus and say they already have budgeted that money with the workers not tied into their plans.

Check this. They will be raising the fare. Its already signed off on in their budget. It has nothing to do with the union contract. Passengers will be looking at $2.50 a ride.

As far as right now the strike has begun. They authorized the private lines to strike. By sometime this week the whole system could be shut down.

Like I said, this will cripple my family. I don't know how rent will be paid, etc. Not to mention Christmas is here.

At the same time I know in my heart that we need to fight the Mta. They are a monopoly. They want to cut service, comprimise safety, and raise the fair yet again. They are crazy. The people in the city need to boycott the Mta after all this is played out.

This is my two cents on the subject. I decided to do this because people have been knocking on my door and calling me wanting to know what's going on with the strike. Its not Like the workers have a cable modem up our ass and know more than the people. I know what's going on when i turn the TV on like eveyone else. What hurts is that there are people that I haven't spoken to in years calling me about the strike. No one asks me how am I going to manage or if I'll need help especially during the holidays. That's ****ed up.

freakin I reading articles that train operators, cleaners etc make anwhere from 47K to 55K before overtime. Freakin they make more than me and probably have better benefits than me. They has some nerve to ask for an 8% pay hike over 3 years. The whole system is corrupted!!!!

they'll get you back to work asap. to bad they couldnt negotiate with a promise that train service would not be interupted, but thats how strikes form. ny is a very wealthy city, im sure they will find the $$$ to mediateany prolonged crisis. i would say chill and take your time off and enjoy it. go take your family on a trip or something

As someone who rides the subway every day, I appreciate the work you guys do. I hope a total strike can be avoided, and that you guys get a fair deal.

Posted by BasketballJones:

As someone who rides the subway every day, I appreciate the work you guys do. I hope a total strike can be avoided, and that you guys get a fair deal.

I second that in a big way.

Damn, Spree. I hope this all gets sorted out so you and your family can keep with life like you normally would. It's easy to say that the people, are the most important thing but the workers are just as important. As you said this is your livliehood and you have a family, but so do alot of other MTA workers. Union strikes are always a tough thing because the people that organize them don't usually need the money as much as the people that work their asses off everyday. I hope that they can get this squared away for none other then your own personal well-being.

Posted by nyvector16:


Only thing I don't understand about the worker's position is this:
Proposed Health Care pay deductions and raising the retirement age to 62 is only for new workers going forward.
Everyone already employed would not be affected by the above proposed rule change.
Dunno.... but if that's the sticking point that leads to a strike... I'll be pissed at the union as well.

Is it fair that the future generation has to suffer? What will happen at the next contract talks? Will they straight up take away jobs and deny retirement all together?

What will happen 10 years from now? Will they just straight up say we will not hire anymore people and use computers all togehter?

You have to fight this monopoly. If the MTA get away with it then all the other city agencies and unionized comapnies will try to do the same. This could effect everyone because if the MTA can screw its workers and it's ok.......then YOUR boss will do the same.

People do not have working class consciousness. They identify with rich bosses instead of workers who are struggling to feed their families and live decent lives like you and I.

People are so easily manipulated by the Newspapers, and TV stations which only show very pro-boss standpoints. It is easy for Mike Bloomberg to talk about what working people ought to do when he is billionaire and never will have a financial worry in his life.

Working Class-People in this class often rely on payment for their labour to survive. The defining characteristic is the dependence on wage-labor (or salaried employment).

The working class is mainly found in industrialised capitalist economies or in urban areas of non-industrialised economies.

Class consciousness-A category of socialist and especially Marxist theory, referring to the self-awareness of a social class, its capacity to act in its own rational interests, or measuring the extent to which an individual is conscious of the historical tasks their class (or class allegiance) sets for them.

Having said all of what I said in my previous post, is it better for all workers if the bosses keep wages low, or if workers fight for better wages/benefits, etc.?

If a group of workers in a huge union likt the MTA cannot fight and win better wages/conditions who can?

The taylor laws are pure facism.

I will now step down from the soap box.

[Edited by - killa4luv on 12-16-2005 10:45 AM]

Hey Eny...
I totally sympathise with your point of view.
As a straphanger I know all about MTA greed.

quick question...
starting about a month ago... it seems subway service has decreased dramatically.
At least on the 1 line.
before the train would arrive every 5 minutes.
Now... it can take up to a 20 minute wait to catch a train during peak hours..
Who is in charge of setting train timetables?
it just seems service has been real bad and was wondering who I can write a letter to.
Thanks...

Enyspree,

Good luck to you and the rest of the Transit Workers.

Anyone who is mad at the workers just isn't paying attention. The MTA is as corrupt an organization a there is. They would rather lower fares in a political stunt to boost Bloomberg's election chance than take care of their own workers! People have short memories, the MTA has closed books, they raise fares, then lower them slightly, and everyone is grateful rather than disgusted.

Also it is against the law for the workers to strike...but if they don't strike they never get a fair shake! The MTA uses that law as a hammer...$#%^& them and their Mommas!

Keep strong brother!

oohah