MTA Transit Strike SUCKS

[JasonB]

I was in a union for about 12 years. And yes it has it's good and bad. But some places need a union or the owners would walk all over the workers. Unions do serve a purpose.

[Mike295]

Originally Posted by soda7o

thats fucked up!

and liek some one mentioned raises come form good performance the workers did not make that surplus it was contributed by the tax payers
form the ny daily news...


"Surplus: The MTA has always been a wizard at making money disappear, but it entered contract talks showing a surplus of $1 billion. The union bosses saw the pile and dreamed of getting some, to the tune of 8% annual raises. That's a laughable demand, and they compounded their mistake by claiming such big hikes were earned because the workers created the surplus.

Not true. In fact, that honor goes to taxpayers. They shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to subsidize the MTA. Portions of two fairly obscure state taxes - the mortgage recording tax and the property transfer tax - are dedicated to the MTA, and both turned in far higher than expected collections because of the real estate boom.

Another contributor is the sales tax, with one-eighth of a penny in the city going to trains and buses. Altogether, higher tax income provided $733 million, or 70% of the surplus. Lower interest rates saved the agency an additional $170 million, or 17%, according to the state controller's office. Still, the union will get a huge chunk of the surplus. Almost half - $450 million - is being spent on pensions and it was offered salary hikes of 10.5% over three years.

Unborn: Sometimes it seemed union head Roger Toussaint had ventured into the abortion debate when he said the MTA wanted him to "sell out the unborn." He chose that loaded word to reject sensible demands that future workers contribute more to the cost of their benefits.

Here are the facts: Health and pension costs threaten to bankrupt government just as much as they do auto manufacturers and airlines. MTA officials say those costs have tripled in recent years and that pension spending hit $453 million last year. Costs are expected to keep rising and are a large part of projected deficits in 2007 and 2008.

The agency is right to shift some of the burden to workers, just as many private companies have, with one difference: Benefits for current workers are untouched. The MTA offered options - later retirement, longer service, greater contributions - all applying only to future employees. Each time the union said no. One labor leader called that stance "an ideology."

Like most ideologies, it ignores reality and brings its own pain. Thanks to the Taylor Law, its followers face big penalties.
"

they also forget to mention the refunding of higher intrest laden debt. that has very large effect on the bottom line. HOw much you are spending in covereing debt expensies.

[RCM78]

Originally Posted by mike195

raises should be becasue you are doing your job exceptionaly not becasue the union got more money for you. union raises are bullshit. all it does is promote shitty workmen skills and shitty service. No one strives to get promoted and or do good work becasue they know they will get a raise no matter what so people do shitty work.

You know something Mike, You have NO FUCKING CLUE what your talking about...
Martin, Myself, and Garry are all UNION workers. Are you saying we provide shitty service and posses shitty skills? I'd hope not...

[Mike295]

ok maby i should have been more specific I was talking about the twu union workers. The unions that you are in has a riggrious traning progam i assume . Lets be honest here the twu workers probably have very minimal traning and most of their job is automated. sorry but the this strike is so uncalled for their demands are just completly obsurd.

[soda7o]

Originally Posted by RCM78

You know something Mike, You have NO FUCKING CLUE what your talking about...
Martin, Myself, and Garry are all UNION workers. Are you saying we provide shitty service and posses shitty skills? I'd hope not...

not saying anythign aboutyou.. but workers who demand raises and better bonuses but donot produce better work do not deserve it.. there is no direct corrlation on the work of th eemployees and profit made by the MTA... it snot liek the canmove the trains slower o faster or pack in more people per cart...
but other jobs lets saymy job.. has a direct impact on how muchmoney Goldman sachs will make ... so the better we do and the sooner we release the product out ot custumers and get new customers to sign up the moree$$ GS gets than the more they split up amongst employees..

[RCM78]

Selling out the Unborn or "Fucking the Unborn" as I like to call it is a Divide and Conquer tactic used in many contract negotiations.

Once the new employees that get less then the older employees out number the older employees the company will target the older employees. The newer employees will take revenge and vote in favor of this.

This goes against everything a Union stands for but it happens everyday.

It happened where I work for the last two contracts.

[Barbi]

well its over now... right?

[vice86]

supposedly some kind of agreement that will let the workers go back to work while they hammer out more shit? I think its all good to go by tomorrow morning.

[High_Revs_17]

Originally Posted by tommymac

I was there for that strike too ( 11 miserable years there) I actualy had a lot of fun we were out drinking beers and barbecuing every night, after a while the cops started hanging out with us too and would bring burgers and stuff.

Yup, we were relaxing in the sun on lounge chairs with some drinks and BBQ outside the Mt.Olive hub while the supervisors were inside busting their asses for once...it was fun while it lasted.