Posted on 12/21/2005 12:44:55 PM PST by areafiftyone
NEW YORK (AP) Members of the striking Transport Workers Union's face the loss of two days pay for every day they are on strike. Aside from the loss of pay, the strikers have lost the backing of their union, The International Transport Workers Union. The international union is urging strikers to go back to work.
Bus driver Bill McRae who has worked in transit since 1985 says ``The union executives called for a strike, and we have to do what we have to do.''
Lawrence Reuter, President of the NYC Transit, told NY One News that about one thousand transit workers came to work yesterday. He said ``they are doing a little cleaning and a little paperwork'' in a safe location. He added ``we will pay them.''
The union also was bashed in the editorial pages of New York's four major newspapers. The Daily News, New York Times, New York Post and Newsday all criticized the union and it's president Roger Toussaint for taking his workers off the job.
It's pretty nice not to be dependant on public transportation.
Prison?????
I am sure that when this kerfuffle is resolved, your average Manhattan commuter will go back to being quiet, dignified, and cheerful to these striking workers (and pigs will fly)
I posted this before...let's enforce provisions against terrorism. You take an organization like the TWU...their people are very well paid and have greater benefits than those in the private sector, given a fair comparison as to skill and educational requirements. Essentail services strike and you have a major metroplex shut down. It was tough to get around on 9/11 (I was right there). The logistics here are somewhat comparable. The union needs to be punished, severely. I'm not complaining vis-a-vis my own planning, but most of us don't have the benefits that these people have. This union needs to be busted and put out of business and their so called leadership, jailed for a lengthy period of time. This could be argued as constituting terrorism. You do not cripple a major city like New York. These Moth..Fuc..s are criminals.
Prison?????
YES...GITMO...
I think being pushed down a long flight of stairs would be a good punishment for Toussaint.
It is so hard to root *for* the MTA. I commute to NYC, I hate them with a passion. In a town famous for Sharpton, Jackson and other demagouges Toussaint stands tall. He is so arrogant makes me actually want the MTA to win.
It's like Darth Vader vs. The Emperor, Jason vs. Freddy, one really bad guy vs another really bad guy.
You just hope they are both mortally wounded when the fight is done
That is exactly how I felt when I was waiting for word on the strike.
Gitmo?!
Are you sure that you want members of Al-Qaeda in close proximity to un-cooperative union members?
The Al-Qaeda guys will wanna unionize too.
The workers are morons for listening to the union leadership. All these inconsiderate clowns need to be fired and should never again be allowed to suck on the taxpayers' tit.
Being an average Manhattan commuter I can say with authority that it is a lot better than TV / movies make it out to be. People generally *are* nice to each other, say excuse me, say thank you etc...
It was different in the past. It is much better now.
I haven't followed this very closely, but did hear that one of the issues that the TWU is striking over is changing the retirement age from 55 to 50. WTF? Many people these days are working PAST 65, and these jokers want to retire at 50? No way. Fire them all.
"Are you sure that you want members of Al-Qaeda in close proximity to un-cooperative union members?
The Al-Qaeda guys will wanna unionize too."
At least when they picket, they'll show their faces. Kapow!!.....Bada Bing Bada Boom......
Seriously, I don't fault the union members except for their stupidity. They should have some perspective and compare their lot to the rest of the world. Their leadership is up for reelection so they have to be theatrical. The State and City should just chop off their cojones and force these folks back to work. $25,000 per day per union member for each day out....not such a bad idea.
They wanted to raise the retirement from 55 to 62. Then the MTA rolled it back to 55 but new hires, only, would have to kick in, I think, 6% of their compensation for the first ten years of their employment. Compare that to the private sector.
That would be the best thing that ever happened to Homeland Security. They'd be overstaffed, work less often, and get less done when they do. They'd be easier to spot because they wouldn't be able to commit an act without at least six times as many people as it takes now.
So now the 'workers' belong to the union president?
I say fire them all and start over..... Merry Christmas
As a veteran of the 1980 and 1966 (65?) strikes I can assure you that though they may not smile at the returning strikers, everything else will be business as usual. Just another episode of life in the big city.
LMAO!
Classic!
And the union wants to keep workers from paying a single penny into their health care benefits or into their pensions. Their excuse is that NYC is running a surplus and they deserve their share for keeping the city moving.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.