NJ wins over NYC - transit strike
so the MTA transit strike today has half my office out of work today. Basically anyone who lives in NY, said F that and did not come to work or is working from home. I don't blame them, if i had to work in NYC and the closest i could get to my office was still over a mile away, i'd say the same thing. All the subways are closed and the majority of the bus services are not running either. Basically if you live in NYC, you're screwed. Getting from brooklyn or Queens to manhattan is just about impossible unless you are driving yourself.
good thing i live and work in NJ.
from NY1.com
Millions of commuters are facing their worst nightmare this morning as a massive transit strike brings New York City's transit system to a halt, threatening businesses and stifling movement across the five boroughs.
Transit workers began walking off the job at 3 a.m. following a vote of the union's executive board, hours after union leaders rejected the MTA's final contract offer at the end of a contentious bargaining session.
City officials say the work stoppage, the city's first transit strike since 1980, will have a massive and debilitating effect on the city, thwarting millions of commuters and countless tourists on the cusp of the holiday season.
"Our contract expired on Thursday at midnight, but we postponed a strike in deference to our riders," said TWU Local 100 President Roger Toussaint in announcing the strike shortly before 3 a.m. "All local TWU members are now directed to report to the picket lines."
To the city's seven million commuters, Toussaint said: "For the riders, we ask for your understanding. Our fight is their fight."
The TWU allowed all subway trains and buses that were running at the time of the strike announcement to complete their runs before returning to the depots and shutting down.
All subway entrances have now been locked and station agents and token booth attendants are now off the job.
The city has deployed its strike contingency plan to help smooth the bumps for the region's seven million commuters.
Until 11 a.m. on each day of the strike, vehicles with fewer than four passengers are prohibited from entering Manhattan at all bridges and tunnels south of 96th Street, and barricades at 96th Street prohibit cars with fewer than four people from passing southbound through that point. However, vehicles traveling within Manhattan need not have four passengers.
Even with the restrictions, traffic on the West Side Highway and FDR Drive was backed up for miles by 5:30 a.m. North of 96th Street, drivers were spotted picking up strangers to make it past police checkpoints with the required four passengers.
In a show of solidarity with displaced straphangers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined thousands of commuters crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot as he made his way to his City Hall office shortly after 7 a.m.
On a lighter note, two dozen Santas from Brookstone's department store took up positions on the bridge to greet commuters as they streamed across the famous span.
Meanwhile, the city's public schools are opening two hours later than normal to allow extra travel time for students.
A strike by the city's 34,000 transit workers is illegal under the state's Taylor Law, which provides for substantial fines against public workers who strike. The city comptroller’s office says the city stands to lose $1.6 billion in the first week of a strike, with the hardest economic blow coming on the first day.
"The TWU's action today is illegal and irresponsible," said MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow in a separate press conference following the union's announcement. "The MTA has made every effort to resolve this dispute and I guarantee the public that we will take every necessary step to bring this illegal action to a halt."
Kalikow said the state was preparing to file contempt charges against the union in response to the work stoppage.
Shortly after Kalikow's remarks, the mayor addressed New Yorkers from the city's Office of Emergency Management, calling on residents to be resolute in the face of the work stoppage.
"It will no doubt be a difficult time for people of this city and the region as a whole," Bloomberg said. "But New Yorkers have made a habit of pulling through tough times and showing doubters what we're made of. These traits will be put to the test as long as this strike lasts."
The union said the latest MTA offer included annual raises of 3 percent, 4 percent and 3.5 percent; the previous proposal included 3 percent raises each year. MTA workers earn between $47,000 and $55,000 annually.
Pension issues have been a major sticking point. The MTA wants to raise the age at which new employees become eligible for full pension from 55 to 62, which the union says is unfair.
But Toussaint said the union wanted a better offer from the MTA, especially when the agency has a $1 billion surplus this year.
The last time transit workers walked off the job was in April of 1980, when an eleven-day strike stranded commuters and resulted in millions of dollars in lost productivity. The TWU's local chapter was fined more than a million dollars for the stoppage.
After five days of high-level negotiations, the union rejected the MTA's final offer shortly before 11 p.m. Monday, then moved to their Upper West Side headquarters to formulate plans for the work stoppage.
The negotiations broke down after going almost two hours past the 9 p.m. deadline that the TWU had set for the MTA to present its final offer. Earlier in the evening, TWU officials asked the MTA to present its best offer at 9 p.m. so the TWU executive board could vote on it before midnight.
Earlier Monday, workers at two private bus lines began picketing in Queens to underscore the union's stance.
At a Monday morning press conference, Toussaint said that the union would agree to lower its wage demands to a six-percent increase for each year of the three-year contract if the MTA agreed to make security improvements. The TWU's new demand was double the three-percent raise per year that the MTA had offered.
Workers from Queens-based Triboro Coaches and Jamaica Bus Lines fulfilled their promise to walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. Monday, leaving 50,000 riders scrambling for other ways to get around.
The TWU imposed the partial strike after a deal wasn't reached by midnight Sunday. Toussaint joined the striking bus workers on the picket line in Queens Monday.
The MTA's head negotiator didn't sound very confident that a deal could be reached in time to avert a strike at a Sunday night press conference.
"I think in addition to the fact that there's no progress to report, I think the MTA is very concerned that we are down to the wire," said Gary Dellaverson. "Obviously the MTA does not have any deadline on these talks. We have said we will continue to negotiate for as long as it's fruitful."
On Friday, it looked like the MTA was done negotiating when Chairman Peter Kalikow said the contract offered after overnight talks was "the final offer." MTA officials went into talks Saturday maintaining that they would not budge from the offer rejected by transit workers early Friday morning.
The MTA’s contract proposal at the time offered a nine-percent raise over three years, but the union is seeking more. The contract also required new hires to pay one percent into their health plans, whereas under the current contract they pay nothing.
The MTA's proposal also sought to increase the retirement age for new hires from 55 to 62, but the union wants it lowered to 50.
As the clock ticked toward the strike deadline, hundreds of transit workers rallied Monday evening in front of Governor George Pataki's Midtown office.
TWU members who attended the rally said they were upset about the governor's refusal to enter the negotiations.
"[What] we need is Pataki and [Mayor Michael] Bloomberg [to] have a little talk with the boss of the transit," said one union member. "We need their support because there are no winners here, and who's at fault? Who's going to be losing? The people."
"The governor has been staying out of the picture so far, in my book,” said another TWU member. "He hasn't wanted to get involved, and I don't know what his reasons are but he needs to get involved by midnight tonight, otherwise the city is going to be shutdown to zero. There's going to be no transportation in all of the five boroughs."
Workers from other unions were at the rally in a show of solidarity for the TWU.
The union representing Metro North Railroad workers showed their support for the TWU at a Monday morning press conference, but it's still not entirely clear if those workers will walk off the job in support of their sister union.
"Metro North and the MTA have not budged one inch, but instead have continued with their 'take it or leave it' type of approach," said Russell Oathou of the Metro North Labor Coalition.
Metro North's service is a critical part of the city's strike contingency plan.
As part of the plan, the city has waived normal restrictions to allow livery cabs and commuter vans to make curbside pickups along MTA bus routes.
However, the United Drivers Group of America says what the mayor is asking them to do is unfair.
"They were asking us to break the strike, to alter the way that we do our work every day, maybe go to areas that we don't normally go and picking up more than one passenger, which we don't do," said Julio Alvarez of United Drivers Group of America. "Like I said before, we are going to do what we normally do on a daily basis."
The group also says drivers are normally given tickets upwards of hundreds of dollars when they make curbside pick-ups, and it refuses to be "used" by the city to manage the overflow of people on the street.
good thing i live and work in NJ.
from NY1.com
Millions of commuters are facing their worst nightmare this morning as a massive transit strike brings New York City's transit system to a halt, threatening businesses and stifling movement across the five boroughs.
Transit workers began walking off the job at 3 a.m. following a vote of the union's executive board, hours after union leaders rejected the MTA's final contract offer at the end of a contentious bargaining session.
City officials say the work stoppage, the city's first transit strike since 1980, will have a massive and debilitating effect on the city, thwarting millions of commuters and countless tourists on the cusp of the holiday season.
"Our contract expired on Thursday at midnight, but we postponed a strike in deference to our riders," said TWU Local 100 President Roger Toussaint in announcing the strike shortly before 3 a.m. "All local TWU members are now directed to report to the picket lines."
To the city's seven million commuters, Toussaint said: "For the riders, we ask for your understanding. Our fight is their fight."
The TWU allowed all subway trains and buses that were running at the time of the strike announcement to complete their runs before returning to the depots and shutting down.
All subway entrances have now been locked and station agents and token booth attendants are now off the job.
The city has deployed its strike contingency plan to help smooth the bumps for the region's seven million commuters.
Until 11 a.m. on each day of the strike, vehicles with fewer than four passengers are prohibited from entering Manhattan at all bridges and tunnels south of 96th Street, and barricades at 96th Street prohibit cars with fewer than four people from passing southbound through that point. However, vehicles traveling within Manhattan need not have four passengers.
Even with the restrictions, traffic on the West Side Highway and FDR Drive was backed up for miles by 5:30 a.m. North of 96th Street, drivers were spotted picking up strangers to make it past police checkpoints with the required four passengers.
In a show of solidarity with displaced straphangers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined thousands of commuters crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot as he made his way to his City Hall office shortly after 7 a.m.
On a lighter note, two dozen Santas from Brookstone's department store took up positions on the bridge to greet commuters as they streamed across the famous span.
Meanwhile, the city's public schools are opening two hours later than normal to allow extra travel time for students.
A strike by the city's 34,000 transit workers is illegal under the state's Taylor Law, which provides for substantial fines against public workers who strike. The city comptroller’s office says the city stands to lose $1.6 billion in the first week of a strike, with the hardest economic blow coming on the first day.
"The TWU's action today is illegal and irresponsible," said MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow in a separate press conference following the union's announcement. "The MTA has made every effort to resolve this dispute and I guarantee the public that we will take every necessary step to bring this illegal action to a halt."
Kalikow said the state was preparing to file contempt charges against the union in response to the work stoppage.
Shortly after Kalikow's remarks, the mayor addressed New Yorkers from the city's Office of Emergency Management, calling on residents to be resolute in the face of the work stoppage.
"It will no doubt be a difficult time for people of this city and the region as a whole," Bloomberg said. "But New Yorkers have made a habit of pulling through tough times and showing doubters what we're made of. These traits will be put to the test as long as this strike lasts."
The union said the latest MTA offer included annual raises of 3 percent, 4 percent and 3.5 percent; the previous proposal included 3 percent raises each year. MTA workers earn between $47,000 and $55,000 annually.
Pension issues have been a major sticking point. The MTA wants to raise the age at which new employees become eligible for full pension from 55 to 62, which the union says is unfair.
But Toussaint said the union wanted a better offer from the MTA, especially when the agency has a $1 billion surplus this year.
The last time transit workers walked off the job was in April of 1980, when an eleven-day strike stranded commuters and resulted in millions of dollars in lost productivity. The TWU's local chapter was fined more than a million dollars for the stoppage.
After five days of high-level negotiations, the union rejected the MTA's final offer shortly before 11 p.m. Monday, then moved to their Upper West Side headquarters to formulate plans for the work stoppage.
The negotiations broke down after going almost two hours past the 9 p.m. deadline that the TWU had set for the MTA to present its final offer. Earlier in the evening, TWU officials asked the MTA to present its best offer at 9 p.m. so the TWU executive board could vote on it before midnight.
Earlier Monday, workers at two private bus lines began picketing in Queens to underscore the union's stance.
At a Monday morning press conference, Toussaint said that the union would agree to lower its wage demands to a six-percent increase for each year of the three-year contract if the MTA agreed to make security improvements. The TWU's new demand was double the three-percent raise per year that the MTA had offered.
Workers from Queens-based Triboro Coaches and Jamaica Bus Lines fulfilled their promise to walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. Monday, leaving 50,000 riders scrambling for other ways to get around.
The TWU imposed the partial strike after a deal wasn't reached by midnight Sunday. Toussaint joined the striking bus workers on the picket line in Queens Monday.
The MTA's head negotiator didn't sound very confident that a deal could be reached in time to avert a strike at a Sunday night press conference.
"I think in addition to the fact that there's no progress to report, I think the MTA is very concerned that we are down to the wire," said Gary Dellaverson. "Obviously the MTA does not have any deadline on these talks. We have said we will continue to negotiate for as long as it's fruitful."
On Friday, it looked like the MTA was done negotiating when Chairman Peter Kalikow said the contract offered after overnight talks was "the final offer." MTA officials went into talks Saturday maintaining that they would not budge from the offer rejected by transit workers early Friday morning.
The MTA’s contract proposal at the time offered a nine-percent raise over three years, but the union is seeking more. The contract also required new hires to pay one percent into their health plans, whereas under the current contract they pay nothing.
The MTA's proposal also sought to increase the retirement age for new hires from 55 to 62, but the union wants it lowered to 50.
As the clock ticked toward the strike deadline, hundreds of transit workers rallied Monday evening in front of Governor George Pataki's Midtown office.
TWU members who attended the rally said they were upset about the governor's refusal to enter the negotiations.
"[What] we need is Pataki and [Mayor Michael] Bloomberg [to] have a little talk with the boss of the transit," said one union member. "We need their support because there are no winners here, and who's at fault? Who's going to be losing? The people."
"The governor has been staying out of the picture so far, in my book,” said another TWU member. "He hasn't wanted to get involved, and I don't know what his reasons are but he needs to get involved by midnight tonight, otherwise the city is going to be shutdown to zero. There's going to be no transportation in all of the five boroughs."
Workers from other unions were at the rally in a show of solidarity for the TWU.
The union representing Metro North Railroad workers showed their support for the TWU at a Monday morning press conference, but it's still not entirely clear if those workers will walk off the job in support of their sister union.
"Metro North and the MTA have not budged one inch, but instead have continued with their 'take it or leave it' type of approach," said Russell Oathou of the Metro North Labor Coalition.
Metro North's service is a critical part of the city's strike contingency plan.
As part of the plan, the city has waived normal restrictions to allow livery cabs and commuter vans to make curbside pickups along MTA bus routes.
However, the United Drivers Group of America says what the mayor is asking them to do is unfair.
"They were asking us to break the strike, to alter the way that we do our work every day, maybe go to areas that we don't normally go and picking up more than one passenger, which we don't do," said Julio Alvarez of United Drivers Group of America. "Like I said before, we are going to do what we normally do on a daily basis."
The group also says drivers are normally given tickets upwards of hundreds of dollars when they make curbside pick-ups, and it refuses to be "used" by the city to manage the overflow of people on the street.