Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - all o yall who work for MTA

try to extend this strike till next friday...would be a crazy CM in nyc

On an equally as selfish note, please don't. I don't want to have to reschedule my trip.

Man #1: ...****! Why did they have to strike during the winter? Right before the holidays, no less.

Man #2: Well, the transit guys need to get paid more and they need other things that I'm not too clear about.

Man #3: **** 'em! I don't give a **** what their problems are! Everybody has problems, not just them! They want more money? Well, then they should have thought about that before dropping out of high school! Bunch of lazy ****ing losers!

Man #4: Hey, I work for the MTA.

Man #3: Well, then: **** you, too!

--Brooklyn Bridge
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/003884.html

i bet man #3 voted for bloomberg

Thanks for posting that link turd. That website is hilarious!

Drunk guy: Just replace them with 10 lines of code: "If subway station, stop. Otherwise, go."

Suit: We tried to get a cab to take us three blocks. He wouldn't.

:D

to man#3, you would be shocked if you knew just how many college grads drive buses/trains. Repubican party is pure scum!!

**** you #3

"MTA workers earn between $47,000 and $55,000 annually". they say: *** you new yorkers. i hate those fckers. i say fire their asses.

people have a right to strike if they're not content with their working conditions... but the MTA should also have the right to get rid of the TWU in favor of people who would love a $30,000 year job.

I do have to say that the TWU has huge BALLS!! imagine what someone with balls that large could accomplish if they wanted to do something worthwhile.

On the same token, I say greedy corporations and filthy riches scheming unjustified wars that burdens huge expense and lives on us, all of them should be jailed.

zm

All I know is that the riding has been a damned fine pleasure the last couple of days. What a way to make a triumphant (albeit temporary) return to nyc.

personally, i support almost any working class struggle like this. whether their demands are lavish or not, i hope they win.

and overheard in new york is hilarious.

Guy on cell: Decorations? What do you need decorations for? You're not Jewish...What? You converted? Well, I would congratulate you if I didn't already have so many Jew friends.

--Grove & Bedford

Girl: I wrote Suck Penis Daily Forever to remember the order of the sublevels or whatever it is on my chemistry test and I never erased it.

--Barney's dressing room, Madison Avenue

"MTA workers earn between $47,000 and $55,000 annually". they say: *** you new yorkers. i hate those fckers. i say fire their asses.

"This is the crabs in the barrel syndrome that we are all familiar with. Rather than supporting those trying to break the sides of the barrel, there are those of us who, actually in despair, are so worn down that we would rather enjoy the company of others in misery than take a stand on the right side of an issue."
-http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1221-27.htm

"This is the crabs in the barrel syndrome that we are all familiar with. Rather than supporting those trying to break the sides of the barrel, there are those of us who, actually in despair, are so worn down that we would rather enjoy the company of others in misery than take a stand on the right side of an issue."
-http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1221-27.htm

I had to deal with some of that attitude when my union got locked out a few years ago. The idea seemed to be, "I get screwed on my wages and benefits, so you guys should get screwed as well."

Prefaced by saying that I'm currently all for chaos, and the more the better.

From the World Socialist Website


The base salary of a bus operator is $42,450, and that of a train operator is $45,167. Besides laboring under conditions that are extremely taxing mentally and physically, these workers have enormous responsibility for the safety of the riding public. Yet they earn barely one-fifth of the average salary being made on Wall Street, and less than a third of what newly hired attorneys are earning in the city' major law firms.


From an editorial in the NY Sun


A subway-train operator starts at $52,644 a year, more than double the starting salaries of police officers, fire fighters, and trash collectors.


Even with my deep affection for the disorded caused by this strike, I'm left wondering exactly what these guys are doing to even come close to deserving so much money. Maybe I'm just missing out on some huge aspect of it while I sit in my fat cat house shivering my ass off cuz I can't afford no heat.

If I were giving away the money though, transit workers wouldn't even be close to first inline. The guys making half what they do who are (supposed) to be there to prevent my ass from getting shot and keep my house from burning down, and pick up my used porno mags, adult diapers, and empty cans of cheez wiz and pbr, they're the ones who I think ought to be getting my dime first.

Hell, maybe they deserve the pay jack cuz they got the balls to demand it and actually strike, and the firefighters, police, and trashmen should hop inline too. Really stick one to the holiday season.

Happy fcking Chanukah!

See what I mean?

The base salary of a bus operator is $42,450, and that of a train operator is $45,167. Besides laboring under conditions that are extremely taxing mentally and physically, these workers have enormous responsibility for the safety of the riding public. Yet they earn barely one-fifth of the average salary being made on Wall Street, and less than a third of what newly hired attorneys are earning in the city' major law firms.

That's just hilarious because it's so stupid.

Maybe they earn less than attorneys at major law firms because they are frinckin' drivers? LOL

Most of you guys seem to be like Man #3. Where I live and in most european cities people generally supports workers figthing for better wages. I hope they win.

They may or may not be fair demands, but launching a big all-out strike before Christmas in the freezing cold that costs the city hundreds of millions of dollars is ****ing ****ty.
Anyway, I don't know the situation there, just came back to post this gem from a year or so ago, when there was a metro strike in London. Dunno if you people know it, but the NYers who haven't heard it might find it funny:

Click on "London Underground" (http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/medic/fitness/home.php?type=listen)

They may or may not be fair demands, but launching a big all-out strike before Christmas in the freezing cold that costs the city hundreds of millions of dollars is ****ing ****ty.


You're right: they should have just trusted the MTA, Pataki and Bloomberg to act in the spirit of the Yuletide season and quit trying to impose givebacks and two-tiered pension systems on the workers. We all know that there's something in the air at Christmas that causes employers' hearts to swell, Grinch-like, and compels them to begin treating their workers fairly. And in this case, the $1,000,000,000 MTA surplus would have come in handy for those spontaneous acts of goodwill and fair play.

But noooo, they had to go and actually fight for a fair contract. Don't they know that's un-American? Or, at the very least, un-Christmassy? Will nobody speak up for poor old Christmas? Stop the War On Christmas!

I've moved around a lot in my adult life, and without fail, cities that have a strong union presence have higher wages and better working conditions. It's no secret.

Prefaced by saying that I'm currently all for chaos, and the more the better.

From the World Socialist Website


From an editorial in the NY Sun


Even with my deep affection for the disorded caused by this strike, I'm left wondering exactly what these guys are doing to even come close to deserving so much money. Maybe I'm just missing out on some huge aspect of it while I sit in my fat cat house shivering my ass off cuz I can't afford no heat.

If I were giving away the money though, transit workers wouldn't even be close to first inline. The guys making half what they do who are (supposed) to be there to prevent my ass from getting shot and keep my house from burning down, and pick up my used porno mags, adult diapers, and empty cans of cheez wiz and pbr, they're the ones who I think ought to be getting my dime first.

Hell, maybe they deserve the pay jack cuz they got the balls to demand it and actually strike, and the firefighters, police, and trashmen should hop inline too. Really stick one to the holiday season.

Happy fcking Chanukah!


read this:

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/nyc-reax1221,0,3693051.story

and then start poking around...you'll notice that the unions representing the police, fire, and sanitation workers have offered at least tacit support for the transit strike, largely 'cause their own unions have been stripped of power by agreeing to multi-tiered contracts (giving younger workers a worse break than those with seniority); the very kind of deal the TWU is trying to avoid, since it has no other purpose than TO break unions. It's not about the dollar figures for salary, or pensions, in the end -- why do you think the MTA, after basically getting to an agreement Monday night with the TWU on almost every point, suddenly decided to introduce a clause asking that new hires contribute a greater percentage of wages to the pension fund than current employees? A clause that would generate only insignificant savings? Think about it.

MTA, the mayor, and the governor are the primary culprits in violation of the Taylor law...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/jgonzalez/

They may or may not be fair demands, but launching a big all-out strike before Christmas in the freezing cold that costs the city hundreds of millions of dollars is ****ing ****ty.


Actually, that's the best time to strike. The reason you strike (well, not the reason to sstrike but rather the reason strikes work)- so- for a strike to maximize its effect, it must cost the employer/management the maximum amount of money. What you think its easy for these guys not to be pulling a paycheck right before christmas?!?! They'd love to have money in their pockets for their family. That should tell you just how much this means to them. Yeah they almost certainly have a strike and defense fund but i'd guess that the $1,000,000 a day fines cut into that pretty heavily. Its also funny that a lot of anti-union activists claim that the big problem with unions is that all they do is protect lazy workers with seniority while screwing the new guy. Eat your heart out guys - this strike is, in large part, for that new guy.

That was a good piece Popdelusions. As for the rest of you. Stop being so ignorant. Do you have any idea how hard it is to drive a bus around here? Or all of the health problems transit workers face down the line from being underground in the subway ALL THE TIME. Do you have any idea that 50k a year in this city is NOTHING??? ****ING NOTHING. Seriously. That's BAD PAY in NYC. The fact that we pay our firefighters and police officers so little (especially the rookies) is SHAMEFUL. The same thing goes for teachers. It's embarrassing. The only thing that is nice about these jobs are the benefits and pensions. Which the MTA is illegally trying to change. Do you honestly think some paper-pushing corporate lawyer deserves more money than someone who drives a subway train or protects your streets or teaches your children? What planet do you people live in?

Sheesh.

You're right: they should have just trusted the MTA, Pataki and Bloomberg to act in the spirit of the Yuletide season and quit trying to impose givebacks and two-tiered pension systems on the workers. We all know that there's something in the air at Christmas that causes employers' hearts to swell, Grinch-like, and compels them to begin treating their workers fairly. And in this case, the $1,000,000,000 MTA surplus would have come in handy for those spontaneous acts of goodwill and fair play.

But noooo, they had to go and actually fight for a fair contract. Don't they know that's un-American? Or, at the very least, un-Christmassy? Will nobody speak up for poor old Christmas? Stop the War On Christmas!

LOL

BREAKING NEWS

NYC transit workers union leaders agree to a return to work while strike talks continue, mediator says. Deal must be OK'd by union executive board.

via http://cnn.com

http://www.wnbc.com/traffic/5532275/detail.html

more info.

I hope the Local 100's executive board sticks to their guns, and don't let up until their demands are met...

after giving concessions and returning to work, there's no going back...
this is an important labor dispute for ALL of NY

True, I'm just happy that it seems like the MTA is going to pull their offer from the table, revoking their back handed slap at the union.

did somebody actually just quote the daily news?

i copy pasted the headline of cnn.com if that's what you're asking?

Looks like the streets will be clearing up soon; many bikes will go back to collecting dust and commuters will go back to getting fat. I hope losing 3 days pay is worth getting whatever those strikers get in the end. :beer:

I hope the Local 100's executive board sticks to their guns, and don't let up until their demands are met...

after giving concessions and returning to work, there's no going back...
this is an important labor dispute for ALL of NY

agreed.

Looks like the streets will be clearing up soon; many bikes will go back to collecting dust and commuters will go back to getting fat. I hope losing 3 days pay is worth getting whatever those strikers get in the end. :beer:

I don't think they're going to lose any pay. If you read that Taylor Law article/link about 10 posts back, you'll see that the MTA was in violation of the law by using changes in pension as a negotiating tool, which is illegal. The TWU consistently offered to reenter back into negotiations if the MTA took the pension thing off the table, which they would not do.

Anyhow, I hope that they are given clemency. To be fair to the haters, I do agree that striking at this time of year is a little selfish. There's businesses out there that are going to be truly hurting and some may end up having to close their doors b/c of this. That's messed up. But, on the other hand, it didn't have to come to this.

Anyhow, at least I don't have to ride to work tomorrow with my Chicago-bound luggage :D

did somebody actually just quote the daily news?

yes, I did.

"MTA, the mayor, and the governor are the primary culprits in violation of the Taylor law...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/jgonzalez/"

did you read the article?

Juan Gonzalez is one of the city's most competent journalists


see also... www.democracynow.org

people have a right to strike if they're not content with their working conditions... but the MTA should also have the right to get rid of the TWU in favor of people who would love a $30,000 year job.

I do have to say that the TWU has huge BALLS!! imagine what someone with balls that large could accomplish if they wanted to do something worthwhile.

They have the right UNLESS it is against the law to do so, as is the case here.

Or if the people not content are in the military. Thank GOD (or whoever you believe in) that those of us in the military are willing to just SHUT UP AND DO THE WORK, no matter what the conditions. No whiny-ass unions here (not that they are allowed...you get the picture though).

Unions are pieces of crapola that, in the end, seem to be pretty good at one thing...killing the companies the union members work for. Can we all say "General Motors"?? :D

I really do have mixed emotions about all of this .... support the balls, support the reasons, pissed here, happy there ... I need this damn emotional rollercoaster to be over so I can continue to be pissed at the federal gov't.

I really think the threat of jail time turned the tables. MTA sucks and if you don't live in NYC you won't and don't get the entire picture, no matter who you are in favor of.

They have the right UNLESS it is against the law to do so, as is the case here.

Or if the people not content are in the military. Thank GOD (or whoever you believe in) that those of us in the military are willing to just SHUT UP AND DO THE WORK, no matter what the conditions. No whiny-ass unions here (not that they are allowed...you get the picture though).

Unions are pieces of crapola that, in the end, seem to be pretty good at one thing...killing the companies the union members work for. Can we all say "General Motors"?? :D

Unions are actually one of the last remaining safeguards that prevent companies from making complete slaves out of their workers. I'd rather see the company killed than the worker.

BTW, this is a pretty accurate assessment of GM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64599-2005Apr18.html

It's a little more complicated than you're putting it, with the UAW shouldering only partial blame along with the federal government and GM itself (for making its own decision back in the day and making a sub-par product now).

**edit**
PS - Yes, the MTA does suck. It's sort of a separate issue I think, though. The MTA is going to be in big trouble within the next 10 years. It'll be fascinating to see how the drama unfolds and probably really crappy to have to deal with it as city resident.

They have the right UNLESS it is against the law to do so, as is the case here.

Or if the people not content are in the military. Thank GOD (or whoever you believe in) that those of us in the military are willing to just SHUT UP AND DO THE WORK, no matter what the conditions. No whiny-ass unions here (not that they are allowed...you get the picture though).

Unions are pieces of crapola that, in the end, seem to be pretty good at one thing...killing the companies the union members work for. Can we all say "General Motors"?? :D

no...it's been said over and over again, but the MTA was the one who first broke the Taylor law in attempting to force the union into acception a change in their pension agreement...
's funny how people love to use the word "law" to make everything seem ok on their side. What do you say now?

I could really give a fuk about laws that are unjust and ridiculous, but using the law argument here is insufficient...if the law isn't willing to support it, the welfare of workers comes before the law

...and about the military...that's a whole nother discussion, but...if the military went on strike, we'd all be better off...
and in terms of 'whiny-ass unions', the military certainly has its share of those...what are veterans organizations?

They should all be fired, the union disbanded and the union thug leaders put in jail. Unions are less than 12% of the working force yet they are allowed to cause crap like this? Give them 24hrs to get their fat lazy asses back to work or "Your Fired!" Unions kill productivety and individual advancement.

They should all be fired, the union disbanded and the union thug leaders put in jail. Unions are less than 12% of the working force yet they are allowed to cause crap like this? Give them 24hrs to get their fat lazy asses back to work or "Your Fired!" Unions kill productivety and individual advancement.

I didn't know Bloomie was on the forum.

I'm just gonna say this -

I don't care for the MTA much at all. Never have. I don't wanna blame any side, I just hate the transit system. This is why I ride.

They often run crappy falling apart trains. Some trains always run late or sometimes not at all. They often don't notify passengers about service changes. The stations are filthy (what's up with that perpetual sh*t stink on the 34th st. downtown Q platform?) I've seen their train staff not know how to handle emergency situations. Prices keep going up even after they said it that it wouldn't, and that service would improve, which it didn't.

MTA? ain't goin my way. ;) Well, let's get move on now and put this ugliness behind us!

IRT the "law", I think the Taylor law is both ridiculous and not ridiculous. No one gets forced into public service. And by becoming a public servant (i.e. cop, firefighter, transit worker, trash collector, teacher, any # of state and city jobs) you are knowingly entering into a contract that forbids you from suddenly ignoring your duties to the public for a strike. The law was passed precisely to avoid situations like this.

On the other hand, as we've mentioned about ten times today, the MTA is also in violation of the Taylor law. It works both ways. Both sides are somewhat in the wrong. Both sides can easily be accused of making ridiculous and exaggerated claims.

Aus Rotten, I hope you are joking.

I didn't know Bloomie was on the forum.


lmao....

"thugs"

which brings up another of my gripes...I'm tired of conservative administration name-calling...

it is getting a bit out of hand....'s pretty much standard now to call something or someone anything you want, and get away with it

and, the band-wagoners who copy the rhetoric need to get original. stop copying *******s

They should all be fired, the union disbanded and the union thug leaders put in jail. Unions are less than 12% of the working force yet they are allowed to cause crap like this? Give them 24hrs to get their fat lazy asses back to work or "Your Fired!" Unions kill productivety and individual advancement.


hey - aus rotten and crass just called, and they'd like you to quit representing their band names and embarassing them.

"do they owe us a living? of course they do!"

no...it's been said over and over again, but the MTA was the one who first broke the Taylor law in attempting to force the union into acception a change in their pension agreement...
's funny how people love to use the word "law" to make everything seem ok on their side. What do you say now?

I say you've confused my simple mind. I talk about the law (statute) being broken by the strikers. You then use law in your rebuttal...and then talk about how funny it is to use the word "law". All I had said was you do not have the right to strike, when it is against the law.

(below is taken from http://www.goer.state.ny.us/cna/bucenter/taylor.html)
The Taylor Law:

-grants public employees the right to organize and to be represented by employee organizations of their own choice;
-requires public employers to negotiate and enter into agreements with public employee organizations -regarding their employees' terms and conditions of employment;
-establishes impasse procedures for the resolution of collective bargaining disputes;
-defines and prohibits improper practices by public employers and public employee organizations;
-prohibits strikes by public employees; and
-establishes a state agency to administer the Law- The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).



...and about the military...that's a whole nother discussion, but...if the military went on strike, we'd all be better off...
and in terms of 'whiny-ass unions', the military certainly has its share of those...what are veterans organizations?

I guess you'd prefer to speak German (you know...go back in time, avoid WWII, let Hitler take over the world, etc). And veterans organizations are NOT part of the active duty military.

I've said my peace.
Merry Christmas!