NYC MTA,partical strike strands 50,000,UPDATED THIER ON STRIKE

[DebbieB]

I work in insurance. They have to have Workers Comp coverage by law. I believe NY also requires employers have a disability policy, which pays workers lost time if they are hurt off the job.

 

[FergieTCat]

I'm lucky because my job arranged for car service to pick us up. OTOH, my driver was a little ambitious and here I sit at my desk at 7:20 AM -- and I don't start until 9:30 AM.

Getting home should be interesting.

 

[Carrieannew]

If Metro North does not walk (they are not suppost to, but I would not be suprised if they go out of sympathy), you'll be able to get to Grand Central. I would not count on finding a taxi. If you do, the streets will be so busy, it will take much longer (thus more expensive). If you can walk, you should be fine. I don't know where Martha's studio is. Generally, my rule of thumb in the city is if it's less than a mile, it's quicker to walk than to use a taxi/bus/subway.

We were in on Sunday. The decorations are beautiful. Especially Saks windows.

For Carrie.

Thank you!. The whole thing is off basicly unless something changes. My mom had a car accident last night. She hurt her knee. And she is very shaken up. Someone was letting her cross an intersection and the women behind that person pulled around to pass and hit my mom. That women was pregnant. So even if the strike goes off its very unlikely we will be able to go. And on top of all this we leave for florida on friday. Life really stinks sometimes.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

What, workmans comp doesn't cover bus drivers? I said it before on the UAW debate that went on here. Why does unskilled labor think that they deserved to be paid so much. If they weren't in the union their skills would warrant a $9/hr job if they were lucky. I will also say once again that unions are killing the US manufacturing and service sectors.

I totally agree. Here in Boston there was a scam that came to light that involved the longshoreman union (I believe that's what they are called). It worked like this; lets say my grandfather worked on the docks unloading ships well, he would sign my dad up to work for the union at the age of 4 or 5 years old working about 3 to 4 hours a year. Well, when my dad reaches the age of 18 he would get a job with the union and get paid at the level of someone who's been working 15 + years with them. Well, when this came to light the AG was t'd off and vowed to investigate. So, forgive me if I don't have any sympathy for the unions or what they're complaining about.

 

[DaisyGirlAllTheWay]

Hey, I just type what I read, and what my friend's bus driver dad told me.

Any who, im here, missing work, feeling really bad for those walking accross the bridge in 22 degree windy weather. Hope this doesn't last past today.

 

[Lisa F]

I'm having to restrain myself here because the last place I ranted on this, I got flamed and mightily. Apparently because I feel that the TWU has too much power in the city (insofar as what their strike affects and the health and safety issues that it causes for the citizens while our police and fire are stretched so thin and the streets so gridlocked that I'm sure there will be reports of people dying for not being able to get to hospitals... at least some major north/south and cross streets are open for emergency vehicles but you still have to be able to get into gridlocked parts of town) I'm a hateful awful person who shouldn't be able to live with myself because I am so against the working class. Nevermind that I work myself, as does my husband, and our solution to the rising cost of living in the city was to move to a place where I have a two hour commute each way. I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for them and their demands when what they already have is so much better than anyone in the private sector. If it wasn't, then why is there a huge waiting list for jobs in the MTA?

I work for a living too. My salary is less than their average (and this is with a graduate degree). I have to pay 20% out of pocket for my health benefits. If I want to retire ever, it's completely up to me to save up the money. My husband has not seen a raise in over 7 years, but is grateful to have a job in an economy where many of friends were laid off and have had to take jobs at levels much below their previous salaries. It's not some rich CEO making billions of dollars that will end up paying for the things these people want, it's the tax payer and the commuter, most of whom can scarcely afford to commute as it is. I'm just so sick of the GREED being displayed here.

This is not over health and safety issues. This is over pensions. This is over the fact that they want new hires (the ones on the waiting list) to pay 6% per year for the first 10 years into their pension fund. After that they drop down to the 2% everyone else has and can retire at 55. If I only paid 6% into my 401k I'd never be able to retire, and certainly not after only 25 years. I'd have a finite pot of money that I had to budget carefully over the rest of my life and not an endless supply of medical benefits and half salary for as long as I live. In 2002 the MTA paid about $150M into pensions, this year it cost them over $500M. Again I ask... where is this money coming from? From my pocket and from the pockets of people who can afford it even less than I can.

I'm lucky that I brought home a pile of work this week. My employer is reasonable. If I can't get all of my hours in, I can afford to take the financial hit. My heart is breaking for those people for whom the extra cost of commuting or not getting into work at all means they have to make the choice between christmas for their kids and paying the rent. I'm not against the working person, I'm just against this particular group of greedy money grubbing working people called the TWU and their fearless leader, who is being a hardnose about this because he didn't do so well in his last round of negotiations with the MTA. His bravado is as much to save his own job (which I would guess is paid pretty darn well) as it is over the "respect" he claims he wants for his people.

The MTA is not blameless either. That agency really needs an overhaul, bigtime. If they find all kinds of extra money they didn't know they have, though, it should go back to the commuters. I already pay nearly $400/month to commute and a fair amount in taxes. I don't want to pay even more so that these people have benefits that are barely dreamt about by people in the private sector. If that makes me an awful, hateful person so be it, that's what I am.

 

[mrFDNY]

hi all,
the MTA has L.O.D.I. (line of duty injury)insurance as well as workers comp.the lodi sends you check's right away and if you feel that your injury has left a perment injury,you can file a claim with workers comp as well.workers comp will award you with a settelment after reviewing all the facts. now i am not sure about this,but a guy at my fire house whos dad is a mta worker said,they get 75% thier pay while out on lodi,and workers comp will give them the other 25% plus any other monies for pain or perment injury.the only people in the city who get 99% lodi pay are emergency workers,police,FDNY and EMS.
oh yea the good news is i'm off today because i get to go in and do a double tommorrow on my day off,yay !.just spoke to the captain at the fire house reponsive times to emergency runs are topping 14 mins right now, thats up 10 mins from yeserday.and while returning to the fire house it took the rig 48 mins to go 5 blocks.

 

[Forevryoung]

oh yea the good news is i'm off today because i get to go in and do a double tommorrow on my day off,yay !.just spoke to the captain at the fire house reponsive times to emergency runs are topping 14 mins right now, thats up 10 mins from yeserday.and while returning to the fire house it took the rig 48 mins to go 5 blocks.

I think Newsday should get right on that- they love bashing response times Or is that only Long Island's response times??? It will stir the pot a little more

 

[summerrluvv]

It's illegal for them to strike and for each day they are on strike each employee will be fined 2 days worth of pay.

 

[LoraJ]

Hooray! Just found out party is cancelled. I can't imagine if I had gone in anyway. I work until 4pm and the memo went out at 4:30pm last night. Free day off! I'm going shopping!

 

[Missy1961]

I'm having to restrain myself here because the last place I ranted on this, I got flamed and mightily. Apparently because I feel that the TWU has too much power in the city (insofar as what their strike affects and the health and safety issues that it causes for the citizens while our police and fire are stretched so thin and the streets so gridlocked that I'm sure there will be reports of people dying for not being able to get to hospitals... at least some major north/south and cross streets are open for emergency vehicles but you still have to be able to get into gridlocked parts of town) I'm a hateful awful person who shouldn't be able to live with myself because I am so against the working class. Nevermind that I work myself, as does my husband, and our solution to the rising cost of living in the city was to move to a place where I have a two hour commute each way. I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for them and their demands when what they already have is so much better than anyone in the private sector. If it wasn't, then why is there a huge waiting list for jobs in the MTA?

I work for a living too. My salary is less than their average (and this is with a graduate degree). I have to pay 20% out of pocket for my health benefits. If I want to retire ever, it's completely up to me to save up the money. My husband has not seen a raise in over 7 years, but is grateful to have a job in an economy where many of friends were laid off and have had to take jobs at levels much below their previous salaries. It's not some rich CEO making billions of dollars that will end up paying for the things these people want, it's the tax payer and the commuter, most of whom can scarcely afford to commute as it is. I'm just so sick of the GREED being displayed here.

This is not over health and safety issues. This is over pensions. This is over the fact that they want new hires (the ones on the waiting list) to pay 6% per year for the first 10 years into their pension fund. After that they drop down to the 2% everyone else has and can retire at 55. If I only paid 6% into my 401k I'd never be able to retire, and certainly not after only 25 years. I'd have a finite pot of money that I had to budget carefully over the rest of my life and not an endless supply of medical benefits and half salary for as long as I live. In 2002 the MTA paid about $150M into pensions, this year it cost them over $500M. Again I ask... where is this money coming from? From my pocket and from the pockets of people who can afford it even less than I can.

I'm lucky that I brought home a pile of work this week. My employer is reasonable. If I can't get all of my hours in, I can afford to take the financial hit. My heart is breaking for those people for whom the extra cost of commuting or not getting into work at all means they have to make the choice between christmas for their kids and paying the rent. I'm not against the working person, I'm just against this particular group of greedy money grubbing working people called the TWU and their fearless leader, who is being a hardnose about this because he didn't do so well in his last round of negotiations with the MTA. His bravado is as much to save his own job (which I would guess is paid pretty darn well) as it is over the "respect" he claims he wants for his people.

The MTA is not blameless either. That agency really needs an overhaul, bigtime. If they find all kinds of extra money they didn't know they have, though, it should go back to the commuters. I already pay nearly $400/month to commute and a fair amount in taxes. I don't want to pay even more so that these people have benefits that are barely dreamt about by people in the private sector. If that makes me an awful, hateful person so be it, that's what I am.

No flames here. I totally agree with you. I am not directly involved here--I live on LI, and the LIRR is running. I haven't had a raise myself in years, I pay for part of medical benefits. This is crippling the city--stores weren't open this morning because workers can't get in, we have a skeleton crew here ourselves. And you're correct about the MTA as well.

Let's hope the courts step in, and cooler heads prevail. This strike needs to end now.

 

[BuddyGenie]

Or you could do what Regan did to the Air Traffic Controllers strike: Fire them all and put 'em in jail. **ducks**

I felt the heat going to the Brooklyn County Courthouse in Downtown. I thought my ride would get there in two hours or less, but all the streets were slammed. It seemed that everyone going to the courthouse where taking all available side streets. I arrived about forty minutes late, but I was not penalized.