Comments on: New TWU head gearing up for layoff battle

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:39:52 +0000

The TA is permitted to layoff workers by contract.

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:41:07 +0000

Any idea what the actual contract between the MTA and the TWU says? Will MTA breach by furloughing workers when services are discontinued?

By: Francis

Francis — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:02:50 +0000

I don’t understand the concept of “sharing the pain” between the workers and the riders. The MTA’s duty is to deliver the greatest possible mobility to the riders at the least cost. The workers are not a charity and if they are not productive they have no business collecting salaries. If there are costs that can be cut without affecting mobility, then they must be cut. Now any public rider can observe vast amounts of costs that can be cut without affecting mobility — two people to run every train, $100,000/yr clerks to make change for nobody in the middle of the night. And without doubt an equal amount of the same in the part of the system out of public view. The union may fight a holding action against the inevitable, but it’s only a question of time before either wasteful costs get cut or the service disappears.

By: David Robertson

David Robertson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:20:55 +0000

They will understand it when they see it in their paycheck

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:16:47 +0000

Walder isn’t withholding their raise for last year or this year any longer. Do they understand that as well?

By: David Robertson

David Robertson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:14:59 +0000

The membership is boisterous try to explain that to them and they will respond to you loudly and clearly – especially how Wlader continues to withhold their raise.

By: Russell Warshay

Russell Warshay — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:06:26 +0000

Even if no additional funding came from such an effort, joining in that fight would get the MTA and TWU on common ground. Working together, rather than reflexively going into a combative stance, just might get a solution that is easier to live with for both sides.

By: David Robertson

David Robertson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:00:06 +0000

Samuelsen has to deliver to his membership before anything else, he is caught between a rock and hard place. Samuelsen first bout is the 700 union jobs which you clearly pointed they will get the axe, his credibility in the eyes of the membership is in the balance.

By: Russell Warshay

Russell Warshay — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:56:22 +0000

Thanks for sharing that. I wasn’t aware that American unions were different in this regard. Do you know if another nation’s unions were once as combative, but shifted to a more moderate posture? if so, do you know what facilitated this?

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:48:16 +0000

If the union and management teamed up against Albany they would be working together and building better labor relations. This is NOT the agenda of the agency because Sander was working towards better relations with the work force and it got him fired.