Tuesday, December 27, 2005
TWU Got Taken To The Cleaners
Well, the TWU and the MTA have agreed to a tentative contract, and if I were a TWU member who had gone out on strike for three days and lost six days pay plus taxes, I would not be happy about this piece of shit contract. From The New York Times:
10.5% raise minus 1.5% a year over three years for health care costs adds up to a snowjob for TWU members.
If I were them, I would be storming TWU headquarters and demanding Roger Toussaint's resignation.
Jesus, if Toussaint was going to accept a piece of shit contract, why go out on strike? Couldn't the TWU have gotten screwed in the deal without losing $3 million to fines and six days pay plus taxes for each individual worker by striking.
Sorry, it's late and maybe I'll think differently in the morning, but this TWU contract is a terrible loss for transit workers and they have every right to feel pissed at the union leadership for leading them into a strike and then selling them out during the mediation process.
I would bet Toussaint is going to get a serious challenge from the dissidents in his union next time a presidential election comes around.
Which is more than what happens in the UFT where Randi Weingarten - or "El Presidente" as she is known in certain circles - will not face a serious challenge for the leadership of the union despite her miserable failure in every contract negotiation she has taken part in.
Either way, tonight feels like another defeat for labor and another victory for the union-busting billionaire mayor.
I hope he chokes on all his billions.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the transit workers' union reached a tentative settlement yesterday in which the authority abandoned its demand for concessions on pensions and the union agreed to have all workers pay a portion of their health insurance premiums, officials involved in the negotiations said.
Last night the executive board of the union, Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, voted 37 to 4 to approve the tentative 37-month contract. One member abstained.
The tentative agreement calls, for the first time, for all transit workers to pay 1.5 percent of their wages toward health insurance premiums, cutting into the raises they receive. That comes on top of the fines of slightly more than $1,000 that most transit workers face for participating in last week's illegal transit strike.
The settlement calls for raises of 3 percent in the deal's first year, 4 percent in the second year and 3.5 percent in the third year. The subway and bus workers' current base pay averages $47,000 a year, and with overtime, their average yearly earnings total $55,000.
10.5% raise minus 1.5% a year over three years for health care costs adds up to a snowjob for TWU members.
If I were them, I would be storming TWU headquarters and demanding Roger Toussaint's resignation.
Jesus, if Toussaint was going to accept a piece of shit contract, why go out on strike? Couldn't the TWU have gotten screwed in the deal without losing $3 million to fines and six days pay plus taxes for each individual worker by striking.
Sorry, it's late and maybe I'll think differently in the morning, but this TWU contract is a terrible loss for transit workers and they have every right to feel pissed at the union leadership for leading them into a strike and then selling them out during the mediation process.
I would bet Toussaint is going to get a serious challenge from the dissidents in his union next time a presidential election comes around.
Which is more than what happens in the UFT where Randi Weingarten - or "El Presidente" as she is known in certain circles - will not face a serious challenge for the leadership of the union despite her miserable failure in every contract negotiation she has taken part in.
Either way, tonight feels like another defeat for labor and another victory for the union-busting billionaire mayor.
I hope he chokes on all his billions.
