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 By Jack Lepiarz Dec. 23, 2005 On Tuesday, over 37,000 public transit employees went on strike, leaving the millions of New York City residents in the frigid cold--just as the holiday season goes into its final stretch. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called the strikes "sluggish" and "greedy." Roger Toussaint, the president of the transit workers' union has defiantly attacked what he called the use of "insulting and offensive language." However, the noose may be tightening around Toussaint's neck. He has demanded that the question of reducing pension benefits be removed from the negotiation table before his union returns, but New York Governor George Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg have refused to negotiate with transit unions until the strike ceases. In addition, judges have ordered the top three union leaders to appear in court to face charges of criminal contempt, and may have them jailed for striking illegally, and are fining the union $1 million for every day that they strike. If that weren't enough, almost everyone seems to be against him. The New York Post released an issue reading "You Rats" on the front page. Even the union's parent union is opposed to them striking. So what's a labor union president to do? With seemingly nobody on their side, fines, and threats of prison, it is doubtable that this strike can continue for long, especially with Christmas in two days. However, on the other hand, New York is essentially crippled without public transportation. Much of its tourism comes in from New Jersey (from teens like myself) that take trains into the city, and rely on subways to find our way around. Furthermore, rush hour has been extended by as much as two hours in places, turning the entire city into one giant gridlock. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has even decided to air television commercials begging transit workers to return to their jobs. This looks like it will be a battle of attrition. The strikers will lose out on two days of pay for every day that they strike, but the city cannot do to go without it's transit workers for much longer. The question is: who will hold out longer? My bet is the city will win in the end, but I think that both sides will come to an agreement sooner or later. Being the liberal youth that I am, my heart naturally goes out to the workers in this situation. Retirement funds are questionable as it is, and the question of whether pension benefits will be cut is probably the main reason for the strike in the first place. On the other hand, striking right in the homestretch of the holiday season is a pretty nasty tactic (and it's already ruined one of my plans over this past weekend). The fact that it is FREEZING in the Northeast right now really doesn't help the union seem sympathetic. With any luck the union and the MTA will be able to negotiate a deal. I have plans to go into New York City not long after Christmas. I don't want to wind up walking across forty blocks of the city. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is a senior at Madison High School. Born in Waco, Texas, he lived with the Big Apple Circus for much of his early childhood, eventually moving to Madison, New Jersey, where he now resides. Although he is often described as stubborn and egotistical, he tries to keep an open-mind towards new ideas and treat people the way he would like to be treated. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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