2005 New York City transit strike
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The 2005 New York City transit strike is an ongoing job action against the New York City Transit Authority by several union locals, representing the bulk of the Authority's work force. It is the first transit strike in New York City, where such actions by public workers are illegal under state law, since 1980. Like the 1980 strike, it is expected that this action will cause major disruption to the economy of a city that relies heavily on its public transportation system.
General
Workers of several union locals, Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, Local 726 (Staten Island) and Local 1056 (Queens) of the Amalgamated Transit Union walked off the job around 3am local time on Tuesday, December 20, 2005, after contract talks broke down during the night, and union negotiators left the bargaining table.
The strike is illegal due to a New York State law called the Taylor Law, which prohibits municipal workers from striking and provides alternative means for dispute resolution. The law provides for penalties including imprisonment of union officials, and fines against the union and individual striking workers. Judge Theodore Jones ruled on the afternoon of Tuesday December 20th that the Transport Workers Union was in contempt of two court injunctions ordering it not to strike, and he ordered that the union be fined $1 million per day beginning Tuesday. [1]
The International TWU has issued a statement demanding that Local 100 TWU members return to work immediately, in light of the court injunction and the illegality of the strike. This statement legally removes culpability from the International TWU in regards to fines levied by the courts.
To date, no new negotiations have been scheduled since talks broke off on the night of December 19th, as both sides have gone to court to argue their cases. The MTA has suggested binding arbitration as a possible solution, but the union has rejected this. Such a resolution could be imposed if the state's Public Employment Relations Board declares a formal impasse between the union and the MTA.
Pre-strike negotiations
The previous contract between MTA and its workers expired December 16, 2005 12:01 AM EST (05:01 UTC). In order to settle a new contract, the MTA and the Transport Workers Union, led by Roger Toussaint, were in negotiation. Unable to reach an agreement, the TWU extended the deadline to December 20. The union decided to strike, since the 12:01 AM EST (05:01 UTC) December 20 deadline was not met.
A "limited strike" began on two private bus lines (Jamaica Buses Incorporated & Triboro Coach Corporation) on Monday, December 19. The reason private carriers were chosen for this "limited strike" is that they are not covered under New York State's Taylor Law, which calls for heavy penalties for striking unions and employees; therefore this strike action would not trigger a Taylor Law confrontation.
Full strikes on subways and buses began on Tuesday, December 20th, 2005. The strike was announced by the union and took effect at 3:00 AM EST (08:00 UTC) December 20. After the announcement, it took approximately 1.5 hours for trains to finish their runs and return to the storage yards.
In the days leading up to the transit strikes, critics and supporters alike contended that any labor action would affect mainly low income minorities, which indeed turned out to be an actual hardship for low income Queens residents during the "limited strike".
Demands and counteroffers
The TWU demands all employees receive an 8% salary increase per year for each of the 3 years of the contract, plus improved benefits for maternity leave, and better funding for station maintenance. The MTA has offered a 3% raise the first year, a 4% raise the second year, and a 3.5% raise the third year. The striking workers reportedly earn an average of about 48,000 USD annually.
The TWU also wants to lower the age of retirement (at which point the employee is eligible for a full pension) from 55 to 50. The MTA had wanted to raise the retirement age for newer workers from 55 to 62, but dropped this demand in exchange for pension contributions from new workers of 6% of gross salary per year for the first 10 years of employment. Under the previous contract, workers contribute 2% to their pension plan. [2]
Citing the rising cost of health care, the MTA wants new employees to contribute 1% of their salary to pay for health insurance. Transit workers currently pay nothing for health insurance.
At the last minute, the MTA offered a 3.5% per year raise and no change in the retirement age, with the caveat that new transit workers pay 6% of their wages into the pension fund, up from the 2% that current workers pay. The offer was rejected, and a strike declared.
Combined, the pension and healthcare reforms the MTA seeks would cost about 30 million USD over the span of the three-year contract. Critics have lambasted both the MTA and TWU for allowing a strike to occur over such a relatively small sum. However, the pension costs would balloon to 160 million USD in the first 10 years, and 80 million USD per year after 20 years. The MTA claims that its reluctance to give in to the TWU on this point stems from fear of future deficits (projected to be 1 billion USD by 2009).
Average MTA salaries
| Average MTA salaries [3]
(All figures in USD) | |
| Bus or subway operator | 63,000 |
| Subway conductor | 54,000 |
| Station agent | 51,000 |
| Cleaner | 40,000 |
These figures reflect gross pay with overtime.
Salary figures for skilled labor (e.g. electricians, carpenters, mechanics) within the Authority are comparable to those listed above, though far below incomes of equivalent private sector jobs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual income for all "Transportation and Material Moving Occupations" in New York City is 36,310 USD [4]
Strike consequences
According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the city stands to lose $400 million USD on the Tuesday - the first day of the strike - and $1.6 billion USD during its first week ($300 million USD on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday; $100 million USD on Saturday & Sunday combined and $200 million USD on Monday) [5] Emergency services response time could be slowed significantly due to increased traffic congestion, possibly creating a danger to life. Retailers could lose a tremendous amount of business in the middle of their busiest season, and the tourism industry could be affected.
The same day that the strike started, State Justice Theodore Jones fined and warned the transit union that there would be a 1-million-dollar fine for every day that TA is shut down. In addition, for each day the workers missed during the strike, they would be fined two days' pay (their regular wages for the day plus a one day penalty).
Contingency plans
In anticipation of exceptional traffic volumes, an emergency traffic plan has been put into effect. Weekdays from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., Manhattan south of 96th street, as well as all MTA tunnels and bridges, are subject to HOV4 restrictions; that is, vehicles must contain a minimum of four passengers, and commercial trucks and vans are prohibited. To increase car capacities, carpool staging areas have been set up. Alternate side of the street parking rules have been suspended.
Taxis will be permitted to pick up multiple fares, and will operate on a zone system rather than metered fare. Manhattan is divided into four zones, with one zone for each of the other four boroughs.
Public schools are starting 2 hours later than usual. School bus pickup times will also run two hours later than normal. Some Private Schools however are having no school. Major universities have provided extended shuttle service to students, faculty and staff.
Multi-day passes will be extended day-for-day based upon duration of the strike. The Long Island Railroad and Metro-North Railroad are charging a strike fare of $4.00 for intracity travel.
Commuters are being encouraged by the city to walk or bike to work; many bridges will be open to pedestrian traffic, including the Triborough Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and George Washington Bridge for commuters from New Jersey.
See also
- New York City Subway
- MTA New York City Transit buses
- MTA Bus
- Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority
Sources
- MTA Strike Contingency Plans
- New York City Strike Contingency Plan
- Transport Workers Union, Local 100
- TWU 100 Blog. The Transport Workers Union Local 100 provides up-to-date posts on the status of the strike.
- Amalgamated Transit Union Local 726