This post appeared in a previous blog and is here for posterity’s sake.

i smell a transit strike, originally uploaded by lanaj
Now that we are less than 5 hours until the transit strike, it is both scary and reassuring that TWU Local 100 has a strike safety contingency plan and it is posted on their blog.
Check out Gothamist for all of your Transit Strike info-porn:

‘Twas the night of the transit negotiations,
and all through the big city,
not a straphanger (or bus rider) was calm,
’cause a strike would be damn gritty.
So, it’s the end of your work day and the MTA and Transit Workers Union are still engaged in intense negotiations at the Grand Hyatt right by Grand Central. (Have you seeing rallying workers?) And, uh, Newsday reports that the talks are “going nowhere.” How about “…going nowhere except for a resolution at 00:00:59?” We have been enjoying the photographs from the 1980 transit strike, but it doesn’t seem like they had a rainy day to deal with! Both sides are willing to negotiate on wages, but pensions are one of the wildcards.

Well, we will know more tonight, but here’s to walking in the cold – my place of employment will not close down if (when) the strike occurs.

This post appeared in a previous blog and is here for posterity’s sake.

York, originally uploaded by plemeljr
Now that we are three days away from a possible tranist worker strike (more from Newsday), the city is understandably buzzing with news of negotiations and terms from both sides.
What fascinates me, is the reactions from my fellow Gothamites: a city so stereotypically liberal and progressive has so many people who are mad that the union is threatening to strike. Which is pretty funny.
I for one, find the actions of TWU Local 100 perfectly in-bounds. This is what a union is for: collective bargaining in order to exert influence on organizations magnitudes larger than the sum of their workers. Regardless what the Taylor Law (or officially the New York State Public Employees Fair Employment Act) deems illegal, striking is the only actual bargaining chip the workers have – and they have every moral and ethical reason to use it.
Now, that said, I wholeheartedly reserve the right to complain when I have to walk to work next week. Shutting down the city is no laughing matter – especially during winter; for further reference, next time the transit worker’s contract is extended, let’s have it expire when there isn’t snow and ice on the ground (thanks).