Loading ...If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
We tired of hearing all the rumors and speculation so we decided to pick up the phone and call the TWU head office ourselves and see just what the hell was going on. We got the rote answer, that "no one was available to speak with us". They took our name and number and said someone would call back. Yeah, we’ve heard that before (eff you Jessica we didn’t like you anyway!).
However, much to our surprise a TWU official did call us back and also much to our surprise agreed to answer a few of our questions, off the record of course. We of course explained that we were a highly respected online magazine that literally three or four people depended on for their daily source of news. So here’s our first official interview with our anonymous source at the TWU.
BlogNYC: Has there been any progress today with the TWU and the MTA?
AS: They’re getting ready to go into their first meeting of the day so there’s been no progress as of yet.
BlogNYC: Did the court injunction that came down have any effect on whether or not the TWU will strike?
AS: No.
BlogNYC: If you do strike, exactly how does it work? Do the trains and buses just stop running at 12:01am if a deal hasn’t been reached?
AS: No, we would never leave our passengers stranded. Everyone who was working would finish out there shift.
BlogNYC: So if there was a strike, the next shift just wouldn’t come in?
AS: Right.
BlogNYC: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, what do you think the chances are that there will be a strike tomorrow night?
AS: All I know is what we’re being told by the President, and right now that’s that there’s about a 50/50 chance the the strike will happen.
BlogNYC: If there is a strike do you think that the MTA will let us or other random people volunteer to try and drive the trains?
AS: No, I really have to take this other call.
BlogNYC: Thanks a lot for your time.
AS: No problem.
So there you have it. As of about 30 minutes ago the TWU and MTA were going in for their first talks of the day. We may know tonight or tomorrow morning whether or not anything was resolved. As it stands now though, it appears it’s pretty much a coin flip about whether or not you’ll be walking to work Friday morning.
Gothamist has a round-up of the city’s new transit strike contingency plan website here.
—admin
Subscribe to Metadish using an 
3 Comments
1. fred durst
2. James
3. Jen
Want a neat little picture by your comments? Get one here.this is bullshit. the twu should not strike since what is being asked of them is what employees across the US have to deal with. I have no simpathy for this pack of cry babies. you dont want to work in the dark, rat infested tunnels, foul odors…well guess what. QUIT! get a job at mcdonalds. because the commuters dont want to deal with that shit either.
Posted Monday, December 19, 2005 at 3:13 pm | Permalink
First of all, I’m floored that the lead singer of Limp Bizkit reads BlogNYC and he’s taking such an interest in our local transit system.
But I have to respectfully disagree with you Fred. That’s why people at McDonald’s get paid shitty wages, because they don’t have a union.
I think if the MTA and TWU could meet somewhere in between on the raises and keep the retirement age the same, and not have to pay extra for healthcare and pensions that would be a pretty good deal for both sides.
Posted Monday, December 19, 2005 at 4:49 pm | Permalink
I do not agree with the strike. The TWU is looking out for their welfare not the MTA workers. The are the ones fighting for the pension and power not the people. I think it is selfish on the TWU to put workers in jeopardy of losing days, work and salary to deal with the incompetence the union is to ashamed to deal with. It is an outrage that they are allowed to strike and put our economy at risk.
Posted Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 10:10 am | Permalink
Post a Comment