NYC Transit Strike Enters Third Day: Negotiations Resume, Threats to Workers Heat Up

Judge Theodore Jones ordered the three union officials to appear in court today to face charges of criminal contempt. Under the state’s Taylor Law, public employees are barred from staging labor strikes. Meanwhile, the city of New York has asked the courts to issue a second order directing union members to return to work. If such an order was ignored, the city has threatened to fine striking workers $25,000 a day with the fines being doubled each day. The union maintains it was provoked into the strike. Despite a one billion dollar surplus the Metropolitan Transit Authority insisted on creating a two-tier pension system affecting all future transit workers.

The MTA is also in violation of portions of the Taylor Law which bars the MTA from forcing changes to the union’s pension plan. New York Governor George Pataki, who oversees the MTA, vowed there would be no negotiations until the union returns to work. Despite the inconveniences caused by the strike, public opinion polls show New York residents back the striking workers. New York radio station WWRL found 71% of respondents blamed the management for the strike. Only 14% blamed the transit workers. A poll by WABC TV found 52% supported the union while only 40% backed the city and MTA.

The city’s major media outlets have been far less sympathetic. The cover of Wednesday’s New York Post described the striking workers as “Rats.” Today’s Post cover read "Jail ‘Em." Meanwhile, the Daily News ran an editorial headlined “Throw Roger From the Train” – a reference to union leader Roger Toussaint.

Mayor Bloomberg has come under criticism for describing Toussaint and the striking workers as “thuggish" and "selfish." On Wednesday, the Rev. Al Sharpton said, "I do not think the language would have been used in a union that was not as heavily populated by people of color.” Seventy percent of the striking transit workers are African-American, Latino or Asian-American. Roger Toussaint was born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

* Juan Gonzalez, Covering NYC Transit Strike, Co-host of Democracy Now!

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