New York City transit strike was quashed by the unions

This was the first shutdown of the nation’s largest mass transit system in 25 years. It expressed the enormous anger and willingness to sacrifice of this section of the working class, and demonstrated the immense social power it can wield. As a consequence, the strike won broad sympathy within the working population in New York City and beyond.

But among the official union leadership in the city, the walkout was viewed with hostility and fear. The union leaders were terrified that the transit workers’ struggle could get out of control and touch off the social powder keg that exists in the financial center of world capitalism—a city dominated by the social chasm between an elite of Wall Street multimillionaires and millions of struggling and impoverished workers.

The labor bureaucrats’ principal concern was that a successful strike by transit workers could inspire further eruptions of the class struggle. So they set out to sabotage and suppress the strike.

The New York Times spelled out the role played by the labor officialdom in an article published Friday, which carried the subhead, “The mayor and leaders of other unions were among those who helped get the two sides to bend.” The Times reported that on Wednesday afternoon, a telephone conference call was organized between Roger Toussaint, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the transit workers, and 40 leaders of other unions.

The Times wrote that “according to people who participated, Mr. Toussaint showed his frustration as he sought a public showing of support.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2005/dec2005/strik-d24.shtml