So this morning, in case you hadn't heard, the Transit Workers Union has gone on strike in New York City, an act which pretty much paralyzes a city dependent upon its subways and busses.
The overwhelming response from both the city and the MTA, though, is to point out how the Taylor Law makes it illegal for public servants to strike, which means the TWU's strike is illegal.
In essence, the Taylor Law turns public workers into indentured servants. They are forced to -- even when the contract which says they must show up each day has expired -- continue to come to work every day.
City officials have said a transit strike could cost the city as much as $400 million a day.
Ya know what? If the transit workers are directly responsible for 146 billion dollars in annual revenue, maybe that means they deserve a larger slice of the pie than you're giving them? Offering up 3% annual cost-of-living raises is a slap in the face when cost-of-living increases usually at around 4-5% annually.
It is disingenuous to, on one hand, talk about the sheer volume of revenue that the city makes on the backs of these people, and then try to stiff them because you don't make enough money.
It is, frankly, unamerican, for there to be a law that says "you have to go to work, even though the contract that says you will has expired, and if you don't, we're going to actually make you pay double for it, docking you two days pay for each day you stay home." If the strike lasts ten days, then the TWU employees really will be slaves for the following ten days, working for the MTA for free just because they had the gall to stand up and show in no uncertain terms how dependent upon them the city is.
Now, that's not to say that if people stay home that they should be guaranteed a job when they return. Lest something think I'm the pinnacle of union solidarity or shit like that, if the MTA can hire and train a bunch of replacements, I think it should work just like it does in any other job. If you don't show up to work anywhere else in the world, you might find yourself not needing to show up any more. The same should hold true here. Nothing should stop the MTA from hiring a crapload of workers, toot-sweet, and replacing workers who stay home. If there are people who are willing to do it for less, that's economic darwinism showing its place in the world.
TWU members need to know to weigh the "I know my value to the city in terms of revenue that is dependent on me" factor against the "how likely would someone else be to take this job for the same money or possibly even less if they fire my striking ass?" factor and make their decision based on those things.
All I can say, though, is that I'm really really glad I don't work in New York City this morning.
Oooooh, I can't WAIT to discuss this at Christmas. You should have heard me last night ranting about how New York should jail those asshats.
Should make for a fun dinner table conversation. :)
WTF? This is a union we are talking about. Representing thousands of people sucking at the public teat. That is a privlage, not a right.
You talk about economic darwinism, but with a union in the 21st century, that isn't a possible outcome. What we instead see is a group solidly protecting the 'right' of their members to do a mediocre job with the least effort possible. There is no danger to the average union worker of being replaced by some kid fresh out of college and willing to work for peanuts because he is hungry. No risk of going in to work on a Friday to find that the company outsourced your job to India for a quarter of your pay. No risk of getting fired because you did a lousy job.
In fact, these unions are so friggin tight, you need to blow someone or know someone to even get a job in that field. I can't begin to count the number of people I have heard of with full medical retirements from public servant unions.
Sheesh... when I fuck up my back humping around a server four times heavier than I should be moving, I don't get a cushy medical retirement so I can spend my days skiing and relaxing. Instead I get to have the pager go off at night while laying in bed in agony.
As for 3% COLA, wait till you see what you get at Vassar. The past several years the annual adjustment (discounting merit increases has been in the 1-1.5% range). Scoffing at 3%...
There is no law saying that public servants have a right to band together and terrorize a city or state or the nation. Instead, what they get is a highly coveted job and some kickass job security. And the 'price' they pay for their security is a law that says they can't terrorize a city, state or nation by crippling it. Period.
I would sieze every dime the union has amassed in fines, including their $60 million building in NYC, their $3.4million in war funds, and throw the union leaders into jail for inciting terror. Let 'em see what life in gauntanamo is like if they think life as an MTA worker sucks so badly. Oh, and I'd remove the union from being able to represent jack shit, fire the MTA workers and rehire at open competetive wages anyone willing to work.
But then again, I'm known for my views on unions to be slightly extreme :)
BTW, word has it that the strike is over...
"Representing thousands of people sucking at the public teat. That is a privlage, not a right."
Not at all. People have the right to delegate their right to free speech to others. People have the right to choose their working conditions and elect to work/not-work based upon the conditions, the rate of pay, the benefits package, or any other thing which comes into their head.
"Sheesh... when I fuck up my back humping around a server four times heavier than I should be moving, I don't get a cushy medical retirement so I can spend my days skiing and relaxing. Instead I get to have the pager go off at night while laying in bed in agony."
A union representative would tell you that you should have gotten your fellow co-workers to engage in collective bargaining, and that you should have fought for better working conditions, limits on physical labor, limits on on-call requirements, etc.
I'm not saying unions are the end-all,be-all by any stretch of the imagination, but simply because *you* haven't fought for better working conditions for yourself, doesn't mean that others who have shouldn't get them. :-)
"Instead, what they get is a highly coveted job and some kickass job security."
I don't know about you, but public servants have been being laid off around the country at an alarming rate, as the tax-burden for having public servants rises. That "job security" that you think is golden? Not so much.
"I would sieze every dime the union has amassed in fines, including their $60 million building in NYC, their $3.4million in war funds, and throw the union leaders into jail for inciting terror."
"Inciting terror"?!! Bwahahahahaha, see now that's just funny.
"fire the MTA workers and rehire at open competetive wages anyone willing to work."
I agreed with that in my original post. A union should have the absolute right to strike during a non-contract period. HOWEVER, they have to weigh the risk of doing so against the possibility that -- since there's no contract -- they might never have to return to work because they'll have been replaced.
I'm a libertarian at heart (an anarchist if you believe that politics survey I filled out). I believe that people should not be able to be constrained that they HAVE to work, excepting cases where they have signed contracts to do so. The contract covering the MTA workers was expired, thus they should become "employees at will", free to do what they see fit. If enough of them feel they're being mistreated, they absolutely have the right to strike, and bring attention to their issues in a way which best shows how invaluable to the employer they are.