strike

andyzee · Post by **andyzee** » Dec 21st, '05, 08:05

SkiDork wrote:
andyzee wrote:
SkiDork wrote:
andyzee wrote:
SkiDork wrote: agreed. The whole place is eerie and sad. It's like the "this was the spot where mankind did one of it's worst evil nasty's ever" kind of feeling when I walk through there...
The few times I have walked through, I picture the way things used to be. It's kind of weird cause the escalators and stairs are still in the same place.
Really?
Yep.
OK - now how did you figure that all out?

Used to take the Path all the time and know what the stairs and escalater where like before and where they were. I don't believe that they are new, I believe it's the same ones. Could be wrong, but don't think so. Everything is setup the same way in the same area.

andyzee · Post by **andyzee** » Dec 21st, '05, 08:10

Taken from the Port Authority's site:

Reconstruction of the WTC PATH station in substantially the same configuration as existed pre September 11th. This is a facility with minimal finishes and amenities. The station is expected to be in operation for several years until a permanent WTC PATH terminal can be planned, designed, and constructed.

http://www.pathrestoration.com/drp/wtcp ... tcpath.php

Post by **SkiDork** » Dec 21st, '05, 08:35

andyzee wrote:Taken from the Port Authority's site:

Reconstruction of the WTC PATH station in substantially the same configuration as existed pre September 11th. This is a facility with minimal finishes and amenities. The station is expected to be in operation for several years until a permanent WTC PATH terminal can be planned, designed, and constructed.

http://www.pathrestoration.com/drp/wtcp ... tcpath.php

OK - I'll b uy that they're in the same spot.

But it's DEFINITELY all new stuff. No freakin way any of the old stuff survived that. They cleaned that place dry before starting any reconstruction.

LINYbob · Post by **LINYbob** » Dec 21st, '05, 08:35

I think the stairs and escalators are actually new ones, but they are in the same location. I've read that there is also a piece of the original terrazzo floor still there but it is not specially marked or anything.

Pedro · Post by **Pedro** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:05

BigKahuna13 wrote:Apparently the deal breaker was a last minute demand from the MTA that workers contribute 6% towards their pensions instead of the current 2%.
Over the life of the contract that represented a $20 million savings for the MTA (the city will probably spend that much in police OT in the next couple of days), although after 10 years that figure's probably closer to $80 million a year.

Given that the pay raise offered was 3.5% that represents a salary cut of 0.5%.

Is Kalikow off his rocker or what? A 1% giveback would have been so much easier to swallow and would have set a precendent for future increases in employee contributions. Why in hell did they decide to start experimenting with pension changes with a large union that can actually hurt them in first place?

Oh and doing that in a year where you're crowing about a 1 billion surplus was pretty f**king stupid too.

I don't feel sorry for the dudes in the union, but to be honest, there is not a union in the country that wouldn't strike if you take money out of there pockets..

If you want to make changes like that, you need to offer all of the old dudes early retirement, (they are the ones that know better) Higher a whole sh*t load of new people that do not know anybetter, then make changes to the contract. The newbies will be glad they have a job.

andyzee · Post by **andyzee** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:07

SkiDork wrote:
andyzee wrote:Taken from the Port Authority's site:

Reconstruction of the WTC PATH station in substantially the same configuration as existed pre September 11th. This is a facility with minimal finishes and amenities. The station is expected to be in operation for several years until a permanent WTC PATH terminal can be planned, designed, and constructed.

http://www.pathrestoration.com/drp/wtcp ... tcpath.php
OK - I'll b uy that they're in the same spot.

But it's DEFINITELY all new stuff. No freakin way any of the old stuff survived that. They cleaned that place dry before starting any reconstruction.

Don't doubt it, it's just that everything looks the same as it did before 9/11

snowsprite · Post by **snowsprite** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:12

Kahuna is right, maybe they should have initially asked for less of an increase in contributions.

I find it rather funny though, how the pension is perceived as a kind of 'entitlement' by the union. I mean, how many Americans simply contribute to their retirement what they can and as much as they can w/out complaining. In the end, it is yours anyway.

I realize this is one of their "benefits" but seriously man...their jobs are sounding sweeter and sweeter the more I hear about it. Health bennies, big pensions, high salaries. wtf? sh*t, if I ever get canned here ima get me a transit worker job!

Sprite

Pedro · Post by **Pedro** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:19

snowsprite wrote:Kahuna is right, maybe they should have initially asked for less of an increase in contributions.

I find it rather funny though, how the pension is perceived as a kind of 'entitlement' by the union. I mean, how many Americans simply contribute to their retirement what they can and as much as they can w/out complaining. In the end, it is yours anyway.

I realize this is one of their "benefits" but seriously man...their jobs are sounding sweeter and sweeter the more I hear about it. Health bennies, big pensions, high salaries. wtf? sh*t, if I ever get canned here ima get me a transit worker job!

Sprite

Yeah but I am going to guess a lot of those people probably Paid there dues, taking back shift jobs and wierd Thursday thru Tuesday shifts for 5 maybe 10 years before they have enough seniority to work a decent 9 to 5 shift. AFter that you feel like you are entitled to something.

snowsprite · Post by **snowsprite** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:29

I understand this, but lot of people work sh*t jobs and crappy hours for years & years and don't get a lot of pension bennies handed to them. Not saying they should not get anything, just that sometimes entitlement is in the mind of the entitlee and not based in reality or even common sense.

I guess I mean, is it abusive to ask an employee to start contributing to their retirement more or to their medical plan? At a point, yes. But I'm not sure that's the case in this situation.

We live in tough times financially, and they will get tougher IMO.

Sprite

RipeBanana · Post by **RipeBanana** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:30

Jonah Goldberg wrote:Among the many marvels of the transit strike is the news that the average train or bus driver earns $63,000 per year. The typical station agent (i.e. the person in the cage) makes $51,000. The average New Yorker makes $45,000. I don't really mind transit workers making a decent salary, it's honorable and needed work (though I do think the strike is outrageous and Bloomberg should consider -- and at minimum threaten -- firing every last one of them). But something seems out of whack when the starting salary for a cop in New York is $35K. High salaries for cops make sense for a bunch of reasons. First and foremost the risks are high, but also the need for smart cops is great and the potential for corruption is huge. Bribing bus drivers? Not as big of a problem.

andyzee · Post by **andyzee** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:44

I’d like to say one thing; there are two sides to every story. Basically, right now the TWU is being looked as the bad guys due to the fact that they are inconveniencing us and they are doing it at the worst of times, it’s the holiday season and its cold outside. It’s sure hard being popular under such conditions, but do they have a choice? The contract just expired. The perception is that they are holding the city hostage and to a certain extent this may be true. However, don’t make a mistake and think that the MTA and the city haven’t used this to their advantage. I mean, what reason do they have to bargain in good faith, if the TWU is not allowed to go on strike? I used to be a union person and then found that they have outlived their usefulness. However with what I see happening in corporations lately I think it may be time to start fighting back and saying no more to give backs, layoff, long hours, etc…. I mean there was a time where health benefits were nice and simple and didn’t cost the worker money, this has changed. There was a time where you didn’t have to worry about pensions, this has changed. More and more the worker is being asked to cutback and contribute, perhaps it is time to say no. Botto line, the rich get richer. That’s my 2 cents worth of liberal rant.

HelmetCam · Post by **HelmetCam** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:46

The union has lost the PR battle. Half the Daily News this morning was covering the strike and no one blamed the MTA- its all on the union.

All the local news channels last night splashed "ILLEGAL" strike on the screen.

$1MM a day on the union and 2 days pay for every strike day, bad press, the public all coming down on them. The union will cave.

andyzee · Post by **andyzee** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:47

HelmetCam wrote:The union has lost the PR battle. Half the Daily News this morning was covering the strike and no one blamed the MTA- its all on the union.

All the local news channels last night splashed "ILLEGAL" strike on the screen.

$1MM a day on the union and 2 days pay for every strike day, bad press, the public all coming down on them. The union will cave.

Whatever happened to unbiased news, or did it ever exist?

RipeBanana · Post by **RipeBanana** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:51

When you consider that most of the people relying on the transit system make less money and receive far less generous benefits than the people striking, it's hard to generate much sympathy.

HelmetCam · Post by **HelmetCam** » Dec 21st, '05, 09:51

andyzee wrote:
HelmetCam wrote:The union has lost the PR battle. Half the Daily News this morning was covering the strike and no one blamed the MTA- its all on the union.

All the local news channels last night splashed "ILLEGAL" strike on the screen.

$1MM a day on the union and 2 days pay for every strike day, bad press, the public all coming down on them. The union will cave.
Whatever happened to unbiased news, or did it ever exist?

it IS an illegal strike, biased or not.