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MTA's War With Union Making Your Bus Late
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 1, 2010
Modified Jun 1, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 1, 2010
Modified Jun 1, 2010
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As part of its effort to cut back on overtime and sick time payouts, the MTA has been refusing to fill dozens of slots each day for bus operators who have called in sick or were on vacation (or both!), the Post reports. Since last month, buses without drivers have stayed in the depot instead of heading out with a substitute behind the wheel, causing delays of up to a half hour on some bus lines.
The MTA claims it's saved $3 million already with the belt-tightening, but a source tells the tabloid it's not just about the money, it's also about fighting the union. "There's an all-out war on the union," says the unidentified source. "They're going head to head. So I think management is doing everything they can to break them while trying to save money as well." Brooklyn has been hit hardest by the cuts, losing 216 buses between May 19 and 25.
In the midst of all this, MTA boss Jay Walder has been meeting with Local 100 President John Samuelsen in an attempt to avoid the looming doomsday service cuts that go into effect June 27th, forcing 650 NYC Transit employees out of work and widespread bus and subway service reductions. The state Legislature has just authorized the MTA and state agencies to offer retirement incentives, and a deal is being considered that would reduce the MTA's payroll with voluntary departures instead of layoffs. But time is running out: to prepare for the worst, here's a pdf of the impending service reductions.
Tagged
budget
bus
doomsday
MTA
union
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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