Our entire public transportation system went on strike today. We have the largest public transit system in the world, and they are all shut down. I had to walk 5 miles to work in freezing cold this morning.
They won't let cars into the city with less than 4 people in them, and I thought it was just way too cold to be on the bike.

I hate the City of New York MTA  :x  :x  :x

Anything union or pro-sports related is utter garbage...all they want is more money, less work and more freebies.

Come on...$51,000 to operate a ticket booth? And they want to make it $63,000? I'm not sure about the train operators, but, considering they only make a little more than ticket booth clerks (avg $62.5k, shooting for ($77.5k/yr) , I seriously doubt their job is that hard. I'd tell them all to take a hike.

In the words of John Denver... "Thank God I'm a country boy!"

If you get caught between the moon and New York City. . .  

I know its crazy. . .








But it's true!

Whats public transportation??? :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Quote from: ajgs500Whats public transportation??? :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

+1 :lol:  I think I saw a smart bus once

wasn't it cold walking?  surely you coulda bundled up a bit more to save the walk

Im in a union myself, and even i have a hard time with some of the BS they pull, but at the same time ive also seen em tackle managment on stuff that shouldnt be allowed to get away with.    I dont mind being protected but damn,  I cant stand co workers who show up for a paycheck and yet i cant get anywhere doing more then myshare.

whats worse is its known i "get it done" so management will call upon me more often then the others who just barely fit the discription of working.  union says everyone who works get equal treatment, and there is no way to divide up those who work hard from those who dont as it will show favoritism.

Quote from: skoozi12

Quote from: ajgs500Whats public transportation??? :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

+1 :lol:  I think I saw a smart bus once

you sure it wasnt the short bus?

i dont want to anger pro-union people, but in my opinion, i somehow hold unions responsible for the jobs heading out overseas, i look at it this way. corporations are businesses not charities. if they are forced into payin more and more to produce a product, sooner or later that product will be produced elsewhere. however, unions have helped, especially where workers were working in horrid conditions, but some opf these unions are wanting more and more, without wanting to contribute any of it themselves, where is that extra cost going to be recovered from?, i dunno, this is all just my opinions not those of others :dunno:

Quote from: yamahonkawazukii dont want to anger pro-union people, but in my opinion, i somehow hold unions responsible for the jobs heading out overseas, i look at it this way. corporations are businesses not charities. if they are forced into payin more and more to produce a product, sooner or later that product will be produced elsewhere. however, unions have helped, especially where workers were working in horrid conditions, but some opf these unions are wanting more and more, without wanting to contribute any of it themselves, where is that extra cost going to be recovered from?, i dunno, this is all just my opinions not those of others :dunno:

I somewhat agree. I think that they are a reason jobs are going overseas, but I don't think they are accountable. Unions exist to make sure people get fair treatment and are not subject to unsafe work conditions, unfair pay, etc. THe problem is that with this job security, people tend to abuse it. I worked in a Union for the first time when I was between jobs at the age of 20. I found it apalling the amount of laziness I saw on construction sites, etc. As long as these guys show up to work when they should and leave when they should, they keep their jobs. People didn't have incentive to work harder because they had job security.
I think that it is just a shitty situation, and there really is no viable solution that will leave both sides satisfied. The MTA workers need to get fair pay and pension, but this strike isn't helping IMO. I think the Union president is a moron and the people I feel bad for the most in this situation are the actual workers on strike- if they go back to work, they violate Union rules, and will be soon out of a job, and if they don't work, they are being docked 2 days pay for every day not at work. Sucks for them.

I wouldnt doubt that the money that they loose by not working will not be covered by an increase in wages for a while.   Obviously depending on how long the stike is.

If you think that your not makeing enough and your boss wont pay you more, then quit your bitching, get off your ass, and look for another job.  Labor rates follow the same economic laws that products do.    When there are more people willing to do the job for less,  the average wage decreases...  

Dont get me wrong,  I think the Idea of a union is great, but they were initially introduced in the industrial revolution when working conditions were absolutely HORRIBLE and the employees really had no choice.  Some where in time the Uninions got off track and it became more about money and not the employees.

I think the city should hire anyone they can to replace the striking workers and say F***  the Union.  Same goes for NWA.   If YOU abandoned your job,  you would be replaced and not given a 2nd thought.  Im sure there are thousands of New Yorker's willing to work for less than what the old employees where making.  Let them have the work.

Im so tired of these unions whining about their empoloyees not having enough money. HOW ABOUT THE UNIONS TAKE LESS OF A CUT TO HELP OUT THE WORKERS.   Think about that one for a while.

Thanks for reading my ranting.  I dont intend to point fingers at any one individual.

Quote from: falcon0321Dont get me wrong,  I think the Idea of a union is great, but they were initially introduced in the industrial revolution when working conditions were absolutely HORRIBLE and the employees really had no choice.  Some where in time the Uninions got off track and it became more about money and not the employees.

+Eleventy-billion.  I was going to comment, but this says exactly how I feel about unions.  A good and necessary idea gone south.

yeah, i will agree, im pro union for many things, i will denounce some of the union's work as stupid and counter productive too.

ive been on the reciving end of Bussiness BS too.  private sector, you can be fired for no reason at all.  Unions dont allow that.  Union says you have the skills and training to do a certin job, you dont have to be doing something out of that classifcation, thats taking work from someone else with those skills (some one working as a plumber shouldnt be changing light bulbs or fitting cabinets)

does anyone of you belive a truck driver should run a paint roller? or a welder should be mopping office floors ?  or how about this,  a maintaince worker who does basic small repairs to a building( changes lights,fixes doors, spot painting, etc now suddenly is ordered to recarpet, recabinet, and replumb a room on the same wages? or a grounds keeper tending the feilds of a park suddenly selling hotdogs at the snack stand?

even then im a basic maint worker, but being as i work for the airport, i have more training, security clearence and certification classes i must attend to, that many other maint workers in the county doesnt need.  shouldnt i get a few bucks more for these requirments? these are extra skills needed that arnt required elsewhere, should they not be paid for?
now add in the fact that airports , PORTS, and masstransits Busses/trains are terrorist targets, we are dealing with and are required to deal with simular enviroments police and Firefighters deal with.  im required to deal with so much more then another maint worker elsewhere but i get the same rate of pay as someone else (yes, the union is fighting to change that too) does this seem fair?

Falcon, that was beautiful, it brought a tear to my eye. Ya I agree with everything you said. I found myself saying Amen to every paragraph you wrote.

I think after all this is over, some heads are going to roll. It was estimated that the city of NY loses about 100 million a day. A DAY, Because of this strike. And the union is only fined 1 million a day. Pennies.

In my opinion, I think it was irresponisble and unethical to call this strike, expecially right during this time of year. This interrupts the schedules of millions of hardworking lawabiding taxpayers, and these workers think they can just break the law and call this strike. UNcalledfor!
Some can't even get to work to earn money to support their families. Ambulances and firetrucks are stuck in traffic that isn't moving like it should! Many problems. Like I said, I think heads are going to roll after the smoke clears.

Quote from: Blueknytyeah, i will agree, im pro union for many things, i will denounce some of the union's work as stupid and counter productive too.

ive been on the reciving end of Bussiness BS too.  private sector, you can be fired for no reason at all.  Unions dont allow that.  Union says you have the skills and training to do a certin job, you dont have to be doing something out of that classifcation, thats taking work from someone else with those skills (some one working as a plumber shouldnt be changing light bulbs or fitting cabinets)

does anyone of you belive a truck driver should run a paint roller? or a welder should be mopping office floors ?  or how about this,  a maintaince worker who does basic small repairs to a building( changes lights,fixes doors, spot painting, etc now suddenly is ordered to recarpet, recabinet, and replumb a room on the same wages? or a grounds keeper tending the feilds of a park suddenly selling hotdogs at the snack stand?

even then im a basic maint worker, but being as i work for the airport, i have more training, security clearence and certification classes i must attend to, that many other maint workers in the county doesnt need.  shouldnt i get a few bucks more for these requirments? these are extra skills needed that arnt required elsewhere, should they not be paid for?
now add in the fact that airports , PORTS, and masstransits Busses/trains are terrorist targets, we are dealing with and are required to deal with simular enviroments police and Firefighters deal with.  im required to deal with so much more then another maint worker elsewhere but i get the same rate of pay as someone else (yes, the union is fighting to change that too) does this seem fair?

, well sure bk, but to me if a "truck driver" can pick up a paint roller, if theres not a load to deliver then why not, but i do see your points, just nowadays unions aggrivate the hell out of me, ive had to deliver (as security) workers to a plant when the almighty union striked, there were jobs i was screwed out of, hell i was more then damn qualified to take the job, but i had to join a union, i did not agree with that, so basically i was told to F@#k off :dunno:

Quote from: yamahonkawazukito me if a "truck driver" can pick up a paint roller, if theres not a load to deliver then why not

The reason 'why not' is because that situation is only good for the employer.  It's bad for the truck driver, who now has extra work to do outside of their skill set, and it's bad for the painter, who now doesn't have a job.

I'm not a union advocate, but there is a need for protection of many types of workers...and that is the point of organized labor.  What stops the NY transit authority from firing all of their senior operators and replacing them with fresh (and cheap) new bodies?  Good for the transit authority, bad for employees.

The problem seems to be this:  what started as a way to prevent employers from taking advantage of workers has generally become a way for workers to take advantage of employers.  Unions seem to hold companies (and in this case, an entire city) hostage for their own self interests.  The worst part of this whole thing is that the transit workers are not allowed to strike (like nurses, law enforcement, air traffic controllers) and are going against the very rules that they have agreed upon (and would certainly hold their employer to)...and really reeks of "I play by the rules only when it's beneficial to me."

Just once, I'd like to see someone tell the union to go pound sand when they go on strike...hire new personnel and show the unions that they can't necessarily strongarm their way to a sweeter deal (assuming rational mediation has already failed).  Actually, I'd like to see how the union would respond if the NY transit authority announced an emergency job fair for "all open positions"...I wonder what the union response would be.  I also wonder how many union members would elect to reapply for their (now non-union) job rather than lose their job altogether.

what i referred to is this, if said truck driver, is in the facility, painter quit orr was fired, then why not :dunno:

I've been in a union for a few years now. I was in NYSCOPBA (New York State Correction Officer's and Police Benevolent Association) but now I am in CSEA (Civil Service Employee's Association). I have found mostly only GOOD things to say about unions from my personal experience. I think, at least in my experience, that the union is a great buffer between the employer and the employee.

Why can't a truck driver pick up a paint brush and help paint? Because it is not his job. he is not qualified nor is he hired to be a painter. No more than a painter should be expected to drive a truck. The union creates a constract between the employer and the employee - it is designed to make sure that each gets their expectations and needs fulfilled.

Where I work, a healthcare facility, I am an IT guy. If I have downtime, should I be required to help feed and bathe the sick? Should I grab a mop and clean the floor? No. Should one of the nurse's aides or housekeepers do my job in their down time? No. It is not their job, and they are not qaulified.

When you have a job to do, you do it (and nothing else) to the best of your ability. No more and no less.  

again I am amazed about how in the internet forums everyone is an expert in everything