Progressive Democrat Issue 57: NYC FOCUS

A great deal has been said by Bloomberg, Pataki and the media against the TWU’s decision to strike. Although I do not agree with everything the TWU was demanding, that is how negotiations go: both sides demand too much then find a compromise. Overall, the behavior of the MTA over the past 5 years or so has been so horrible that I start out biased against them. But it also is clear that the breakdown in negotiations was due to a sudden and last-minute change in the MTA position veering AWAY from compromise. There is room for a diversity of opinions on the strike, but I resent the fact that the media has been so anti-labor and that the mayor and governor chose to grandstand rather than either a.) holding the MTA accountable for its frequent accounting fraud or b.) acting as impartial moderators.

In the name of balance I want to point people to some pro-union information. First are my comments on Daily Kos covering the beginning of the strike.

Here is a statement from the Working Families Party on the strike.

The Drum Major Institute also has an excellent statement on the conflicts just before the strike.

And here is an excellent Daily Kos diary discussing the REAL issues behind the strike, something we all need to keep in mind.

Although the strike is over for now, negotiations continue. Our opinions on the issues surrounding the strike need to be heard.

CALL THE MTA AND PATAKI:

Please take a moment today to call the numbers below to tell the MTA and the governor that you see the strike as THEIR fault, and that you expect them to be fair to the workers.

MTA: (212) 878-7274
Governor Pataki: (518) 474-7516

And, of course, make sure you tell the media how you feel.