MTA: 19 giveback demands and three zeroes

On January 9, The MTA presented Local 100 with 19 giveback demands.

These demands break down into six broad areas:
1.    Health benefits: Pay higher co-pays AND 10% of the premiums.
2.    Sick Leave Control: Anyone with less than 50% of their possible sick leave with be subject to sick calls and visits, will have to have doctor’s lines every time they are sick and will not be paid for the first day sick for each time out.
3.    Overtime: Payment only after you’ve worked 40 hrs in the week.  Pay for only 8 hrs/day when out sick or on vacation.
4.    A lower top rate of pay for new CTAs
5.    Work rules: a dozen sweeping changes up to and including part-time B/Os and split runs in RTO.
6.    Five unpaid vacation days in the first two years.

What is management willing to give in wages in exchange for these givebacks? Three zeroes. They made this clear in their presentation at the bargaining table.

All told, these measures would cost the average transit worker thousands of dollars per year and significantly degrade the quality of work life.

The demand for unpaid furlough days raises questions about where these demands are coming from. Did anyone notice that state employees accepted furloughs as an alternative to layoffs, whereas transit workers already took the layoffs? These giveback demands do not take account of the real conditions and real history of transit. They are non-starters.

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