Update on Contract Negotiations

TWU 100 and the MTA have been negotiating over departmental issues since early December.  A month later, the two sides are still far apart.  And we haven’t even started talking about wage increases or improvements in health benefits.
 
Management’s demands for specific titles can be seen here.  Across the board, they want to send more of our work out to contractors; make it easier to write people up and fire them; end payments for travel time and wash-up time; reduce wages for CTAs; and bring part-timers to operating departments.  For our part, TWU 100 is resisting these attacks and is pushing to make it easier for members to get time off to take care of family and protect members from abusive and petty write-ups, among other things.
 
Negotiations on wages, benefits and other local-wide issues (known as the “main table talks”) will begin within a few days.  Management has not budgeted any money for wage increases and has publicly stated they expect us to agree to a 3-yr. wage freeze and a big increase in what we pay for medical.  We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – that’s not happening!  
 
We are determined to negotiate a contract with improvements in both wages and benefits.  No one should have any illusions that these talks will be easy.  But our goals can be achieved.  We are counting on your active support to give us the leverage we need to accomplish this.