Why Contract Talks Have Broken Down
TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano issued the following report to the membership on the state of collective bargaining with the MTA.
“On Thursday Nov. 7, 2019, I issued a call for around-the-clock bargaining with the MTA in an effort to secure a fair and equitable contract for transit workers.
“MTA Chair Pat Foye agreed to our request, and bargaining began on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019. However, it quickly became clear that bargaining with Foye was a waste of time. You will recall that several months ago, the TWU Local 100 Executive Board unanimously and emphatically rejected Foye’s initial set of demands as ‘insulting.’
“That message apparently didn’t sink in. This time, Foye floated a new set of demands that heaped another dose of disrespect on transit workers. There is no point for further discussions at this time."
Below are links to a number of a stories in the print and TV media about the break-down in negotiations. They are essentially accurate, so I am happy to share them here.