At the moment, no further negotiations are scheduled and all hope of potentially avoiding a work stoppage seems slimmer than ever.
The MTA held a press conference at 3:00pm Monday where MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast updated everyone on the latest in the negotiations and answered questions from the media. The press conference was streamed online and the archived video from the press conference is embedded below:
I'll have several posts on a number of the "talking points" in the coming days, as well as any updates to events. As always, keep your eye on this page for new posts, and the LIRR Today's various Social Media accounts.
Not a dime more, and not a dime less contribution to benefits.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting quote from Newsday: "The unions said its members plan to strike at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, and a
ReplyDeletewind down of service will begin "perhaps as early as Wednesday, as the
railroad needs to secure its equipment." Not sure if this is bluster or not but things may get a bit dodgy towards the end of the week
At what point can LIRR riders lock out unionized LIRR employees for being so obviously out of reality with the rest of the tax-paying public? I sure wish I barely had to contribute to my health care plan, or received an automatic pension. Must be nice.
ReplyDeleteLike most reasonable people, I understand that some times, union members need to strike in order to stand up for their rights. No one is denying that in this case. But what seems absurd is how LIRR union employees can possibly think that LIRR riders are on their side in this debate or that riders won't look down upon them with scorn should they strike. In an economy that is still struggling to get back on track for many Long Island residents, the unionized LIRR employees simply look greedy right now.
In the miscelaneous mingling at the end of today's press conference someone from the MTA said that they would likely start dialling back operations on Saturday of this week.
ReplyDeleteEven when they battened down the hatches for the hurricanes they only needed a day's or so of advanced preparation, and there's a lot less work to be done this time around (no storm proofing, removing crossing gates, etc.)
Thanks. I am curious as to what East End service they will provide on Friday. I guess they have to provide a full plate. I'm sure it's a bad idea to head out if you are probably not going to get back but some people are oblivious.
ReplyDeleteWho knows what they have. The current Summer Hamptons equipment rotations will mean that there will be five sets of equipment sitting in Montauk Yard at "zero hour" at 12:01am Sunday. Maybe I'll be able to commandeer one to get to work on Monday ;-)
ReplyDeleteIf you like this blog, check out my new blog at septasagas (dot) tumblr (dot) com
ReplyDeletePerhaps the best solution I can come up with is to cancel 2718, terminate 2712 at Speonk, have 2712's crew deadhead to Montauk on 2714, and bring 2708's equipment back as MYSK920. This doesn't cost 2712's crew any extra hours, and 2718's crew is no longer needed.
ReplyDeleteA better (though more expensive idea) would be to step up equipment in Montauk on Saturday, running 8705 and 8711, the latter using 2708's equipment. But that requires the early report of a crew (the one that would normally bring the protect back to JAM)
8712 on Saturday will have to terminate at Speonk, since there probably is no picketing in Montauk!
Patrick, could the strike be used as an opportunity to make the necessary improvements to Harold Interlocking? Or would that involve picket-line crossing?
ReplyDeleteCapital Construction is a different MTA entity entirely, and there will still be trains (NJTransit, Amtrak, and even LIRR equipment/rail polisher trains) running through there, but it would be a good opportunity to get a good amount of ESA work done. However, if they are going to do anything they will likely need a firm start point and end point for their work, as they'd probably be unable to get everything set out and taken back in on a moment's notice.
ReplyDeleteThe Union has three major credebility problems in this affair.
ReplyDelete1) They haven't made any major revisions to their demands. In general compromise requires both sides to give up something they want.
2) The work rules, appear at least, to the average non-union person (or at least this one), completly and utterly ridiculous. The union has no reason to give these up because they afford their members ungodly sums of money for no apparent reason whatsoever. Its good negotiating, props to them.
3) The Unions are not striking against some massively profitable, soulless corporation, where the only damage comes to it's bottom line. They are striking against a public agency that has had budgetary issues (whatever the cause) for decades. They are doing this to avoid some minor pension increases, and to prevent a more equitable share of responsibility from future employees who have not yet been hired and who the unions do not yet actually represent.
I completely understand why the Unions are striking, If I had it as good as them I wouldn't want to let a single cent of that gravy train go either. However, please don't ask for my sympathy while a few thousand public employees hold a region of nearly 8 million people hostage in a traffic choked hell.