BAH HUMBUG to the NYC Transit Workers!!
So its official as of 15 minutes ago... NYC Transit is on Strike. I know its true because the familiar whir of the subway in the distance that I hear every 15-20 minutes has stopped.
I am not happy...not at all. BAH HUMBUG...seriously BAH HUMBUG to all you stupid people who think you are entitled to something different than the rest of the world. Companies across the US have had to cut healthcare coverage over the past few years due to rising healthcare costs. Did you see their employees striking? No, business people understand these things and accept reality. This strike is over something stupid and it makes me angry because the only one that is getting hurt by it is us, the people who rely on the subways and buses to be able to live our lives day to day. What kind of SCROOGE would let this happen the week before christmas when its DANGEROUSLY cold outside??
7 MILLION people rely on the subway and bus in NYC every day. No one here has cars. No one. It makes me think about the kids that can't get to school tomorrow... about the lady I met yesterday on the subway with the 4 day old premature baby who won't be able to get her to the doctor this week...about the elderly people who will be walking in sub-freezing temperature tomorrow to get to their doctors appointments and the grocery store and about the INCREDIBLY dangerous risk that this poses because emergency vehicles will not be able to get through the city tomorrow.
I hope that the MTA workers are home safely dreaming of their STUPID health insurance benefits while they are putting the HEALTH and LIVES of New Yorkers at risk.
3 Comments:
I'm just curious, what do NYC Tran Workers get paid? I mean if they don't make enough to be able to afford the cost of living and pay extra for health care then I think they have a legitimate gripe. Especially if MTA doesn't want to meet the unions desire for higher pay increases.
But, if they earn a modest living and having to pay a percentage of their health care is feasible, well then yes, they all should be horsewhipped. Have a nice day.
8:31 PM
I read that the average transit worker makes around 45k per year, which as a finance professional, thats about what I make in NYC. They also dont have to pay for their health insurance, which I have to pay for.
9:16 PM
They also work in dark tunnels and are exposed to harsh and noxious chemicals every single day. Their office is full of rats, cockroaches and often, as I can personally attest, drug-addled criminals. On NPR this morning, a professor said that MTA workers generally live for five years after retirement. The retirement age for MTA workers is 55.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the MTA refused to budge on a provision that would have only saved them $20 million over three years. That may sound like a lot, but to the MTA, it is truly a drop in the bucket. The MTA has already lost that amount in these two days.
While I'm a bit annoyed at the effect of the strike (though, not nearly as much as Suzanne!), I wouldn't characterize the MTA workers as selfish or that their demands are unfounded. It's hard enough to live in NYC making a decent salary with comfortable working conditions...with health care costs rising, I cannot imagine how these blue-collar workers are making ends meet for their families.
3:53 PM
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