Is another transit strike in store? Not likely. þþThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s labor agreement with its largest union, Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union of America, is set to expire on Jan. 15. In December 2005, the union went on strike for 60 hours — its first strike since 1980 — and both sides now seem determined to avoid a devastating repeat. þþThe authority and the union announced on Tuesday that they had not been able to complete a new contract at the negotiating table and had agreed instead to go to binding arbitration — a clear signal that they wished to avoid an all-out labor battle. The union represents more than 30,000 subway and bus workers at New York City Transit, the authority’s largest division. þþThe decision to go to arbitration could give both sides much-needed cover. If the contract contains givebacks desired by the authority, the local president, Roger Toussaint, could blame the arbitration process. And it could protect the authority from criticism that it allowed wage increases while it is facing its worst financial crisis in two decades. þþRelations between the authority and the union have improved greatly since a new management team took over the authority in 2007. Largely productive talks on a new contract have been going on for months. þþThe authority has been seeking to cut costs by consolidating bus operations now under separate divisions. It wants an agreement from the union that would let it save money by eliminating some bus depots and give it more flexibility in deploying workers. That has drawn resistance from some union members because of how it would affect job seniority and work assignments. þþ“Due to complications associated with today’s current economic climate, we have reached an impasse and have jointly decided to arbitrate contract terms,” the authority said in a statement on Tuesday.þþ
Source: NY Times
