The New York City Transit Strike will put a damper on job hunting for all through out the day and night. As an outsider looking in; these labor negotiations puzzle me as I watch both sides put their opinion and logic forward. (https://www.jobsbl.com/)
#1 Don’t the Transit Strikers Realize that most of them have limited skills in the private employment market? One of my favorite indicators of employment security is not which company or union a person works for, but how transferable a worker’s skills are in the overall market. Although the Transit Workers perform valuable tasks for us commuters, they help keep the NYC economy flowing and they deserve a raise. They should really evaluate their skills and benefits with other private sector non-union workers. I know they will see how coveted and fairly paid they are compared to other laborers.
#2 Reduced Benefits for New Workers are Fair Negotiations In my opinion with the Transit Management offering to maintain benefit levels for current worker is a very fair proposal. Current workers signed on with the knowledge of great benefits as part of their decision process. As for new and future workers benefits. They can determine if it is a job they want based on the package being offered? And have the freedom to seek other employment and competitive wages and benefits.
#3 Taylor Law Fairness: As these unions go on strike the implications thought the region are very severe. For instance we at Berman Larson Kane have several contractors that work for our NY clients. These temporary workers will unfairly suffer during this holiday season because they are only compensated for the days they work. And even if they are able to arrive at work the strong possibility exists that limited to no work will be available if their supervisor is stranded do to the strike. So I am very much behind the two-day fines for each day on strike since this strike effects us all in the tri-state area and beyond.
#4 Percentage Raises Offered are Fair With our current high rate of unemployment and talent pool availablity to fill these jobs. The transit worker should accept the 9% offered by management and count their blessing since this will keep pace with the rate of inflation.
#5 Don’t Wipe Out the Good You’ve Done As a 30 plus year user of the subway system I have witnessed tremendous improvement in service over the years. Transit management and workers have done a wonderful job improving subway crime, sanitation & efficiencies. Don’t destroy the good will of the people by letting the greed, ego and power struggle of the unions get in the way of a fair settlement.
Transit workers for the moment look around at the unemployment lines and realize how many New Yorker’s would love to trade places with you. But the bottom line is NYC will survive this strike. We at Berman Larson Kane opened our business on April 1, 1980. What a April Fools joke was played on us “Day One of an 11 Day Transit Strike” the prime rate was around 20% and we all survived. To survival of all New Yorkers….”If we can make it here we can make it anywhere”.