archived post from VIC-NYC@columbia.edu, the emailing list of VICUG NYC
From: oedipus@hicom.net
To: vic-nyc@columbia.edu
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:27 +0000
Subj: VICUG-NYC MTA Strike News Update (11:25 AM 12/22/2005)
aloha!
as some of you may know, the mediators who were appointed
by New York's Public Employment Relations Board on Tuesday
afternoon - announced shortly after 11 AM this morninng
that they have devised a preliminary framework for a
settlement of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
contract dispute which would clear the way for strikers
to return to work.
it is not yet clear, however, WHEN members of Transit
Workers Union Local 100, will return to work - or even if
they will return at all. the union's executive board must
first accept the mediators' proposed framework. during
this morning's press conference, Richard Curreri, head of
the three member state mediation panel, said that Roger
Toussaint, the transit workers' union head, had indicated
to the panel that he would ask the executive board to
approve the recommended framework. the executive board of
the transit workers union is scheduled to convene at 1PM
today, but it is not known when a decision or statement
will be forthcoming from the transit workers' union.
before you get your hopes up too high, there are, a number
of caveats of which you should be aware:
* predictions are that only limited subway, train,
and bus service will be available in time for
Friday morning's rush hour at the earliest. no
timetable has yet been announced for the
restoration of transit service, and it is
estimated that when the strike ends, it may
take 12 to 24 hours to restore full service.
* don't expect much news in the immediate future,
even if service does resume, as the parties have
agreed to a quote media blackout unquote for the
duration of negotiations.
* lawyers from the city and state were due this
morning in a Brooklyn courtroom in an effort to
force union workers back on the job. the hearing
was postponed until 4PM, in view of the apparent
progress being made at the mediation talks.
(background to the legal side: while a judge
imposed a 1 million dollar per day fine on the
union for defying an order barring the strike, in
an effort to put more pressure on the union, city
lawyers asked the judge on Wednesday to issue
another order directing union members to return
to work under the threat of further fines. it is
this last hearing that has been postponed until
4pm
again, the agreement would allow transit workers to
return to work, but would not resolve the underlying
issues and the decision to return to work will be
decided by a vote of the union's executive board
this afternoon, expected at 1PM today.
the mayor is expected to address the media once again
at 2PM today - all of the local radio news stations,
as well as WNYC, new york city's public radio station,
820 on AM or 93.9 on FM, and WNYE, the radio station
of the NYC board of education, which broadcasts at
91.5 MHz on the FM band, are expected to carry the
mayor's address (if it occurs as planned.)
most of these media outlets stream their programming
on the web, so you can keep up-to-date with events
even if you are at work:
* WNYC-FM web feed (streams in MP3):
http://www.wnyc.org/stream/wnycfm.pls
* WNYC-AM web feed (streams in MP3):
http://www.wnyc.org/stream/wnycam.pls
* WCBS-AM (News Radio 88 / NYC CBS affilliate)
i am adding transcripts of statements by the mayor,
the mediators, the union, and any other pertinent
documents, such as the transcript of the chief
mediator's comments earlier today, to the VICUG NYC
Mass Transit Strike Page, which is located at:
<http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/mta_strike_info.html>
as they become available, and will update the list
when there is anything official to report in regards
an actual resumption of services.
so, get your hopes up, but not too high - at least,
not yet.
gregory.
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He that lives upon Hope, dies Farting.
-- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1736
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Gregory J. Rosmaita, oedipus@hicom.net
Camera Obscura: http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/index.html
UBATS: United Blind Advocates for Talking Signs: http://ubats.org
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Created December 22, 2005
Last updated December 22, 2005