Officials gear up to prevent gridlock of subway, bus strike

NEW YORK -- Transportation officials across the metropolitan area scrambled Wednesday to set up contingency plans for millions of commuters as talks to stave off a city subway and bus strike went nowhere.

Suburban governments set up car pool lots, corporations rented hotel rooms for their employees and transit officials planned to reroute trains in case 34,000 bus and subway workers walk off the job next week.

Negotiators for the union and the state agency that runs the transit system spent just three hours in talks Wednesday.

The Transport Workers Union, whose contract expires Sunday, has authorized a strike as early as Monday if a deal is not reached. Its president said management negotiators were not budging.

"They did not show any flexibility at the table. We've modified our demands and they have not done likewise," union president Roger Toussaint said.

He said the union was asking for 6 percent annual raises over three years instead of the 8 percent annual increase sought initially.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, blaming financial woes of the city and state, has proposed no raise in the first year and has tied raises in the second and third years to higher productivity.

"While we acknowledge the union's movement on wages, they still fundamentally miss the point," MTA spokesman Tom Kelly said.

Both sides agreed to meet Thursday before a judge to discuss legal issues related to a possible strike.

The MTA released contingency plans that would take effect 24 hours after a strike begins. It would convert some trains on its Long Island and Metro-North railroads -- which normally transport suburban commuters -- into shuttles carrying outer-borough people into and out of Manhattan. Workers on those railroad lines are not covered by the same contract.

However, the agency warned commuters to prepare for crowds, lines and delays -- and asked that people consider working from home if possible. The bus and subway system normally moves more than 7-million people daily.

Companies across the city were considering their options, with some making arrangements for employees to telecommute, car pool or stay in hotels.

Cathy Keary, a spokeswoman for JPMorgan Chase, which has 36,500 employees in the region, said some workers would be directed to work from home and others would be redirected to offices in New Jersey, Connecticut and suburban Westchester County.

The city said passenger vehicles would have to carry at least four people to enter or leave Manhattan on weekdays. It also would increase ferry routes and allow taxis to pick up multiple fares.

State law prohibits public employees from striking. Both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. George Pataki have said they would respond quickly to a strike by seeking a court injunction and fines against the union and individual members.

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