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Pressure grows on N.Y. transit union
Associated Press
Published December 22, 2005
NEW YORK - Threatened with huge fines and possible jail time, the city's transit union suggested Wednesday that it would be willing to end a strike that has shut down bus and subway service for two days - if the city drops its plan for changing workers' pensions.
The contract covering 33,000 New York transit workers expired last week. The union called the strike Tuesday despite a state law banning public employee strikes.
According to the union president, the sticking point is a proposed change in pensions. The Metropolitan Transit Authority's last contract proposed maintaining a retirement age of 55 but increasing what new hires contribute to the pension plan. New employees would pay 6 percent of their wages during their first 10 years, rather than the current 2 percent.
"Were it not for the pension piece, we would not be out on strike," Transport Workers Union Local 100 president Roger Toussaint said. "All it needs to do is take its pension proposal off the table."
As the strike proceeded through a second day Wednesday, state Supreme Court Justice Theodore Jones ordered Toussaint and two of his deputies to court Thursday morning to face criminal contempt charges for ordering the illegal walkout.
Jones has already imposed $1-million-a-day fines on the union, and he could impose individual fines on union leaders and workers as well.
New York's attorney general has asked Jones to fine union officials, and Jones said it was a "distinct possibility" that he could jail them for defying a court order barring the strike.
[Last modified December 22, 2005, 00:59:14]
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