Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Oy Vey: A New York City Transit Strike
I live in Queens, NY and commute by public transportation to Newark, NJ where I work at a university. I take the subway to Penn Station and then New Jersey Transit to Newark. I have decided to stay home and use vacation time instead of trying to drive in. I would have to go across the Whitestone Bridge to the Cross Bronx Expressway to the George Washington Bridge. Traffic is tough enough on a normal working day. It would be impossible during a transit strike. For 13 years I have schlepped by public transportation to my job. Over that time period I've had an exemplary record of attendance and punctuality. On snowy mornings I have arrived much earlier than people who live in New Jersey and drive to work. For once I have decided to put my personal needs ahead of my job which I have grown to hate. 13 years of loyalty and excellent service did not qualify me for any kind of promotion. I have plenty of vacation time which I can use for this strike. I would rather lose this time than aggravate myself trying to fight the traffic. I understand the Transport Workers need for a fair and equitable contract. Striking and imposing a hardship on 7 million New Yorkers is not the way to solve a labor dispute. Under the Taylor law the union will be heavily fined for this illegal strike. Let's hope for a short strike.
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2 comments:
Bruce, this is terrible. How many vacation days did you use during this strike? I was thinking of you when I heard that a strike was near. I remember last time they threatened (2002?), you said you would do exactly this--take vacation time.
Would it be possible to take the LIRR into NY then walk to Penn Station and take NJ Transit or PATH from 33rd St? --Vyper
I know what you mean Bruce:
The union grossly miscalculated the situation this time, acting like it was late 1965 rather than late 2005.
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