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NEWS & LETTERS, December 2002
Cutbacks are killing transit workers
New York—On Nov. 21 and 22, two maintenance workers, Joy
Anthony and Kurien Baby, were working on lighting and signal equipment on the
NYC subways when they were struck by trains and killed. The problem was that the
train operators did not have proper warning that the crews were working up
ahead--the "flagging," or warning to the train operators, was
inadequate. This is a situation that TWU Local 100 had warned about,
that is, it has happened before and not enough precautions were being taken to
protect maintenance crews. Part of the problem is only three workers instead of
five are assigned to signal crews. This horrible accident comes at a time when the 34,000
transit workers who move seven million people 24/7 are locked in conflict with
the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), Mayor Bloomberg, and Governor Pataki
over contract negotiations. The current contract runs out on Dec. 15. Tensions
are high and a lot is at stake for the city. The MTA is set to raise fares. This is a move that transit
workers and TWU Local 100 are also opposing. New Yorkers already pay 60% of
transit costs through the fare box while other areas pay only 40%. An increased
fare essentially forces working people to pay more taxes for getting themselves
to work, giving the businesses a subsidy. Workers are demanding pay increases, a return to solvency
in the Health Benefits Trust Fund, an end to excessive and punitive disciplinary
actions against transit workers, and provision for child care for workers in
special situations. Before the recent fatal accidents, TWU Local 100 had held a
large rally of about 12,000 on Oct. 30 at the MTA Offices and later at Gov.
Pataki's New York City office According to a transit worker and shop
steward: "We were confronted by riot police, wearing riot gear and riding
horses. They had orders to arrest us, but we would not be intimidated, and we
got that message across. Mayor Bloomberg had revoked our permit to march to
Pataki’s office one hour before the march and rally. We took to the sidewalks
and marched anyway. "We wanted to protest the Health Benefits Trust being
$30 million in the red, the unfair disciplinary actions against workers and
being treated like second-class citizens. We wanted to be taken seriously and be
heard in the upcoming negotiations. That is why so many turned out for the
rally. "Sometimes foreign workers are asked to flag, to
direct trains. They don’t really know what to do but they are scared to speak
up. One signal worker didn’t hear the train coming in the opposite direction,
stepped back, and got hit. The procedures have had to be changed for a long time
but they haven’t been. "Safety is so important. Recently, 30 buses were found
to have defective right-side mirrors that only allowed a partial view. They
fastened on brackets that were too short for extended vision. Now many accidents
will have to be reviewed. It may even be a wider system problem involving 50
more buses." --Ted Rosmer and TWU Shop Steward |
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