Second Thoughts

Photo courtesy of the NYTimes

After the second morning of a three-and-a-half mile walk to work, I am slightly perturbed at the transit strike. This morning there was no longer the collective “let’s be New Yorkers and tough it out together” attitude, and it just felt like a long, cold walk. The problem is that I can’t zone out, because the New York numbered streets tell me, every block, exactly how far I’ve come on the schlep from 73^rd to 14^th st. Usually, I think I’ve walked further than I really have. Sixty blocks is a long way.

I know that, falling left of center politically, supporting better health insurance and retirement ages is, in principle, something I’m in support of. But I’m not buying it, and here’s why: this is a selfish publicity stunt, a case when the idealism of better worker’s rights has lost hold of the reality of the situation. While these transit workers (who make, on average, more than twice my own yearly salary, I pause to point out) are striking, those who make far less than they do—20-30k per year, perhaps, in service jobs and otherwise—are stuck without the ability to make it to work. In many cases, these people are paid by the hour, so when they can’t make it to the job, they forfeit that day’s wages.

White collar workers have the ability, usually, to work from home via computer, and therefore their business can go on (and isn’t this the group that the transit union is trying to make a statement to?), plus they are likely paid by salary and aren’t going to lose their money. But the union’s demonstration to fight for workers’ rights has left a sizable majority of those very workers--who are far less better off than they are--without the ability to work, who can’t “telecommute” and who are bearing the brunt of this obstacle.

The point I’m making is that striking is not going to help the workers who the union claims it fights for. Considering the final offer the MTA made to the union at the last minute—which made concessions far past the midway point between the original positions of both organizations—it seems clear that the union would get exactly what it wanted or strike.

I completely respect the union’s ideological goals and desire to see better pay, working conditions, retirement pensions, etc. Roger Toussaint, the president of the union, had this to say about it:

This is a fight over whether hard work will be rewarded with a decent retirement and over the erosion or eventual elimination of health benefits for working people. And it is a fight over dignity and respect on the job; a concept that is alien to the MTA. Transit workers are tired of being under appreciated and disrespected. [...] We call on the good will of New Yorkers, the labor community, and all working people, to recognize that our fight is their fight, and to rally in our support -- to show the MTA that the TWU does not stand alone.

I guess I would be pissed if I spent most of my life underground, too. The subways are pretty depressing, and I was reading a comment on the transit union’s blog (which have since been deleted) by a worker, who railed against people that spit on the workers, piss on the platforms, have no respect, etc.. I don’t really know what to say about that, but stranding 7 million people is obviously not going to make them nicer to you.