NYC - mass transit strike?

[alexmigi]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

whoever is not happy with a guarranteed 9% raise over 3 years... i'd take that anyday.
can't pay 2% of annual salary for healthcare? for most people in the city the healthcare costs nearly 4%, that's for those lucky enough to have coverage. check out free lancers who pay an arm and a leg to HIP.
get real

[thesightless]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

i know, they are bus drivers. its not like they are teachers, nurses, or the cops and firemen. the cops and firemen, who BTW, have the shittiest jobs on the planet, dealt with no contract for 3 years. nothing like having to deal with gang violence, rape and fucking crackheads who shoot at you for 27,000 a year while someone who did nothing with thier life sits on their ass for 4-6 hours a day for triple that, with great health care and a pention for 25 years of work.

[daveman]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

there is a bit more to it than just that though. i feel that thier requests for more terrorism training is something that should have been handled years ago. the whole transit system has gotta be one of the easiest targets. in my mind sure everyone wants a raise, but the mta just got done pumping billions into all kinds of things without any of it going to employees or their training. i feel that the union has a right to call them out on this.

[alexmigi]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

there is a bit more to it than just that though. i feel that thier requests for more terrorism training is something that should have been handled years ago. the whole transit system has gotta be one of the easiest targets. in my mind sure everyone wants a raise, but the mta just got done pumping billions into all kinds of things without any of it going to employees or their training. i feel that the union has a right to call them out on this.

i think they have already agreed on that... they said that the remaining points are wages, pension, disciplinary actions and healthcare, so i assume that the anti-terrorist issues have been agreed upon

[Kobe]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

I believe the were okay with the 9% over three years. The big issue is the pension age, which the MTA wanted to raise from 55 years old to 62. As part of the negotiaions, they offered to grandfather in existing employees, leaving new hires out. The union is holding their ground.

So far in this thread the union has taken a beating, but the MTA has certainly shown bad faith in waiting till now to really get serious about the discussion. And that was a ver classy move by Kaliow to wait till one hour before the deadline to show up for the negotiations. I guess he might have been out driving one of his 20 Ferraris. So sorry to bother you, Petey....

[miketpoto]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

Hey Jeffrey, 7 blocks in NYC nuthin.... it's slightly more than a 1/4 of a mile...

20 blocks = 1 mile.

1 avenue block = 2 street blocks.

3 feet in Times Square or Herald square = full of hate I want to kill

[daveman]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

hey poto, any luck getting your co-workers to join you in an office slumber party?

could bring the meaning of secret santa to a whole new level.

[jeffrey collins]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

good one Mike. I just remember the blocks in midtown where my friend lives that I stayed at on 8th ave, and those blocks seemed pretty long.

[thesightless]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

lol, i swear i just pictured poto running around in a pair of carson daly PJ's with kurt loder reporting chaos has broken out in MTV studios

[picklemonkey]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

[miketpoto]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

A) Carson doesnt work here anymore.

B) Chaos reigns at MTV Studios

C) The MTV XMAS party was insanity and while there was no sleeping, there were bed related activities, as well as nose related activities and impaired judgment beverages if the open bar from 7pm to 4 am variety. Yum.

[jeffrey collins]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

it's just too bad that good music doesn't reign supreme over at MTV. but i'm NOT knocking your job Mike. What I have heard you say you do...it's immensly respectable.

[picklemonkey]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

carson works at my company now.

[miketpoto]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?

MTV has its share of amusing reality shows, but clearly pop and Hip-Hop will never do it for me so the M in MTV is of little significance to me. The entire slew of the MTV Networks channels I work with includes a lot of fun and funny if not amusig shows... And of course there is the new Logo channel that is the first Gay cable network (that I dont really watch but it's a good step forward in the world).

Something I have noticed and cherish/appreciate immensely is, for the first time in my life I have not given a thought nor had any reason to even be aware or cautious about any sort of homophobia or any cause to even remember what it was like to always be somewhat aware of being treated or looked upon as different on a caily basis. Looking back at how terrified and/or alone/isolated those same things have made me feel, and to be constantly reminded of people's preconceptions and how I would consistently be anxiety ridden knowing that almost every new daily situation in my life could very well involve being classified and treated differently in some very subtle up through some blatantly obvious, at times quite aggressive. And more often than not felt nervous about having to always be prepared to prove myself in order to obtain the respect that others recieve automatically.

Being able to be yourself at all times, and not having the slightest concern or need to dread the chance of even being viewed or grouped by someone elses idea of who they think/assume you to be. Unfortunately I am overly-thankful for this simple yet powerfully calming & empowering level of personal respect because it is still a very rare scenario in the world and all over this country.

I dont want to blow this up as being revolutionary as it isnt really anything other than being treated as an adult, and as a human being; It's very sad for me to contemplate how mindblowingly night and day the difference in my faith in this life/world. How spiritually amazing I feel when I think that just from letting go of these fears that severely limited my capacity for optimism and my convictions in being able to always see possibilities that I all too quickly write off myself before even finishing the thought.

I am by far much happier than sad about my life and the profound personal realizations I have recently going over in my head. I am sad that I let this current world state get to me enough that I felt defeated by it so many times. And now looking at it from this angle, I still have more doubt than hope that my own country will honestly be anywhere close to being a place I could even try and be proud of. I cant begin to imagine how much fucking pain these kids in the newest generation could completely avoid ever having to feel just by having a bit of honest hope that is based on experience and confidence in one's own ability to correctly make their own individual decisions.

OK, that was a great thinking session that surprised me and was fueled in part by the shit eating grin danny howells planted on my face all of last night and is still there tonight.... One night that will always stick out as special and amazing, and for not only that, but also reminding me and renewing my faith in the fucking power of music, and the positively amazing human energy that you can be imparted with from the DJ without a single word spoken nor a single doubt of its sincerity......

Be well EVERYONE, and stop to think if you honestly havent paused to do so in a while

[picklemonkey]

Re: NYC - mass transit strike?