If transit riders are wondering about the way to end the current walkout, history teaches a few things: In the past strikes, mediators intervened early, negotiations continued despite the illegal walkouts, and a politically attuned management found some method for union leaders, fending off dissidents in their ranks, to save face. The strikes of 1966 and 1980 hold valuable lessons in terms of the current transit strike.
See "Even With a Script, Ending a Strike Can Be Difficult", Sam Roberts, The New York Times, December 21, 2005