Catherwood LibraryILR School

With contract talks set to begin tomorrow for 34,000 New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority employees, Transit Workers Union Local 100 president Roger Toussaint has made it clear that management will have to negotiate in good faith over several difficult issues to avoid a strike. Foremost among the issues that Local 100 will be bringing to the bargaining table is respect and fair treatment from a management structure that is widely perceived by workers to manage with the whip---issuing over 14,000 disciplinary charges in a one-year period. Other issues that will have to be dealt with in order to avoid a strike when the current contract expires on December 15, are increased funding for a troubled health benefit system, prescription coverage for retirees, and the $6.00 pay gap between MTA employees and Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North employees.