NEW YORK — A union representing Metro-North Railroad employees has handed out flyers to commuters and placed ads in local newspapers warning of a potential strike as soon as September, the newspaper The Hour reports.
Members of two locals of Transportation Workers Union, which represents approximately 600 inspectors, mechanics, and coach cleaners, voted last month to authorize a strike following the conclusion of current negotations involving the National Mediations Board. Since then, union members have handed out flyers at Grand Central Terminal and in New Haven, and taken out ads in three newspapers saying the railroad is “on the express track” toward a strike.
Union President John Samuelson claimed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking to add a contract clause that would allow it to amend any agreement in the event of a financial downturn, and said the union would strike before accepting such a deal. The MTA told
Metro-North has not seen a strike since a six-week walkout by conductors and trainment in 1983.
TWU was a CIO Union. They can and will strike if the matter is pressed.
Judging by the amount of cars and mileage of our highways, if things were managed properly and revenues collected based on this fact there would be more than enough revenue coming in to support public transit as well as pay the salaries of the workers running the trains and buses. It is time for drivers using these highways to start paying their fair share for using them. Plus too much federal and local money being poured into expansion of exisiting highways and construction of new ones because there is such a glut and saturation of too many cars being used and the car manufacturers and dealers trying to sell more and more cars to the point that every member of the family has to own one. While Im not against anyone owning or using a car, it has now come to the point that limitations have to placed on further ownership and construction of cars and highways. Our cities and landscapes are becoming eyesores with miles of highways and some being double and triple decked and not to mention the serious toll and damage of the air we breathe and of our eco systems. No more free rides or subsidies. Cars and highways must pay their fair share use of the transportation network and system in this country
Joseph C. Markfelder
Simplifying our tax code so, in this case, that those who use it, pay for it, like sales tax, will be forever blocked by tax lawyers.
Getting people to ride trains versus driving their cars would provide enough revenue to make public transportation work. But not even the phony climate change scenario has caused that to happen.
Public transportation in USA is on a death spiral, especially in crime-ridden Democrat metro areas that shot themselves in the foot with COVID restrictions. These transit agencies continue to exist because of federal funding, which backstops rising costs and falling revenue.
Local transportation should be locally funded. I’m not at all against subsidy of money-losing public transportation (I use it myself). What I’m saying is this: if local transportation is tax supported, have local (or state) taxes support it. Federal money is free because the feds simpy print money (okay, borrow it, I get the euphemism). For the real, actual cost, raise local taxes, fitting into the parameters of a balanced state or local budget..
Metro North serves Connecticut and New York State. Have those two states pay for it.
Chicago Metra serves Illinois and my home state which is Wisconsin. Have those two states pay for it.
Charles your suggestion is never going to happen because it is logical, makes common sense and is fair. Remember we’re talking about government here. Nothing logical, makes sense and is fair ever passes the government.