NY1: Transit
The city's taxi & limousine commission has voted to extend handicap accessible taxis from 80 to 143 as well as allowing those needing the service to be able to call 311 to find the closest handicap accessible taxi to their location. One has to ask oneself how in the world would the 311 operator know where these 143 taxis? These 143 obviously will have GPS/credit-card terminals that cause this year's 2 taxi strikes.
So is the Taxi Worker's Alliance ultimately anti-handicap? It is just might lowly opinion that Taxi Worker's Alliance attempt to organize the city's taxi driver flailing, in large part because the premise of protesting against GPS devices instead the economics of it (ie. let the TLC or advertising company pay for the equipment and installation).
MTA may fight panel's hefty pay hikes for transit workers
ReplyDeleteBy Pete Donohue
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, August 15th 2009
The MTA is considering challenging an arbitration panel's decision to grant transit workers generous wage hikes, officials said Friday.
A state judge can throw out a contract after concluding arbitrators didn't properly apply the criteria mandated by the legislation, including an employer's ability to pay wages and benefits.
The pact grants transit workers staggered annual raises totaling 4%, 4% and 3.5% over the three-year contract.
MTA officials said it would increase costs by $350 million.
The major provisions in the contract crafted by the arbitrators mirror the terms supported last year by MTA CEO Elliot Sander and NYC Transit President Howard Roberts before direct talks with union boss Roger Toussaint ended and the two sides turned to arbitration to finalize a deal. Sander resigned in May.
The MTA under acting CEO Helena Williams tried unsuccessfully to steer the panel away from the framework supported by Sander and Roberts, concluding it spelled a bad financial deal for the authority, even if it included removing conductors from some subway lines.
A union spokesman said the MTA's legal review is "another attempt by the MTA to mask its incompetence."