December 30, 2005
This little cookie spent too much time outdoors in the cold today, improperly dressed, and is now slowly succumbing to a cold herself. I was improperly dressed because yesterday it was 50+ degrees in my fair city, and as it was supposed to be 50+ today also., Unfortunately, although I looked lovely in my wool wrap it wasn't enough to keep me warm in 30 degree weather. Still, it was great fun doing 2 things that I love: picture blogging and playing host and tour guide in this lovely city. Plus, I finally got to have lunch at the table where George Washington sat the night of his farewell party given by his troops on the eve of his inauguration as President of the United States.
So, if you only have 1 min. to spare, then read this, so you can understand why history is so important, and where your right to speak freely comes from.
Well then, Happy New Year to ALL!
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December 25, 2005
Follow this link to see a live feed of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Click on "Full Screen" to get your own window to Rockefeller Center Plaza and get the true feel of being a working New Yorker.
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December 22, 2005
Rush hour begins in Times Square this evening as word that the strike was over spread through the city like wildfire.
Woooooohoooooo! Picture Snoopy doing a happy dance... that's me!
Mercifully, state mediators accomplished in 18hrs what Pataki, the MTA, and others were not able to accomplish in several weeks.
Transit workers are told to report to work immediately!
As I walked down the street doing my errands, I heard the news of the strike being passed from one ebullient pedestrian to another. Smiles, cheers and high fives were enthusiastically exchanged between strangers. Personally, as a non-driver that depends solely on mass transit, I can't express how relieved and happy I am.
Of course, what this means is that the Union and the MTA will continue to negotiate and the Union and it's workers will be fined according to the Taylor Law. Unfortunately for the Transit Workers, their strike was for nothing as they return without a contract, concessions or amnesty.
As for me, I'm exhausted after logging in 15 miles today, walking around and helping my elderly neighbors with their errands. I know I'll sleep like a baby tonight.
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Workers crossing the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan early this morning in 22F.
I cannot believe that in day 3 of this strike there are no joint talks scheduled, instead they are talking separately to a federal mediator. However, their role is only in an advisory capacity as the parties are not in binding arbitration. The only official thing scheduled for today is a mandated court appearance and a media war that's unbelievable. So here's the current status:
- A furious State Supreme Court judge yesterday threatened to toss transit-union leaders in jail for ignoring his injunction against a walkout — calling it a "distinct possibility" they would wind up in Riker's by the end of today.
- Calling them "frauds" for striking in the name of working people, Mayor Bloomberg tore into Roger Toussaint and the Transport Workers Union yesterday for the second consecutive day as the war of words and between Public Relations consultants escalated.
- The media war entered a louder and more contentious phase, with Mr. Toussaint demanding that thorny pension issues be removed from the table before the strikers returned to work and that the Mayor, Governor, and MTA officials.
- A very angry Gov. George E. Pataki joined Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in saying that the transit workers must end the strike before negotiations could resume. Of course they could take that stance because their chauffer driven limos would ensure that they would never have to walk more than a few steps to each appearance.
- The MTA and the International Transit Workers' Union took the highly unusual steps of running television ads urging individual workers to return to their jobs. So far only a few hundred strikers have returned to work, however, those that have returned have seen their property damaged and their lives threatened.
- The MTA, in an effort to play hardball with union members, will be using the direct deposit information on their striking employees to freeze their bank accounts in an effort to obtain the 25,000 court-imposed penalty from each striker.
Don't you just love the holidays in NYC?
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December 21, 2005
Lines of people going home via Penn Station Commuter Rail lines to all points East (Long Island) and West (New Jersey) of Manhattan/Metropolis.
Today I began feeling guilty over being lucky enough to still have 6.5 vacation days left and not have to endure what others (like some of my coworders) are enduring. My vacation days enables me to stay home, take care of my son and help a few elderly neighbors out in the process by doing errands for them while my son is in school. I racked up a total of 13.5 miles walking during yesterday's errands. Today I racked up almost 15 by picking up various prescriptions and making bank deposits for my elderly neighbors who are shut ins as a result of the strike and the frigid temps.
I've been asked to go into work on Friday to alternate with my colleague and give her a break and also to train the temp that will be covering for me part of next week while I'm using the remainder of my vacation time. So I'll be joining other New Yorkers in going over the 59th St bridge. walking all the way to work. I will start walking at 10:00am and will walk a total of 11 miles one way. Let's see if I'll still feel guilty or if I'll be cursing everyone involved as the wind off the East River hits me. I'll try to blog once I get into the office. I have a feeling I'll need to based on some of the quotes from NYers I've read (I've posted some of these on my companion site as the language is too colorful and too funny to pass up).
To answer a question some of you have asked in emails and calls, "How long do I think this strike will last?"
Well, if we look at TWU's strike history:
1966 Strike - January 1st, 1966 to January 13th, 1966 - 13 Days
1980 Strike - April 1st, 1980 to April 11th, 1980 - 11 Days
My guess: knowing the union leadership very well ... 12 days, which would mean this strike wouldn't be over until January 1st.
BTW, Friday I'll be picture blogging while walking over the Queensborough Bridge (see Turk 182, Spiderman 1 & 2 movies for a feel of this bridge).
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December 20, 2005
Current wind chill: 16F on bridges it feels like 6F
NYers are feeling lots of anger, frustration, and tremendous resentment towards the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the Transit Workers Union (TWU) and it's sister unions, such as the Railway Workers Union who have vowed to not cross the picket line and bring in residents from NJ and Connecticut into the city. They will only travel as far as the city limits which for most will still be too far away.
As for me, my boss asked me to come in tomorrow instead of taking a vacation day, as I had originally planned. But earlier this evening I was informed that due to Railway Union's support of the strike, my son's after school program would not have enough staff to care for all the enrolled students. So, I will be staying home and doing the mommy thing (which I always enjoy) and will drop him off at school and pick him up at the end of the day and will spend some time doing some fun holiday crafts together. I'm really looking forward to this.
So, since I'm done with all my christmas responsibilities (shopping, gift wrapping, mailing of overseas gifts, making cookie dough and pie filliing) I am free to really enjoy my holidays, and no one, and I Mean No One: not the MTA, not the TWU or sister unions, not the Governor (who fell down on the job by not calling in a federal mediator), are going to ruin this holiday for me.
I hope the boneheads at the MTA will learn their lesson and make sure that the next contract ends in the spring and not in winter. Also, next time they have a 1 Billion dollar surplus, since they don't have shareholders to answer to, they might consider using that money to fix the problems in the system and enter in good faith negotiations instead of giving tourists (not those of us who support this system year round) 1 Billion Dollars worth of free rides 3 weeks prior to the strike deadline.
So lets talk about the cost of this strike:
- a loss of 400 million dollars in revenue per day
- a major disruption in the lives of 8 million NYC residents and 5 million out of state residents that travel in to NYC on a daily basis.
- endagering the lives of the sick and elderly who will be unable to get through the incredible traffic to get medical attention they need.
- Children being put at risk as there's no way a parent can reach a child quickly in case of an emergency.
Me, I'm luckier than most, I have the vacation time and it's really slow at work.
Posted by: Michele at
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December 16, 2005
First, a couple of observations on the planning for this strike. The pre and post-9/11 contingency plans have been updated and the information was made available to the public a few days ago. All large corporations had received a draft version of these plans last week. At my firm, we activated our Disaster/Emergency Business Recovery Plan. Because of my security experience I was recruited to develop a plan for my department for our current location. The neat thingÂ… I was given free rein which resulted in the plan being finalized 48hrs before the strike deadline. Having thought I was done I went home and returned the next morning to find my cubicle had been ransacked the night before, and several personal belongings stolen. As a result I spent yet another day with our security staff, this time dealing with the theft.
As if all of this werenÂ’t enough, I let my co-worker pick up a late lunch for me because I had been dealing with the security staff and the NYPD most of the day, and 6 hours later IÂ’m in the emergency room full of drugs, trying not to scratch and experiencing not a care in the world.
Now about the strike, I am angry with the private independent MTA Board that manages the operations of the NYC Transit System, which employs close to 40,000 workers, and let the negotiations lag until the 11th hour. As if that wasnÂ’t enough, the idiots announced it had a 1Billion dollar surplus, after a 30% increase in the fare 3 months ago. They were crying poverty before the fare increase, they publicized the surplus to the high heavens not even a month ago, and now theyÂ’re crying poverty all over again by saying by the end of 2006 they will experience a 3Billion dollar deficit. This is plain, boneheaded idiocy on the part of the Board and they should all be removed. All the individuals on this Board, along with their spokespeople, display such unbelievable arrogance, that I would love for EricÂ’s cousin, Brad, to neuter them, as he does his bulls, except I want a dull cut, a hard yanking and without anesthetic.
Other unions have now joined the transit workers, in a strike threat, in solidarity with and for the transit workers struggle. In doing so they are now holding city residents hostage. In anticipation of a strike, all sporting goods stores are holding huge sneaker sellathons.
As for me, aside from being mad as hell, IÂ’m lucky enough to be able to telecommute for some of my job duties, however, for the rest IÂ’ll have to walk the 9.5 miles to work (part of that over a very high bridge that spans 1.5 miles over the East River). My plan: IÂ’ll be using my remaining vacation time for the duration of the strike. In the meantime, I think IÂ’ll make a few voodoo dolls out of medical gauze strips and send them into the labor negotiation room.
Yep, that should do it. That should work off my anger and frustration with all the parties involved.
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Also, when you are done there, could you save the extra drugs for me? I need that happy place for a little while.95 queries taking 0.0384 seconds, 208 records returned.
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