New York steps up pressure on striking workers

THE city stepped up its pressure on striking transit workers yesterday in hopes of forcing them back to work as millions of New Yorkers trudged to work in another bone-chilling commute without subways and buses.

Michael A Cardozo, New York City’s corporation counsel, said the city would ask a judge yesterday to issue a temporary restraining order directing union members to return to work. If the order is granted, Mr Cardoza said, the city could ask for the €21,123-a-day fines - a punishment that goes beyond the docked-pay penalty that workers already are experiencing for the illegal strike.

According to various estimates by the city and business analysts, the strike was expected to cost city government and the economy hundreds of millions of dollars per day.

On Tuesday, a judge fined the Transport Workers Union (TWU) €845,000 for each day of the strike for violating a state law that bars public employees from striking. Union lawyer Arthur Schwartz said the fine could deplete the union’s treasury in a matter of days.

In addition, the TWU’s 33,000 members already face the loss of two days’ pay for every day they are on strike, meaning a prolonged walkout could quickly eat up any increased pay they would get with a new contract.

The two sides were scheduled to meet with a mediator again yesterday.

The White House also spoke out on the strike yesterday. “It is unfortunate. We hope that the two sides can resolve their differences so that the people in New York can get to where they need to go,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Crowds of pedestrians, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, bundled up in heavy coats, hats and mittens against the minus five degree Celsius temperature, and hiked across the Brooklyn Bridge into lower Manhattan yesterday.

Some people had to walk miles. Others shared cabs and car pools, caught water taxis, cycled, skated or hitchhiked.

The strike over wages and pensions began Tuesday morning, during the height of the Christmas shopping and tourist season.

Yesterday’s headlines on the city’s tabloid newspapers reflected the attitude of some commuters. “Mad as Hell”, proclaimed the Daily News. “You Rats”, the New York Post said of the striking transit workers.

In its last offer before negotiations broke down, the MTA had proposed increasing employee contributions to the pension plan from 2% to 6%, said union lawyer Walter Meginniss Jr. He added that such a change would be “impossible” for the union to accept.