Management Rights

Jay H Walder in his letter to board members on July 27, 2010 states on the second page: ‘Finally, we must work with our unions to reach new collective bargaining agreements that offset wage increases and contributions to benefit cost. All of this must be accomplished without sacrificing the vital service we provide each day. Achieving these goals will be difficult, but we owe it to our customers and taxpayers to pursue a Financial Plan that continues down the path of reducing costs and making every dollar count.’ 

We here in why did you join the union believe that it is the essence of the management control that is disguised as an effective way to savings. It is clear that the management wants to retain what it had already in addition to wanting more control in the manner of saving rhetoric. We cannot have Walder simply want all of the things that the management reserves the right to decide unilaterally. We here in why did you join the union demand greater worker say in what the MTA can do with their budget.

Since now the price of gas is going up while it hovers around four dollars an average, now an average family does not take their automobiles wily nilly or for mindless errands. However now most are planning ahead which has put tremendous pressure on the need for mass transportation. Thus that translates to the fact that we the members of TWU Local 100 are working harder in addition our productivity is the highest in the nation. Since our MTA is enjoying this windfall of ridership that translates that the MTA is prospering. However we the members have not. We demand raising the real wages and improved benefits not the opposite. However one has to worry of John Samuelsen with his TBOU leadership team.

We also get it that the MTA is anti union campaign - we are also aware with their anti union propaganda under the current law is legal for the MTA to use those tactics as demonstrated in this letter of Walder which does not have to be true as long as it is not directly threatening. However it does suggest the possibility of further layoffs for the coming future. However there are other analysts who believe that the MTA is in good standing financially.

One thing we have on Jay H Walder is that his severance pay - his send away pay of the ‘golden parachute’ is protected. How come it is not part of ‘the path of reducing cost and making every dollar count’ - we wonder why. We also understand Walder is not creative it is also reflected the current MTA corporate culture is not a creative culture as well.