Walder lite

On Thursday, June 20, 2013 The New York State Senate has confirmed Tom Prendergast as chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

We here in why did you join the union believe Prendergast is ill suited for the job. Here is why - he is from Chicago therefore a non native New Yorker, and he does not have big connections to political or financial resources that can summon Governor Cuomo at a heart beat. Based on the above we do not believe that Prendergast would be able to deliver fair contracts to TWU 100, 106 and give a raise to the management. 

We here in why did you join the union believe that Joseph Lhota was able to deliver a fair contract to TWU Local 100 due to his political muscle. For instance one call from Mayor Rudolph Giuliani or US Senator Alfonse D’Amato to Governor Andrew Cuomo would have yielded in what we desire. As we know now Lhota had other plans in mind namely to run for New York City Mayor. He walked away from the MTA while he was on a high note which was a clever political move. Thus with every passing day now he looks good. If he champions Giuliani’s doctrine of dealing with quality of life issues with an iron fist, like jaywalking, public urination, drinking beer in the open, farebeating, hanging in the streets, smoking controlled substances, bicyclists cutting buses (which is common) then it would be in favor of the community. However those Giuliani and William Bratton days are bygone leaving the small guy and families to fend for themselves. Bloomberg has stacked the deck in favor of commerce, putting their profit above all else and has made it difficult for the small guy and families. The other side of the coin is that Democrats will never champion for the small guy and family issues.

Now TWU Local 100 we have to think strategically in order to procure a fair contract. We know the economy is rebounding therefore the question is whether we are getting an 18% raise for 3 years? Based on 6% raise per year? Or better yet for Prendergast to walk briskly into the governor’s office, bang on his table and look into Governor Andrew Cuomo’s eyes stating that he has made his mind to go against Cuomo’s philosophy of giving nothing to state workers but rather he will spend state monies in giving fair contracts to TWU 100, 106 and a raise to the management. Is that possible? We believe he will be supplicating the governor since he may not have access to the governor. Prendergast will be happy if he can meet the governor chief of staff or he may follow in his mentor Jay H Walder’s footsteps by having access to an aide of the governor. Prendergast is definitely not going to be Father Christmas but rather Walder lite.