Posted on 12/20/2005 1:04:16 PM PST by StatenIsland
All these folks from outside NYC who don't understand the thing are getting their panties in a knot.
If Bloomberg/Kalikow/TWU don't let this thing spiral out of control -- which is a remote possibility -- they'll all be shaking hands and grinning in 8 months at some charity benefit.
>>>Use Reagan's solution. Give 48 hours, and then fire the workers. Then implement a lifetime ban on rehiring those workers<<<
I like it, I like it!
look, the NYC metro area is heavily unionized - across a wide range of trades and professions, not just civil service. that's just the way it is here. the biggest issue is not salaries - its pensions and retirement medical, that is what's killing the taxpayers.
They should be publicly informed that for every day the strike continues, there will be an across the board 10% cut in pay. This pay cut will be PERMANENT.
That's a precedent you don't want to set. Do that and every union in the city will start dumping New York State bonds in their portfolios. And that's just for starters.
And that's the problem. Every time somebody caves to a union, all unions get stronger. The solution is to weaken the unions. The method is by setting a precedent.
I am not unfamiliar with union policies. When I was in the military we were always on the losing end of union disputes. They would stop at nothing to get everything they ever wanted. Right now, the average union worker in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard makes $80,000 a year. I'm sure they'll have another strike to make it $90,000 a year pretty soon.
I am also familiar with teachers unions, police unions, etc. destroying what they should be trying to protect. Unions are a scourge and should be treated as such.
If now is not the right time to destroy the unions, then when is the right time, if ever?
I think an ultimatum would bring back better than half of the workers. It wouldn't be 100% new people.
If they're still on strike in a week, I call for the same judge to summarily fire the lot of them. If the strike is illegal, their jobs are then vacated, IMO.
You know how to fix the braking system or electrical on an R143 subway car? Cause if they fire the union workers, we're going to have a lot of jobs for qualified people.
If the guy who does know is holding the city hostage, then it will be better for everybody in the long run to axe him, regardless of the short-term difficulties and expenses to do so.
IMO, union strikes are nothing more than economic terrorism. The same rules apply: No negotiations. Terminate.
but what happens in the interim? other unions are going to go out if they make a run to break this one, so even in a dream world where you could replace and train a new work force in 6 weeks, it would be chaos.
sure, there are other ideas, but the union would have to crack. sign a contract with all the skilled workers only, replacing motormen, conductors, bus drivers and ticket agents with new hires. but its a gamble.
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