Three Strikes
Strike One: A strike by graduate teaching assistants at NYU is winding down. The TAs were protesting the fact that they are no longer recognized as part of the UAW by the university.
UAW?!?! UAW originally stood for United Automobile Workers, though the official name is now United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. Still, I don't see many TA's building cars, planes or harvesting produce. Why were they ever part of UAW?
Strike Two: Home Health Care workers in New York City went on strike this morning. Of anyone, they seem to have the most cause. $5.50 an hour caring for our grandparents? The guy that cooks my fries gets more than that, and I don't really care so much about fries.
On the other hand, who is the most affected by the strike? Not the company, the patients stuck at home, sick, in the freezing cold. Even the picket line turnout was low because of the cold weather. You'd thinking - recognizing that it's December in NYC - the union might have chosen a more comfortable time to strike.
Strike Three: MTA. This one hasn't happened yet, and hopefully won't. Transit workers for one of the largest and busiest cities in the world are threatening - again - to strike. This seems to happen every other year. It is, in fact, illegal for transit workers to strike in New York.
Though, this would be the time to do it - tourists out the rear, cold weather, etc. Millions of people ride the subways and buses every day. A strike would mean people walking down streets, bicycles in the elevator, crowds leaping on taxis, cats and dogs living together in harmony, mass chaos. Twinkie the size of Manhattan type stuff.
Of course, it's unlikely to happen. Every time the end of a contract comes near, the media feeds the hysteria and everyone's trying to figure out how to get to work. But nothing happens - or hasn't recently anyway.
I have no sympathy for the transit workers. Of course, I depend on them to get to work, so I'd be kinda pissed if they struck. One of the sticking points? The MTA wants employees that stand around to do some tidying while they're standing around. Evidently, the union isn't too happy about it. Grow up, welcome to the real world where a job description is more of a suggestion and raises guaranteed.
You're out: This was going to be the point in this post where I went off on Unions. I don't like them. They served a purpose, but now they just make unreasonable demands that inconvenience alot of people. They usually don't even offer you a choice on whether or not you want to join. I just can't condone that. Okay, guess I did just go off a little, but I'll stop while I'm ahead.
That's the report from New York.
UAW?!?! UAW originally stood for United Automobile Workers, though the official name is now United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. Still, I don't see many TA's building cars, planes or harvesting produce. Why were they ever part of UAW?
Strike Two: Home Health Care workers in New York City went on strike this morning. Of anyone, they seem to have the most cause. $5.50 an hour caring for our grandparents? The guy that cooks my fries gets more than that, and I don't really care so much about fries.
On the other hand, who is the most affected by the strike? Not the company, the patients stuck at home, sick, in the freezing cold. Even the picket line turnout was low because of the cold weather. You'd thinking - recognizing that it's December in NYC - the union might have chosen a more comfortable time to strike.
Strike Three: MTA. This one hasn't happened yet, and hopefully won't. Transit workers for one of the largest and busiest cities in the world are threatening - again - to strike. This seems to happen every other year. It is, in fact, illegal for transit workers to strike in New York.
Though, this would be the time to do it - tourists out the rear, cold weather, etc. Millions of people ride the subways and buses every day. A strike would mean people walking down streets, bicycles in the elevator, crowds leaping on taxis, cats and dogs living together in harmony, mass chaos. Twinkie the size of Manhattan type stuff.
Of course, it's unlikely to happen. Every time the end of a contract comes near, the media feeds the hysteria and everyone's trying to figure out how to get to work. But nothing happens - or hasn't recently anyway.
I have no sympathy for the transit workers. Of course, I depend on them to get to work, so I'd be kinda pissed if they struck. One of the sticking points? The MTA wants employees that stand around to do some tidying while they're standing around. Evidently, the union isn't too happy about it. Grow up, welcome to the real world where a job description is more of a suggestion and raises guaranteed.
You're out: This was going to be the point in this post where I went off on Unions. I don't like them. They served a purpose, but now they just make unreasonable demands that inconvenience alot of people. They usually don't even offer you a choice on whether or not you want to join. I just can't condone that. Okay, guess I did just go off a little, but I'll stop while I'm ahead.
That's the report from New York.
posted by Chris at 8:12 AM
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