TWU SEEKS THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

Transit workers would have the right to strike under state legislation introduced by Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-13) in Albany on Thursday, March 16, 2023. (Bill No. S5785)
Assemblywoman Stacey Pfeffer Amato introduced the bill in the Assembly (index number pending).
Drafted at the request of the Transport Workers Union of America, and TWU Local 100, the bill would amend the Taylor Law so bus and subway workers employed by the MTA could engage in a work stoppage ­– if a lengthy process of negotiations and mediation fail to produce a contract governing wages, health benefits, and working conditions. Transit workers and TWU Local 100 would not be subject to the draconian penalties currently authorized by the Taylor Law if the legislation is adopted.
 
“I legislate for workers,” Sen. Ramos said. “When the workers of TWU came to me saying they need this tool to be able to fight for a contract that can support their families, I was more than happy to agree to champion their legislation. This adjustment will result in a strong contract for workers, which in turn will mean better service for New Yorkers.” 
 
The bill is based on the federal Railway Labor Act, which allows railroad workers at the LIRR, Metro-North, and other railroads to legally strike if certain criteria are met. If adopted, the legislation would level the playing field for transit workers after the Supreme Court’s Janus decision weakened the power of organized labor by allowing freeloaders to avoid paying dues. It also would bring New York in line with international law declarations, by the United Nations and other entities, that workers have the right to withhold their labor.
 
“The right to strike for NYC Transit workers is a matter of equity,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “Prohibition against striking for inner city transit workers, while our suburban counterparts can legally withhold work, is grossly unfair, grossly inequitable.”
 
Local 100 President Richard Davis thanked Sen. Ramos for being a “champion for the working class.”
 
“This is a democracy,” Davis said. “Working men and women should have the right to withhold their labor so they can secure good wages and provide for their families as best as they can. It’s that simple. The working class has not received its fair share in society, and we will not rest until we receive it.”
 
The amendment also would apply to transit workers at the Upstate Transportation Authority, including the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, the Capital District Transportation Authority and the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority.