PRESIDENT RICHARD DAVIS ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE CONTRACT

MAY 31 -- Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your support and solidarity as we battled the MTA during an extremely difficult series of contract negotiations. With your help, I’m pleased to report that we prevailed.

--We secured a tentative contract with solid annual raises of 9.8% compounded over three years – and $4,000 in Essential Worker Cash Bonus payments – that are substantially better than the city pattern.

--We held the line on healthcare costs, defeated efforts to cut subway staffing, and won an unprecedented expansion of maternity and paternity leave for members having children.

--We made sure that medical coverage will be provided to the families of our brothers and sisters who died after contracting COVID-19.

And we enhanced medical coverage for retirees. In the great tradition of trade unionism, we are taking care of our members as well as the old, the young, and the sick.

These victories, and others you will see in this package, were not easily obtained. The MTA took a hardline stance, not wanting to give an inch of ground on wages or benefits. In fact, the MTA wanted us to pay for our own raises and contract improvements through significant concessions and givebacks, including doubling our paycheck deductions for healthcare from 2% to 4%, and expanding OPTO with the removal of Conductors from trains. Those demands were defeated.

The MTA even enlisted deep-pocketed powerbrokers ­– Wall Street investors, real estate magnates, and corporate CEOs – to push its contract agenda in the media. That included an opinion piece in City and State magazine that said workers should “step up” and help the MTA save money by agreeing to the MTA’s demands.

In terms of wages, the MTA sought to impose on us the municipal worker pattern. We defeated that effort, exceeded the pattern, and made many other economic gains. We gave them hell at the bargaining table – while members demonstrated solidarity with spirited rallies at work locations across the bus and subway system. Hundreds of members chanted and marched at these rallies with signs with slogans like, “Respect and Recognition – $$$ – Put it in the Contract.”

Your voices were definitely heard by all, and that improved our position at the bargaining table. We attacked the MTA on social media, and told the Authority it should try managing the place better before trying to squeeze transit workers. We told the MTA it could start by collecting the nearly $700 million lost every year to farebeating and toll cheats! 

As a result of our efforts, and previous COPE activities, members of the U.S. Congress, the New York State Legislature, and the City Council broadcast their own declarations of support, which we appreciate. We also received the backing of many leading labor organizations, like the NYC Central Labor Council; ATU Locals 726, 1056, 1181 and 1189; the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, and the International Transport Workers Federation.

I want to again thank everyone for their support. I can’t overestimate the importance of member participation and solidarity in these fights. I want to thank our union officers for helping bring about this agreement, along with TWU International President John Samuelsen, who was a powerful voice and ally in our struggle.

For the contract highlights, click here.

For the MOU, click here