1K layoffs on track to save MTA $50M

[CPBO]

By TOM NAMAKO, Transit Reporter

 

 

 

Officials expect to save $50 million from the planned cuts, which will affect station agents as well as administrators.

 

About 600 managers from all of the agency's divisions -- including NYC Transit -- will receive pink slips over the next several days, sources said.

 

Most of those workers are not unionized, and the layoffs will range from high-ranking managers to lower-level jobs, MTA board and agency sources said.

 

Those workers mostly belong to the 35,000-member Transport Workers Union.

 

"[MTA chairman] Jay Walder envisions a system devoid of workers, and riders are going to pay a heavy price for this philosophy in the case of an emergency," said TWU president John Samuelsen.

 

He added he wasn't alerted to the layoffs by MTA brass.

 

But he did say that the previous TWU bosses -- led by Roger Toussaint, who was at the helm during the 2005 holiday-season transit strike -- gave up a clause during contract negotiations in 2002 that prevented its workers from being canned.

 

"The union will fight to defend its membership, but our position has been substantially weakened since previous administrations gave up a no-layoff clause in 2002," Samuelsen said.

 

An MTA source said in-house lawyers have given Walder the all-clear to "accelerate" laying off the station agents, instead of relying on the process of attrition.

 

Samuelsen said the current contract does have a clause that says workers can be shifted to other jobs, and will use that language to try and keep his members on the payroll.

 

Bean counters from consulting firm Accenture have been analyzing MTA's headcount for weeks as the agency struggles with a massive budget hole caused by lower-than-expected tax revenues and cuts in state aid.

 

At a committee meeting yesterday, board members listened as finance officials described real-estate tax revenues slipping even further than what was projected.

 

In total, that income is down by about $5.2 million more than expected, according to agency documents.

 

One of the first promises Walder made after taking over last year was to reduce the 70,000-person workforce and cut down on extreme overtime costs.

 

To make up for the massive budget deficit, the agency has already proposed eliminating free student MetroCards and scaling back service for disabled riders.

 

On top of that, officials want to implement a severe schedule of service cuts that will take dozens of buses off the road, eliminate the M and W lines, and reroute the V.

 

Those proposed cuts will go before a public hearing next month.

 

tom.namako@nypost.com

[Y2Julio]

I wonder how much they are paying those bean counters.

[Forest Glen]

Those are people with families. I hate to see people lose their jobs.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[NX Express]

About 600 managers from all of the agency's divisions -- including NYC Transit -- will receive pink slips over the next several days, sources said.

 

Finally!!! NOW they realize it.

[Grand Concourse]

Haven't you be complaining the fare is too high? take your pick.

 

Yup, can't have it both ways.

[RTOMan]

About 600 managers from all of the agency's divisions -- including NYC Transit -- will receive pink slips over the next several days, sources said.

 

Lets not forget you may have some good people lose their jobs while the ones who should be going....

 

STAY....

[Grand Concourse]

That is true. I sadly see that as a possible outcome. Shame to the MTA people are just numbers to them.

[asidrane]

Perhaps these layoffs wouldn't be happening had the union not received a mandatory raise while every other industry in the world has experienced less money and layoffs.

[RTOMan]

Perhaps these layoffs wouldn't be happening had the union not received a mandatory raise while every other industry in the world has experienced less money and layoffs.

 

W*R*O*N*G..

 

Heres a hint for you..

 

THIS "contract" the arbritatior "awarded" us and a Judge order the TA to follow would not have made it past the membership...

 

Stop reading the NY papers and believing them...

[nel070]

W*R*O*N*G..

 

Heres a hint for you..

 

THIS "contract" the arbritatior "awarded" us and a Judge order the TA to follow would not have made it past the membership...

 

Stop reading the NY papers and believing them...

 

Amen and the four percent raise kept them on par with other civil service workers which they deserved.

[S78 via Hylan]

Look like everyone is getting affected this year. Workers being laid off, service cuts happening, people losing routes and/or having extra travel time.

[nel070]

Look like everyone is getting affected this year. Workers being laid off, service cuts happening, people losing routes and/or having extra travel time.

 

Blame Patterson and the crooks in Albany for not finding a reliable source of income for the cash strapped MTA.

[S78 via Hylan]

That's funny because the proposed cuts last year, but wasn't it Albany who gave them money which stopped them from making cuts?

[nhrrwtby]

Haven't you be complaining the fare is too high? take your pick.

 

Amen.

[nhrrwtby]

Amen and the four percent raise kept them on par with other civil service workers which they deserved.

 

Why does any public-sector employee deserve a pay raise when others, including the taxpayers who pay their salaries, are losing theirs? Perhaps if everyone took a small cut then layoffs could be minimized and fares kept where they are.

[nel070]

That's funny because the proposed cuts last year, but wasn't it Albany who gave them money which stopped them from making cuts?

 

Yes Albany gave them a false bailout and a payroll tax that produced a shortfall that forced the MTA to make these draconian now.

[RTOMan]

Why does any public-sector employee deserve a pay raise when others, including the taxpayers who pay their salaries, are losing theirs? Perhaps if everyone took a small cut then layoffs could be minimized and fares kept where they are.

 

I came from the private sector so you need to do better than this...

[nel070]

Why does any public-sector employee deserve a pay raise when others, including the taxpayers who pay their salaries, are losing theirs? Perhaps if everyone took a small cut then layoffs could be minimized and fares kept where they are.

 

Because most city employess before the two year eight percent raise had not seen a raise in three years prior. I hope you have heard of the cost of living which keeps going up and the city employees are not being compensated to keep up with the rising costs of living.

[Truckie]

That's funny because the proposed cuts last year, but wasn't it Albany who gave them money which stopped them from making cuts?

 

Albany "gave" them money last year in the form of payroll taxes and fare hikes. However, these new and improve methods of funding the MTA is not generating the revenue that was projected. Either that or they were looking at one set of books last year and another set now. Regardless.....

 

Luckily this year is an election year for all NY State elected officials in Albany from governor to all the congress and senators. I say lets vote out all of the impenitence in Albany and start from scratch. It can't be much worse than now.

[RTOMan]

Because most city employess before the two year eight percent raise had not seen a raise in three years prior. I hope you have heard of the cost of living which keeps going up and the city employees are not being compensated to keep up with the rising costs of living.

 

Or he is just another hater who dont care about facts...:tdown:

[checkmatechamp13]

While I do feel bad for the workers losing their jobs, wasn't that the whole point of the service cuts. Its not just about the added maintainance that a bus needs when it is running on the road as opposed to being in service, it is about not having to pay people to maintain and drive the buses and trains. The MTA can shuffle those people to another job (have a W train operator run the N train, have a former B71 operator run the B61, etc) but in the end, the fewer people required to do the job means that fewer people will be on the payroll.

[nhrrwtby]

Because most city employess before the two year eight percent raise had not seen a raise in three years prior. I hope you have heard of the cost of living which keeps going up and the city employees are not being compensated to keep up with the rising costs of living.

 

The cost of living is not always going up. Have you heard of the cost-of-living index? Social Security recipients did not get an automatic increase this year because there was no increase in the index. My point is that pay increases for public-sector employees cannot be considered automatic, especially when times are bad. I'm in the private sector, and I don't get a raise if my company doesn't turn a profit.

 

Do you suppose the 1,000 MTA folks being laid off would be willing to take home a little less rather than lose their jobs? Would you be willing to take home less so that they could keep their jobs?

[nhrrwtby]

Or he is just another hater who dont care about facts...:tdown:

 

"Facts" are funny things. We all tend to see them differently.

[SubwayGuy]

That's funny because the proposed cuts last year, but wasn't it Albany who gave them money which stopped them from making cuts?

 

Yeah and Albany also promised them revenue from a payroll tax which would prevent a shortfall in the future which in typical Albany style - WHOOPS! - "fell short of expectations"