Straphangers Outraged By M.T.A.'s $600M Overtime Bill

[EE Broadway Local]

$600 million dollars in overtime last year?

More than 140 M.T.A. workers earned overtime that exceeded their regular earnings (more than doubling their regular salary)?

 

Our State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli conducted an audit which found the M.T.A's overtime costs rose 26 percent since 2005 to nearly $600 million

dollars last year. Mr. DiNapoli reports most of the overtime was unjustified or for undocumented work.

 

As one commuter said: I would like [to double my pay in overtime].

 

Story and news video from NY1: http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/123326/straphangers-outraged-by-mta-s--600m-overtime-bill/

[twty22]

$600 million dollars in overtime last year?

More than 140 M.T.A. workers earned overtime that exceeded their regular earnings (more than doubling their regular salary)?

 

Our State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli conducted an audit which found the M.T.A's overtime costs rose 26 percent since 2005 to nearly $600 million

dollars last year. Mr. DiNapoli reports most of the overtime was unjustified or for undocumented work.

 

As one commuter said: I would like [to double my pay in overtime].

 

Story and news video from NY1: http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/123326/straphangers-outraged-by-mta-s--600m-overtime-bill/

it dont make a differnce to me what they write because there is lots of open work and if i dont do it who will. then they will write that they aint sending buses out there.. i do not bad in getting overtime. but alot of that double pay is from LIRR. there is some bus operators at LIB that double there pay but they work almost all the time. they wont post that in the paper that these employee's work there tales off so service can be made.

 

i agree im sure some of it is BS but most of it is needed and it would cost the MTA more money to hire Full timers with benifits then to pay OT

[Urbanfortitude]

This is ridiculous. How can people be enraged about average workers putting in tons of extra hours to make that kind of money? It's not like they're sitting at home/in an office/flying exotically and getting it handed to them like these ridiculous suits. People are such f**ktards and need to get a clue. Most T/A workers seem to have families they gotta support too.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

I aint gonna lie but if it's thier then it will be the Public complaining if that Hawk Run don't show and I can say that for Fact.Stop complaining already Public ,I would like to say this because if we don't take this OT then yous will be shit out of luck crying in the Bus Stop waaaa waaa wheres the bus well shut ya mouths and let us do us buy taking that OT just be greatful God Damn it that we do.

 

Yesterday I did the q25 again but yesterday was different due to my leaders Run was Open so yes that meant I got Hammered and A Hawk Run was open but I found out that got covered so Imagine if I didnt take that Run well I will do the Headways for ya ,Yo ass would of been out there Awhile get it.

[Rutgers Tube]

Some people have the propensity to complain to the extent that they'd bitch and moan if they had nothing to bitch and moan about. And now the trend has moved to whining. Overtime. Sick time. Vacation time. Sleep time. Slow trains. Crowded trains. Delayed trains. Dirty trains. Old trains. New trains. Passengers on trains. People leaping in front of trains. The crews operating the trains! Service cuts. G.O.'s. Kids in operating cabs. No heat. No A/C. Hot stations. Cold stations. Old stations. A few of those complaints have some legitimacy, though quite often, the complaints are without due cause; the remaining gripes generally have plausible explanations.

 

"The agency used the occasion to again urge the unions to be more flexible in helping to reduce costs."

 

Here we go again with the public contract negotiation ploys. I find it pretty damn pharisaical (broaden your vocabulary by looking up the definition if you don't know it - you'll see what I mean) how management likes to use the public as leverage when it comes to contractual negotiation, and, yet, refused to offer public hearings when it came to Station Agent layoffs.

 

On an extremely related note, I'm sure you'll never guess who wrote this accompanying article in the Daily News:

 

MTA overtime rose 25% to $590 million annually in the last four years, state audit shows

 

Last year, there were 3,274 employees who boosted their base pay by 50% through overtime - including nearly 150 who more than doubled their regular salaries.

 

"Overtime shouldn't equate to twice someone's annual salary," DiNapoli said. "When scores of employees are earning more in overtime than they make in salary, it's time for the MTA to change the culture of acceptance to a culture of accountability."

 

Yeah, and please correct me if I'm wrong or out of line here, but the excessive management shouldn't have base salaries that equate to someone else's annual salary. When scores of redundant administrators are netting more than their revenue and maintenance employees make in gross salary, it's time for the to change the culture of acceptance to a culture of feasibility.

 

Anyone else here in agreement, or was my coffee a bit too strong this morning?

[Citaro]

The solution is to reduce working time. Compare your national working time with other countries!

 

Annual work hours per worker

source: OECD (2004)

[twty22]

Yeah, and please correct me if I'm wrong or out of line here, but the excessive management shouldn't have base salaries that equate to someone else's annual salary. When scores of redundant administrators are netting more than their revenue and maintenance employees make in gross salary, it's time for the to change the culture of acceptance to a culture of feasibility.

 

Anyone else here in agreement, or was my coffee a bit too strong this morning?

 

i agree 100%

[SoSpectacular]

I aint gonna lie but if it's thier then it will be the Public complaining if that Hawk Run don't show and I can say that for Fact.Stop complaining already Public ,I would like to say this because if we don't take this OT then yous will be shit out of luck crying in the Bus Stop waaaa waaa wheres the bus well shut ya mouths and let us do us buy taking that OT just be greatful God Damn it that we do.

 

Yesterday I did the q25 again but yesterday was different due to my leaders Run was Open so yes that meant I got Hammered and A Hawk Run was open but I found out that got covered so Imagine if I didnt take that Run well I will do the Headways for ya ,Yo ass would of been out there Awhile get it.

 

GAH! You did the Q25?!?! Damnit! LOL

[MattTrain]

These employees, the train operators, train conductors, bus operators, etc... deserve their overtime pay! Seriously. I think the media once again is putting a bad impression on how Employees are, heck they've been doing it for quite a while now.

[Harry]

Who's outraged? The three or four people they interviewed for the story? :confused:

[SubwayGuy]

Who's outraged? The three or four people they interviewed for the story? :confused:

 

Typical sensationalist media article titles...

 

Bet they didn't feel an ounce of "outrage" 10 seconds after they got their 5 seconds of fame...

[RTOMan]

Who's outraged? The three or four people they interviewed for the story? :confused:

 

Who still blamed the TWU workers probally.

[twty22]

Who still blamed the TWU workers probally.

then if we dont work the OT they will say something about that also..

[SubwayGuy]

then if we dont work the OT they will say something about that also..

 

Then They'll complain about benefits costs and say that people who work underground all day breathing in steel dust don't need healthcare...

[Rutgers Tube]

Then They'll complain about benefits costs and say that people who work underground all day breathing in steel dust don't need healthcare...

 

Health insurance, pay raises, a retirement package, paid time off to spend with people other than supervision and co-workers and even a non-hostile work environment, one in which one's job isn't held over one's head at all times. . . .

 

It's amazing how NONE of these things are ever deserved by anyone except those who complain. :cry:

 

It's all about jealousy. Everyone wants what everyone else has, even if it's of no use to the person who wants it. It's simply the principle of it all. The instant that person finally has what he/she never had, it's acceptable for others to have it as well. These chronic whiners need to realize that things in life are earned and not just handed out. They act as if workers just ride trains and buses all day and have no responsibilities or actually work at all. That's a whole bunch of malarkey. It's the same people who, yesterday, were entitled to the same or similar benefits while they still had a job who today, complain the loudest because they are suddenly without.

 

Their misery shall not be entitled to my company.

[twty22]

Health insurance, pay raises, a retirement package, paid time off to spend with people other than supervision and co-workers and even a non-hostile work environment, one in which one's job isn't held over one's head at all times. . . .

 

It's amazing how NONE of these things are ever deserved by anyone except those who complain. :cry:

 

It's all about jealousy. Everyone wants what everyone else has, even if it's of no use to the person who wants it. It's simply the principle of it all. The instant that person finally has what he/she never had, it's acceptable for others to have it as well. These chronic whiners need to realize that things in life are earned and not just handed out. They act as if workers just ride trains and buses all day and have no responsibilities or actually work at all. That's a whole bunch of malarkey. It's the same people who, yesterday, were entitled to the same or similar benefits while they still had a job who today, complain the loudest because they are suddenly without.

 

Their misery shall not be entitled to my company.

i dont know how many times i have had passengers and they said i will call and have you lose your job because of something that didnt go there way...when i knew i was following the rules.

[Rutgers Tube]

i dont know how many times i have had passengers and they said i will call and have you lose your job because of something that didnt go there way...when i knew i was following the rules.

 

I've never been the recipient of that kind of vitriolic bullshit from a member of the public aimed, but I have heard a doctor who tried racing through our work zone and acting well above the law, demanding to be let through because of his status ("I'm a doctor!") tell a co-worker, an absolute gentleman from Trinidad who could offer everyone a lesson in respect and tact, "I'll have you working in my back yard."

[SubwayGuy]

I've never been the recipient of that kind of vitriolic bullshit from a member of the public aimed, but I have heard a doctor who tried racing through our work zone and acting well above the law, demanding to be let through because of his status ("I'm a doctor!") tell a co-worker, an absolute gentleman from Trinidad who could offer everyone a lesson in respect and tact, "I'll have you working in my back yard."

 

Your coworker is a better man than I...I might have yelled something back along the lines of "So if you hit one of my coworkers because you're speeding, we can hold you accountable under Duty To Rescue laws Mr. Bigtime Doctor"

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

i dont know how many times i have had passengers and they said i will call and have you lose your job because of something that didnt go there way...when i knew i was following the rules.

 

It's called being (B)ehind (E)nemy Lines and we ain't gonna Win but I never said I wouldn't play the Game right back:poooooo If these peeps only knew right (T)wty(2)

[Rutgers Tube]

Your coworker is a better man than I...I might have yelled something back along the lines of "So if you hit one of my coworkers because you're speeding, we can hold you accountable under Duty To Rescue laws Mr. Bigtime Doctor"

 

Ah, what a scene it was. After the doctor entered No-Man's Land (the work zone ), he tried pulling some shit about trying to get to work and blah, blah, blah. My man replied, "You didn't see the work zone here? You can't just come speeding through here like that."

 

The doctor loses his cool at this point and fires back with, "You're an a**hole."

 

My co-worker chuckles, smirks and shoots back with, "And you're a bigger one."

 

The zenith of diplomatic quips.

[twty22]

It's called being (B)ehind (E)nemy Lines and we ain't gonna Win but I never said I wouldn't play the Game right back:poooooo If these peeps only knew right (T)wty(2)

yes it is.

 

the other day i had a two passengers on my n6 limited trip and they where like you going to pass every stop.. i was like i dont stop here i am a limited bus. i have the signs posted.

 

she was like this will stop when mangano has it goes private. i said it will only get worse.

 

people have no idea what they are talking about

[TransitMan23]

they need to hire more people ...the mta is so under staffed..thats why its so much overtime dahhhhh...

[BZGuy]

As one commuter said: I would like [to double my pay in overtime].

 

I bet this one would be the first one to bitch if the bus(or train) never showed up.

 

People act all horrified,but OT is not as easy as it sounds. When you already work 40-50 hours on your own schedule and they ask you to pull some more runs,well yeah I'll do it...but pay me.

 

These guys have kids to support,bills to pay....I don't blame them one bit. MTA needs to get off their high horse on this one...IF YOU OFFER THE WORK,CHANCES ARE PEOPLE ARE GONNA TAKE IT!

 

Don't want to pay OT.....bring back the furloughees!

 

Off Topic:Has the union put out something to the troops about NOT picking up OT while folks are laid off? That would be one way to get this guys and girls back into the seat.

[Nova RTS 9147]

As a straphanger, I don't give two shakes of a rat's furry ass about how much overtime the has to pay. I honestly don't, and that article is straight bullshit (and frankly, I expected much better from NY1).

 

Yes, the figure is $600 Million. Who give's a shit? That's honestly a lot cheaper than hiring new employees to fill the gap.

 

New Employees = Another pension obligation, another health/dental/whatever obligation, and a whole new salary obligation (sans any potential overtime). And let's not forget that pesky training thing they have to do (which isn't cheap).

 

To the current employees: We all have to survive. The majority of MTA personnel are hard working people who bust their ass to get you and me from point to point ( in conditions the average person couldn't take without picking up a major drug habit (which is a big no-no in the agency). If your bosses refusal to hire more people means you have more cash to help your family, then by all means get that money.

 

To those who actually care how much TA personnel make in overtime: Get a f**king life. And while you're at it, a better job!

[Kamen Rider]

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