TWU Local 100 Emergency Meeting for all Laid-Off Station Agents

[xklm]

Yeah like primo said. They haven't even graded the 2008 exam yet. Eventually there may be another exam but not in the foreseeable future. The preferred list for laid off S/A's that got hired back as cleaners is still open for another 3 years and that will be where they get replacements for people that retire, quit, promote or die from. So you can see how it may be a long time before there's another O/C test if any. If there is another one I can't see it being before 2017. As of 4/72011 there are 2652 S/A's employed by TA down from 3200 last year.

 

Thanks Primo and Will - man, I didn’t know they haven’t even scored the 2008 exam yet! I just assumed they hired a bunch of people off that exam. wow, that’s crazy.

 

OK, so I think I’ve got it, it’s the preferred list for laid off S/As first, then the O/C list from the 2008 exam, then to a new exam if it’s offered...so yeah, it does seem like a new S/A exam would be many years away, not 1 or 2.

 

Do you know roughly what number they’re up to on the preferred list, Will? I know you said that you got back to work faster than was planned. All you laid off S/As deserve your jobs back and I hope it works out for everyone on the preferred list.

 

I wonder if once they get to the 2008 O/C list if they’ll let it run for the usual 4 years or if they’ll cut it short because it’ll have been so long since an exam...probably just have to wait and see, I guess.

[primomjr78]

Most likely the list will be 4 years maybe longer there would be lawsuits if they

Cut it short.

[Will-Bx-718]

Thanks Primo and Will - man, I didn’t know they haven’t even scored the 2008 exam yet! I just assumed they hired a bunch of people off that exam. wow, that’s crazy.

 

OK, so I think I’ve got it, it’s the preferred list for laid off S/As first, then the O/C list from the 2008 exam, then to a new exam if it’s offered...so yeah, it does seem like a new S/A exam would be many years away, not 1 or 2.

 

Do you know roughly what number they’re up to on the preferred list, Will? I know you said that you got back to work faster than was planned. All you laid off S/As deserve your jobs back and I hope it works out for everyone on the preferred list.

 

I wonder if once they get to the 2008 O/C list if they’ll let it run for the usual 4 years or if they’ll cut it short because it’ll have been so long since an exam...probably just have to wait and see, I guess.

 

Originally they were only suppose to bring back 125 laid off agents back to their former title. But they went up to list number 131. I counted all the names of the reinstated agents on the seniority roster, and only 121 people were re-hired. So I assume 10 people didn't make the cut, moved to another state or didn't want the job back. Or they may have taken the C/R promo job. Two people that were in the class behind me we're re-hired as cleaners and got called back as S/A's. The union told us that in july another wave of S/A's should be reinstated, but I heard since we got the 3% raise they may not be taking anymore back this year. That's just a rumor I heard so I don't know how true that is. And yeah that will be the order in which people will get called. Eventually they will have to call people from the 2008 exam. I know it has to be illegal to take people's money for an exam and never hire anyone from it. It may turn out similar to the last cleaners exam in 1993, when I got hired in 2006 people were just getting called from that exam, 13 years later.

[xklm]

Originally they were only suppose to bring back 125 laid off agents back to their former title. But they went up to list number 131. I counted all the names of the reinstated agents on the seniority roster, and only 121 people were re-hired. So I assume 10 people didn't make the cut, moved to another state or didn't want the job back. Or they may have taken the C/R promo job. Two people that were in the class behind me we're re-hired as cleaners and got called back as S/A's. The union told us that in july another wave of S/A's should be reinstated, but I heard since we got the 3% raise they may not be taking anymore back this year. That's just a rumor I heard so I don't know how true that is. And yeah that will be the order in which people will get called. Eventually they will have to call people from the 2008 exam. I know it has to be illegal to take people's money for an exam and never hire anyone from it. It may turn out similar to the last cleaners exam in 1993, when I got hired in 2006 people were just getting called from that exam, 13 years later.

 

13 years - that’s crazy! I didn’t know that kind of thing can happen - I’m still trying to figure out how the whole civil service system works, and without you guys here I would be totally in the dark. You’re about a million times more helpful than trying to get information from calling up DCAS. Thanks Will.

[Will-Bx-718]

13 years - that’s crazy! I didn’t know that kind of thing can happen - I’m still trying to figure out how the whole civil service system works, and without you guys here I would be totally in the dark. You’re about a million times more helpful than trying to get information from calling up DCAS. Thanks Will.

 

Yeah I still haven't figured it all out either. But all list for these exams stay open for 4 years from the time they are established. So like the S/A exam was given in 2008, but the list has not been established. So whenever it does 4 years later it will expire. There is a hell of a lot more civil service laws, but it would take too long to explain all of them here. I would suggest you google NYS civil service law so you can get a better understanding on it.

[Will-Bx-718]

Here I've provided a link for NYS civil service law

http://www.cs.state.ny.us/pio/summaryofcslaw/index.cfm

[xklm]

Here I've provided a link for NYS civil service law

http://www.cs.state.ny.us/pio/summaryofcslaw/index.cfm

 

nice! I’ma check that out, especially the exam and eligible lists sections.

[motorman2085]

There are letters sent out for reinstatement of station agents from the second prefer list already that had been laid off, However the Starting Salary is at $19.64 instead of the top pay at $27.50. Did the TWU union made a deal with MTA to call back all Station Agents but at the starting rate instead of their top pay when they were laid off? Does anyone have knowledge of this and confirm this?

[primomjr78]

Maybe will can give more info

[Will-Bx-718]

There are letters sent out for reinstatement of station agents from the second prefer list already that had been laid off, However the Starting Salary is at $19.64 instead of the top pay at $27.50. Did the TWU union made a deal with MTA to call back all Station Agents but at the starting rate instead of their top pay when they were laid off? Does anyone have knowledge of this and confirm this?

 

Wow Really? I can't confirm this. This is the first I'm hearing of it. But I wouldn't put it past TA to pull some shit like that. After all they are reclassifying S/A's to cleaners at new hire rate. Maybe in order for those people that were made cleaners to come back, this would be the way for them to get their original title back but at new hire rate. If this is true then the TA really has no shame. I feel so fortunate to have been in that 125 #, so I could retain all my seniority and salary. I don't really know too many people that got laid off in the may 11th wave. But if I happen to run into anyone that can confirm this pay rate, I'll be sure to post it here.

[Will-Bx-718]

I got in touch with a friend of mines that got laid off last May, and she confirmed that she has a letter with the starting S/A rate of $19.64. Someone told me can do that because after you are laid for a year you are considered a civilian again and you can't retain any of your seniority or salary. Well I guess for those folks its better to come back at that rate, rather than come back as a cleaner at $14.72/hr.

[Blatherskite]

I got in touch with a friend of mines that got laid off last May, and she confirmed that she has a letter with the starting S/A rate of $19.64. Someone told me can do that because after you are laid for a year you are considered a civilian again and you can't retain any of your seniority or salary. Well I guess for those folks its better to come back at that rate, rather than come back as a cleaner at $14.72/hr.

 

Nice sneaky way to force a paycut.

[primomjr78]

Sneaky yes but still 19.64 an hour is pretty good . Not many jobs will start you with that much .

[Will-Bx-718]

Yes indeed a sneaky way to get a pay cut. But yeah $19 is still pretty good. Much better than the unemployment checks. But most of all these next people they bringing back were already at top pay. To have to wait another three years to get back there is messed up. I don't even know if they are going to retain their seniority at least. The people that came back as cleaners sure didn't. In fact they have less seniority than the cleaners that were hired off the street in Nov & Dec. But beyond everything it's good to see people getting their jobs back or at least a job back. So far 261 people are working out of the 445 already. So maybe by years end everyone will be back. I've already ran into a like 20 people that are retiring this year or who have already retired. So that's opening up spots for people to come back.

[cdi919]

i saw a lot of s/a's at 248 coming in as cleaners. they were happy to be off of unemployment. i talked to a lot of them and they said a lot of the people that were laid off wont get hired back because ta is using their sick and disciplinary records as reasons not to hire them back.

[pinglish]

I got in touch with a friend of mines that got laid off last May, and she confirmed that she has a letter with the starting S/A rate of $19.64. Someone told me can do that because after you are laid for a year you are considered a civilian again and you can't retain any of your seniority or salary. Well I guess for those folks its better to come back at that rate, rather than come back as a cleaner at $14.72/hr.

 

Hi, do you know how many people they have called back? I was laid-off SA in last may, my number is 212. Thanks,

[Blatherskite]

Sneaky yes but still 19.64 an hour is pretty good . Not many jobs will start you with that much .

 

Yeah and being severely beaten, but surviving is better than being murdered, but that doesn't make being severely beaten a good thing. Corporate America has won and we're supposed to be happy with the little scrapings they give us to eat. What a great country!

[Will-Bx-718]

i saw a lot of s/a's at 248 coming in as cleaners. they were happy to be off of unemployment. i talked to a lot of them and they said a lot of the people that were laid off wont get hired back because ta is using their sick and disciplinary records as reasons not to hire them back.

 

Yes this is very true. TA was turning people down because of their sick records and DANS if you were called to be a cleaner. But at the emergency meeting in December, the union told us only 60 people out the 445 had some issues that may keep them from being re-hired. But they haven't denied anyone for S/A.

 

Hi, do you know how many people they have called back? I was laid-off SA in last may, my number is 212. Thanks,

 

Your 212 on the May 11th list?. Well as far as I counted on the seniority rosters for 2011, for S/A's & CTA's. They brang back 121 S/A's and 139 CTA's, so that makes 260 people so far that were called back. I really hope they bring all you guys back soon.

[primomjr78]

I wonder if the station agent exam from 2008 will be graded this year .

[Will-Bx-718]

I wonder if the station agent exam from 2008 will be graded this year .

 

This is what DCAS is telling you? That they haven't even graded the exam yet?. Well they by law have to hire at least 1 person from that list before they can close it. So eventually they have to start using it. A lot of people are retiring and being promoted this year so that should open up spots beyond the people left on the preferred list. By years end every laid off S/A should be back to work, and next year more people will retire. So I believe by mid-late next year they may grade and start using that list. If not by 2013 then. This is all pure speculation so don't quote me on it.

[primomjr78]

Well if they hire back all the station agents by year end and people still retire and

they are hiring body for body they have to establish that list to hire new

people when attrition happens .

[Levarp]

I'm 96 on the second list...

[Will-Bx-718]

I'm 96 on the second list...

 

You may get called back as a CTA $15.1516/hr or S/A $20.2292/hr both at starting first grade pay level. :tdown:

[Levarp]

That is not all that bad...hell I'm a single guy, no kids and the years will fly by. I'm living off way less than that now.

[Will-Bx-718]

U

That is not all that bad...hell I'm a single guy, no kids and the years will fly by. I'm living off way less than that now.

 

Yeah I hear you man. When I was unemployed I learned that I could live on a lot less than I was when I was working with TA. It taught me how to manage my money much better. You're still getting unemployment for at least another 4 or 5 months so just hang in there your time will come. Also did you go to the emergency meeting last December?