MTA docks two days pay for workers who were MIA during Hurricane Sandy

[Harry]

[float=left][/float]The MTA has docked two days’ pay for hundreds of transit workers who were allegedly MIA during Hurricane Sandy, infuriating the union, the Daily News has learned.

 

An internal memo circulated Friday announced that all hourly employees who took the day off without calling in on Monday, Oct. 29, when the agency was moving equipment to higher ground in the runup to the storm, and the following day to deal with the aftermath, “are to be held WOP (Without Pay).”

 

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[Snowblock]

Employees who DID call the crew office, and said "yes" when asked if they were available to work were told to stay home on stand-by, and were paid for doing so. You can't just stay home and not even check in. MTA Management is right this time, sorry TWU.

[User]

I honestly don't see this decision as a bad thing because it was vital to this city to get the transit system back on track (joke there?) and many of the workers put themselves ahead of their personal problems to come and help the . I would like to thank every worker who got out in Hurricane Sandy and came to help. Being MIA when your job needed you the most was not the best decision.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yep, I agree with the others here... Even though I couldn't get in Monday or Tuesday, we were expected to still check our e-mails and work from home so that's exactly what we did as long as we had power.

[LIRR 154]

Non issue. Unless in a dire situation without a phone nearby, there is no excuse to not notify your superiors.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Non issue. Unless in a dire situation without a phone nearby, there is no excuse to not notify your superiors.

 

I don't even know what the big deal is. There's two things the has always been anal about... Lateness and being MIA. When I interned for them for two years back when I was in high school, they'd come around and check our timesheets on Thursdays to make sure they were accurate and if they weren't, well you weren't paid for that time. It amazed me how inept folks were. We had Fridays off (and were paid for it) and people still would be MIA Monday through Thursday.

[realizm]

I don't even know what the big deal is. There's two things the has always been anal about... Lateness and being MIA. When I interned for them for two years back when I was in high school, they'd come around and check our timesheets on Thursdays to make sure they were accurate and if they weren't, well you weren't paid for that time. It amazed me how inept folks were. We had Fridays off (and were paid for it) and people still would be MIA Monday through Thursday.

 

 

They are providing an essential, perhaps even critical public service. That possibly could be why they are so strict and demanding on attendance. I would imagine that say the NYPD would be just as demanding on their civil servants, providing another critical public service. Just my two cents.

[Interested Rider]

Each and every agency gives their employees a rule book that they must read and follow as it has the same force as law according to the courts. The employees cannot say that they did not know as once they received and signed for the rule book, it was expected that they read the book and knew the rules. Their failure to follow the procedure in this situation means that they are to be held accountable in this case.

 

The same rule that the MTA has for its employees that require employees to call into their work station if the employee would not be coming to work for whatever reason applies to all governmental units whether it is the Federal, State or City government. The New York State Civil Service Rules #21 et.seq. is the section that delineates the procedure for state employees and additional rules concerning how it is to be done can be found in the agency rule book.

 

 

 

The MTA was right, pure and simple.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

They are providing an essential, perhaps even critical public service. That possibly could be why they are so strict and demanding on attendance. I would imagine that say the NYPD would be just as demanding on their civil servants, providing another critical public service. Just my two cents.

 

Seriously... The excuse that they had no transit or way of getting around... I mean like Interested Rider said, you know what you're signing up for when you join the . No ifs ands or buts...

[realizm]

Seriously... The excuse that they had no transit or way of getting around... I mean like Interested Rider said, you know what you're signing up for when you join the . No ifs ands or buts...

 

 

You guys misunderstood my post. I should have expressed myself more clearly.

 

I was refering as to "why so much responsibility" in terms of expectations on attendance that are placed on MTA employees because they are providing a public service that is critical. Like firefighters in the FDNY as another example. The service they provide is *extremely* important to the public. That's why the attendance requirements are understandably so strict which makes sense. Read my prior post again and see where I am coming from as a non MTA employee being provided an essential service by these hard working employees of the MTA.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You guys misunderstood my post. I should have expressed myself more clearly.

 

I was refering as to "why so much responsibility" in terms of expectations on attendance that are placed on MTA employees because they are providing a public service that is critical. Like firefighters in the FDNY as another example. The service they provide is *extremely* important to the public. That's why the attendance requirements are understandably so strict which makes sense. Read my prior post again and see where I am coming from as a non MTA employee being provided an essential service by these hard working employees of the MTA.

 

I didn't misunderstand anything.... It's very clear what you're saying...

[jemcclain1]

I hate to say it, but my fellow co-workers should have known better. And I'm agreeing with the MTA on this one. Oh boy, am I gonna get it from the Union.

[paulrivera]

So what if an employee didn't live right next to a subway terminal/yard or even outside the city without a car? They got their pay docked too?

[Snowblock]

If they didn't call the crew office to let them know what was going on, they did. Everybody has a cell phone these days, no excuses for not calling.

[Y2Julio]

Seriously... The excuse that they had no transit or way of getting around... I mean like Interested Rider said, you know what you're signing up for when you join the . No ifs ands or buts...

 

stop talking out of your ass about things you don't know about.

 

Transit wants you to use the transit system to get to work, they dont want you using your personal vehichle. no transit system, how are we supposed to get there when they shut the system down with no buses or employee trains.

 

the crew office has one number per title per division. You've got thousands of employees trying to call the same number, took me close to 6 hrs to get through and at that point I had lost power, my cellphone was about to die and Verizon service crapped out after.

 

Stick to rail fanning and riding your express buses.

[LIRR 154]

Complete 360 when it comes to the RR. Even though we get travel passes. They don't care how you get there to report you better be there. Manpower isn't trying to hear an excuse that the system is down. First thing they ask you is during the interview, do you have a reliable means of transportation because you can be placed anywhere from Penn to Montauk. And they mean it.

[RTOMan]

stop talking out of your ass about things you don't know about.

 

Transit wants you to use the transit system to get to work, they dont want you using your personal vehichle. no transit system, how are we supposed to get there when they shut the system down with no buses or employee trains.

 

the crew office has one number per title per division. You've got thousands of employees trying to call the same number, took me close to 6 hrs to get through and at that point I had lost power, my cellphone was about to die and Verizon service crapped out after.

 

Stick to rail fanning and riding your express buses.

 

 

Now now Julio dont let the bus lover get you upset, i knew if this made the news it would bring out the snide comments from haters/those who cant or couldnt cut it here.

 

It took lots of folks time to call in but you got to follow the rules it is what it is.

 

Thats why you have to Pay attention to whats said with this job when we are given instructions(another reason why some folks wont make it).

 

You did the right thing if you pulled coats or others didnt listen what can you say? We are all adults here.

[Interested Rider]

The key to proving anything is documentation, pure and simple. Management will always come back with the fact that you signed for the rule book and therefore it is your responsibility to know and follow rules as there are no exceptions.

 

The way to get around this is documentation. The biggest mistake that most employees make is when something like this happens, they forget to take a pen and a piece of paper and start writing immediately. What is being created is called a timeline as it lists everything that he/she did and the date and time in order that it was done. What the employee is doing is creating a written record which can prove why the employee should not be docked two days pay..The service provider keeps records of all the telephone calls that are completed and every time you were connected and to whom. What time did you make your first call and what was the result: Even if there was a busy signal, list the time, date and number called on the timeline as it provides proof that you tried and were unable reach the person. The second call, the time and the result and so on. Did you try to get through to the Main office to explain your problem after trying ten times to get through and whom did you speak to at that time (a name is extremely important). This would appear on the list of calls. DId you call another employee who works with you, and did you discuss the problem and was that employee having the same problem (since the call went through the number would be listed on the sheet and this can be provided by the service provider). The time that the electricity went out (a letter from the service provider) and obtain the same for the phone service which is also listed on the timeline. All of this when taken together provides documentation to support the employee/s argument that he/she made a good faith effort to come to work and should not be docked two days pay.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

stop talking out of your ass about things you don't know about.

 

Transit wants you to use the transit system to get to work, they dont want you using your personal vehichle. no transit system, how are we supposed to get there when they shut the system down with no buses or employee trains.

 

the crew office has one number per title per division. You've got thousands of employees trying to call the same number, took me close to 6 hrs to get through and at that point I had lost power, my cellphone was about to die and Verizon service crapped out after.

 

Stick to rail fanning and riding your express buses.

 

FYI, I've worked for the and have an uncle who has been working for them for many years now. Like I said you know what you signed up for when you started working for them... lol Oh and I don't railfan but thanks.

[RTOMan]

All of this when taken together provides documentation to support the employee/s argument that he/she made a good faith effort to come to work and should not be docked two days pay.

 

Agreed but heres the "kicker"... They will pay you but...

 

They will "take it back" in two days of Sick time, OTO, AVA Personal or Vacation days!

 

All of this now for folks who couldn't get in touch it does suck, but for those who didn't even try too bad...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Agreed but heres the "kicker"... They will pay you but...

 

They will "take it back" in two days of Sick time, OTO, AVA Personal or Vacation days!

 

All of this now for folks who couldn't get in touch it does suck, but for those who didn't even try too bad...

 

Well I'll give Julio the whole using transit thing. That is true. My uncle works out of Quill these days and generally always uses the system to get to and from work even though he does have a car. I used my employee Metrocard as well when I worked for the down at 370 Jay, but the one thing they don't take kindly to is lateness and MIA. They take that very seriously. As a transit agency, I don't see that changing anytime soon...

[NYCTSignals]

So all of you pple who are defending the TA on this...........

 

 

1) if i had gone to any of the bridges or tunnels closed and showed my pass...would they have let me through ??????

 

2) what if i was an employee of the TA, NYPD, FDNY or whatever and my house flooded or burned down like it did in the Rockaways ?? So that warrants being docked or being put AWOL ?!?!?!?!

 

3) what if i have 3 feet of snow in front of my house and i cant open my door or move my car.....?!!?!?

 

 

SOME ONE PROVIDE A LOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR BEING DOCKED OR AWOL FOR THOSE REASONS?!?!?!??!?!

 

I also known pple who were AWOL for no good reason in good weather and the dept lets them get away with it, so why no leancy now ?!?!?

[NYCTSignals]

Complete 360 when it comes to the RR. Even though we get travel passes. They don't care how you get there to report you better be there. Manpower isn't trying to hear an excuse that the system is down. First thing they ask you is during the interview, do you have a reliable means of transportation because you can be placed anywhere from Penn to Montauk. And they mean it.

 

 

they also see if you speak and understand ENGLISH but they fuked up there

[Interested Rider]

New York State Civil Service Rule 21.7 - Leave for extraordinary weather conditions is the appropriate section of the rules that applies here. It is listed below and is usually found in the Employee Rule Book that is provided by the agency to its employees. (Text Source: McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated Book 9. Civil Service Law 115 to End. Book 10 A Cooperative Corporations Law with annotations from State and Federal Courts and State Agencies. West Group, 1999 includes 2010 Cumulative pocket Part)

 

21.7 Leave for extraordinary weather conditions

 

The appointing authority may in its discretion, grant employees time off with pay on account of excessive heat or other extraordinary weather conditions.

Such time off shall be charged against accumulated vacation, overtime or sick leave credits, or may, with the approval of the appointing authority, be allowed as personal leave.

 

All agencies have procedures (Time and Attendance Rules) where the failure to report can provoke another action as the number of "occasions" for not coming to work can provoke a disciplinary action against the employee and that is what happening in this case. It is here where the doumentation becomes extremely important as it helps to prove that the employee made a good faith effort to either call in or try to get to work, It also is proof as to the reason that the penalty of two days taken for each one that the employee failed to notify the agency should be rescinded. The goal here is the removal of the penalty and if management offers the employee the right to charge one day for each day taken, it is within the rule that covers this section.

 

For the record, I purchased the New York State Civil Service Law and Rules (2 volumes) for my own use in 1982 and updated the titles every single year until I retired in 2010. (I still have the books) These two volumes (along with two other titles that I purchased later on) proved to be the best investments that I ever made in my career in government service. There were countless times that I had a question or a problem and checked the law and rules before I took a course of action. When I did something, I always made sure that I checked the Employee Rule Book, the union Contract nd any relevant departmental directives before I filed any paperwork.

[LIRR 154]

 

 

they also see if you speak and understand ENGLISH but they fuked up there

 

What do you mean by that?