TWU Leader: Transit Workers Should Be Shielded From Cuts; Cites Added Productivity, Tells MTA to Focus On Trimming Management
By ARI PAUL
Fare hikes and union givebacks are still unnecessary, Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint told the Metropolitan Transportation Authority July 23 as the agency proposed a budget plan that includes both measures in an effort to reduce its deficit.

ELLIOT SANDER: Need a labor sacrifice.

Mr. Toussaint's opposition, expressed at the MTA's board meeting, was met with applause from straphangers and is a shift from the markedly conciliatory relationship he has had with MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot Sander and New York City Transit President Howard H. Roberts.

'Modest Labor Contributions'

In Mr. Sander's four-year budget proposal, to be voted on by the board in December, members were asked to consider a fare hike to be instituted next year in addition to asking labor unions for "modest contributions" during negotiations to cut costs.

"As transit workers record the greatest productivity in history due to the unprecedented ridership levels, they're being told to sacrifice more," Mr. Toussaint said. "And with more commuters hopping on the trains and buses and the implementation of additional initiatives like bus rapid transit and other system expansions, our productivity continues to increase. So from our point of view we have not only paid our fare but I think we have pre-paid for the long haul."

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang WORKERS AND RIDERS UNITED: While acknowledging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's financial crisis, Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint told the MTA Board that the agency needed to make further administrative cuts before it considered fare increases and asking for givebacks from unions.

In his proposal, Mr. Sander stated that the MTA had done considerable "belt-tightening," including instituting hiring delays and travel restrictions at all of its agencies this month, and sought to consolidate its back-office functions and reduce in-house staff by attrition to save money while streamlining operations.

The MTA is also exploring ways to increase revenues beyond fares, including launching a pilot program with CNN that provides network viewing in subway stations and featuring more advertisements past the turnstiles.

This, however, did not appear to be sufficient for the Local 100 president.

Calls for 'Administrative Cuts'

"We are not convinced that the MTA has gone far enough or deep enough in terms of doing administrative cuts in duplication and labor relations and so forth," Mr. Toussaint said.

In addition, he said that the MTA needed to lobby for more state and city funding and that it should support a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would grant $1.7 billion for mass transit nationwide. Various transit unions and environmental groups support the measure, which has yet to find a sponsor in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. Sander has yet to define what he means by "modest contributions," but in his presentation he asserted that the agency would use them to save $53 million in 2009, $82 million in 2010, $85 million in 2011 and $86 million in 2012.

The MTA's contract with Local 100 expires in January 2009, and despite Mr. Toussaint's criticism of the budget proposal, Mr. Sander did not believe it would adversely affect upcoming negotiations.

'We Can Work It Out'

"This has been a point of discussion between Mr. Toussaint and myself, and our negotiators were involved in discussions and I think both Mr. Toussaint and I are hopeful that we will come up with a successful resolution," he said. "But there's nothing new here. This was in the budget plan I presented last year."

While Mr. Toussaint has not sworn off striking, which is illegal for transit and all other public-sector workers under the state's Taylor Law, he indicated in January that he did not anticipate a work stoppage.

Several board members stated that the MTA should cut its administrative costs further before it approaches the issue of a fare hike and the postponement of system upgrades. MTA Vice Chairman Andrew M. Saul suggested a bill in Albany, if passed, would reorganize the authority to operate more efficiently. While Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Ed Watt, who serves as a non-voting member of the MTA Board, asked how much this reorganization could save the agency, Mr. Saul declined to provide specifics.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Sander brushed aside comments from both Mr. Toussaint and Mayor Bloomberg that the MTA has inadequately reduced its budget before considering a fare increase.

"I've been on the cutting-edge, pardon the pun, in cutting budgets," he said.