Possible NJ Transit "SOFT STRIKE"

[Head-end View]

I'm a retired union member and I was surprised to learn that NJT's unions have been working 5 years without a new contract. That's a long time. Somewhere along the line recently they were taking about a 2.6% a year raise for the next 6 years. Of course I don't know if that's what they settled on.

[philipmartin]

Five years without a contract. The company wanted a new contract more than I did. The terms of that old contract that we were working under suited me quite well. I'm afraid to see what the new one looks like.
I'm glad that I didn't have to walk a picket line, five hours a day, every day during the strike, for $150 a week from the union's strike fund. That's what we clerks were looking at.

[DutchRailnut]

Just be glad the union thought otherwise.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/new-nj- ... -1.1527837" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DestinationUnknown]

Five years without a contract. The company wanted a new contract more than I did. The terms of that old contract that we were working under suited me quite well. I'm afraid to see what the new one looks like.
I'm glad that I didn't have to walk a picket line, five hours a day, every day during the strike, for $150 a week from the union's strike fund. That's what we clerks were looking at.

Good idea to voice your feelings, on a public forum, under your real name. Yeah, let's just work off the terms of an expired contract forever.

[philipmartin]

Here's an aryicle, which I don't necessarily agree with, on outlawing public sector transit strikes. http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20 ... rikes.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DutchRailnut]

Strikes are already legislated its called railway labor act and holds rail workers hostage for 5 years before they can seek self help .
legislating that away you may as well move to a country were you have no more rights.
Mr Martin if you disagree with your union you should resign from your job and not obstruct, what others have fought for.

[EuroStar]

Leave the man alone. This is a free country and he is entitled to his opinion. It might or might not be smart for him to voice publicly opinions differing from the ones of the majority of his coworkers, but he is entitled to his opinions, so do not intimidate him.

Just as I find your opinion being possible for a reasonable man, I find the opinion that a worker should not be forced to join an union perfectly possible for another reasonable man(I do not know if that is his opinion). Not everything is an exact science and reasonable people can disagree on issues like that. For that reason, keep it to topic, avoid personal attacks and intimidation and this forum will be a much happier place.

[DutchRailnut]

who is intimidating, I am voicing my opinion, as retired railroader, I contributed to that right by having payed my dues.

as for the PEB once those are exhausted ugly things can happen and old contract is no longer in effect, infact technically the company could change conditions not to anyone's liking.
see:
Upon submission of the PEB report, the parties are required to maintain the status quo for an additional, or third 30-day cooling-off period (they may mutually agree to extend the period of status quo). The non-binding recommendations of the PEB are expected to carry the weight of public opinion and induce a voluntary agreement among the parties.

At this point, the RLA has run its course. If no agreement has been reached, either side becomes free to act in its own economic interests -- a work stoppage (or strike) by labor, a lockout by management, or unilateral implementation of management proposals (that generally would force a work stoppage).

the real end of the rope.

Glad the Smart Coalition won their contract, but it could have been ugly if Fat Boy prevailed.

[philipmartin]

Here's an Asbury Park Press editorial on the new contract. The information in it is derived from leaks. No official information on it yet. I don't have official information either. http://www.app.com/story/opinion/editor ... /81934954/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[philipmartin]

Leave the man alone. This is a free country and he is entitled to his opinion.

Thank you, EuroStar, I appreciate it. I should also thank CentralValleyRail for a similar comment he made some months ago.

[ExCon90]

Here's an aryicle, which I don't necessarily agree with, on outlawing public sector transit strikes. http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20 ... rikes.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I read that the day it appeared, and thought what a pity to expend so much space without having thought the idea through. The author suggests that Congress amend the Railway Labor Act to make railroad employees of transit authorities subject to "local" laws governing government employees. Did he consider the following?
MBTA operates in MA and RI; MN in CT and NY; NJT in NY, NJ, and PA; SEPTA in NJ, PA, and DE; MARC in MD and DC; VRE in DC and VA; NICTD in IN and IL; Metra in IL and WI. (What if MA law permitted a strike when RI law didn't? Would MBTA be required to operate in RI but not in MA?) Be interesting to know how he defines "local."

[philipmartin]

Off topic, but similar to ExCon90's thought, in the 1950s the New York Central's West Shore line ran from New York State into Weehawken, NJ. The railroad petitioned to abandon passenger service, and New Jersey said yes, and New York state said no. So the passenger trains ran in New York State as far as the Jersey border, and terminated there. Any passengers had to continue their journeys by other means.
I worked on the West Shore around that time, but with the trains going into Weehawken, and they looked empty to me. Also around that time, I was traveling, on Route 17 I think, and saw one of the last runs of the O&W summer service going to Weehawken. It was making a fast move.

[philipmartin]

Also around that time, I was traveling, on Route 17 I think, and saw one of the last runs of the O&W summer service going to Weehawken. It was making a fast move.

It's more likely that I was on 9W when I saw the O&W passenger train.

[ryanov]

The 77 doesn't serve Newark and doesn't carry local riders either.

I've taken the 77 as a local passenger.

[ryanov]

Five years without a contract. The company wanted a new contract more than I did. The terms of that old contract that we were working under suited me quite well. I'm afraid to see what the new one looks like.
I'm glad that I didn't have to walk a picket line, five hours a day, every day during the strike, for $150 a week from the union's strike fund. That's what we clerks were looking at.

Good idea to voice your feelings, on a public forum, under your real name. Yeah, let's just work off the terms of an expired contract forever.

And what's wrong with that? I've been in the same situation. In the public sector, contracts are in force until the new one is negotiated. Who wanted to be negotiating a new contract in 2008?