Thoughts in the aftermath of the strike by Local 100 of the TWU against the MTA

"The MTA is corrupt." This seems to be the consensus opinion of the pundits.

"New York Governor Pataki has appointed political cronies and shills to the governing board of the MTA." This statement (paraphrased here) is repeated by a wide spectrum of politcal analysts.

Yet the strike was "illegal".

But it was legal for Mayor Bloomberg, a rich white man, (I'm a poor white man) to attempt to give away hundreds of millions of dollars of MTA property value to a wealthy cohort--value that had been created in large part by the efforts of the workers aka members Local 100 of the TWU.

Reminding us of the Civil Rights movement, Local 100 President Roger Toussaint has raised the issue of social justice as a higher calling than the letter of the law, particularly when the Taylor Law is so obviously unjust in allowing public governing bodies to delay settlements, sometimes for years, and then not have to make up all of the back pay.

Some definitions with links:

MTA - Metropolitan Transportation Authority

TWU- Transportation Workers Union - Local 100 - National

Office of the Mayor of New York City

Office of the Governor of New York