Strike costs potentially a lot higher than just financial!

In the case of this illegal transit strike in already shocked New York City, Mayor bloomberg is doing the right thing and handling this responsibly and correctly. The strike by the Metropolitan Transportation authority brought the city’s bus and subway systems to a grinding halt. During an average week these systems carry approximately 7 million passengers. You can only imagine the amount of people it would carry during Christmas and the loss in revenue not only to the city but what about all the private businesses.
These thugs going out on an illegal against the law strike are kicking the very people that give them their living. This is going to cost an already strapped New York City around $400 million a day. Some people across the city will undoubtedly pay for this ignorance forced upon them with their jobs. Mayor Bloomberg is right in saying this action is unconscionable and you can’t break the law and use it as a negotiating tactic and for what? They are tired of being under appreciated and disrespected. They are no different than many of the rest of the country.
The people support them, pay for their living, and utilize and depend on their services. What more acknowledgement and show of appreciation can you ask for? You can bet they are not underpaid and have a superior benefit package. One of their chief grievances is that the Transportation Authority wants them to pay a larger share of their health care. Again I say, why should they think they’re any different than the rest of the country? Their action leaves a bad taste knowing what NY City has already been through and knowing that the Medicaid and Medicare are going to be cut for the poor, elderly, and disabled.
Judge Jones is fining the Union $1 million per day as the strike is in defiance of a court injunction. The law also allows a fine of 2 days pay for every day on strike. That one as far as the worker in the trenches goes sounds a bit stiff but. The city is also seeking damages of their own as well they should. One gentleman who was interviewed felt that the striking workers should all be fired. I tend to agree with that thought. Give them the opportunity to come back to work, if they do not then hire new workers. Air traffic controllers paid for their refusal to work with their jobs. As in that instance I feel it is right to do that here too.
These transportation workers are going on strike at a critical time for the city and its people. They are willingly and knowingly biting the hand that feeds them. These illegal strikers are messing over the very people that are the system. They are purposely trying to hurt the very people who give them their living. They are essentially stabbing the very people who support them.
Without the people of the city from every walk of life, there would be no transit system. This is not only hurting the city and everyone that relies on the public transportation system but it is worse than that. This improves the chances of would be terrorists to booby trap now unused and possibly unwatched transit facilities. We will have to watch, wait, and listen, to see if we will not pay a much higher price for this illegal irresponsible strike than just financial costs.
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com