LIRR Unions Do Not Take Kindly To Newest MTA Offer, Negotiation Strategy

From the Daily News:

The MTA’s decision to publicize its newest contract offer to LIRR workers — who are threatening a strike next month — has union leaders considering whether to ditch a new round of negotiations set for Friday.

Anthony Simon, a spokesman for a coalition of Long Island Rail Road unions, which can legally strike as early as July 20, faulted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for releasing to the media details of its proposal before the planned talks.

“Instead of sitting down with the only people who can make a deal, the MTA chose the route of cheap political grandstanding,” Simon said. “It’s painfully clear the MTA is not serious about negotiating a settlement.”

The MTA’s offer — 17% in raises over seven years — was publicized Tuesday, and represented an improvement over the previous proposal of 11% in pay increases over six years plus work-rule changes.

In earlier negotiations, the MTA had asked the unions, which have been without a contract since 2010, to accept a pay freeze unless the cost of raises was covered completely by work-rule changes. “We’ve moved considerably,” MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast said after the authority’s board held its monthly meeting Wednesday.

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The labor impasse persists despite two separate rounds of independent mediation from panels selected by the White House. Both panels recommended 17% in raises over six years.

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The MTA’s proposal would eventually lead to savings, because it would require new hires to contribute more of their earnings for health care and pensions than current employees do.

Something to keep an eye on for three reasons:

1. The LIRR unions can legally strike

2. Governor Cuomo is not going to want a strike in July, a little over three and a half months before his re-election bid

3. Therefore the LIRR unions have considerable leverage in this fight, especially since both independent mediation panels that weighed in on the impasse recommended substantially higher raises than the MTA is offering