Comments on: Today’s Headlines http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:49:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Niccolo Machiavelli http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-128191 Niccolo Machiavelli Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:03:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-128191 Kaja, and many other bloggers apparently, prefer the cut-throat, race to the bottom labor market competition that is seen in the Taxi and Limo industry. You see how well that works. Maybe in the sky high skill market Kaja inhabits individual bargaining is a big success, it works real well with egg production too, we can all agree on that. But the stability that comes through collective bargaining, healthcare and pensions, where workers have a stake in their job, know what they will earn and have tools for fighting for it is a much better way to run a complex critical enterprise like the MTA. Kaja, and many other bloggers apparently, prefer the cut-throat, race to the bottom labor market competition that is seen in the Taxi and Limo industry. You see how well that works. Maybe in the sky high skill market Kaja inhabits individual bargaining is a big success, it works real well with egg production too, we can all agree on that. But the stability that comes through collective bargaining, healthcare and pensions, where workers have a stake in their job, know what they will earn and have tools for fighting for it is a much better way to run a complex critical enterprise like the MTA.

]]> By: Kaja http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126931 Kaja Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:49:35 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126931 This talk of relative worth is silly. Transit workers are worth precisely what they're paid. If they were worth more they'd be paid more. Such are the laws of wages. If they think they're undercompensated they should negotiate for higher wages. Unions get in the way of this, forcing everyone to negotiate together. This is why I'll never join a union, and oppose the unionization of my own industry. Also, nothing's stopping a transit worker from workin' somewhere else. They elect the job. Nobody's pointing guns. I'd recommend any transit worker who feels undercompensated to quit and go work somewhere else for more money. I'd wager that they don't do this because they can't find any similar work at better pay; I prefer to believe this, than that they fail to leave out of sheer laziness, or the life-planning equivalent of couchlock. This talk of relative worth is silly. Transit workers are worth precisely what they're paid. If they were worth more they'd be paid more. Such are the laws of wages.

If they think they're undercompensated they should negotiate for higher wages. Unions get in the way of this, forcing everyone to negotiate together. This is why I'll never join a union, and oppose the unionization of my own industry.

Also, nothing's stopping a transit worker from workin' somewhere else. They elect the job. Nobody's pointing guns.

I'd recommend any transit worker who feels undercompensated to quit and go work somewhere else for more money. I'd wager that they don't do this because they can't find any similar work at better pay; I prefer to believe this, than that they fail to leave out of sheer laziness, or the life-planning equivalent of couchlock.

]]> By: neil http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126771 neil Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:54:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126771 THere;s plenty of money..did you notice the ceo's new salary???? transit workers are probably the most underpaid civil servants in NYC THere;s plenty of money..did you notice the ceo's new salary????
transit workers are probably the most underpaid civil servants in NYC

]]> By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126671 Ian Turner Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:24:17 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126671 Neil, I guess that since you have decided they deserve these wages more that any other conceivable use for the money, that you are willing to fund it 100% yourself? Cheers, --Ian Turner Neil,

I guess that since you have decided they deserve these wages more that any other conceivable use for the money, that you are willing to fund it 100% yourself?

Cheers,

--Ian Turner

]]> By: Kaja http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126631 Kaja Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:12:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126631 (Pardon, I thought his bodyguards _were_ NYPD.) (Pardon, I thought his bodyguards _were_ NYPD.)

]]> By: clever-title http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126611 clever-title Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:39:31 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126611 The “We’re the police!” shouted at a jogger came from the NYPD escorts, not the Danish PM's bodyguards. Typical NYPD attitude -- we're above you proles who have the responsibility to get out of our way or be assaulted and/or locked up on bogus charges. The “We’re the police!” shouted at a jogger came from the NYPD escorts, not the Danish PM's bodyguards.

Typical NYPD attitude -- we're above you proles who have the responsibility to get out of our way or be assaulted and/or locked up on bogus charges.

]]> By: Kaja http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126541 Kaja Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:26:54 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126541 "It's not a very bright idea," said one transit detective speaking on condition of anonymity. "There's literally nowhere for us to park around here. That's why we're on the sidewalk in the first place." Which is why everyone else takes the train. Reminds of the Danish PM's bodyguard's excuse: “We’re the police!” "It's not a very bright idea," said one transit detective speaking on condition of anonymity. "There's literally nowhere for us to park around here. That's why we're on the sidewalk in the first place."

Which is why everyone else takes the train. Reminds of the Danish PM's bodyguard's excuse: “We’re the police!”

]]> By: Brooklyn http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126491 Brooklyn Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:26:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126491 Thought everyone would enjoy this, courtesy, of all places, Lance Armstrong's twitter feed: http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/bicycle-beats-helicopter.html Related, something else interesting there -- scroll down to 9/28, 9:18pm. . . Thought everyone would enjoy this, courtesy, of all places, Lance Armstrong's twitter feed:

http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/bicycle-beats-helicopter.html

Related, something else interesting there -- scroll down to 9/28, 9:18pm. . .

]]> By: neil http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126431 neil Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:06:37 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126431 i hope the judge doubles the raises that TWU received. they deserve it, and then some i hope the judge doubles the raises that TWU received. they deserve it, and then some

]]> By: Cap'n Transit http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126361 Cap'n Transit Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:46:53 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126361 Yeah, you would think that <i>transit</i> police would take the train or the bus to work. Apparently not. Yeah, you would think that transit police would take the train or the bus to work. Apparently not.

]]> By: Moocow http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126341 Moocow Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:36:39 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126341 The sidewalk parking "detective" was fantastic! "...all the traffic and double parking..." it's as if these are as natural and unstoppable as sunrise- and can't be cured with enforcement by people who work for the same department as he does! I wonder what revealing observations he could make about Jay Street. The sidewalk parking "detective" was fantastic! "...all the traffic and double parking..." it's as if these are as natural and unstoppable as sunrise- and can't be cured with enforcement by people who work for the same department as he does!

I wonder what revealing observations he could make about Jay Street.

]]> By: vnm http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/30/todays-headlines-743/comment-page-1/#comment-126321 vnm Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:13:42 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=57731#comment-126321 Take the train to Fordham Road. Avoid the hustle. Take the train to Fordham Road. Avoid the hustle.

]]>