Union heads could face jail over New York strike
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-22 10:30

Two local tabloids showed little sympathy for the strikers. "Mad As Hell" the Daily News screamed on its front page. The New York Post had this message for strikers: "You Rats."

Bloomberg and Gov. George Pataki both said on Wednesday workers must end the strike before negotiations can resume, insisting an illegal strike will not profit the union.

In its final offer before talks collapsed, the MTA raised its wage offer and withdrew a proposal to raise the retirement age for new hires to 62 from 55. But it also presented a new proposal to make new hires contribute 6 percent of salary to pension funds, a demand that the union rejected out of hand.

"If the pension demands ... come off the table, that would go a long way to us resuming the negotiations and resolving the strike issue," Toussaint said at a news conference.

BEGGING, BIKING AND SKATING

A commuter, who cycled into the city in the morning, takes a water taxi back to Brooklyn during the evening rush hour in New York December 21, 2005.[Reuters]

The main preoccupation for many of the 7 million New York area commuters who rely on buses and subways was getting around.

"I am a fifth grade teacher, and I need to get to my class!" read one posting on www.craigslist.com seeking a ride.

"Anyone driving from the Met to Brooklyn tonight?" read another message from somebody hoping not to waste their tickets to the Metropolitan Opera on Wednesday evening.

Todd X, 36, said his shop, Bicycle Habitat, stayed open three hours late on Tuesday to cope with the extra work.

"We're getting a lot of flat tires, mostly on decrepit pieces of garbage that people unearth from the basement at the last possible moment," he said.

Rudi Hiebert, a 42-year-old medical researcher, said the lack of subways was a good excuse for him to brave the cold and get back on his inline skates, unused for over a year.

Roger Toussant, President of Transit Workers Union Local 100, speaks to reporters at a news conference in New York December 21, 2005. [Reuters]

"I need the exercise," he said after crossing Manhattan Bridge from Brooklyn. "It's a beautiful day -- I think I might keep skating to work even when the strike is over."

Officials have said the strike will cost the city $400 million on day one and $300 million a day until Friday.

With temperatures below freezing despite bright sunshine, commuters walked long distances to work, or hailed cabs if they could find them. Bloomberg said there had been some reports of price gouging by taxis and authorities were investigating.

John Levine, 29, said he had started work at 4 a.m. to beat the traffic on his route delivering beer. "People still need their beer, just like normal," he said.