Talks Stall Between MTA And Transit Workers, Strike Not Likely
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Contract negotiations between the MTA and the transport workers union have stalled, but both sides said they'll avoid a strike.
The current contract was written in the wake of the 2005 transit strike, which shut down the city during the height of the holiday season.
That deal expires next week, and the MTA and the union said they can't reach a deal about raises for workers.
However, both sides on Tuesday said they will go into arbitration this time around, making a strike unlikely.
"As the contract moves to arbitration, we wait to see whether transit workers will be treated fairly or in a manner disparate to the other workers who serve this city," said the TWU in a released statement.
"Due to complications associated with today's current economic climate, we have reached an impasse and have jointly decided to arbitrate contract terms," said the MTA in a released statement.
The 2005 strike was illegal, and the T-W-U only recently regained the privilege of automatically collecting dues from paychecks after it said it had no intention of striking again.