NY readies for possible subway, bus strike

NEW YORK - New York braced for a potentially crippling subway and bus strike that could hit the city today as Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out contingency plans in case the largest US transit system shuts down.

The Transport Workers Union contract with the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority was set to expire at 12:01am on Friday (6pm NZT). If talks fail, union leaders are authorized to call a strike by nearly 34,000 members who operate a system that carries 7 million passengers daily.

The union and the MTA were holding talks to try to avert the city's first transit strike in 25 years. Major issues include wage increases, health-care benefits and pension provisions.

A state judge on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction barring the transit workers from going on strike under a state law that prohibits public employees from striking. Employees can be fined two days' pay for every day on strike, with the union facing heavier fines.

The city also filed a lawsuit to fine the union US$1 million and each striker US$25,000 on the first day of a strike to recover any damages the city suffers.

Union official Charles Jenkins told Reuters, "If we don't come away with an agreement at the expiration of this contract, our membership has spoken loud and clear that they are willing to walk."

He said the MTA had not been bargaining in good faith and should be held responsible for any damages the city seeks.

Bloomberg estimated the economic impact at the height of the holiday shopping season would be US$400 million a day. An 11-day strike of buses and subways in 1980 cost the country's most populous city more than US$1 billion.

The mayor urged the union to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table, yet expressed confidence New Yorkers could cope.

"I think the people in this city know we're in for a tough time," Bloomberg told a news conference. "But we'll make it work. There's no group in the world more resilient or creative than New Yorkers.

"While all of us are hoping for the best, we also have a responsibility to prepare for the worst."

CAR-POOLING, STREET CLOSINGS PLANNED

Contingency measures included strict car-pooling rules, a ban on trucks during morning rush hour and closing certain major streets for emergency vehicles.

Cars would have to carry at least four people to be allowed through bridges and tunnels feeding midtown Manhattan. Staging areas would enable automobile drivers to find the necessary passengers to get into the city, the mayor said.

Cabs would be allowed to take multiple fares with a cap of US$10 per passenger for trips within designated zones, while public schools would open two hours later than usual to accommodate the 600,000 students who use city transportation.

Bloomberg suggested businesses make contingency plans, including allowing people to work from home and staggering work shifts.

He advised people to "be inventive. Bicycle, walk, stay with a friend who lives near work. All of those are good strategies."

The last time a strike was threatened, in 2002, Bloomberg committed a political gaffe by buying an expensive bicycle to get to work. Critics lambasted the self-made billionaire for being out of touch with the options available to the less affluent.

This time, the mayor said he planned to head to the city's Office of Emergency Management in Brooklyn in case of a strike and help coordinate contingency plans. He would then join other workers by walking into Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge.

- REUTERS