Striking Difference

Yesterday Fuasta published a great overview of the New York City transit workers strike and concluded her post with this recommendation:

Enough is enough. Throw Toussaint in jail, fire the striking workers, and get the transport running again.

When we read her post yesterday we thought Fausta was spot on. New York's "Taylor Law" forbids transit workers from striking and Judge Theodore Jones ruled the Transport Workers Union was in contempt of two court injunctions ordering it not to strike. So clearly the strike is illegal.

The Transport Workers Union's international arm did not approve of the local's decision to strike and considers the strike unauthorized:

The International TWU, the union's parent, had urged the local not to go on strike. Its president, Michael O'Brien, reiterated Tuesday that the striking workers were legally obligated to resume working. The only way to a contract, he said, is "not by strike but continued negotiation."

In announcing the work stoppage, Roger Toussaint, president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, said, "Transit workers are tired of being underappreciated and disrespected." Well, so are taxpayers and New York City transit riders Mr. Toussaint. It seems Fausta is not alone with her suggestion:

"I think they all should get fired," Eddie Goncalves, a doorman trying to get home after his overnight shift, told the AP. He said he'll likely spend an extra $30 per day in cab and train fares, according to the AP.

Now along comes James Walcott pointing to Fausta’s post as a "predictable" example of “rightwing bloggers bouncing off their padded walls angrily demanding that the union be crushed and its leaders jailed”.

Watching Roger Toussaint's impassioned, eloquent press conference on NY1--where he laced into the mayor for calling the TWU "thuggish" and "selfish"--reminded me that Steve Gilliard has been unleashing thunder and lightning in his blog on the strike and the racist, anti-union slant of most media coverage.

Right-wing bloggers and doormen are insane because they believe the illegal strikers should be fired if they refuse to return to work? Apparently, Walcott’s definition of insane is anyone who disagrees with his opinion. Perhaps it is Walcott in need of treatment.

As the illegal strike by TWU is causing hardship to millions and costing citizens an estimated $400 million a day, does Walcott really expect to read tributes to the union in the media? And a racist slant in media coverage of this story – give us a break. No better yet, Mr. Walcott give us an example.

Fausta has more here. The Lawhawk here.