Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Transit workers vs. Gov. Kathy Hochul
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Transit workers vs. Gov. Kathy Hochul
Contract negotiations with a pair of New York’s most powerful transit unions are looming over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s re-election bid.
Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents some 40,000 subway and bus workers, tried to dump cold water on the governor’s campaign in a scathing TV ad that ran on St. Patrick’s Day.
Hochul is responsible for the MTA, and Local 100’s contract with the transit agency expires in May. The union is pushing to preserve two-person subway crews and token booth agent jobs, which the transit agency has tried to make obsolete.
“Centuries ago, St. Patrick drove Ireland’s snakes into the sea,” the ad says. “Now, St. Patrick is needed to help rid New York of our snake of a governor, Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who pretends to support workers and working families, but is venomously anti-trade union.”
The jab comes as the MTA and Long Island Rail Road workers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are embroiled in a bitter yearslong contract dispute. A Presidential Emergency Board brought in to mediate negotiations sided with the union this week, which clears the way for a potential LIRR strike if there isn’t an agreement in 60 days.
Unlike subway and bus workers, the LIRR crews are not bound by New York state’s Taylor Law, which prohibits most public-sector workers from striking.
Hochul doesn’t have a major primary challenger, and her Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman faces slim chances to win in deep blue New York. But the disputes mean the governor will enter her re-election campaign without the backing of two major labor unions, which could imperil her ability to win by a wide margin.
Four years ago, when she was first elected to a full term, Hochul narrowly beat Republican Lee Zeldin with just 53% of the vote.
“Right now it would just further demonstrate that Kathy Hochul is anti-trade union, anti-worker, if she doesn't instruct (MTA Chair) Janno Lieber to come to a settlement quickly,” said Transport Workers International President John Samuelsen. “The money is there.
View all episodes
By Contract negotiations with a pair of New York’s most powerful transit unions are looming over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s re-election bid.
Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents some 40,000 subway and bus workers, tried to dump cold water on the governor’s campaign in a scathing TV ad that ran on St. Patrick’s Day.
Hochul is responsible for the MTA, and Local 100’s contract with the transit agency expires in May. The union is pushing to preserve two-person subway crews and token booth agent jobs, which the transit agency has tried to make obsolete.
“Centuries ago, St. Patrick drove Ireland’s snakes into the sea,” the ad says. “Now, St. Patrick is needed to help rid New York of our snake of a governor, Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who pretends to support workers and working families, but is venomously anti-trade union.”
The jab comes as the MTA and Long Island Rail Road workers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are embroiled in a bitter yearslong contract dispute. A Presidential Emergency Board brought in to mediate negotiations sided with the union this week, which clears the way for a potential LIRR strike if there isn’t an agreement in 60 days.
Unlike subway and bus workers, the LIRR crews are not bound by New York state’s Taylor Law, which prohibits most public-sector workers from striking.
Hochul doesn’t have a major primary challenger, and her Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman faces slim chances to win in deep blue New York. But the disputes mean the governor will enter her re-election campaign without the backing of two major labor unions, which could imperil her ability to win by a wide margin.
Four years ago, when she was first elected to a full term, Hochul narrowly beat Republican Lee Zeldin with just 53% of the vote.
“Right now it would just further demonstrate that Kathy Hochul is anti-trade union, anti-worker, if she doesn't instruct (MTA Chair) Janno Lieber to come to a settlement quickly,” said Transport Workers International President John Samuelsen. “The money is there.