"The Local 100 has just voted overwhelmingly to direct transit workers to return to work immediately and resume subways and buses service throughout the five boroughs of New York City.

According to executive board member Eladio Diaz, the vote was 36-5-2.

The strike that crippled the city's mass transit system for three days came to an end after union leaders, facing mounting fines, possible jail terms and the wrath of millions of commuters, finally voted to return their 33,000 members to work without a new contract.

Union board members who emerged from the organization's headquarters said workers will return to their job sites starting with the next shifts. But according to officials of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it will take about 10 to 18 hours to bring the entire system back to normal operation.