New York transit union's board approves new contract
28/12/2005 17:28
The executive board of New York's Transport Workers Union (TWU) approved a
tentative contract late yesterday, the union's leader said, after the city's
transit workers staged a three-day strike last week.
The union's board "voted
overwhelmingly to approve the proposed contract," with 37 in favor, four
against, and one abstention, said TWU President Roger Toussaint at a news
conference.
According to the new contract, the city's Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA) gave up demands for concessions on pensions,
while the workers would for the first time contribute 1.5 percent of their pay
to health care premiums, The New York Times reported.
Toussaint said the
contract provides for a refund of member contributions to pensions over the past
several years, plus medical coverage and health benefits coverage for
retirees.
Also included in the 37-month contract is workers' pay increase,
which will be 3 percent for the first year, 4 percent for the second and 3.5
percent for the third.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg welcomed the agreement in a
statement, saying the contract "provides the necessary cost-savings and
productivity to keep the MTA solvent, mitigate fare increases and allow for
vital investment in our transportation infrastructure."
New York's 34,000
transit workers staged a three-day strike last week at the height of the
Christmas season. The strike, which was the city's first transit strike in more
than 25 years, brought the dispute with the MTA over pay, pensions and health
care to its climax.
Xinhua
|
