Transit workers keep NYC moving — if you can – Latest News
Union massive’s trains of thought
John Samuelsen. Subway monitor employee by commerce and worldwide president of the Transport Workers Union of America — the most important airline union within the US with 165,000 transport workers.
Samuelsen: “I oversee 100 coast-to-coast unions, together with the Caribbean, plus our massive transit cities — like 30,000 workers at American Airlines, 34,000 at Southwest Air. Plus NYC, Philadelphia and San Francisco cable vehicles.
“My first time on a subway was Avenue U and East 16th Street. I was about 8. Nazareth High School in East Flatbush. A working-class Irish neighborhood in southern Brooklyn. I still live there. Right where my father grew up. Same address. Then, in ’93, I found that I was a good organizer.”
Pricing stays fare
Why is it so costly? I imply, once we had George Washington as president was after I first took the subway, and it was a nickel.
“Well, time marches on, and it’s comparatively in no way costly in comparison with the remaining of the transit systems throughout the nation. And take a look at what the price of these systems are in some of the cities in Europe. Look even on the Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North or New Jersey Transit.
“Just think, you can get on the system in Coney Island and take it up to Yankee Stadium for a flat fee, $3. It’s not that much money. What can you do for three bucks? You can’t get a slice of pizza for three bucks in the city anymore.”
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What do people misunderstand in regards to the subway? Everybody complains about it.
“The problem’s the internet, Twitter, Instagram, cellphones, everything instantly available. Systems are under scrutiny that they weren’t years ago. Five transit workers a week get assaulted on average in NYC. If five schoolteachers were assaulted each week, there’d be massive societal steps to end that plague.”
So what’s going to occur with the new Second Avenue subway?
“Congestion pricing made funding available to continue to build it northbound. Money that the MTA, subway and bus riders never saw before. Huge casino money, congestion pricing money, and there should be a massive citywide discussion about that.”
Railing towards AI
And AI may finally change transit workers?
“We are in a constant battle against artificial intelligence. There are postmodern urbanists right here that conspire every day to eliminate workers in the transit system and replace them with robotic elements.”
Another query on one other matter. Air site visitors control.
“The system undoubtedly wants huge investment. They should rent more air site visitors controllers. And increase their pay to a good wage to be able to retain them.
“Lots of instances disputes or wishes of working people are about work-life stability. It’s about having applicable time off to relaxation. It’s about with the ability to have a break day to rejoice a baby’s birthday or a affirmation or a commencement. That is all half of having a want to not let the bosses work us to death or work us into a divorce.
“And so it’s not always about wages, it’s about quality of life and about that all-important work-life balance.”
Listen, the high price of fuel is forcing people to change their driving habits. Everybody’s making an attempt to avoid wasting money. Even avenue gangs. They’re now proscribing themselves to jog-by shootings.
Only in New York, children, solely in New York.
