Taylor Law Cuts Both Ways

In case you haven’t heard, the strike’s over, for now at least. But the repercussions for the union are just beginning. They’re going to get socked with the provisions of the Taylor law. But what about the MTA?

According to Juan Gonzalez, they violated the Taylor Law as well.

City union leaders and state lawmakers keep trying to point that out. They say the MTA itself trampled a key provision of the Taylor Law by demanding that TWU President Roger Toussaint accept an inferior pension plan for future members of his union as a condition of a new labor contract.

Section 201 of the law clearly states that "no such retirement benefits shall be negotiated pursuant to this article, and any benefits so negotiated shall be void."

Oddly enough, the TWU is the only entity facing penalties. Why don’t MTA violations get reported in the media?

"If the governor is going to be a tough guy about the Taylor Law with the union, he should be tough as well on the law when it comes to the MTA," said Richard Brodsky, (D-Westchester), who is chairman of the Assembly committee that oversees the MTA.