MTA and TWU settle two-year contract dispute
By Matthew McKibben
Ending two years of contract disputes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the union for subway and bus workers in New York City reached a tentative agreement that includes eight percent raises over five years and will not increase fares beyond existing prices, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week.
The deal states the 34,000 members of the Transport Workers Union Local 100 will receive 1 percent retroactive pay raises for 2012 and 2013, and 2 percent pay increases for 2014 through 2016.
Employees would pay an increased share of health care costs – increasing from 1.5 percent to 2 percent of the employee's salary – but would receive important new benefits including paid maternity and paternity leave, coverage of health care for surviving spouses of deceased TWU retirees and improvements to dental and optical benefits.
Before the deal becomes official, the board of directors for the MTA and TWU Local 100 must ratify the contract.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-04-21-87642.113122-MTA-and-TWU-settle-twoyear-contract-dispute.html