nyc transit strike

The last time we had an MTA transit strike it was 1980. I was 14 and had stayed the night at my sister’s apt in the Bronx. The next day, a bunch of us walked to Manhattan. I remember that I kept buying coconut icies on street corners as we walked on Broadway all the way to my mom’s apt on Tiemann & Riverside. It was April and the weather was perfect. We trekked through Dominican neighborhoods enjoying the warm sun. People were outdoors hanging out, playing music, fixing their cars. Every few blocks, I would hear the dominoes rub on a wooden boards and watch young women chit chat with rollers in their hair. I could smell sweet maduros in the air. I was homeschooling myself so getting around during the stike wasn’t an issue for me. But it’s 2005 now. It’s bitter cold outside and just a few days before Christmas. People are less tolerant of ideology and workers’ rights. Another group of hard working Americans are about to get screwed by their politically-backed corporation. The MTA has a one billion dollar surplus it prefers to keep from its workers. Thankfully, we have the gutsy TWU; finally, a group that’s not afraid to stand up for their future. The MTA strike will cripple the NYC business economy. It’s going to get ugly. You don’t mess with rich people’s money. The TWU is about to start an improbable fight against money-hungry politicians and corporations. Bloomberg knows nothing about the working class. I hope this strike sends a message that the people will prevail with their strength and their numbers. I hope the world is watching and learns again how to protest for change