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New Yorkers walk as transit strike ruled illegal
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QUICKVOTEYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSNEW YORK (CNN) -- A judge ruled a strike by New York transit workers illegal on Tuesday afternoon, while millions of commuters battled their way home in frigid temperatures. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg lashed out at union leaders for "thuggishly" turning their backs on the city, vowing there would be no further contract negotiations until the strike ends. "You can't break the law and use that as a negotiating tactic," he said at an afternoon news conference. "This is unconscionable," he added. Judge Theodore Jones ruled Tuesday afternoon that the Transport Workers Union was in contempt of two court injunctions ordering it not to strike, and he ordered that the union be fined $1 million a day beginning Tuesday. New York's "Taylor Law" forbids transit workers from striking, and the city and state had pressed the judge to impose a hefty fine. The strike is the first for the city's transit system since 1980. Jones issued his ruling more than 12 hours after 30,000 New York City transit workers walked off the job in an action unsanctioned by the international arm of their labor union. The strike shut down the nation's largest public transportation system just days ahead of Christmas. (A map for the transit strike) Workers are striking for higher pay and have taken issue with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's plans to require new transit workers to pay more for their health care. Arthur Schwartz, an attorney for the Transport Workers Union, said he plans to file an appeal. He added that the union, as of December 2004, had about $3 million in assets. Ainsley Stewart, vice president of Transit Workers Union Local 100, told CNN Tuesday night that TWU officials don't plan to meet any earlier than Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. And it could be Friday morning before they convene, he said. Michael Cardozo, an attorney for the city, said employees on strike will lose three days of pay for every day they are not at work. Prosecutors said individual leaders and union officers could be hit with a fine of up to $1,000 a day. Bloomberg urged the union's members to return to work as soon as possible and, drawing a hard line, said the city would not negotiate with the union until then. (Watch the mayor vow to hit the union hard -- 3:12) The strike brought to a grinding halt all Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses and subways throughout the city. The system averages about 7 million passengers on weekdays. (Read how the strike forced commuters to think on their feet) City officials have said a transit strike could cost the city $440 million to $660 million a day. Bloomberg said the strike affects everything from the restaurant and hotel industries to working-class New Yorkers who could lose their jobs as a result of the strike. "The economic consequences of the strike range from severe to devastating, depending on the business," he said. (Read about the economic impact) Traffic clogged all of Manhattan's inbound bridges and tunnels early Tuesday in spite of a city mandate allowing only cars with four or more people entering the borough and traveling below 96th Street. Schools started two hours late. (See images from today's commute and strike) Differing viewsIn announcing the work stoppage, Roger Toussaint, president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, said, "Transit workers are tired of being underappreciated and disrespected." One commuter said he sympathized with the transit workers, according to The Associated Press. "I try to put myself in their shoes," Matthew Higgs told the AP. "The only way you can get what you want is to take a stand. "These guys work every day. ... Why shouldn't their kids have good health care? Why shouldn't their kids be able to go to college?" Another commuter was less generous. "I think they all should get fired," Eddie Goncalves, a doorman trying to get home after his overnight shift, told the AP. He said he'll likely spend an extra $30 per day in cab and train fares, according to the AP. The mayor joined hundreds of other New Yorkers as he walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan on Tuesday morning. New York Gov. George Pataki chastised union members for "recklessly endangering the health and safety of each and every New Yorker." Union's international arm doesn't approveAn attorney for the Transport Workers Union's international arm told a court in Brooklyn on Tuesday that the local's decision to strike was not approved and, therefore, unauthorized. Attorney Peter DeChiara said Transport Workers Union International President Mike O'Brien attended the union vote overnight and urged Local 100 members not to strike. Attorneys for the international arm of the Amalgamated Transit Union said the group did not authorize the strike, either. Arguing on behalf of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, State Assistant Attorney General James Henley said that the state would withdraw its contempt charges against the international arms of the unions if they officially notify the local that its strike is unauthorized. DeChiara said the Transport Workers Union's international arm would post the message on its Web site and in its newspaper and issue a statement to the media. No deal, no workHours before the strike, Toussaint, the local president, said transit workers were prepared to lower their wage increase demands from 8 percent to below 6 percent, if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to reduce the number of disciplinary actions launched against transit workers and grant other concessions. (Watch the union leader announce the strike -- 3:55) The vote to reject the transit authority's contract offer was 28-10, with five abstentions, said Ainsley Stewart, a Transport Workers Union vice president. Toussaint called on Pataki and Bloomberg to play a constructive role in negotiations and restore state and city funds to the mass transit budget. He said that state funding has gone from 20 percent a decade ago "to zero for capital funding." CNN's Tom DiDonato and Tom Ziegler contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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