Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

This is a letter to you to inform you of my support for the striking members of Transit Workers Union Local 100. 

I, and many other supporters, are calling for the following:

4. Respect the demands of hard-working New Yorkers who ARE the backbone of this city – The strikers are the law-abiding men and women who have been showing up to work in less than favorable conditions of their contract.  Their demands are fair and just: an active and enforceable contract; incremental wage increases commensurate to their position, seniority, and the rising costs of living in New York City; pension plans that reward loyalty, commitment, and expertise – that does not draw from the paychecks of the employee; basic protections against unpaid overtime, safe working conditions, and non-discriminatory work environment.  These are the basic demands of the standard employee of any private/non-profit/governmental business entity.  Don’t portray them as excessive, unrealistic, and arbitrary.

5. Recognize who are the real stakeholders of the MTA system – It is public knowledge that most of the Board Members of the MTA do not ride the public transit system.  Though they are endowed with the fiduciary responsibility of overseeing NY’s public transit system, the real stakeholders are the millions of people who ride the train, and the thousands of people who keep the system running 24-hours/day.  Budget surpluses should benefit the public, not to finance projects that do not meet the best interests of all New Yorkers.  This is a call for a more transparent, inclusive, and democratic process in the determination of these decisions (i.e. referendum, etc…).