That Ultimately Fruitless Strike Pays Off

Striking MTA workers will start having their pay docked without even having a new contract:

The MTA will start docking workers’ pay next week as punishment for their three-day strike in December, Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Tom Kelly said.

The walkout, which the union contends was provoked during ultimately fruitless negotiations, was a violation of the state Taylor Law. Workers were not paid for their days on the picket lines. Now another three days of earnings will be deducted from two paychecks — one coming on March 23 and the other issued two weeks later, Kelly said.

“They staged an illegal strike, and this is part of the penalty,” Kelly said, adding that workers should give up any hopes the penalty will be waived.

“It [the deduction] will happen,” Kelly said.