Strike on the T?

I was wondering if it would be possible for there to ever be a worker strike on the T similar to the one in NYC and have there ever been any in the past?

I certainly hope not, I am extremely bound by the T to get to wherever I need. But with unions, it is possible, albeit unlikely.

Is it technically possible? I dunno, does the Taylor Law extend to MBTA workers? I mean, you can pass all the laws and levy all the fines you want, but there is nothing physically restraining T workers from walking off the job any time they want to.

Is it possible anytime soon? I dunno, are there any transit contracts coming up for renewal?

Why do you ask? Maybe we misunderstood your question.

Yes, it has happened in the past. There was a short MBTA strike in the early 1980s, and assorted labor trouble back in the early days of the Boston Elevated Railway. But these days contracts seem to get negotiated with no service disruptions.

Otto Vondrak wrote:Is it technically possible? I dunno, does the Taylor Law extend to MBTA workers? I mean, you can pass all the laws and levy all the fines you want, but there is nothing physically restraining T workers from walking off the job any time they want to.

Is it possible anytime soon? I dunno, are there any transit contracts coming up for renewal?

Why do you ask? Maybe we misunderstood your question.

The Taylor Law is a New York state law that does not apply to Massachusetts.

The only way to actually restrain T employees from walking off the job would be to threaten the loss of their jobs and tell them that if they went on strike, they would be fired and not allowed to work for the T ever again. Air traffic controller-style. And there's no way people in this state will ever have the political will to do that.

i asked my MBTA friend about this after the New York strike and she said that MBTA workers are NOT allowed to strike, because it is in their contract w/ their union (something like that)

Makes sense, but if there contract expired, wouldnt they no longer be held to that agreement?

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:i asked my MBTA friend about this after the New York strike and she said that MBTA workers are NOT allowed to strike, because it is in their contract w/ their union (something like that)

If this is the person I am thinking of, she does not work for the MBTA, she works for MBCR which is a totally different company, which has a contract with the MBTA.

yea sorry that is what i meant, MBCR

MBCR is NOT with Carmen's Local 789 either, as far as that's concerned.