My Husband Is On Strike

Yes, my husband is a NYC Transit Worker. It's the worst time of year for many people, and for us as well.


You see, he doesn't have a choice. He must do what the Union says. Do we like it? No.

I don't think they should have gone out. Even the national Transit Workers Union doesn't think they should have gone out. But here we are.

Something people should think about that they often do not understand.

Bus drivers put their licenses on the line every day. They perform the functions of many people. They must collect fares, "police" the buses, deal with taxis that cut them off, bicycle messengers, pedestrians that walk out in front of buses. They must drive buses on surface roads in all sorts of weather. For driving the "articulated" buses - the ones that are essentially two buses connected with an accordian - they get a whopping 25 cents an hour more.

They do the job of the subway token booth clerks - collecting the fares.

They do the job of the conductors - "policing" the trains.

They do the job of the motormen - driving the bus.

And yet they are paid less than some of these people.

Subways operate on a track. They do not have to deal with the obstacles bus drivers deal with.

So I've felt for a long time that the Union hasn't done right by the bus drivers.

But here I am - we have a mortgage. I am in the middle of starting a business, so money is tight. Yeah, this is going to hurt.

But we don't have a choice.