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What happens if livery cab drivers make good on their threat to ignore the city's contingency plans? Newsday quotes Julio Alvarez, President of the United Drivers Group of America, representing maybe 10,000 drivers: He told reporters at the Hyatt that his livery drivers will not support the city's contingency plans, which calls for them to pick up multiple fares both on the street and at bus stops, which is normally illegal.
And what's the economic impact? Bloomberg (of all sources!) reports that Mayor Bloomberg said he was told by Federated Department Stores Chairman Terry Lundgren that "sales at the big New York department stores were off 30 percent or 40 percent on Friday just from the uncertainty of people not knowing whether they could get to work.''
And here's an interesting quote, of the sort we haven't heard much in the run-up to the strike: "When you sign up for this job, you've got benefits because the union fought for them,'' said Mario Galvet, a union shop steward and MTA worker for years. "Guys should understand that one day they'll have to fight for them, too.''
T minus 270 minutes and counting, and both sides have dug their trenches.
Tags:
bloomberg, economic impact, livery cabs, mta, strike
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Posted on 12/19/2005
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