Just days after the NYC transit workersÂ’ union rejected the contract they were offered following their illegal strike, this picture appeared in the New York media.

Note the date and time – 1/22/06, 1:13 PM.

Needless to say, your average New Yorker, who was not supportive of the pre-Christmas strike, is outraged.

"I can't believe this. If they want more money, they should have to work for it," steamed commuter Carolyn Brand, 23, of New Jersey, told The Post after being shown the picture.

* * *

Jordan Saxe, 26, who spotted the sleeping clerk and snapped his photo, said he thought the man "might be sick or hurt or dead."

"I tapped on the glass to see if he was OK," Saxe said. "Then I realized he was snoring. He was out cold and didn't budge. To me, this is a moral issue. I work in corporate America. You just can't do that in broad daylight."

* * *

Jani Coupour, 29, said he doesn't understand why transit workers are entitled to special treatment.

"If I was caught sleeping on the job I would be fired," he said. "These people don't have to worry about that, because of their union."

Passengers said the clerk also wasn't helping make the union's case that the MTA is wrong to try to remove agents from the booths.

"That's typical of them," said William Bookin, 40, a doorman who lives on the Lower East Side. "They don't want to be bothered. If you ask them for help, and if they are awake, they're rude to you."

* * *

"I'm worried about a possible strike," said Bill Thompson, 38, who works for the Medical Examiner's Office.

"The transit workers are extremely well paid. I'm a union worker and I have to pay $30 a paycheck for health."

Most riders said transit workers must be dreaming if they thought they would fare better after rejecting the contract.

"They're screwing themselves," said Chris Kannick, 28, of Murray Hill. "They won't get a better offer. In fact, they're lucky they have what they have."

The union, of course, is fully prepared to defend Sleeping Beauty here, and to refuse arbitration.

I think it may be time for Mayor Bloomberg to go PATCO on the transit workersÂ’ union. Sounds like the public would support him.

Posted by: Greg at 03:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 396 words, total size 2 kb.