Last month, the MTA laid off hundreds of station agents, as part of its cost saving measures, only for a judge to block the decision. Now, a judge has ruled that the agency "violated the law when it closed booths and laid off about 260 agents last month without holding public hearings," according to City Room.
However, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Saliann Scarpulla's ruling doesn't mean that the staffers will be back on the job—the Daily News reports that he ordered the MTA "not to shutter any more booths or kiosks without first allowing straphangers to voice their opinions on the cost-cutting moves." TWU Local 100 still called it a "major victory."
MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said, "The MTA is disappointed in today’s ruling that we cannot proceed with slated subway booth and kiosk closures without repeating the public hearing process. These closures were necessitated by the MTA’s dire financial situation, and the need for the savings they generate remains," adding, "While we disagree with the ruling and intend to appeal, we will be proceeding on a parallel track with the public hearing process. With that in mind, an MTA Board meeting will be scheduled for next week at which the Board will be asked to authorize the public hearing process to move this vital cost-saving initiative forward."
