A judge may have temporarily blocked 475 station agents from being laid off but the MTA is continuing with ways to close its big budget shortfall. And that includes eliminating 1,000 more workers this year. The Post says this "marks a second wave of layoffs, though this time they'll be accomplished though attrition and unfilled job vacancies." Though there will be $110 million in savings, there will likely be "dirtier subway cars and more graffitied windows, shorter LIRR and Metro-North trains, fewer public-address alerts on platforms and fewer ushers at Grand Central Terminal."
As for the blocking of the station agent layoffs, they have their jobs until at least early next week when the hearing continues. NYC Transit President Tom Prendergast says it'll cost the agency $600,000/week to keep the 475 workers. But TWU Local 100 President John Samuelson said, "Folks in the MTA don't seem to realize that when they pull these station agents out of the system, riders of New York City trains are in danger," a sentiment that the Straphanger Campaign's Gene Russianoff echoed: "Station clerks or the eyes and ears of many subways. Riders are going to be scared at night at subway entrances when there are no human beings around."
