Steven explains it all...

So, many people have been asking me, Ruby, what did TWU Local 100 gain with its strike? They got almost the exact same deal, they said. They look like losers, they must be demoralized in their return to work. The strike was totally pointless. Right?

Ah, dear readers. I have to say, I was a little miffed that so many intelligent folk, who are wise enough to look past the mainstream media rubbish when it comes to Dumbya's shock troops, seem to have truly bought into the rhetoric of the mainstream nyc news media.

In an article I would've posted sooner if not for the constart stream of people, music and good times the past week, Steven Greenhouse (i think one of the only prolabor writers on the staff of the times, or at least the one that hasn't been shot yet) lays it all out. Heere's a Ruby summary:

1) They wanted pension off the table. They went out over that. And they got it. How's that not a victory? And while they wanted the retirement age lowered, it remained at 55, and the push to raise it seven years was a big MTA plank.

2) IN ADDITION, they got the following:
Paid Maternity Leave
MLK as a paid holiday.
Better health benefits for retirees
An improved disability plan
a bump in "assault pay" for subway and bus drivers who are attacked.

Congrats, Roger. You've done well for your constituants and for all of us in NYC.