1. the one-time pension refund is a bribe meant to sell the contract to those eligible. It might not go through. If the TA pays for it, half will be liable to be lost to taxes;
2. gains like better healthcare for retirees, maternity leave and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday are overshadowed by massive givebacks that cost us much more;
3. below-inflation wage “raises,” a new healthcare paycheck deduction set to rise automatically and no amnesty from Taylor Law fines mean a real wage cut;
4. pensions are not “saved.” The MTA did not “withdraw” the pension issue; the politicians may well introduce their pension attacks through the legislature in the future;
5. the contract gives up our December expiration date, robbing us of the threat to shut the city down during peakholiday shopping and cost the bosses billions;
6. the MTA has a billion dollar surplus. If we agree to sacrifice for them now, imagine how bad their attacks will be in the future!
7. we struck to defend the rest of the working class and future generations of workers. This contract will open them up to hikes in healthcare costs and wage cuts;
8. we could have won much more and stopped the bosses in their tracks if we had stayed on strike – and we still can!