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NEW YORK, NY December 08, 2005 —With the threat of a strike just one week away, the MTA has made its first wage offer to the Transport Workers Union. But as WNYC's Beth Fertig reports, it was turned down.

REPORTER: The MTA offered a 2 year contract instead of the usual 3 year contract. Salaries would go up by five percent, but partly on the condition that workers get fewer sick days. MTA chief negotiator Gary Dellaverson says the agency is not asking for a huge sacrifice.

DELLAVERSON: This is not saying let's go back to five days per employee or anything like that. This is let's go back to where it was in 2002.

REPORTER: He said employees are taking an average of one more sick day a year. But Roger Toussaint, who heads the Transport Workers Union, called that an insult. He also rejected the MTA's proposal for new employees to pay a healthcare contribution, and to wait longer for retirement. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.