News

NEW YORK, NY April 18, 2006 —The president of the Transport Workers Union is vowing to fight a judge's decision to fine the union $2.5 million for last year's illegal strike. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

The union had argued that it would be crippled by the financial penalties, and might have to layoff its staff. But the MTA said fines were intended to punish unions for illegal activities.

State Supreme Court Justice Theodore Jones imposed the maximum of $1 million a day. The union could have been fined a total of $3 million but the judge ruled that the strike only lasted two and a half days. He also suspended the automatic collection of the union's membership dues for at least 90 days. The MTA wanted an indefinite suspension.

Union president Roger Toussaint called the penalties one-sided because he said the MTA provoked the strike. The MTA said it respected the judge's decision, in light of the union's deliberate and disruptive strike.

Meanwhile, Toussaint has also been sentenced to 10 days in prison.