A judge puts on hold the MTA’s plans to remove elevator operators from several Suwbay stations.
And this after elected authorities, employees and union representatives filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against the agency, demanding that these employees not be removed from their posts until the proposal is discussed in public hearings.
Due to the measure, more than four stations of the A and 1 train lines were going to be left without elevator operators as of this Sunday.
Irizarry has worked for 15 years for the #MTA as an operator of a #elevator at the 191st Street 1 train station in Washington Heights. @AMDeLosSantos72 @TWULocal100
— NY1 News (@NY1news) July 14, 2023
But the judge in the case stopped the changes, and scheduled a new hearing for July 20.
“Judge halts @MTA job cuts at Washington Heights stations,” the TWU Local 100 union wrote in a social media post.
Judge halts @MTA staffing cuts in Washington Heights stations. @RepEspaillat @SenatorRJackson @CnDelarosa @MannyDeLosSanto pic.twitter.com/RC9UcYttkD
— TWU Local 100 (@TWULocal100) July 15, 2023
“We are pleased that the judge saw fit to stop this ill-conceived plan,” said TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis. “This is a fight worth fighting, and now we move to the next stage. Passengers want to see their metro stations staffed, not abandoned.”
The transit agency plans to move operators like Lucrecia Irizarry, who has spent 15 years of her life working for the MTA, into cleaning roles.
“We had to clearly accept this, the option that they imposed, because we cannot afford it, because our family depends on us,” said Irizarry.
The employees, as well as the union, argue that what the MTA offers will put them out of a job anyway.
In a statement, an MTA spokeswoman said returning restroom workers who have been operating elevators to cleaning stations and restrooms is the most reasonable thing to do for New Yorkers.
2023-07-15 18:40:00
#Station #elevator #operators #continue #Washington #Heights #judges #order
