NEW YORK CITY, December 30—When capitalism is in crisis, it's workers who sacrifice for the bosses’ profit system. Not only have the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) bosses allowed COVID-19 to steal the lives of over 140 transit workers but they are pushing to layoff roughly 9,000 workers (NYT, 12/16/20). These are attacks on the entire working class. These cuts will especially hurt Black and immigrant workers hardest, who will disproportionately suffer the 40 percent service reductions (NYT, 12/16/20), the crowded trains and buses, and increasing COVID cases.
Though the bosses have temporarily delayed voting on these racist cuts, with the government’s COVID stimulus bill setting aside $4 billion for MTA funding (Curbed, 12/21/2020), it means nothing in the long run.
The Progressive Labor Party (PLP) says make the bosses take the losses. These types of disasters are only possible because we live under capitalism, because the ruling class puts profits first and workers' lives are dead last. This is why we in PLP fight for communism, so that profits, and the concept of money are eliminated, and where workers' needs are the first priority.
‘Doomsday cuts’
MTA bosses have repeatedly claimed in recent months that they need to enact these racist cuts on workers because of their income losses from the pandemic. For starters, the bosses discussed eliminating unlimited subway passes and raising prices for single metrocards. On top of pre-planned fare increases, this measure would put even more hardship on the mainly Black and Latin workers who’ve had more than enough attacks.
The ruling-class media, no friend to riders, has backed these arguments as feasible ways to save the subways and buses. Another proposal includes switching all subway trains to One Person Train Operation (OPTO). This is a system which removes conductors (who open and close the train’s doors from its middle), leaving only the train operator to perform that duty while also moving the train. A recent Op-Ed by Connor Harris, a shill for the racist think tank Manhattan Institute, argued that getting rid of subway conductors could save the MTA $300 million (City and State New York, 9/16/2020). The New York Times, another capitalist mouthpiece, followed suit with the same suggestion last month (NYT, 12/16/2020).
With half of the 55,000 MTA workers Black, laying off thousands of conductors during record unemployment levels is viciously racist — and incredibly dangerous for workers riding the MTA. OPTO supporters argue that the company needs to simply install cameras for train operators to perform this function. However, many stations in the NYC subway system are on a slope, and/or are on curves; this means blind spots that cameras can’t catch. Worse, this would increase strain on the train operator position, forcing them to do even more work. Eliminating positions and combining their functions with others is a hallmark of the bosses.
As expected, virtually none of these “experts” mentioned the true culprit behind the MTA’s money issues, pandemic or not: its perennial billions in debt to Wall Street bankers, from decades of letting the system fall into disrepair.
Union surrenders; workers must fight!
The union has done little to prepare the rank and file for a fightback, with the Transit Workers’ Union Local 100 issuing only a vague flyer warning the MTA they won’t renegotiate the contract or accept any layoffs.
Despite months of “doomsday cuts,” Local 100 didn’t even bother organizing any rallies or demonstrations outside MTA HQ at 2 Broadway. All they did was phone in a half-effort video response to the bosses when the cuts were supposed to be voted on. Former Local 100 president (now president of TWU international)John Samuelson recently proposed taxing NYC workers for their online purchases as a way to raise funds! (NYdailynews, 12/7/20)
In another union meeting, a comrade spoke out against the union president having a press conference with the union president of police during the fight for justice for George Floyd. The union reps were silent and one of their stooges tried defending them. Another worker quickly shut him down saying it was disgusting for union president Tony Utano to even be seen with a racist like Patrick Lynch. The union stooges replied "they don't wanna get involved in politics.”
These union misleaders are in the practice of turning a blind eye to racism, and are in bed with the MTA bosses attacking the workers, leaving us with the best choice there is: uniting and fighting back.
Communism will be doomsday for racism and capitalism
Comrades in transit are sharing our communist line with our coworkers. Self critically, we've been reluctant due to our lack of confidence in the working class to fight back under these attacks. It's easy to give in to cynicism, especially now during the pandemic
But that is what the ruling class wants. They want us fearful, dependent on them and divided. We must remember that even amid great division and difficult odds workers have always united and fought back.
History is on our side. In 1918, the Bolsheviks seized power in the midst of World War I and the “Spanish Flu” pandemic. During the 1930s, when the U.S. was suffering through the Great Depression, the Bolsheviks were blazing a new future, eradicating famines and diseases with their worker-run state. This and more is possible when we expand our confidence in the working class and continue to fight back and build for a communist future. We will continue building the fightback in the MTA, and will follow up with the antiracist fighter who spoke out.
Unity between transit workers and riders is needed more than ever. Transit workers and commuting workers can beat back the bosses when we come together, and unite to build communism: where workers run the transit system and all society without billionaire rulers. Make the bosses take the losses! Join the PLP and fight for communism!