N.Y. Still Paralysed By Transport Strike

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30956, 12 January 1966, Page 11

N.Y. Still Paralysed By Transport Strike

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copyright f NEW YORK, January 11. The gloves were off today in New York’s public transport strike, with Mayor John Lindsay and the union firmly squared off against one another, as the city continued to suffer under the impact of the 11-day-old walk-out.

The position hardened after a day of tough talk by union leaders at a mass rally outside the City Hall, and by the Mayor in a city-wide television broadcast last night. But there was still no relief in sight from the traffic chaos which has affected New Yorkers since New Year's Day.

With nerves already frayed after an all-night negotiating session at the City Hall, union chiefs described the Mayor’s efforts as “amateurish.”

They told the 10.000-strong rally: “This demonstration might move them. This is the kind of bargaining these fellows understand.” Some union members, parading in striped convict uniforms, called for the freeing of nine of their leaders tossed into gaol a week ago for defying a Court injunc-

tion banning the strike. Mounted police edged their prancing horses between a section of the crowd and a group of irate, foot-sore pedestrians who screamed abuse at the ctri leprs Several hours after the meeting dispersed a grimfaced Mayor broadcast to the city. He spoke at the end of a day which saw a record 870,000 cars crawl into and out of the city, an increase of 45 per cent over the usual number. “A handful of men have consigned eight million people to paralysis,” the Mayor said. The city, he said, could get a settlement “if it is willing to pay any price . . . but the city is not."

He offered three proposals to the three-man panel which has been trying to mediate in the strike.

They could make specific recommendations on all terms of a settlement; agree to the appointment of a factfinding commission to recom-

mend an impartial settlement; or arange an agreement on procedures to halt the strike and bring about a settlement, including either advisory or binding arbitration.

The Mayor put the union's current demands at equal to about 100 million dollars over the two-year life of the proposed contract. He said this would mean doubling the present flat 15 cents fare for any trip on the underground.

Before the Mayor spoke, there had been some unconfirmed reports that he might ask Governor Nelson Rockefeller to call out the National Guard —at least to man the buses, if not also the complex underground railway system.

Many people have urged this.

However, observers believe that while all New Yorkers would be only too happy to see the public transport running again, the use of the National Guard to break a strike could prove a political boomerang.