Help the State of New York, New York Bettors, the OTBs and those who believe in NY Const. Art. 1, Sec. 3 John Samuelson. Tell Governor Andrew Cuomo you will bet him.... that if he dares ask New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for an Opinion he will learn that NY PML Sec 105 does not apply to the OTBs, that NY PML Sec 105 violates the rights of betting TWU members secured by NY Const. Art. 1, Sec. 3 and that NY PML Sec 105 is vague, indefinite and/or overly broad as TWU betting members who observe the Gregorian and Julian Calendars do not observe "Easter Sunday" on the same Sunday in all years.
With tracks running all across the US every day of the year there is no reason for any OTB to be closed on any day of the year that bettors want to bet and union workers may or may not wish to work. It should be noted that Teamsters Local 858 President Barry Yomtov was paid double time when he worked on any Sunday as a NYC OTB Manager. NYC OTB is defunct. Bankrupt and its union workers looking for work.
See also
Open On 1st Palm Sunday, Otb Rakes In $2m - New York Daily News
articles.nydailynews.com/.../18220335_1_racing-and-wagering-boar...Cached
Open On 1st Palm Sunday, Otb Rakes In $2m. BY JERRY BOSSERT DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER. Monday, April 14, 2003. New York City Off-Track Betting ...§ 105. Supplementary regulatory powers of the board. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, the board through its rules and regulations or in allotting dates for racing or in licensing race meetings at which pari-mutuel betting is permitted shall be empowered to: (i) permit racing at which pari-mutuel betting is conducted on any or all dates from the first day of January through the thirty-first day of December, inclusive of Sundays but exclusive of December twenty-fifth and Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday; and (ii) fix minimum and maximum charges for admission at any race meeting.
Subway union chief’s tough talk must lead to wise bargaining TWU’s
Samuelsen has to face N.Y.’s fiscal realities
Originally Published: Sunday, November 20 2011, 12:30 PM
Updated: Sunday, November 20 2011, 12:30 PM
Updated: Sunday, November 20 2011, 12:30 PM
Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News
A s John Samuelsen readies to negotiate his first contract as president of the Transport Workers Union, the future of the city rides on his willingness to be reasonable.
Samuelsen kicked off talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority by declaring that he rejects out of hand accepting 0% raises in line with the pattern set by Gov. Cuomo and state workers.
“We did not cause this economic problem,” Samuelsen told the Daily News Editorial Board on Thursday, “and we’re not going to pay for it . . . by having the standard of living of transit worker families deteriorate.”
That’s an understandable opening gambit in talks over a contract that expires Jan 15. But Samuelsen must recognize both that the MTA is in deep financial trouble and that taxpayers and straphangers cannot afford to foot the bill for wage hikes with no strings attached.
By Samuelsen’s estimation, every 1 percentage point wage hike carries a price tag of $25 million. He and MTA chief Joe Lhota should start to work now on finding productivity and other labor savings that could be used to finance raises.
Let’s state for the record that the TWU’s rank and file are not getting rich on base salaries that average $62,000 a year. They play a crucial role in keeping New York moving while contending with surly passengers, rush-hour gridlock, noxious exhaust and rat-infested subway tunnels.
At the same time, let’s also remember that over the last three years — despite low inflation and rising unemployment — TWU workers have enjoyed raises totaling 11% while contributing a mere 1.5% of their pay for top-notch health benefits. They can also look forward to retiring after 25 years at the minimum age of 55 with guaranteed health coverage.
Meantime, bus and subway riders have been hit with fare hikes and service cuts. The cost of a 30-day MetroCard leaped by 36% — from $76 to $104 — over the past three years.
Shrewdly, Samuelsen says his union aims to stick up for riders by pushing an entirely new type of demand — asking, for example, that the contract guarantee staffing levels on subway platforms and minimal waits between buses.
This is transparent posturing for public support. The last thing MTA management needs is to have its hands tied by niggling work rules.
Also wrongheaded is Samuelsen’s rhetoric in favor of extending the state tax surcharge on the wealthy that is to expire Dec. 31. That levy hits the top 5% of taxpayers who make 45% of the income. But even without it, they contribute about 54% of the state’s income tax revenue.
More welcome is his posture on a repeat of the illegal strike that paralyzed the city during the 2005 holiday season. He didn’t rule anything out but signaled that the union is ready to stay at the bargaining table past the Jan. 15 deadline.
That’s where the necessary compromises will get done. And that’s where Samuelsen belongs.
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