This strike is political – for Roger Toussaint

Why are the “unborn” workers important? Because they give the union President more power. It keeps his unionized workers together and makes them easier to manage. This way, it’s easier for him to retain their support and to build his political base. He had run for TWU national presidency before but lost. Now if his political gamble pays off, and he gets some more concessions from the MTA, he puts himself in a better position to win the next time he runs. But, if things start to get worse, he will end the strike to preserve his leadership position in the local TWU.

My prediction – the strike will end in a week.