Injunction Forbids N.Y. Transit Strike

Intensive round-the-clock negotiations began Friday between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and union representatives in an effort to avert a subway and bus strike that would leave millions of riders scrambling to get to work.

As expected, a state Supreme Court justice issued a preliminary injunction Friday against a walkout under the state’s Taylor Law, which forbids strikes by public employees.

In his decision, Justice Jules Spodek said a transit strike would be “enormous, debilitating and destructive.”

The ruling, which clears the way for possible contempt citations and jail time for union leaders, was designed to pressure the 34,000 members of the Transport Workers Union to agree to a new contract before 12:01 a.m. Monday, when the old pact is set to expire.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg applauded the judge’s decision. The mayor, who pledged that he would pedal from his Upper East Side Manhattan home to City Hall downtown, bought a $500 mountain bike Friday.

“Nobody’s going to shut down New York,” he vowed.

Both sides said they were far apart on wages, payments to pension funds and disciplinary policies.

A central question is whether the MTA has sufficient funds to grant raises.

It claims that it faces a $1-billion budget deficit, despite an increase in ridership.

But last year, the authority reported a $300-million surplus. Officials of the agency say the surplus was spent to dramatically improve subway and bus service, and grant discounts to riders.

Union negotiators view the explanation with skepticism and said they wonder if the authority either exaggerated its successes so that Gov. George E. Pataki would not face financial problems before his reelection in November or whether some money is being withheld for 11th-hour bargaining.

In 1980 during the last transit strike, which lasted 11 days, the union was fined $1 million and workers gave up two days pay for each day of the walkout.