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Pataki takes tough but quiet line on strike

BY MICHAEL ROTHFELD AND MELISSA MANSFIELD | STAFF WRITERS

December 22, 2005

On the second day of New York City's transit strike, Gov. George Pataki threw his energy into criminal justice legislation at the State Capitol in Albany.

Pataki appeared with law enforcement agents from across the state to announce a bipartisan agreement with Senate and Assembly leaders on two bills strengthening penalties for crimes against police officers and toughening anti-gun laws.

When the strike came up during an afternoon question-and-answer session with reporters, Pataki ratcheted up his rhetoric against leaders of the Transport Workers Union.

"To me, it's just outrageous that public servants would simply ignore the law and break the law and engage in an illegal strike," Pataki said. "I have one message for them: There's not going to be any talks while you're out there walking."

Pataki, who appoints a majority of board members to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has left the prime responsibility for handling the dispute to his delegates, such as agency chairman Peter Kalikow, while communicating with them.

"I think the governor has been behind the scenes trying to resolve the strike," said State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), who sits on a board that reviews MTA capital projects. Skelos said the blame lies with the union, not Pataki or the MTA, for striking in violation of the state's Taylor Law instead of settling the contract dispute through arbitration.

Jeremy Soffin, vice president for public affairs at the Regional Plan Association, an independent policy group in Manhattan, said it is difficult from the outside to say whether Pataki could have made a difference by interjecting himself earlier and in a more public way.

"The governor has clearly made a point of not getting personally involved," Soffin said. "My gut tells me he won't be able to get away with that much longer. Every day that passes, there's going to be more ill will for the TWU, the governor and the mayor."