NYC MTA Plans To Reassign Elevator Operators at Deep Manhattan Stations

NYC’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to reassign two dozen operators of elevators at five of the subway’s deepest stations in upper Manhattan, a move met by outrage from the workers and the union, New York Daily News is among outlets to report. An MTA spokesman said the decision to transfer the workers to cleaning roles was made possible by the installation of new elevators with updated security and communications systems. A spokesman for Transport Workers Union Local 100, however, contends, “They’re basically trying to put my membership out to pasture,” since many of them have physical disabilities that make cleaning work difficult. Set to go into effect in July, the plan is not the first time MTA has tried to omit elevator operators. A similar cost-cutting measure was met with community consternation when it was pitched in 2007.