Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images
After a two-year stalemate, the MTA and its largest union reached a new contract agreement that will raise wages by eight percent over five years, increase medical and dental benefits, and offer paid maternity and paternity leave. In concessions to the MTA, employees will contribute more toward health-care benefits and new hires won’t receive full pay rates until they’ve been employed for five years. Governor Cuomo was asked to step in this week when the union threatened to strike, but if approved, the new deal means the subway will keep running and there won’t be any fare increases (aside from the hikes already planned for 2015 and 2017).
