A quarter of bus and subway workers took more than two weeks worth of sick days last year - driving the MTA's overtime bill into the stratosphere, officials said Thursday.
Abuse helped inflate the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's annual overtime tab to $560million.
Officials complained that outdated work rules and lax managers also are boosting crippling costs.
"Some overtime is needed to put out a reliable service and respond to emergencies," said MTA Chief Operating Officer Charles Monheim.
"But much of it is unnecessary and can't be justified," he said.
MTA brass vowed to slow the OT torrent, including cracking down on sick- time abusers.
Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen later blasted transit officials for talking to the media about sought-after contract changes before bargaining with the union.
"They demean their own workers publicly on a consistent basis, and they fail to acknowledge NYC Transit workers work in some of the most horrific conditions you can imagine," Samuelsen added.
"Several bus operators are assaulted every week, subway workers breathe in toxic fumes. ... We put our lives on the line to move the riding public, and when we get sick, the company tries to portray us as slackers," Samuelsen fumed.
The cash-crunched MTA plans to reduce overtime spending by $22 million this year with changes that do not need union approval.
The agency hopes to slash another $60 million next year, which will require some union consent, Monheim said.
NYC Transit President Tom Prendergast said the vast majority of transit workers take sick days only when they fall ill and do not use up their annual allotment of 12paid days off.
In fact, 16% of bus and subway workers didn't call in sick once last year.
But 25% took a whopping 15 or more sick days, he said.
"This is the percentage of employees [that take a] mental-health day. They wake up in the morning and say, 'I dont feel like working today,'" Prendergast said.
Managers don't always have the right to call and verify the employee is at home or demand a doctor's note, Prendergast said.
The MTA agreed in past contract negotiations to ease up on sick-time regulations, scrutiny and punishments after workers griped they were too harsh.
"It's arguable about whether the pendulum swung too far in the other direction," Prendergast said.
Among the reforms needed, LIRR President Helena Williams said, is no longer paying overtime after an eight-hour shift. Instead, OT should kick in only after a worker puts in a 40-hour week, she said.
Even workers who have used up their allotment of paid sick days can take an unpaid day off and easily make up the lost pay by working a few hours of overtime in the following days, officials complained.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/05/21/2010-05-21_mtas_sick_use_of_cash_agencys_ot_tab_driven_to_a_skyhigh_560m_by_workers_taking_.html#ixzz0obcT4rbv
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