TWU Rallies for Contract with MTA

The union that moves New York decided to slow things down a bit Wednesday. Thousands of members from Transport Workers Union Local 100 clogged the streets outside of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's lower Manhattan headquarters for a massive rally that at times almost doubled as a music festival. The union set up an enormous stage in the middle of Broadway, complete with a band. The group had drums. They had bullhorns. They even had a man dressed up in a giant inflatable bear costume.

Despite the festivities, the workers weren't happy - and they said their angst is all due to difficult contract negotiations with the MTA. "The message is simple," Local 100 president Tony Utano told the Daily News. "Transit workers are upset and angry. We bailed the MTA out when the subway was failing. We put it back together."