Over the past few years the MTA & LIRR management have waged a public relations war in a blatant attempt to demonize all of LIRR Labor in the eyes of the taxpayer in an effort to divert attention away from their own ineptitude. They are quick to blame "runaway overtime" and "bloated pension costs" as major causes for their financial shortfalls, yet never accept any responsibility for the current state of affairs.

     As far as overtime is concerned management determines how many employees there are and who works when. Over the years they have come to realize that it is cheaper to pay overtime than to hire more employees.  As a result those with the most seniority are entitled to the extra work first and tend to the highest earners, a situation that management is well aware of. It should also be noted that the total amount of overtime that ultimately gets paid over the course of a year is not affected by the aforementioned practice, but pensions will be.  Another point that they and the unwitting press neglect to mention is that the old "Rockefeller" pensions that they refer to only apply to approximately 20% of the total LIRR work force, and has been in a process of being phased out since 1988. No new employees will ever see an age 50,  20 years of service pension based on a percentage of total yearly earnings. Instead they must work a minimum of 30 years  to retire without incurring severe pension penalties. Also worth noting is the fact that no matter how much overtime an employee earns the maximum amount that they will ever increase their pension is by 10% above their base salary.