Destiny and Legal Limits Hit the TWU, MTA and NYC

Aquarian Bloomberg, the Media Tycoon evokes the Spirt of Ed Koch and Walks Over Bridge

Strike! Huelga! whatever people of either Northern or Southern hemisphere call a shut down or stand down ( in current miltary jingo). It still means the same freaking
thing - Shit Happens when Seven Million People Have Trouble Getting to Work.

This strike started with negotiations breaking down and will end with legal limits being set so resolutions are reached. In the 3AM Chart at top of this page Saturn/Leo is flirting with Mid-Heaven's Highly visible angle opposing Neptune at the IC yes and part of a Grand Fire Triange (Node/Aries and Merc/Sag) - we could tell this one could be huge in terms of cost and emotional turmoil. Jupiter in the sign of debt also opposes the physical energy of money and jobs: Mars in Taurus in the place of partnership. I have repeatedly said that the big picture of Saturn in Leo openly challenging Neptune in Aquarius involves the ultimate downfall of dominant controlling entities or structures in the future.

Toussaint's TWU Grievances
Anyway by 12:01AM, after days of negotiations, final agreements had broke down late Monday night. Those of us that have been following the ongoing contract talks, knew there was going to be a strike. When and how bad would it be? Then 3 a.m. when the 32,000-member Transport Workers Union put the strike in motion the grimace of reality was felt by millions of commuters.
Looking above we see moons Node at 09Aries ready to declare war on unfair and unjust practices. Since Astrology is a science based on cycles and comparitive energy signatures - when we look toward bottom of this page at the chart for NYC Corp. Existence - we see Jupiter sitting on the same axis at 9Libra. This whole episode is about how fast one of the parties can either create or force compromise. Roger Toussaint, a native of Trinidad who was elected president five years ago had been a leader of a highly militant faction within the union. Toussaint who has always spoken up against against local politicians whether in his homeland or her in NYC and is definetly no fan of Bloomberg. He tends to shock as he did in 2002, when he told Bloomberg to "shut up" after the mayor said the union should be fined heavily for a threatened illegal strike.

On the Union Side: Roger Toussaint, head of the TWU said: "Transit workers are tired of being underappreciated and disrespected." Considering their starting salary is only 32K per year barely enough for a cardboard box in the City's highly inflated housing market where the average apartment rents for $1,300 per month!. Subway operators earn an average of $62,438 a year, including overtime whereas Train conductors average $53,000, subway booth clerks $50,720 - not a lot of cash compared to the passengers that work in the financial district.

Bloomberg Jumps in the Fray
Battle lines were drawn between Tousaint, who has a kind of folk-hero image among union members, and moon-faced Michael Bloomberg (Cancer rising).
Always the media starved kid, Mayor Bloomberg (with Pluto and Chiron in Leo) started the accusations: "This is not only an affront to the concept of public service, it is a cowardly attempt by Roger Toussaint and the TWU to bring the city to its knees to create leverage for their own bargaining position," Bloomberg told a news conference. In fact Bloomberg has continued to push the leveraging card of fines thus: Arthur Schwartz, the union's lawyer, said that the daily fine could bankrupt the union within the next two days. A Brooklyn court will decide on 12-21 whether individual workers could also be fined.
Bloomberg should know about bargaining positions from his recent life as business tycoon. In fact in the 80's he persuaded Merrill-Lynch that his business plan to offer digital version of real time financial information was indispensable.

Natal Chart for Bloomberg
When we look at the natal chart for Boss Bloomberg (born 2-14-1942) we are astounded to see his career angle Mid-Heaven at 08Aries51 using Placidus houses - reputed to be a fierce competitor since his days as Salomon Brothers bond trader. He became the perfect technology partner with Venus/Mercury/Moon and Sun all in computer oriented Aquarius in the 7th house of relationships and yes open enemies. Rulers of the 7th are Saturn@22Taurus and Uranus@26Taurus which tells of a man who used technology to amass a huge forturne (net worth of $4.5 billion)based on using electronic systems to augment data analysis business and financial systems (Taurus). Using equal house system we see his ambitious driving Mars in money oriented Taurus in career house. Moon in objective Aquarius is also ruler of his chart with Cancer ASC reflecting a conservative stance around responsibilities of wealth and privilege. Perhaps it was he switched to the Republican party in 2000. Maybe it was his mutable progressed Mars and Jupiter in Gemini with his sp. Prog. sense of purpose (Sun) in leadership oriented Aries joined by Moon and Mercury. So like Rudy, he was an opportunist who rode the 9/11 card inlate 2001 to be chosen to succeed Rudy Giuliani as mayor of New York City.

The last New York City "Subway strike" was an 11-day affair on April 1, 1980 (Full Moon in Libra - same axis our recent shut down. So 25 years ago, those 11 financially devastating days created havoc put the memory is just too far away. This was the time of Mayor Ed Koch, Sagittarian Sun (born December 12, 1924) who was widely seen crossing the Brooklyn Bridge with the masses of people commuting on foot, famously asking people "How'm I doing?" He also famously suggested that commuters stop to have a martini after work in order to let rush hour congestion clear. Debt projected to be caused by the current strike keeps increasing ($440 to $660 million per day in lost economic activity) with every news story (3AM Chart has Jupiter in the sign of Debt in the first most personal house. New York commuters had trudge across the Brooklyn Bridge in below freezing temperatures to just get to work and their billionaire Mayor Bloomberg joined them in political move of "supposed solidarity" - Later he began to intiimdate the strking workers with huge fines from $25,000 per worker per day and finally today: Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Theodore Jones said the union would be fined $1 million for each day their 32,000 members are on strike. Of course the Local militancy and anger have their source in the steady growth of social inequality and the attacks on the living standards. According to the Local 100 TWU the reason for this bold move against the MTA involves "their attempt to roll back hard fought gains for working people. Everything from the 5 day work week, to the 8nhour work day, to every benefit like health insurance and pensions" Guess what commuters have no sympathy and just are worried about saving their own ass.

NYC Faces the Facts
I doesn't matter how I analysze this event and the players - it ain't going to be easy for New Yorkers, city employees and strikers. The media pressure will ready to explode constantly in a City where the Mayor Bloomberg owns a TV, Radio, Internet Channel and a lot more. Media is stacked against the TWU - THIS WON'T LAST . It is known among mundane astrologers that Saturn in Leo doesn't bode well for trade unions. Contingency plans are already being put in effect and yes that $1Million per day fine ain't going to help. Bloomberg who has a predominance of Fixed Air in his chart sometimes called too much hot air usually accomplishes his ends with (7)planets and chiron along with Sun and Moon all in Succedent signs that tend to ground energy and complete projects. So unlike a Giuliani (mutable Gemini) Bloomberg not only will ureg New Yorkers were to make arrangements to car pool, bicycle and walk to work, or change their schedules and work from home - it will get done. How do I know this? Well when we look below at the NYC Existence Chart we see a premominance of action oriented Cardinal fire signs to stimulate the people to go for it.

Using Bi-Wheel for NYC Existence Chart Inner and NYC Strike Commencement 12-20-05 for Outer Wheel



An Illegal Strike?
It should be noted that The Taylor Law, passed after the 1966 transit strike, specifically forbids any public union from going on strike. So the authorities including he MTA are correct in calling this strike illegal. The law is on the City's side as we are seeing the Libra/Aries symbolism glaringly evident. The MTA opposes Union (Workers) and everyone else gets in the crossfire. Reminded of the last lunation on 12-15-05 with Sun/Moon crossing the highly mobile and mental axis of Sag/Gem - Yes the swift messenger in speedy Sag. (ME@8Sag) and Ready to Rumble Pluto passionate, obsessed with winning as PL/SU combo oppesses MC of Strike ChartI. Chart ruler Venus in Aquarus (peoples rights) now conjunct Chiron is transiting the 4th House of the Existence Chart pictured above: the IC and 4th are known as the end of a matter the home and roots - so the wound has reached the people's senses and restricted their pleasure (Venus). The Sun at Midnight 12-20 is almost on the IC to push this showdown to a close.
I compared what I call the existence chart for the Five Bouroughs for January 1, 1898 at 0:01AM to today's strike time(s). TheMost obvious glaring thing was seeing the Nodes at 09Aries36 sitting right on the ASC/DSC lines: 09Libra36/Aries >Narcissism meets Destiny charged by opposing views with an active destiny - throw the Law at them. We will examine the existence chart below with loaded 3rd (short travel, messenger, transport neighborhoods)and (9th)(long distance journeys, forieign, judges)

The five boroughs come together.
FYI though the five boroughs were incorporated earlier on May 11, 1896 to time for today's strike and the implementation of the strike at 3:00AM.
In case you didn't know, I hope I am attracting readers from every region and hemisphere: The Five Boroughs is phrase used to denote the five boroughs of New York City. It is used to impartially refer to the city as a whole, as opposed to any particular borough or to the greater metropolitan area.
The five boroughs, alphabetically, are:

The Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island

Let's take another gander at this historic energy pattern when the disparte boroughs
were ready to function as a whole - taking the focus off the notable island of Manhattan: Downtown, Midtown and the Upper West and Upper East Sides.
So here we have a strike that does effect all Five Boroughs with most people needed to get to the island and back.

Astro Look at NYC Foundation: Saturn of course has a prominent role in all these Astro views - in the BiWheel above Saturn presides in the 10th in dramatic Leo and in the 3AM Wheels Grinding to a Halt chart SATURN is on the MC 10Leo making life tough for the leaders of the strike and the city including Daddy Warbucks Bloomberg.
NYC Existence Chart info. January 1, 1898 at 0:01AM
The ruling domain of the trasits systems around the world much less the MTA
is he 3rd House where Willpower (Sun @ 28Cap) together with Sex/Energy/Survival Mars/Venus together with a fierce independence faithful lovers of the Big Apple @29Sag. Sabians for this degree are alternately :"The Pope blessing the faithful." or "A man pores over an ancient book
of wisdom, whose sinous designs are outlined in jewels and gold leaf." These speak
of sacred curiousity that helps the denizens of NYC usually have an open and inventive attitude
when dealing with life - sometimes a tendency to the bizarre or whimsical. New Yorkers try to see the anamolies in life and communicate their sense of the unusual in statid terms (Merc/Capricorn). New Yorkers are some of the most curious people in the world but they prefer to stay in control creatures of habit who are conservative when dealing with their domicle (NNode in Capricorn conj. Mercury in 4th). With that ole quick to fight Aries Moon SQ their sense of conservative pride, they aren't going to deal with this strike of the underprivileged transit workers for long. DON'T EXPECT THIS STRIKE TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR 11 DAYS!
NYC Corp. Existence Chart