Got subway anger? Aim it at the unions

New Yorkers all know that feeling of standing on the subway platform and waiting for a train that comes too late, or not at all. As subway problems have continued to plague the city, it’s no surprise that more riders have gotten sick of the delays and vented their outrage at the MTA.

But when your train breaks down, don’t just blame the bureaucracy — blame the union construction bosses that helped cripple New York’s subways with selfish labor deals that have taken billions of dollars away from muchneeded repairs.

And don’t stop there. Tell politicians from City Hall to Albany that it’s time to step up and support mass transit by combating the crony capitalism that has enriched union bigwigs at the expense of everyday residents and commuters, including their very own workers.

The sad fact is that too many of New York’s elected officials have swept these issues under the rug because of their unwillingness to challenge politically connected labor leaders. It needs to stop now.

Despite the strident rhetoric to the contrary you’re sure to hear from union leaders, holding union bosses accountable doesn’t mean hurting workers; it’s actually quite the opposite. It’s about ensuring fairness for the millions of New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of union members and their families, who rely on the subway system to get to and from work every single day.

The facts about subway capital spending finally became clearer following a recent bombshell New York Times report revealing that this city is home to the world’s most expensive track: $3.5 billion per mile bringing the Long Island Rail Road to the East Side of Manhattan.

The investigative report showed that senseless labor agreements and archaic work rules have resulted in transit construction costs up to seven times the worldwide average.

For example, an MTA project budgeted 900 workers for a job that apparently needed only around 700. Those unneeded 200 workers were pocketing an absurdly high rate of around $1,000 per day.

As the story noted — and as many in the construction industry have known for years — these mind-numbing situations are the result of negotiations between union business agents and construction companies that work on MTA infrastructure. The labor deals include comically strange rules, like requirements for “nippers” to watch items being moved from one place to another, as well as inflated wages.

This all adds up to extra taxpayer money for the union-connected insiders and less money for crucial mass transit repairs and upgrades all across the city. As the labor checks get fatter, the urgent need to fix the trains and tracks gets increasingly crowded out.

Indeed, how can politicians demand billions upon billions of additional taxpayer dollars for our “starved” subway system when they’ve presided over such waste?

It’s important to know that the union bosses who’ve taken advantage of these sweet deals wouldn’t have this power in the first place if state elected officials didn’t restrict the bidding process through arbitrary project labor agreements that make it virtually impossible for nonunion firms and workers like those I represent to get a fair shot at the work.

As history shows, when politically connected groups cut out all competition, they’re doing it for profit.

What’s especially laughable is the claim by some of the state’s highest-paid construction bosses that these labor deals are absolutely necessary to protect their workers. The Times report showed that safety rationale to be completely false, since construction safety incidents on recent local subway projects took place at a much higher rate than the national average.

But amid all the grievances aired by straphangers and advocates following this landmark investigative report, we’ve heard precious little from elected officials like Gov. Cuomo, who have claimed to be so committed to fixing the subways. From the City Council to the state Legislature, the silence is deafening.

If they won’t speak truth to power, the people must.