It’s an ominous warning for millions of Metropolitan Transit Authority bus and subway riders: a blatant expression of frustration from the Transport Workers Union Local 100 in the form of a ‘day of outrage.’

The fear, based on an anonymous text message circulating among bus drivers is that the rallying call goes beyond Wednesday’s planned protests in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and could signal a secret, coded order for union operators to carry out an orchestrated bus and subway slowdown. That kind of job action is illegal under state law, and the TWU was punished for similar tactics during the grueling 2005 Christmas week strike.

The TWU has denied reports that text messages urging just such a slowdown originated with the union.

This time around, the union is trying to persuade the MTA to honor an arbitration panel’s summer ruling that awarded workers’ raises of 11-percent over the next three years.

“This time we followed the rules. This time we did exactly what they said we should do,” said acting TWU Local 100 President Curtis Tate. “And what did they do? Because they didn’t like the way it turned out, they want a do over. You don’t get do overs.”

The TWU, which is backing Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, has criticized Mayor Bloomberg and the MTA, which argues it shouldn’t be forced to pay higher labor costs during tough economic times.

If past actions taken by the TWA are any indication, millions of New Yorkers could face a day of transit headaches.

(Source: WCBSTV / YWN-112)