No Comment for the Chief

Samuelsen and Co. were in the Chief every week updating the members with the State of our Union according to them.

They rallied for Sexton from Private Lines to get his job back, in the Chief.

They wanted us to believe Pollard was victimized, in the Chief.

They announced their run for elections, in the Chief.

They attacked the past Administration (that stopped the layoffs), in the Chief.

They spoke against the Arbitrator's Award, in the Chief.

In the past year if you looked at that paper you could not have missed Samuelsen and Co. getting ink in the Chief.

Now that layoffs, service cuts, and who knows what else is coming
they are avoiding the Chief.

It's Going to be a Rough Few Years for Stations

   It's no wonder that reports are that the layoffs and other MTA attacks will hit the Stations department hard. The Stations department is the weakest in the union.

   Stations now has inexperienced and clueless officers who have no idea what they're doing and at the top there is a leadership team of Samuelsen and Utano.

   Samuelsen and Utano only care about MOW and don't give a damn about Stations. It's going to be a rough few years for Stations.

A Leadership that Can vs. A Leadership that Can't

   Last year the MTA proposed 1100 layoffs, station agents were threatened. At that time our unions leadership did what was needed to save these jobs and the MTA was forced to shelve its layoff plan, saying instead that any staff reductions would be by attrition only.


   Now with a new TWU 100 leadership, a leadership that the bosses don’t respect, the MTA reversed itself and abandoned the staff reductions by attrition plan and revived the layoff plan. So far all the new Local 100 leadership has done about this is cry and blame the old leadership; the leadership that stopped the layoffs in the first place. It looks like there is a difference in leadership style between the two, a leadership that can vs. a leadership that can't and then tries to blame others for its own failures.

   Samuelsen's crying, rather than fighting, and his stupid anti union statements have weakened the new leadership’s position that is unless some sell out deal was already cut behind members backs in those secret meetings with Walder.

   It's looking like with his big mouth and his incompetence, Samuelsen has painted himself in a corner, or maybe he has negotiated a sellout behind our backs, either way he has proven that he's not fit to lead.

   Samuelsen, either admit that your powerless to stop the layoffs or tell us what you gave away behind our backs.

-MOWorker86-

Where are the Station Officers?

   Station Agents have starting receiving notices from the MTA preparing them for their layoff.

   They are reaching out to anyone who will listen for help, because they don't know who to call.

   They have received forms they must fill out and return by a specific date, but no one to explain these forms to them.

   They can't believe this is happening, why because those that are in office can't believe it either.

   Word is there are 4 officers that received letters, I bet now they believe it.

   Station Agents want to know, where are Station Officers?

   Why are they not answering their phones, could it be they can't answer calls if no one has the number to call?

   Are you guys working on saving the 450 Station Agents or are you working out a deal to save just the 4 that are Station Officers?

Where's the tough talking militant now?

   The bosses are on the attack and more and more members, even people who voted for TBOU, are saying, "Samuelsen and his crew are weak". It looks like the MTA thinks that too. The MTA thinks our new union "leader" is so soft that they didn't even bother to inform him about their plan for layoffs. In a few news reports Samuelsen has admitted this.
   Disrespect for the union is happening all over though, not just at the top. Ever since the departure of a leadership that the MTA respected and feared they have been acting as if there is no union at all, this last show of disrespect for Samuelsen is just more of what's been going on all over and proves that it's coming right from the top.
   The MTA is laughing at John's former tough talk, they think it was so phony and such a joke that they didn't even bother to tell him that they plan to can thousands of folks he represents.
   How are we supposed to fight back against this? There is no mass membership meeting, there are no rallies, there's not even a flyer! Where's the tough talking militant now?

Phantom Mass Membership meeting

Hey John, what about the raise this October? You didn’t mention that or the raise next year.

Isn’t that the one the TA wanted?

Stop playing games with member’s lives and tell us what kind of deal you already cut.

John you should deal with the removal of booths, ridiculous bus schedules, and the layoffs that are looming but don’t insult us by leaving out the rest of the contract.

Talk to us not the media.

Maybe we will hear about it at the Phantom Mass Membership meeting?

-TBA-

No Free Ride

We need to support the fight of students to save their free passes.This is part of the fight against the powers that put the cost and omus of the economic crisis (that they caused) onto the backs of the working class.

 We need fight against this and defeat it.
  How is John Samuelson going to get us our free universal pass for Metro North and the Long Island Railroad as well as our free Easy Pass if they take the free passes from the students.
Con Man Samuelson promised this during the Election campaign fully knowing it was highly unlikely we could get this.

-light maintainer-

'DEAR JOHN'

FROM THE TWU LOCAL 100 WEBSITE:
There is no February 27 Mass Membership Meeting.The 2010 Mass Membership Meeting will be held later this year.

WHAT!!! Why John? Why?

Don’t we deserve an Explanation?

Your quiet on the contract, you won't come in the field, you have rigged elections, CLOSED THE HALL FOR A SNOW DAY, and now we can't speak at the Mass Membership meeting.

This is the earliest "Dear John letter" (it's over letter) that I have ever seen from any administration.
Your right hand man Steve Downs has sent out emails claiming this is bylaw violation (of course not when you do it).

If you don't know what your doing you better ask for help because we (the members) are not going away.

We don't want to hear about last years Family Day, we want to hear about this years contract.

FOCUS and get to work.

-proudCTA-

Interesting that so much energy (and members dues) is being spent on John Samulsen's face and name recognition inside and out of Local 100. This local president of little notoriety and even less accomplishment hangs around with politicians who have made their careers bashing the MTA but were never successful in changing the culture. These politicians call themselves the "Ever Expanding Coalition of Concerned Politicians" or something like that. They really should call themselves the "Ever Expanding Coalition of Bloomberg's Bought Off Bureaucrats". All they are good for is press conferences and Samuelsen stands dead center. Samuelsen keeps his silence when it comes to our raises and retro but when it comes to self promotion he's vocal as hell. Don't let him off the hook! When he shows to your location, demand that he tell you when will we get our contract.

Stations Surrenders

Every time you bring up issues in Station Department with the VP and Div. Chair their response is we have a deal worked out with management.

I always thought the only way a deal is made is when both parties agree.

Jenkins what have you told management they can have?

Is it more booth closing?

As Echavarria said at his first Division meeting we would have more booths closed so we better get used to it.

Or is it that you won't fight the layoffs coming?

You guys said the last bunch of officers were too buddy, buddy with management. Well, you just jumped into the seats that they warmed up.

You have no clue, no idea, and definitely no plan.

Do you see what management has planned? I do, they work out deals with you because Management's plan is to fatten up their pigs before the slaughter.

-Station Booth-

BEWARE UNBORN

What does John have to hide? What secret deals did he make with Walder?

Rumor has it that he's already made a deal to sell out the new hires, what will it be?

A stretch out of the wage progression?

Two tier wages?

A tier 5 pension?

Stay tuned to see if John has sold out one or more of these, or if there are even more sellouts besides these.

If you have friends or relatives who are thinking of coming to Transit tell them to try and get in fast before the Samulsen crew sells their job out!

-one2watch-

The Master of self promotion

John said our union didn't need a professional media relations firm, and, as far as he's concerned he was right!

He's doing a great job of self promotion all by himself!
He's turning our union's website into another chance for him to get photo ops.
Go to the Local 100 website and the first thing you see is John's face but not much more then that because his empty quotes and inane comments are an even bigger embarrassment then his photo.

Members should check it out if they want a good laugh, unfortunately, management is laughing at this clown too!

-proudCTA-

IT TAKES TWO BABY

It looks like Izzy Rivera, Benita Johnson, Angel Giboyeaux, have all been shelved!


There are now only two votes that count in our union, Samulsen's and Utano's. The real leadership is this "top two". The members elected Izzy, Benita and Angel, but Samulsen has bypassed them and handpicked Tony Utano as his number two.

Samulsen and Utano are having high level meetings without Izzy, Benita and Angel even being told, let alone consulted.

Samulsen and Utano are calling all the shots and making all the decisions, Izzy, Benita and Angel have nothing to say, at least nothing that John and Tony think they have to listen to.

-MOWorker86-

QUIET LEE

   Lee Ireland you are being very quiet. We the membership received so much literature from you when you were campaigning, where's the information now that you are elected.

   Lee Ireland you wrote in your newsletter and I quote, because I saved them all .....”There should be a membership clause in the TWU Local 100 bylaw book that prevents the President from offering and the Executive Board Members from accepting Union Staff Positions. It is a total CONFLICT OF INTEREST and it is CORRUPTING OUR UNION. I love and support our Union, but I also want to fix what is WRONG.”

  Lee have you typed up this motion to present to the President and the Executive Board yet?

  Lee you also wrote and I quote again.....”The Executive Board Members (always a minority) that would like to report to their respective divisions before they vote are not given the opportunity to do so. This is because they don't find out what they're voting on until the day of the Executive Board Meeting with the President”.

  Lee, have you typed up this motion to present to the President and the Executive Board yet?

  Lee, you said you had a bad dream and now you woke up. I say now that you are woke and elected.... step up, man up and speak up. We haven't heard from you.

 -itsoverin2012-

Watch your Back around John

   Some of us have been meeting. We hear others have and are talking about what has been going on at the hall concerning the Local; a lot of it is about the things that were said by John Samuelsen at the last meeting of our Executive Board. Especially the things that he set other people up to say.


   They made the atmosphere rotten, filled with suspicion he made ugly allegations and half allegations. Next thing you know, within a few days of the meeting, that’s what ends up in the News papers and even the TV. Making Local 100 look like s---t.

   Now, John has told some people that it was Izzy Rivera behind it, not him, but that’s not what we heard at the Executive Board with our own ears. “It wasn’t me” is as lame as it gets. Anyway he is the president, it’s his watch, that’s where the buck stops and he should own up to it if he hopes to have anyone’s trust and respect. Otherwise everyone should watch their backs around him.

Ex Board Member

Samuelsen: Spotted In the ‘President Protection Program

Finally! After a month Samuelsen finally scheduled a Staff meeting. This was his opportunity to look everyone in the eye and make us believe. And what did he do? He played hooky. He was a no show. He had more important things to do.


You see everyone knows that all the talk in the news about unity, about being fair and about how being tolerant of people that don’t see things his way is a allot of baloney. People being fired for no apparent reason other than they were on some blacklist he had.

His “security” has been monitoring staff – even elected officers, people have been followed around the hall and phones and computers are being monitored. In fact Samuelsen’s own people have admitted this.

Now we hear that he ran from holding a mass membership meeting. He has better things to do than meet with the staff serving the members. But he never misses a photo op.

NO SERVICE !!!

I am a cleaner who works nights.
I had some static from a supervisor who wasn't my usual supervisor, a week and a half ago.
I called 66-3578 and 66-3580 expecting to reach the union (I have called these numbers a few times over the last few years). I’ve also passed them on to several co-workers who have called them.
When in the past we called someone from the union someone has always answered, given us advice and information sometimes they have come out into the field to deal with supervision.
This time, there was no answer, of course. I’m aware there has been a change in the union but I thought it wouldn't affect the level of service we're use to getting.
I guess I thought wrong. My curiosity got to me so I've called once or twice a night since and no one answers.
With the Samuelsen crowd in power is stuff like this going to be par for the course?
May the good Lord will help us to get through these three years.

A night CTA

Amnesty for all

Samuelsen has given all members in bad standing unofficial amnesty.


1. He hires staff that could not run for top office because they didn’t pay their dues.

(Francis has been appointed the new chair of the election committee, and Marvin Holland is now political director)

2. He stopped all dues checking at all special events and division meetings at the hall, allowing all non dues paying members complete access to our Union Hall.

3. Now has the AM NY reporter quote non dues paying members (Norman Pou) in the story that bashes the union see article in the Feb. 10th edition.
What’s next?

-itsoverin2012-

Missing in action

Sure we have heard Samuelsen on the radio. He has even showed up at a couple of division meetings, but, what about the field?


Samuelsen has had press conferences and spoke at events yet not visited any locations.

Could it be he is scared of the members or is it simply that we don’t matter to him?

Last year we saw rallies upon rallies about our contract, plenty of media coverage, and the pressure was on “WHAT HAPPENED”? Why are we not doing this?

John if you can’t rally all of TWU maybe you can bring your followers (paid staff) and fight for the members instead of some prior administration.

-proudCTA-

Samulsen and company are in an 'email panic'!

They're so afraid of any discussion of issues affecting our union that they are trying to disrupt and silence this discussion by various fraudulent means.


This just follows up on the illegal electronic snooping and spamming that Samulsen and company have been doing. In fact, word from the hall is specific assignments have been given out along these lines.

It seems that Samuelsen, "Mr. trade union democrat", wants to decide what democratic discussion to allow and what to disrupt. All this comes at the same time that he is trying to silence elected officers who didn't run with his team by shutting them out of meetings and making deals behind their backs.

That's "democracy", Samuelsen style!

_MOWorker86-

Job Fair?

Besides rewarding non dues payers, and taking up space by non TWU members the MLK event was a job fair. Attended by every do nothing parasite who came around to sniff for a job.

Who will save us from the likes of this?

-MOWorker86-

Aiding and Abetting Anti Union Attacks

  How can one figure that certain elements in our union are helping the anti labor press attack our union. It all could be a set up, an excuse to abandon all of the new programs that benefit the majority of the members.

   After all, organizing and pulling off these events takes real work and we already know that's something that folks around the hall no longer think that they have to do.


   Think of it, the more spent on members the less they have to spend on themselves!

   Spending the money on the members. This must be a novel idea to these people.

Seriously speaking aiding and abetting anti union attacks is a threat to our union and to the entire labor movement, this has got to be stopped, fast!

-MOWorker86-

The Gospel according to John: “BOYCOTT”

Who will deny that a boycott of Family Day was organized by various individuals who actively told members to NOT attend Family Day.

This was consistent with their behavior on the Dues, Track safety, mobilizations, etc

                                              ACTIVE BOYCOTT

Their thinking is that anything that hurts Local 100 and makes the Union look bad hurts the administration.

These same characters are now asking members to believe that they are interested in uniting our Union.

Why Attack Family Day? Why Drag Local 100 through the mud?

Before 2001 we didn’t have a Family day each year at Local 100.

We also did not have: Dr. Martin Luther King Day; Black History Month celebration; Women’s Day; Irish (Quill Connelly) Day; Veteran’s Day; Lobby Day; Hispanic Day: Indian Day; West Indian American Day Parade; African American Day Parade; Italian Day; Russian Day; Widows &Orphans Fundraiser; Annual Mass Membership meetings etc…

Also, we did not have a Child Care Fund; a Training & Upgrade Fund or a Membership Services Department.

All of these help connect the members to Local 100.

Somewhere among these choices is something that works for most members and this wasn’t there before.

That’s a good thing.

So why is Samuelsen taking aim at membership events to push his personal agenda?