Stop Making Excuses

Station Officers are sending out an email telling us Station Agents that the layoffs were in a 2008 Budget Report. In 2008 our jobs were supposed to be reduced by attrition, not layoffs.

In 2008 they started closing the SCAs booth, reducing our Vac. Relief choices and cutting our lunch reliefs, nothing said we were facing layoffs. Walder wasn't President, yet.

Layoffs were put on the table in early 2009 in the Dooms Day Budget (It included more titles than Station Agents also). The Executive Board and other Officers/Activists went to Albany to Lobby for money to stop the layoffs. Layoffs were stopped!

Oh, ask the new officers how many of them went? They boycotted all TWU events then, including Lobby Day and the Special Lobby Day that averted layoffs.

Layoffs were not put back on the table until Dec. 8, 2009 (the day after the ballots were counted). Walder was the MTA President then.

TWU had a new President and Station had a new VP, Div. Chair, Div. Vice-Chair, and Div. Rec. Secy. All inexperienced.

It wasn't Station Agents only facing layoffs, until we were told we were getting the first 2 yrs of our Arbitrators Award.
Why are they once again lying to us?



-S. Booth-

Dues Dodgers and Election Losers Running the Union

That's who Samuelsen choose to put on Staff and place on release time so that they do not have to work for the MTA. Samuelsen believes in rewarding these types, and making them into heroes. Tells you what he thinks of the thousands who diligently paid their dues and kept the Union from being broken.


The first category is the individuals who could not qualify to even run in the elections who Samuelsen has given leadership positions to, to run the Union.

Marvin Holland (Stations) couldn’t run, he is "Director of Community Relations".
David Francis (TA Surface) tried to run but was disqualified - he is Chairman of the Elections Committee.
Jimmy Colon (OA) was disqualified; he is now our safety Representative.

The next category are the ones that ran but lost (who are now making leadership decisions for us).

Harry Wills (TA Surface) is 'Special Assistant to the President'. He ran twice for VP and got his behind handed to him by the members of TAS.
Richie Rivera (CED) also ran for VP twice and got beaten badly each time as the members rejected him. But he is now Director of Grievance and Discipline.
Lucas - elections committee.
Safety Committee members.

The third categories are the ones who were suspended from office for NOT paying their dues, who Samuelsen gave jobs and precious release time too.

That includes Carlos Albert (Track) who was placed in bad standing for three years for failing to pay his dues but who is now out on release time.

And the list goes on.

Double standards, promise one thing but do another, rewarding and praising bums - all from the book of John.

The Chief Proves Samuelsen Lies

The Chief, which is in love with John Samuelsen and, was virtually his campaign manager, estimated the attendance at the March 5th rally at 500.

John Samuelsen has a number of "over 3,000" on the Local 100 website.

The Chief forgets to point out that there were more students than Local 100 members in attendance.

It proves that, sadly, Samuelsen's mobilization was a failure, even in the face of layoffs, and secondly that he LIES.

A Dangerous Precedent has started again

For the last decade, management was not once allowed to get away with harassing TWU release time representatives. Not anymore. Lila Blair the only female doing safety inspections in the tunnels on the night tour for the last couple years, with never as much as a write up in her Transit career had to accept 'time served' in early March, instead of termination in order to save her job.


This write up by management was engineered and pushed by Samuelsen's representatives just to punish Ms Blair who they identified as being allied with the prior administration.
These people don't have a trace of trade unionism in their blood.

Here is what happened in a nut shell. Ms Blair, a stations department cleaner, had worked on the Track Safety inspections for almost two years as a TWU representative on full release time. When the new administration took over they decided to treat her with contempt, wouldn't give her any information and started locking her out of the 14th Street 8th Ave Union offices.

Without saying ONE word to her, Samuelsen and Utano told management that she was to return to her regular duties at the end of January. So management started carrying her AWOL after that since Samuelsen and Utano (according to management) insisted that Lila was informed to return - knowing full well that she had not been told a word.

In fact she spent many hours down at the Union hall trying to get any of the top officers to address her situation. She was left on her own. Management insisting that Samuelsen's administration had assured them that she was notified and was just ducking work, they were actually pushing for management to take action - management brought charges seeking her dismissal. She felt hopeless and agreed to 'time served' to keep her job!!

This has always been John Samuelsen's & Utano's M.O. They have always been management's preferred choices to head up Union affairs in MOW. In the track department most officers who didn't side with Samuelsen and his cronies were denied access to Committee meetings and decisions, or, ended up being brought up on charges by management mostly seeking their termination. He played ignorant while he systematically used management charges to punish his opponents.

Samuelsen is a phony trade unionist. He is a set-up artist

FUNNY MATH ?

   I went to the rally at MTA Public hearing last Thursday. I looked at the local's website over the weekend and they claimed there were 3 thousand members there.

   There were 3 thousand members there if you multiply the actual number by 5 or 6.There could have been if the current administration had the desire and the know how to organize and mobilize.

   They’ve shown they are good at lying and outrageous rumor-mongering. This is the reason that Samuelsen claims to offer an olive branch to the folks loyal to the last administration, he knows we can mobilize members.

   Samuelsen knows that a half to two-thirds of his forces is lazy and have no trade union ideals. Whole sections of the Local never saw a flyer for the rally or saw them just a day or two before it, or a night or two before. He talks of the need to stop infighting in the Local, that’s funny coming from the King of infighting. Samuelsen wants folks to not criticize his inactions or policies while he continues to bash the prior administration.

   Don’t fall for his soft-soap routine. If you feel wrong is being done use your democratic right to say it. Samuelsen wants us to get out there and organize the members for him. While we support efforts to mobilize the members, he's calling all the shots, and not opening up a discussion with the membership.

   His folks need to do the bulk of the lifting

   -A member from Track-

John Ducks the E-board

The latest news is that John Samuelsen ducked the last e-board meeting. That's right he was a no show.

   Well, as far as the real top two are concerned the e board is meaningless anyway. As was made clear at the meeting, (even Downs complained about this), the only decisions that count are the ones made by Samuelsen and Utano. They will allow the e board to go through the motions but it's obvious that they don't consider the e board very important.

   Meanwhile because the ring master was not there the e board took no action on the important issue of the MTA's continuing challenge to our arbitration award. Although a resolution regarding this was proposed it was killed by Samuelsen's mouthpiece, Larry Cary, the lawyer Samuelsen pays with our dues money to tell transit workers what to do.

   Also, word is that White Plains Bus is getting sold out! Stations are saying so, what else is new.

Rats Jumping Ship

   Former Samuelsen supporters, some who actually believed his campaign BS about "militant direct action", are already jumping ship.


   Can Downs and Harrington be far behind, or will they wait until he really betrays them by selling out RTO?

   That's right; Samuelsen and Utano are getting ready to sell out RTO.

   Downs and Harrington will either have to help Samuelsen and Utano get away with this or come out against it.

    -proudCTA-

Goodbye Stations

   There is more and more evidence that John Samuelsen and Tony Utano have cut a deal with their buddy Walder to sell out Stations!


   While you are slaving in the booths and platforms wondering if you'll have a job tomorrow John and Tony are sipping champagne with Walder, Pendergast, and the other big shots, laughing about how you are going to get the business.

   The first sign of proof that John and Tony don't give a damn about Stations was when they let inexperienced incompetent individuals run for the leadership of Stations. John and Tony didn't care if these leaders couldn’t do the most basic things to protect the members, because John and Tony are setting them up to take the blame when they sell out of Stations!

   The second sign was when Lawson was dumped after just 1 week. She betrayed the leadership that she ran with before and instead worked closely with management to get Stations votes for Samuelsen's slate. John showed his gratitude, and revealed his disregard for Stations, when he dumped her as soon as he had no more use for her.

   Now, after the election, he has no more use for the rest of Stations, you are already finding that out. Stations is first to be singled out for management attack and you are alone, with a department leadership that's clueless and a top leadership that doesn't care.

   Samuelsen and Utano have already sold you out!

       -MOWorker86-
 

Different Set of Rules

Different Set of Rules


I'm outraged to hear that Samuelsen shut down the union hall when it snowed.

Although Samuelsen and Utano, who are both from MoW, may not know the rules for RTO, busses, stations and CED they do know that the

MoW rule is if you don't come to work when it snows you don't get paid. But I guess John and Tony figure that now that they are union big shots these rules don't apply to them - they only apply to lowly transit workers.

While transit workers across the system were suffering in the snow John and his cronies were tucked up warm and comfy.

It looks like Samuelsen and company now consider themselves to be above the average TA worker and that there's one set of rules for union officials and another set of rules for union members.

WHY US ?

Why is it us the station agents who are paying the price with our jobs?

What deal did Samuelsen do behind closed doors with Walder? What have we done to deserve this?

   We thought change was coming but all we got were LIES and HOT AIR. Where are the rallies we were promised, the direct action? Why is John hobnobbing with the Politicians in Washington, Albany, and in the press, instead of mobilizing the membership?

  We have been fooled by John with all his promises and now we will pay the price.
   Remember today its Station Agents, tomorrow it’s the Bus Drivers with Regional Bus or RTO with OPTO.
   How is it possible that within 2 months John Samuelsen could make this Union so Weak?

          Good luck to us all.

MIke S.

Samuelsens New Breed of Second Class Citizens

   Samuelsen intentionally put his TBOU supporters on T.A. release time knowing he wouldn’t pay the same for leftover staff.


   The fix was in, now his cronies have received a raise via the Transit Payroll while the hold over’s get no contractual raise (the one they fought for).

   It’s easy to see Samuelsen has taken a page out of the New York City’s Transit Chair Walders book, and has become the first TWU Local 100 President to institute a two tier system. While pretending to be diverse Samuelsen shows his version of Plantation Justice.

   This is a sign of things to come, such as giving up certain titles so others can prosper, OPTO, and most importantly allowing the Station Agents to pay the ultimate price so he can blame it on a change to the Lay-off clause (that he fully supported)

   Take a look at the 2002 contract (the booklet version), Job Security is on page 11 and John Samuelsens signature is on pages 51, 52, and 53.

-proudCTA-

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.