John and Tony Rob the members

   I had heard that the Samuelsen / Utano gang was planning to raise the dues by $5.00 over each pay period but I was wrong! It’s even worse than that!


   The Samuelsen Utano gang is planning to increase the bi- weekly dues by $10.00!

   That’s $20.00 more per month that those of us who are still working will have to pay.

   These thieves have no shame - First they let members get laid off and then they rob the ones that are still left!

   I wonder if Izzy Rivera, who is supposed to be the number 2, the money man, was even consulted about this - probably not.

   Like everything else this was probably a scheme cooked up by Samuelsen and Utano alone.



     Stop these crooks!   Stop the dues increase!   Call the Police, FBI, or whoever will help!

John Gets Bashed Again

   Someone recently came up with a great idea for a cartoon that sums up the reality of what is going down at TWU Local 100. I wish I had the skill to draw it up but I don't - maybe somebody who can draw can produce it and get it around widely. Anyway please forward this message to as many of your contacts as possible!

Frame 1: Samuelsen and Walder are facing each other. Samulsen has a hammer on his shoulder Walder says, "Hand me that hammer John."

Frame 2: Walder takes the hammer and uses it to bash Samulsen over the head. Birds, stars etc. fly around Samusen's head.

Frame 3: Walder hands the hammer back to Samulsen and says, "Hold this for me until I need it again John."


-proudCTA-

Where's the Compassion?

An email was sent out that a Hotline was setup for those who are laid off to call for updates. They call it the Help Desk. This is supposed to be in place for you to get a compassionate human being to answer your questions/concerns.


That is if you anyone answers the phone, which they don’t, I know because I have called it.

The person answering the Hotline extension is Sabrina Greenwood.

She is a reclassified Station Supervisor who wrote up Brothers and Sisters in the Station Department. She was sent back because an Agent wrote her up.

At the Special Meetings for those facing layoffs and at the Station Div. Meetings she is very rude and nasty. She still has that management way of dealing with us.

Samuelsen, you were at that Special Meeting when she got into the verbal fight with a member facing lay off. It would have been physical had security not stepped in.

You need to look into getting someone else for that job.

Members in Station Department are outraged about your choice.

S/A in Good Standings

LIFT UP YOUR VOICES

It’s been 5 months and all I have seen is the MTA taking, taking, and taking.


The new Leadership first put the blame on Roger, now it’s the rank and file's fault for not getting involved in the fight.

First of all Samuelsen never put up a fight. Where is that militancy that Samuelsen said they were going to bring?

TBOU stood for Take Back Our Union didn't it?

The MTA is the one that has Taken Back Our Union.

-They took back 266 jobs from our members (layoffs and more to come)

-STEP graduates stopped from advancing to skilled titles they were trained to do (at the MTAs expense).

-The backbone of the elected Officers (if they ever had any)

NEWS FLASH ---- Samuelsen, you are are supposed to represent the Rank and File.

We, as the Rank and File have to decide how much more we are going to let the MTA take back.

The new administration obviously doesn’t give a damn.

If they are not bringing the information to us then let’s go and get it from them.

It’s time we remember we as the Rank and File voted them in as a voice for us, but it's the Rank and File that lets them know what we need and what we want.



Ex-TBOU Supporter

COURT CASE WON, NOW WHAT

The judge has ruled in the favor of Local 100, now what does Samuelsen do?

In our most recent court case Local 100 has a win but how do we get our members back and stop the rest of the layoffs.

By the way this should have been presented to a judge as soon as transit mentioned layoffs.

Last week Samuelsen called a special meeting for ideas because he doesn't have a clue about the next step.

Don't be surprised if our members don't return, Samuelsen knows these are not his supporters and if there is one thing he does work hard at its punishing the members that don't agree with him.

Why wasn't there a meeting called inviting all of the members that were laid off?

Samuelsen should spend some time explaining what was going on and what the next step is for them.

Here's an idea for you Samuelsen, instead of collecting resumes for some non-existing green jobs how about establishing a hot line for laid off members or members that are in jobs are being threatened.

ONE STEP BACKWARDS

First of all congratulations to all of the step participants who completed the 6 month STEP program.


I am embarrassed to be part of a union that would take such a giant step backwards,

Samuelsen has not made any secret of the fact that he wants to end any program the prior administration created, but to purposely send the STEP graduates back to their old titles is an attack on the entire membership.

There has never been a STEP class that didn't go directly into the apprenticeship program, until now.

If you calculate the cost of going back to their old titles it is more costly to Transit.
In the titles of Bus Operator or Train Operator there will always be built in overtime unlike the title of apprentice where there is virtually none.

Where is the cost savings?

Transit wasn't hiring anyone to replace them.

Where is the fight or even the argument to have these members move on?

Tony Utano and John Samuelsen never wanted any apprentices in MOW and they are now spear heading this attack.

TAKE IT UP WITH YOUR UNION

   Today I got an email from Local 100. The title of it is called the "Union stops clock on booth closings".     When I opened it the title of the article was "The layoff of 475 temporarily Halted". I am one of the agents that will be made extra when the clock starts again on the booth closings. Keeping us in the booths should have been settled at 2 Bway. Why did it take the going to court?
   Why did it take the MTA disrespecting our pick rights to temporarily stop the layoffs? The MTA is walking all over us. When Supervision called us and told us you are being made extra as of May 7 we were shocked. The biggest shock was when we said "we have pick rights and you can't make me extra" the Supervisor replied “take it up with your union".
   Those of us that still had some faith in the union called them. Their reply was managements rights is how they were able to make us extra, not only extra, the bottom of the list extra. I am glad I got a few more days to mentally prepare myself for being extra, because of the court injunction.
   If Samuelsen pulls off us staying in our picked job until the pick changes, you better wonder what he gave up.

   I wouldn't be surprised if he comes and asks us to give up something just to stay in our jobs.



     -Violated SCA-

“SHIP OF FOOLS”

   John Samuelsen has proven to be a wooden leader. He has no idea how to run and move Local 100 forward. He leaves his staff in the dark thus we the membership have no idea what the union is doing.
   We read about our union in the daily newspapers instead of elected officials coming out into the field updating us. Our union has become the new ship of fools run by Captain Ahab in search of the elusive white whale.

   Averting the layoffs of station agents at this stage of the game is a sad commentary on where Local 100 is at.
   A year ago we were at the vanguard of the labor movement in the city and nationally. Now we are wusses who have let the MTA punk us, to the highest level of punk - ability. John and his men ( Utano, Jenkins) who stare menacingly at the MTA as though the MTA were goats need to quit and turn the Local over to the members so that we can vote people in who know how to lead us in these turbulent times.
   We need some kick ass leadership not kiss ass leadership!

And for my Next Trick

   I can’t believe we’re going through this. This week I had the talk with my family about the layoffs definitely going through. Now in the last moment we are told it is going to be held off.


   Don’t get me wrong I thank god for this but I don’t like to have my life played with. Samuelsen has performed like a deer stuck in the headlights and now layoffs are averted? I saw the look on his face at Monday’s meeting and he couldn’t have known the layoffs would be averted, unless he is the world’s biggest liar.

   I just hope we weren’t used as pawns so he could look good giving back our contract, again let me say I am grateful to be keeping my job but I will be looking elsewhere until I am satisfied my job is safe.

   I am hearing through the grapevine that Toussaint made some phone calls, if that is true bless you Roger,  and Samuelsen should thank you too.

       -Thankful S/A

John Samuelsen, MoW VP Tony Utano and Track Division Chair Jack Blazejewicz give back Saturday Sunday rdo’s in MoW.

   Before John and his cronies took office the former administration under Roger Toussaint, implemented a pilot program which gave track workers in Capital Construction the opportunity have Saturday and Sunday off for the first time in 15 years. Not only did they get that, they also got a 4 day work week, with built in over time.
   Imagine if you could get Saturday and Sunday off after 15 years of having to use your vacation time just for a weekend with your family. Now that’s not only what they gave up.
   The pilot program went like this, sat/sun rdo’s every six weeks, 3 rdo’s every week and 8 hours of bonus pay every pay period. That’s 1 rdo day extra every week = 52 days off extra every year, that’s 8 hours pay for every pay period = 26 pay periods at your rate of pay, example 8 hours x $26.00 = $208.00 which means $208.00 x 26 pay periods = $5,408.00 on average for every member in the pilot program.
   This is what John, Tony and Jack gave up without a fight and without even going to the members and asking for their opinions?


So now the question is what else have they given up.

Where is our 2010 raise from the contract and where’s the refund from the 1.5?

-MoWatcher

Quiet on Layoffs

   Why are the elected officers treating the proposed layoffs like it's a pink elephant in the room? We know that they are there, yet Samuelson and Company's chooses to ignore them.

   I guess when you have no plans or are too afraid to fight that’s what you do.
   They are still set for May 7, 2010 unless someone heard otherwise. Last I read Walder said "there are more layoffs to come". Sounds like they are going to happen.

   On Apr.22, 2010 there was an Executive Board meeting and no discussions about the layoffs. There was also Station's Division Meeting. The Vice President, Div. Chair and the Div. Recording Secretary felt it was more important to ALL be at the Executive Board Meeting and not the AM meeting.
   Instead of dealing with the issue of layoffs they chose to avoid the questions that the members of Station needed answers too.
   I guess it was more important for Samuelsen to get their vote to push his agenda.

   This was a crucial meeting especially with the proposed layoffs being 2 weeks away.
  
I wonder how many of them put in for vacation the week of May 7th or requested that day off. Seems to me that Local 100's Officers priorities are screwed up.

-A Concerned Member-

Silence is Golden?

    On May 5, 2009 Steve ''Rank and File' Downs wrote an E-mail which went out widely. In the e-mail he called the rally on April 24, 2009 with 2,500 Local 100 members a sign of weakness. He called for a Joint-Executive Board Meeting to deal with the critical situation facing the local. Steve called for enforcing all Safety and operating rules to put pressure on Management. Like any self-respecting T.B.O.U. member he had a lot to say last spring and also like any self-respecting T.B.O.U. member he had nothing to do with mobilizing the membership or participating in last spring’s successful fight against layoffs.
    Now this spring he's pretty quiet. The local has had only one rally so far with just 500 members; he doesn't call this a sign of weakness. Steve doesn't call for a joint Executive Board meeting. The Local comes out with virtually no information to the members, the' Working Class Hero' sees nothing wrong with this. He doesn't call for enforcing all Safety and Operating rules; on the Safety rules he must know that Tony Utano, the defacto Number Two Officer in the local has told officers not to stop unsafe jobs. What gives? Is the Rank and File persona just phony shtick to discard when you're in with the Top Officers?


- A Member from Track-

More Questions for Samuelsen

1)Why is the MTA being allowed to divide us by witholding the Retro $ from MTA Bus?


2) Why was the 1.5% on overtime taken OUT of the Retro checks?

3) Why go along with the MTA to break up the Arbitration Award and withold the 3rd yr raise and the 1.5% cap?

4) What other agreements or understandings did you reach with Walder that we don't know about?

5)Why was the Mass Membership meeting cancelled?

6) Why was the Lobby day in Albany cancelled this year?

7) When was the last Layoffs in NYC transit?

8) How are your travels going? Can you be reached by e mail or twitter?

Lilla Blair Keep your head up

    I read the letters to the Chief by Paul Piazza and Joe Bermudez defending their incompetence as officers. I wonder if they got the ok from the President (if they found him) to respond. Blair continue to be there for the members.

    Bermudez could never gain the support of the CTAs that you have. He has to mouth off because he will forever have to prove himself to TBOU. Joe we remember you ran with United Invincible and so do Jenkins and Co.
   Piazza can only write his anger down on paper because he has no fight in him. That is why he is asking you to help him fight the MTA. The ink used to write the letter to the Chief could have been used to write about Walder. Instead he chooses to write about a member. They should have attacked the MTA as quickly as they attacked you.
    Blair, they put their foot in their mouths. They admitted you were targeted because in Joe's words "it is in the best interests of the members to support the president of the union".
    Regardless of who you support continue to be there for the members. Blair, Station department needs more Activists like you.
    Piazza is right about one thing Union jobs are not a lifetime positions or an entitlement. He will find out soon enough.

    -CTA from 4th Ave Refuse-

Questions for Samuelsen

Can someone help me understand why Samuelson is afraid to face the Rank and File? The same Rank and File that he says voted him in to office.


We are in the fight of our lives right now and yet he has not told us a plan of attack.

When are we going to attack Walder?

Why are we not putting Walder on the hot seat about why he left London?

Who stands to gain something by laying off Station Agents?

Is it Walder  investing in the same technology that they had in London so he can replace Station Agents and Conductors?

John when are the members going to be led by their President and the rest of the Officers.

I know we can't do anything that breaks the Taylor Law. I would like to know when are we going to do something to show our Outrage.

4th Avenue Cleaner

The Low Downs

   I just got a message from Steve Downs, T/O division chair. He basically is informing us of the latest procedures that the TA wants to implement about how we can use the OTO time we earn. In other words Downs is letting the TA act unilaterally to implement changes in the conditions of employment. The TA bosses are ignoring the arbitration award, the court and the law and all Downs can do is pass along the message about what the bosses want to do!

   I guess this is the role that the TA sees for union reps, making sure the members are told what the TA bosses want them to do!
Could it be that Downs is really so incompetent that he doesn’t understand the dangerous precedents being set, or is he just a sellout and an agent of the bosses?

   It’s anybodies guess why Downs’s does (or doesn’t do) what he does, but one thing is for sure, Steve Downs may be a lousy division chair but he sure is a good messenger boy!
 
     -An Angry Train Operator-

Samuelsen's Day

   It seems that MTA Bus VP John Day picked a fight with the bosses and got slaped down. The incompetent Day tangled with the bosses over a heavy inspection program being done at the ENY depot.    

   The end result was that 50 TWU jobs were lost and the job is now being done by outside contractors!

   I guess this is an example how Samuelsen and company will make good on their promises to protect our jobs!

An Angry Bus Maintainer

Utano Bombshell

   To be, "Hoist on your own petard", is an old fashion expression that means you were blown up by your own bomb. This seems to be what happened to Samuelsen, except that instead of blowing himself up he blew up his number two, Tony Utano. It looks like Samuelsen is inept at anything except campaigning.

   Unbelievable as it seems, Samulesen asked the Department of Labor to investigate Local 100, that's right, he ratted to the Feds on his own union! Samuelsen hoped to find some dirt on his political enemies, but instead what the Feds found was that Samuelsen's chief advisor, Tony Utano, was ineligible to run for VP of MoW because of dues problems.
   Now many members want to see this illegitimate VP removed as quickly as possible! Anyway, seeing as how Samuelsen's latest scheme has backfired he'll probably blame the whole thing on Izzy Rivera, Samuelsen's favorite whipping boy.
   Forgetting about Utano though, this whole thing is a disgrace. Somebody needs to do something to put a stop to this gangs anti labor nonsense. Who will act? The eboard? The international? The AFL-CIO?    
     Somebody needs to act fast before these guys do even greater harm.

**Local 100 Executive Board meeting (Voting by AMBUSH)**

   There is nothing emergency about tomorrow's Executive Board meeting.
    Times are very critical.
   So what does Sameulsen do ... he waits till the last minute to let Board members know that the meeting is tomorrow.
   Sameulsen figures ... catch the Executive board off guard, give them a few hours notice, and hope that many can't make it to the meeting, that's the best time to get voting done -by ambush.

   Three months in office and John Sameulsen is resorting to desperate tricks.
 -proudCTA-

Where’s John ?

Why is John hiding from the members?

No Mass membership meeting
No Lobby Day
No plan on how to save our jobs.
In his first test of strength against the bosses he failed.
He gave away the last raise of our contract and the 1.5 win.
MTA Bus has still not received there raises.

Where’s John

Why is John running from the bosses?
John spends his time running throughout the country trying to find money instead of organizing the fight at home. He failed on every organizing attempt so far.
The legislative breakfast at the Union Hall.
The rally at FIT.
The bus trip to Albany.
The bosses know he is clueless and that’s why we now have the layoffs coming.
The bosses are not afraid of him.