BLOGGER FOR PRESIDENT

Hit a Nerve

Whoever you are that write this blog, you must have hit a nerve.
 I laughed this morning when I read the Daily News about "TWU big suing Google".

 Is this the same man over 12 months ago was always talking negative about Toussaint Administration?
The same one that called Toussaint a thief.
He also said "the members have a right to voice their outrage without being penalized".


Now because you raised some interesting points he wants to sue to find out who you are.

After looking at your blog I see that it has more accurate information than the crap the Union sends out in emails.

Keep it Up

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk....

John don't we have enough problems with the MTA. Now you go and pick a fight with Google.


Newsflash.....

Googles' pockets are deep, just like the MTA's. You are the only one who has shallow pockets. This lawsuit can be tied up in court for a very long time and can be very costly.

Are you using the Rank & files Union Resources and Union paid Attorney for your feelings getting hurt? If so, cut our loses now.

Stop your pouting. Remember don't hit someone and don't expect to get hit back.



Dollars and Sense

INVISIBLE MARVIN HOLLAND

Why haven't we heard Marvin speaking on any of the issues concerning the CTAs. He is the Section Vice Chair elected by his department.


He hasn't addressed the changes going on in the cleaners dept. They have created new titles for the Managers appointed to oversee the cleaners. The new title is Station Environmental Program. Why did we see this in a MTA Bulletin?

There is a TB scare and he is awfully quite. What is being done to address this health concern? All of the elected Officers representing the CTAs should be out there explaining what’s going on. Maybe they are afraid of catching this contagious illness or maybe they just don't give a damn.

Marvin when you were unelected you were visible, now that you are elected you are invisible. Why should we expect anything different from you? You did the same thing when you were an elected Officer (2) Administrations before this one.

             -Looking for Answers-

INCOMPETENT LEADER

JANUARY: TAKE OFFICE.


 CANCEL MASS MEMBERSHIP MEETING NEVER EXPRESSESED A PLAN.

FEBRUARY: NEVER MEET WITH WALDER THE DECISION MAKER.

 ONLY MEET WITH PENDERGRASS THE REPORTER. MTA GAVE RAISES, JOHN NEVER TAKE VICE PRESIDENTS AND LAWYERS TO DISCUSS IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTRACT.

MARCH: PENDERGRASS TOLD SAMUELSSON OF LAYOFF OF STATION AGENTS IN MAY.

 NEVER NEGOTIATE TO PUT THEM ELSEWHERE, ONLY SEEN IN THE MEDIA.

APRIL: PENDERGRASS GAVE SAMUELSSON 60 DAYS LAYOFF NOTICES.

 VICE PRESIDENTS AND MEMBERS NEVER KNOW UNTIL TWO WEEKS BEFORE LAY OFF DATE IN JUNE. (NO FIGHT BACK).

MAY: ANNOUNCED OF MASS MEMBERSHIP MEETING.

 CANCEL MASS MEMBERSHIP MEETING, NO PLAN, AND NO FIGHT FOR LAYOFFS, AND NEVER SEEN PRESIDENT IN THE FIELD.

JUNE: MEMBERS GOT LAIDOFF.

 NOT ONCE MEET WITH MANAGEMENT WITH HIS VICE PRESIDENTS, NO STAFF MEETING TO STRATEGIZE, NEVER ASK THE MEMBERS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO TO STOP OR PREVENT THE LAYOFFS. SAMUELSEN ASK PENDERGRASS TO PUT MEMBERS ELSEWHERE, HE SAID “TOO LATE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED IN MARCH”.

JULY: VOTE FOR $5

 FIRST TIME IN THE FIELD SAMUELSEN ASKED MEMBERS FOR $5 AS A FIGHT FOR LAYOFF MEMBERS, IS THIS THE PLAN AS TWU PRESIDENT?

SAMUELSEN MUST GO:              NO VISION

Vote of No Confidence

When Local 100 wanted to take care of the Widows and Orphans of our brother’s and sisters who have died in the line of duty a Fund was created.


When Local 100 needed more money in COPE, a cope drive was established.

But! When Local 100 wanted to help the members who have been laid off, Samuelsen took the money.

If Samuelsen thought the members were behind him all he had to do was ask.

Samuelsen showed us all he has no confidence in us, he has made it clear to us all that only his way matters, no matter how pathetic it is.

Ask yourself then ask Samuelsen;

Why couldn’t members give voluntarily?

How does Union staff pay (they don’t get TA pay checks)?

How long the vote would have gone just to get the yes number up?


- could be any member-

Incompetence Abounds

    Well, now that we have experienced the most resented referendum in TWU history, what does Samuelsen/Downs/Utano have planned for an encore?

    The score proves two things. The majority of members didn't know about the vote and half of those who did don't want it. Less than 10% of the membership is mandating the other 90% pay a Samuelsen Tax to try to disguise his failed leadership.

    To add insult to injury they extended the vote by 10 hours when they didn't get the result they wanted. How pathetic is that?

    Before you flush the members’ money down the toilet Samuelsen, please come to your senses,

    Fire JP, Charlie Jenkins and Harry Wills then come up with a plan that the members can get behind.

                   Anonymous and Angry

PAID ENDORSEMENTS

    Piazza, Steve Downs, and now former President Curtis Tate, give me a break with these used up car salesmen.


    How far will Samuelsen go to sell his tax?

    No one has yet put into print how this will be safe guarded against providing a benefit for non dues paying members that are laid off.

    I ask again “why couldn’t this be on a volunteer basis?” Could it be because Samuelsen can’t mobilize the members?

    These paid endorsements by Samuelsen staff are a joke, this is in no way leadership.

    Why couldn’t this be explained in a Mass Membership meeting, why didn't he come around and explain it the way Roger always did?

    The vote will come back ‘no thank you for your tax Samuelsen ‘ and when that happens resign in time for us to get a real leader before the contract negotiation starts.

                            NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!!!!!!!!!!

    Remember as Tate says Walder is looking.

Who's Family?

We understand that 90 percent of those in attendance were non members.


Not only was this discounted benefit provided to members in bad standing from the strike, but dozens of buses were provided for anyone, even for individuals walking in from the street, to buy and resell tickets at a
profit.

Amazing.

Some went to "friends" who got the word and the inside track. Business enterprises like this are supposed to file special forms with the IRS.

How Many will Benefit?

I read in the Chief that VP Maurice Jenkins is pushing for the Rank and File to give up $10 bi-weekly in support of healthcare (COBRA) for those laid off.


Chairman from other departments are pushing that we support the $10 bi-weekly donation.

The Exec. Board voted to bring this to the membership for a vote. Everyone elected is voicing that this should be passed.



I find it odd that they are leaving out a KEY fact. You must be in Good Standing to benefit from this. Of the 266 members laid off in Station, the Div. Chair stated at June's Div. Meeting that over 100 of them were in bad standing.

What are the numbers in other departments?

HOW MANY WILL BENEFIT from this fund that’s being set up, or should we ask WHO WILL BENEFIT from this?



According to the Constitution only those in good standing can benefit from the $10 contributed by all of the members (good and bad standing).



Before you vote on this, they need to inform us of:

How many will be benefit from this?

Approx. how much will be collected?

Who will be in charge of this fund?



Oh, it was also quoted that this only amounts to lunch for a week. Can someone please tell me who spends only $10 a week on lunch?



Skeptical Dues paying member

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.

John caught in his own trap

   John Samuelsen , has called in the Department of Labor in his attempt to get the old administration in foul play. For the last 2 months the Department of Labor has been in the Union Hall going over records in an attempt to find dirt on Former President Roger Toussaint. 
But guess who got caught in the raid? John’s #2 man MoW VP Tony Utano. He has been found to have been ineligible to run in the last election, because he failed to pay his dues on time.
   That’s right John Samuelsen has caught his own man.
   Who did we elect here the gang that couldn’t shoot straight?
-MOWorker86-

John’s little dirty secret

   This week John went to the MTA board with his special invitee Republican Senator Golden, that’s right Republican. Did you know that John’s in-laws are deeply entrenched in the south Brooklyn Republican Party?
Also John just recently changed his party registration from Republican to Democratic just for the union elections. Beware” the FOX, is loose in the henhouse”.

Stay tuned.
MOWorker-86-

Cut’s Averted, but for Who?

   Recently MTA boss Walder and NYCT boss Pendergast, took back the 10% pay cut that they had threatened managers with. They said, "Just kidding".

   Although they took back the pay cut for their fellow bosses they didn't say anything about saving the jobs of the 600 station agents that have received layoff letters. This is just another example of how the MTA brass has total disdain for our union's leadership. They’re acting as if there is no union at all and the very people who made militant statements about direct action when they were campaigning are doing nothing about it.
   All the Samuelsen Utano leadership did was to suck up to the politicians and beg for money for transit and what was the result? There was money to save the bosses from the threat of a 10% pay cut but no money to save the jobs of station agents! That's right; Samuelsen and Utano made a deal to save the pay for the bosses and screw the station agents!

   It’s hard to believe that in such a short time Samuelsen and Utano have managed to make the union weaker then it’s been in 75 years. Hard to believe and sad!



   -MOWorker86-

Who’s Sorry Now?

Newly elected Secretary -Treasurer Israel Rivera (Izzy) is feeling left out already.


On his website that he used during his campaign against the prior administration he now complains about the new administration (the one he’s a part of).

It turns out Izzy couldn’t get his own team to invite him to a victory celebration where the candidate was Latino. This is important since Rivera cried that the last administration was Anti- Latino and didn’t involve Latino members in anything.

Why so quiet now?

Doesn’t he have a voice? Or has Samuelsen shown his own slate that he is the real dictator.

The website also has a poll asking how badly the organizing effort was from Samuelsens people.

When last checked there was only one vote, which makes sense since Izzy only received 98 votes from his own division during the two votes (June ’09 and Dec ’09)for the office he now holds.

On his website he states “I will never be silent” however these guys tried to get the E-board to agree that someone other than the elected Secretary –Treasurer would explain the financial reports. That’s his job, the one he ran for.

We shouldn’t feel sorry for Izzy he knew what kind of people he was running with.

Izzy deserves what he get’s, however, we don’t.

-proudCTA-

Samuelsen Does it to Stations Again

   There is another member fighting an AWOL charge due to the incompetence of our newly elected Administration.

   A member was called in for Special Training by the Elections Committee. The member was told not to report to work on a specific day; however their Release letter had another date on it.

   This of course caused the member to be written up.

   Instead of OSAC being called by the VP (who was notified of the charge) to clear this up, paperwork was done for the violation by OSAC.

   Now the member has a violation on their record and a hearing date.

   This should not have happened again! This should have been cleared up before it was put on the calendar for a hearing!

   -station scout-

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.

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?

High Paying Paper Route

The GOON squad has finally appeared on the night shift. We knew Samuelsens private security were intimidating staff at the hall but now we know they are also delivering the AM New York around the system while earning union pay.


Stacks of this newspaper were delivered quietly early Friday morning (hopefully not on overtime) to Shops and Depots simply because it printed a negative take on our Family Day.

Members responded by questioning Samuelsens dedication to truly unite the Local.

One subway maintainer said “what about our contract and when is the Mass Membership meeting” while a bus operator noted that his family had a great time at Great Adventure and wanted to know why the new administration would attack that.

After so many years of having a union that lacked benefits for members that weren’t in trouble, one has to wonder why Samuelsen would attack positive programs. When will Samuelsen attack the rest of our positive programs?

No information, No appearances, and No communications yet we get papers delivered attacking our union.

We deserve better.

Management is on the attack!

Seniority is being threatened all over- Samuelsen and company are unable or unwilling to respond.

Management used to be afraid of our leadership - now they are laughing at it.

Buyers regret is setting in big time.

Will we have to suffer this disaster for 3 years or will someone step in to rescue us.

It's only three weeks and things are already falling apart! If this goes on for 3 years there will be nothing left to save! Is there anybody who can save us right now?

-Submitted by proudCTA-

Come Clean John !!!

An MTA boss once gave his idea of how to conduct union business. This boss said that union leaders need to raise a big ruckus on the shop floor, were the members can see and hear them, but afterwards they should go into the boss’s office and make a deal.


It looks like Samuelsen has taken a page out of this play book. He spouts "direct action" and militancy in his public statements and then goes into secret closed door meetings with the MTA brass and makes deals behind our backs.

Members want to know - what has John given away or who did he sell out; Conductors? Station Agents? New hires? Retirees? Our contract? Our pensions? Our benefits? Just what did he give away in those closed door meetings!

We were promised direct action meanwhile we're getting sold out in secret meetings.

-Submitted by MOWorker86-

Thanks John

Today’s AM New York carried a front page story about the $2 million cost for Family Day.

The reporter was sent a Local 100 financial report that even the Executive Board has neither discussed nor seen.

What the article doesn't mention is :

• The Local got back $½ million so far

• That it was reported to the Executive Board, and the monthly reports to the Board tracked the costs

• That we paid the going rate for a Great Adventure exclusive where the entire park is shut down and reserved for Transit Workers.

• No hint of wrong doing (as usual)

The entire article downplays that the cost includes the cost for three family days, including 2010 and whatever returns come back from that.

The article is mostly an anti-TWU, anti-Union, and anti-labor message to New Yorkers.

Thanks John

This is another loser

Loser Francis, was taken off the slate because he was in bad standing, and now John Samuelsen named him the new Chair of the Elections Committee.

That was Monday January 25th.

By Wednesday January 27th a flyer with Samuelsen’s and Francis’s pictures were put in Grand Avenue Depot endorsing a slate in the Section Elections there!!!

Samuelsen is the all time Champion of democracy and unbiased fair play.

We are in real good hands with this crook.

-Submitted by Local 100 Bus Operator-

Samuelsen afraid to face us

Word is that Samuelsen and company have decided to postpone our mass membership meeting.

Why is Samuelsen afraid to face us? Why won't he tell the membership what the plans are for our union in 2010?

Is it because he doesn’t want to have to explain what he gave away in closed door meetings he had behind our backs with MTA boss Walder? Or, is it just because Samuelsen has no vision for 2010?

There are a lot of attacks coming down right now; lousy picks, with holding of raises, threatened layoffs, threats to pensions and benefits, threats of OPTO. We want to know what the plans are to fight all this. But it looks like Samuelsen has nothing to say!

When he was running for office John said that we should fight the MTA with direct action. Now the members want to know, what are the plans for direct action? What does he suggest we do? At one time John suggested slowdowns, if this is now the plan now why doesn’t he want to hold a meeting to let us know.

Postponement of the meeting will cost our union a lot of money. John has two months to plan for the meeting, that's plenty of time. Why won't he face us? Maybe it's that he just has nothing to say or maybe he doesn’t dare let us know what he and Walder have done behind our backs!

Submitted by MOWorker86

Participate don’t Politic !!!

Samuelsen has sunk even lower by pretending to be in the forefront of the Haiti relief effort.

The Local100 website reads as if the union helped organize this march across the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday, when the bottom line really is that we should all come out and support our Haitian brothers and sisters remembering we are there for support and not for a cheap photo op.

I am proud to be part of a union where the members are not only first responders on buses and in the subways but also when there is a tragedy in other countries such as Haiti.

So let’s come on out and do our part but leave the politics at home.

Submitted by proudCTA

Samuelsen...is he for real or a fake??

John Samuelsen spent the last four(4)years bashing Toussaint's administration.Although I do not agree with everything Toussaint and company did;its time for Samuelsen to move on,he was elected to lead TWU Local 100 .In these troubling times we(the members)need him to addresses the bread and butter issues facing not only transit workers,but the entire working class of America.But apparently Samuelsen is most comfortable mud slinging than dealing with the issues he was elected to solve.

Lets reflect on the man elected to lead TWU Local 100 thirty five thousand(35000)membership:

Prior to the elections of 2000,Samuelsen was the Darling of Toussaint.Toussaint pulled him up by his boot straps,taught him all he knows.Toussaint went as far as making Samuelsen the Acting VP of MoW;he acted as VP for the better part of four(4)years .How did Samuelsen repaid Toussaint... by stabbing him in the back. Is Samuelsen for real or fake??

After the strike of 2005,Samuelsen submitted his time sheet to be paid for the time the rest of us was on strike.When caught,instead of standing up and accept responsibility he blamed one of the Secretaries in the General Office for submitting a time sheet signed by Samuelsen..Is Samuelsen for real or a fake??

After being in the E.Board meetings(meetings are held once per month)for four years,and participated in all the discussions and plans and agreed to the selling of the building(80 W/End)Samuelsen is posturing as though he's clean.The fact is,he's part of the team that agreed to the building sale...Is Samuelsen for real or a fake??

In the Track Division meeting,12/24/09,Samuelsen told track workers that his priorities are (a)to stop mid-week RDO's in the track division,and(b)stop the four(4) day work week pilot program. As of yesterday he is claiming that Toussaint's administration on,12/28/09,submitted to theTA a request to stop the program..Lies...Is Samuelsen for real or a fake??

At the E.Board meeting on,1/25/10,Samuelsen reported that monies from the building sale were used to offset some of the Union's expenses.In yesterday's Track Division meeting,Samuelsen reported that $14 million is unaccounted for.Lets not forget this is the same Samuelsen who for the past three years accused Toussaint of skimming off $17 million to build a house in Trinidad.Samuelsen make up your mind and tell us how much money is missing.Is Samuelsen for real or a fake??

Samuelsen is the guy when he was on the outside decried The Track Safety Task Force but was reported as saying,"I'm going to leave it alone"..Is Samuelsen for real or a fake??

I started by saying that its time Samuelsen addresses our bread and butter issues.Toussaint left us with a three year contract that we won in the courts.From recent reports,it seems as though the TA is going to honor two years and the third is up in the air.Samuelsen boasted that he met with Walder-MTA Chief-but is mum on the third year of our contract.Samuelsen,come clean-Transit Workers will like to know what's up with the third year.Toussaint left a three year contract,the least you can do is secure the third year,hope you didn't give it back to Walder.

SUBMITTED BY eyesonyou

Report on January Executive Board Meeting

   The meeting was disorganized and confusing. It was taken up with innuendo from JS about the Union’s finances and the proceeds from the sale of building in particular. Samuelsen couldn’t come out with any wrongdoing or violation of the bylaws whatsoever but he sure tried his best to give life to the slanderous and unfounded suggestions he has peddled for quite some time that money was misused or taken.


   He made it a big point that interest from the sale was used to pay certain bills while the principal was left untouched as if something was wrong with that. Never mind the fact that the Local 100 Executive Board on more than one occasion discussed using the interests to pay back monies owed including to our International Union for the monthly per capita which it had temporarily waived to help the local stay on its feet. Members from Samuelsen’s team who were on the last Executive Board just sat there playing dumb and playing along. So what if it means dragging Local 100’s name in the mud – as long as it advances Samuelsen’s personal agenda.

   Another significant issue that Samuelsen moved at the Executive Board meeting is the removal of three members of the Local 100 Elections Committee and their replacement by individuals he wanted assigned to these positions. The problem however is that the Elections Committee had been already duly appointed pursuant to the bylaws and there is NO provision for appointing another Elections Committee until three months prior to the next elections in 2012! In addition the last round of elections are still in progress, with undone division and section elections, which Samuelsen had been trying to force the previous Elections Committee to change their rulings on in order to favor the candidates he supports.

   Samuelsen’s crew also came prepared to put on some theatre in an attempt to have the Executive Board reverse the suspension of an individual named Joseph Pollard who was suspended by the previous Executive Board for an assault and disruption he carried out two years ago. This individuals action including the barricading of the entrance to the Union hall were caught on camera. The charges and penalty were upheld by the International Union. Samuelsen standards for permissible conduct seems to be that as long as you are on his team, its ok and anything goes.

   There was very little Transit business. Samuelsen’s meetings with the heads of the MTA and NYCT were barely mentioned in passing, and there were his usual hypocritical calls for ‘unity’ while he shut down calls for more discussion.

   Samuelsen’s double standard was glaring as several members of the Executive Board were announced as members of his staff. He spent years denouncing the previous administration for supposedly trying to control the Executive Board by placing members of the Board on Staff. Samuelsen also denounced the previous administration for giving staff jobs to individuals who had lost their elections. Now, with just a few weeks in office, more Executive Board members and more elections losers THAN EVER are on staff!!

“Double Standard John”

John Samuelsen is the all time Champion of Double Standards and he is brazen about it. He gets away with it is only because the anti-labor media in NY loves him and various fake leftists cover for him.


But, fair is fair, and John is not by any stretch of the imagination.

A few examples are:

1) When he was running for office, John Samuelsen railed against Executive board members being allowed on staff.

He has placed more Executive Board members (5 or 6) on his staff than the previous administration.

2) He constantly attacked the prior administration for hiring individuals who lost their elections.

He has hired more “losers” than ever, including two and three time losers as his “Special assistant” and Director of Grievance and Discipline.

3) Samuelsen always claimed that firings were politically motivated in retaliation for people’s opinions or association

Then in less than a month after the election he has fired people for exactly that.


4) ) Samuelsen always suggested that the prior administration built a regime of paranoia and spied on Staff.

He not only monitors emails he has special “security” monitoring and following elected officers around.

The fact is Samuelsen has placed on staff individuals who couldn’t run in the elections because they were not in continuous good standing as required.

Samuelsen always suggested that votes and elections were being manipulated by the prior administration.

As soon as he took over, he began to make demands on the elections committee to favor his supporters, and, in Stations department came up with a scheme to get around Section elections and have his candidate coroneted as Section Chair.

John Samuelsen should not be allowed to get away with such glaring trickery of Transit workers. The media has exempted him from the non stop criticism and attacks it reserved for Local 100 because they recognize John Samuelsen as Their Man.

‘Double Standard John’ and his Posters

   At the January 25th Local 100 Executive Board meeting Samuelsen brought piles of posters of his slate, posters paid for with Union funds, which he wanted Officers to take out to the field and post everywhere.

  Many officers objected and refused, demanding that he withdraw the posters.

  The photo on the posters is exclusively of Samuelsen’s slate in the Convention elections, leaving out the majority of other officers simply because they did not run with him!

  Is that an appropriate use of Union money? Is that democratic?

It’s our union, isn’t it?

Although the Union Hall was full for the MLK celebration it was disheartening to hear that most of the participants were from groups other than Local 100.

Most guests were from other organizations (special invitees), so, they had seat fillers to help pack the place.
True it is not uncommon to have guest at these events; however, the event is for Local 100 members.

Checking dues status at the door is the best way to reward the members that have financially supported local 100.It not only allows members that fell behind the opportunity to become in good standing again, this system allows members the ability to walk into an event knowing it is only possible thanks to the financial support that they contributed to the Union.

There is no way that Samuelson wants to bring a union together when he simply ignores the members that have stood true to local 100 during it’s toughest yet finest hours.

First and foremost we should bring our union together by having all members in good standing.

Does Paying Dues matter?

I agree that it is a good thing for members, regardless of how they felt about the elections to be active in the Union, but what about allowing individuals in ‘bad standing’ into the hall just to be able to show a crowd at the event? Many were embraced with no demand or challenge about their dues owed.

Every day others are walking the hallways and freely sitting in our offices and even being given staff jobs?

It’s dangerous and offensive to say there is no difference between those of us who diligently paid our dues and those that have not.

After all, we are supposed to be in the Union business.

TWU shows MLK Pride

Good turn out from a cross section of members. That’s a good thing.
Whether they support the new administration or not (as several made a point of noting) it is clear that transit workers have no intention of being pushed out of their Union.

That’s far better than what Samuelsen’s crew did over the years, leading boycott after boycott of Union mobilizations, hoping that they failed.

Beyond that, this mobilization and the program followed the playbook laid down over the years by the prior administration.

It’s a lie.

In just the last couple hours Samuelsen had a notice posted on the Local 100 website as well as sent out by e mail several times claiming that “The MTA Retreats On Challenge to Arbitration Award” and further that the MTA “will continue a limited appeal to challenge the arbitration’s third year wage award of 3% and the rollback of health care contributions to a straight 1.5% on 40 hours pay.”

Turns out that’s not true. It’s a lie.

A review of the court papers submitted by the MTA reveals that the MTA appealed the entire Award, not part, which it could not do anyway. This way if they win their Appeal they could take back the raises for 2009 and 2010!!
That’s what Samuelsen got for his promise of ‘Labor Peace’.

Either Samuelsen was lying or he got ‘played’, is he incompetent or lazy.
We know he does not bother to read critical documents that bear on our lives.

It’s Your Union!!

Whatever you do, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t let anyone run you out of Your own Union.

Even if you’re are disappointed by the results of the recent elections or disgusted by the Samuelsen crew and what they did with the help of the MTA, Bloomberg and the media, Local 100 is YOUR UNION, don’t let anyone run you out!

Despite all that has been said Local 100 has become a meeting place for thousands of members at the mobilizations, the over fifteen Annual events, the Child Care, the Training and Upgrade, Membership Services etc.

We never had any of this before. Don’t let anyone take that away from us or run us out!

2009 -2011 TA/OA MTA Bus Contracts Update

With the deadline upon us, the MTA has dropped its foolish appeal of the Court decision regarding the Arbitration Award issued on our contract,(according to news reports) with a twist … We get 4% for 2009 and 4% for 2010 but the MTA is reserving an appeal of the 3% in third year of the Award!!
This means:
1) They are going to waste more money on lawyers
2) They want to pick and choose from the Award, rather than accept it as the package it was intended, so that they get to move forward with items in the Award which they think they can exploit while holding off on others
3) The MTA is staking out its bargaining position with the next round of negotiations in mind.

If this is true it would be a continuation of the Walder Administration’s legacy of bad faith. It remains to be seen whether they get away with this under the law.
But, it also suggests the possibility that Walder has been in some type of talks with John Samuelsen to renegotiate things where John’s political agenda is given room and he allows the MTA to get out from under a clear defeat.

The two had rushed talks from the day after the Union elections results were announced, the full contents of which John has not bothered to share with even top Officers

Confiscating Keys! Hallway firings!! Denying Pay!!

‘Democracy’ has hit the ground running at Local 100. First it was searching cars, now its confiscating keys!!


In its first two weeks, Samuelsen administration officials have approached some staff demanding that they surrender keys they use to get into their offices!! And for no good reason, except to humiliate them.


It's true that some people have been fired in the hallways and pay is being withheld for several others despite the fact that they have worked the hours.


These acts of humiliation have usually come with no explanation or with the announcement of some title, even if unelected, as has frequently been the case.

Arbitration Award Deadline Is here!!

Today is the deadline for the MTA to appeal the decision by the Courts, issued in December, upholding the Award issued by the Arbitration Panel since August. The MTA had 30 days which was extended by the weekend and the MLK holiday. All indication is that they will give up on appealing the decision. From the beginning the MTA knew that it had little or no legs to stand on legally. Their appeal was designed to prolong the pain and destabilize Local 100. With John Samuelsen elected, the MTA (and the media) accomplished one of their objectives. We will be getting a settlement of 11.3% plus a cap on Health care contributions at 40hrs which increases the raise significantly. Given the economy, that is a big victory, anyone that tells you otherwise is either confused or dishonest or both.

Hired and fired!!

Darlene Lawson, Hired and fired!! Placed on staff by John Samuelsen, Darlene Lawson, the former Recording Secretary at TWU Local 100 lasted one whole week! Lawson’s hiring was part of Samuelsen’s project to “unify” and “heal” Local 100, or so he said. Seems that Samuelsen had been courting her for quite some time. Took him one week in office to decide that he had no more use for this courtship and to get rid of her. She had already put in her resignation to the TA, so she is out on the street.

Check out NY City Hall News

Apart from being on Samuelsen’s payroll these days, Arthur Schwartz is apparently also working on Claude Forte’s (DC37’s Local 375) campaign against Lillian Roberts. This elections is coming up in the next month or two. Arthur and Claude are quoted criticizing Lillian Roberts for opposing Bloomberg in the recent mayoral elections on the grounds that it would hurt DC37 in their next round of upcoming negotiations set for this summer. It should be noted that UFT, which stayed out of the mayoral elections, has not been faring any better with Bloomberg than DC37. Interestingly enough it was Lillian’s nephew, Ivan, who was Samuelsen’s lawyer in the 2006 Local 100 elections and it seems that her nephew referred Samuelsen to Larry Cary, a former partner of Ivan’s. Cary is now Samuelsen’s lawyer and new Local 100 General Counsel. Arthur is now on Samuelsen’s payroll.

Seat for Sale!! Seat for Sale!!

Word is that John Samuelsen has been pressuring CTA Anne Hallahan hard to withdraw from running for Chair of the Stations Cleaners Section. According to Samuelsen, Anne owes him since he let her keep her job in the Union. In contention for the position is Marvin Holland, John samuelsen’s friend. Marvin, you might recall, pulled out of the last elections when it was discovered that he had failed to maintain ‘continuous good standing’ for one year, which is required to run for office in Local 100. Marvin did not know how to do that, but wants to represent those that did. Now it looks like there will be ONE vote on who will be Chair of Stations Cleaner and that vote will be cast by “Mr Democracy” himself, John Samuelsen. You can’t make this up. Stay tuned.