tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81894365951794926452024-02-20T21:18:19.664-05:00Homestation Online...soon to be the new home of the TBOU BlogThe online portal for transit workersM.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17809549998493094519noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-87512048211312421792009-12-27T22:15:00.002-05:002009-12-27T22:23:27.479-05:00The People's Solidarity Concert Friday January 8 @ Local 32 BJmark your calendars and PASS THE WORD !the PEOPLE'S SOLIDARITY CONCERT PARTY HEARTY TO BEGIN THE NEW YEAR<br /><br /><strong>Friday, January 8</strong>, 2010 – 7 pm till Midnight at Local 32-BJ<br /><br /><strong>101 Avenue of the Americas </strong>(6th Avenue)<br />between Watts and Grand St, in lower Manhattan<br /><br />Donation: <strong> $15.00 (no one turned away)</strong><br /><br /><br />Sponsored by the <strong>People's Organization for Progress </strong>and <strong>The Alliance for Progressive Media</strong><br /><br />Sick and tired of government transferring wealth from the workers to the bankers - well, you wouldn't know it from the mass and liberal media who ignore or distort our voices. So no matter what your issue is, the question is how do we get our<br />stories heard and who tells them in 2010? Begin the new year with a solidarity concert and eat, drink, and meet those who'll work to get the voices of the people heard.<br /><br /><br />PERFORMERS:<br /><br /><strong>Sonia Sanchez</strong>, nationally recognized poet <br /><br /><strong>Heritage OP</strong>, percussion sensations<br /><strong>Fred Ho</strong>, jazz baritone saxophonist<br />Kinshasa and Friends<br /><br />The Doo Wop Classics <br />and DJ Peace<br />Travel: <strong>#1, A, C, E trains to Canal Street, Manhattan</strong><br />Information: <strong> 646-506-9422</strong>Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-55345322829240507732009-12-27T03:44:00.004-05:002009-12-27T04:05:46.304-05:00As TWU Local 100 is in transition the MTA sinks to new low and puts NYC students at Risk!Listen to Building Bridges on WBAI 99.5FM this Monday and every Monday at 7:00PM for all your community & labor news and updates on the MTA service cuts. <br /><br /><strong>Building Bridges</strong>: Your <strong>Community </strong>and <strong>Labor Report </strong><br /><strong>National Edition</strong><br />Produced by <strong>Ken Nash </strong>and <strong>Mimi Rosenberg </strong><br />**************************************<br /><strong><em>Day of Outrage </em></strong><br />NYC Student Rally at MTA Headquarters <br />Protesting Metrocard Cutbacks<br />With<br />New York City High School Students:<br />Jordan Orvam, Kyle Maer, Francine Prince, Sherana Woods<br /><br />More than a thousand students from across NYC protested against a <br />proposal passed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) <br />Board in favor of serious budget cuts taking place next year. Among <br />the most critical effects of these budget cuts is the discontinuation <br />of a program which provides free subway and bus MetroCards for <br />more than 500,000 city students. This outrageous plan will hit poor <br />families the hardest and will affect many students ability to attend <br />school and obtain the free education that they deserve<br />**************<br />NYS Governor’s Budget Attacks School Children<br />With<br />Alan B. Lubin , Exec. Vice Pres., NYS United Teachers <br />and<br />Geri D. Palast, Executive Director, Campaign for Fiscal Equity<br /><br />Governor Paterson unilaterally withheld $750 million in scheduled <br />payments to schools and local governments. The impact of these cuts <br />on education statewide from kindergarten to college level will be <br />devastating, especially in the poorer districts. A coalition of teachers’ <br />unions and local school officials countered with a lawsuit against<br />Paterson arguing that his decision violated New York’s Constitution. <br />Paterson argues cut back while a broad coalition urges among <br />other things tax the rich. <br />+++++++++++++++++++++++++ <br />To Download or listen to this 27:46 minute program, <br /><br />Pacifica Station only can go to Audioport - Menu Option <br />“Weekly Program Section" dated 12-26-09<br />http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=program-info&program_id=30197&nav=&<br /><br />all others go to http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/38411<br />or <br />http://www.archive.org/details/BuildingBridgesNewYorkCutsKidsSchoolAidAndTransportation<br /><br /><br />Please email Building Bridges if you are broadcasting our National Edition.<br />We'd like to have an accurate list of which stations are airing Building Bridges. <br />So please let us know! Email knash@igc.org <br /><br />Building Bridges is regularly broadcast live over WBAI, <br />99.5 FM in the N.Y.C Metropolitan area on Mondays from <br />7-8pm EST and is streamed, archived and pod cast at <br />www.wbai.org . <br />Our website is www.buildingbridgesradio.org <br /><br />Building Bridges National Edition is regularly broadcast over: <br /><br />WERU Blue Hill and Bangor, Maine<br />WGOT - Gainesville, Florida.<br />WUOW - Oneonta, N.Y.<br />WWUH, - West Hartford, CT<br />WVJW- Benwood, WV <br />KRFP, Moscow, ID <br />KCSB, Santa Barbara, CA <br />WXOJ, Northampton, MA<br />KSOW,Cottage Grove, Oregon <br />WKNH ,Keene, NH<br />CKDU, Halifax, N.S., Canada <br />KRFC, Fort Collins, Colorado <br />WRPI, Troy, New York <br />WNRB, Wausau, WI <br />KRBS, Oroville, CA <br />WHLD, Buffalo, NY <br />Free Radio Olympia, Olympia,WA<br />KQRP Salida, California <br />East Hill Radio, Snoqualmie, WA<br />KSKQ, Ashland, Oregon<br />KWMD, Kasiloff-Anchorage, Alaska<br />WPRR, Grand Rapids, Michigan<br />WCRS, Columbus, Ohio<br />WSLU, St. Leo, Florida<br /><br />as well as internet stations: <br /><br />Radio Free Kansas<br />Radio Veronica, West Point, PA<br />The Journey Radio <br />WXXE<br />Seattle Radical Radio <br />Radio for Peace International <br />Radio Labourstart <br />AmericanFM.org<br />RadioDriftless.org<br />Grateful Dread Public Radio<br />========================================= <br />For archived Building Bridges National Programs go to <br />http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Building+Bridges <br />For archives of all Building Bridges programs go to our website:<br />http://www.buildingbridgesradio.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-63158223998316108842009-12-21T07:25:00.004-05:002009-12-27T04:21:10.273-05:00TBOU Member Tip of the Week -Why Unions do PoliticsMember Tip<br /><br />for the week of December 21, 2009 <br /><br />Influence Inside and Outside the Workplace<br /><br />For every employee, both those in the public and private sector, what goes on in the world of politics has a direct connection to the union's ability to advance and protect the members' interests. Legislatures pass and enforce laws that can make it easier or harder for unions to organize, to protect members' health and safety, to bargain for reasonable health care coverage, and to improve countless other aspects of working life. What is won at a bargaining table can be taken away with a stroke of a pen by elected officials who are not worker-friendly, or by appointed or elected judges. <br /><br />Adapted from The Union Members Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer<br /><br />--<br />read more at http://www.unionist.com/big-laborBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-27619777545879331182009-12-21T07:14:00.003-05:002009-12-21T07:31:22.467-05:00NYC Transit Workers Take Back Union prepare for battle with the MTA on Building Bridges:WBAI 99.5FMNY Building Bridges Labor Report Interviews NYC TWU 100 New Leadership<br />This interveiw took place live Monday December 14 follow link below to hear the new leaders of TWU Local 100<br />NY Building Bridges Labor Report Interviews NYC TWU 100 New Leadership<br /><br /><br />Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report<br /> National Edition<br /> Produced by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg <br /> **************************************<br />NYC Transit Workers Take Back Union After Bitter Election <br />with <br />. John Samuelsen, President-Elect ,TWU Local 100<br />. Israel Rivera. Secretary Treasurer-Elect<br />. Benita Johnson, Recording Secretary-Elect<br />. Angel Giboyeaux, Administrative VP Elect<br /><br />Subway Track Inspector John Samuelsen & the Take Back Our Union <br />slate won the hotly contested TWU Local 100 elections Dec. 7 after a <br />multi-year campaign of criticizing the administration of Roger Toussaint <br />& Acting Pres. Curtis Tate over issues of union democracy & militancy. <br />Their first priorities will be getting the MTA to honor an arbitration award <br />granting union members 11% raises under a 3-year contract & fighting <br />cutbacks due to the reduced revenue to the MTA. <br />*******<br />Brave New Films presents:<br />Where Was the Fed<br />with<br />Senator Bernie Sanders<br /><br />Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, in charge of the central bank since 2006, <br />could have demanded that Wall Street provide adequate credit to small <br />and medium-sized businesses to create decent-paying jobs in a <br />productive economy, but he did not. He could have insisted that large<br />bailed-out banks end the usurious practice of charging interest rates of<br />30 percent or more on credit cards, but he did not. He could have broken<br />up too-big-to-fail financial institutions that took Federal Reserve<br />assistance, but he did not. <br /> +++++++++++++++++++++++++ <br />To Download or listen to this 27:19 minute program, <br /><br />Pacifica Station only can go to Audioport - Menu Option <br />“Weekly Program Section" dated 12-20-09<br />http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=program-info&program_id=30083&nav=& <br /><br />all others go to http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/38290<br /><br />Please email Building Bridges if you are broadcasting our National Edition.<br />We'd like to have an accurate list of which stations are airing Building Bridges. <br />So please let us know! Email knash@igc.org <br /><br /> Building Bridges is regularly broadcast live over WBAI, <br /> 99.5 FM in the N.Y.C Metropolitan area on Mondays from <br /> 7-8pm EST and is streamed, archived and pod cast at <br /> www.wbai.org . <br /> Our website is www.buildingbridgesradio.org <br /> <br />Building Bridges National Edition is regularly broadcast over: <br /> <br /> WERU Blue Hill and Bangor, Maine<br /> WGOT - Gainesville, Florida.<br /> WUOW - Oneonta, N.Y.<br /> WWUH, - West Hartford, CT<br /> WVJW- Benwood, WV <br /> KRFP, Moscow, ID <br /> KCSB, Santa Barbara, CA <br /> WXOJ, Northampton, MA<br /> KSOW,Cottage Grove, Oregon <br /> WKNH ,Keene, NH<br /> CKDU, Halifax, N.S., Canada <br /> KRFC, Fort Collins, Colorado <br /> WRPI, Troy, New York <br /> WNRB, Wausau, WI <br /> KRBS, Oroville, CA <br /> WHLD, Buffalo, NY <br /> Free Radio Olympia, Olympia,WA<br /> KQRP Salida, California <br /> East Hill Radio, Snoqualmie, WA<br /> KSKQ, Ashland, Oregon<br /> KWMD, Kasiloff-Anchorage, Alaska<br /> WPRR, Grand Rapids, Michigan<br /> WCRS, Columbus, Ohio<br /> WSLU, St. Leo, Florida<br /> <br /> as well as internet stations: <br /><br /> Radio Free Kansas<br /> Radio Veronica, West Point, PA<br /> The Journey Radio <br /> WXXE<br /> Seattle Radical Radio <br /> Radio for Peace International <br /> Radio Labourstart <br /> AmericanFM.org<br /> RadioDriftless.org<br /> Grateful Dread Public Radio<br />========================================= <br /> For archived Building Bridges National Programs go to our website at<br /> http://www.buildingbridgesradio.org <br /> or <br /> http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Building+Bridges <br /><br /> always visit www.tbou.org for latest labor newsBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-74341427852116280492009-12-17T06:27:00.006-05:002009-12-17T06:58:56.689-05:00The Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Women's Committee invites the TWU Local 100 Women's Committee to Brunch this Saturday December 19 , 2009This Saturday December 19, the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) women's committee has invited the TWU Local 100 women's committee to a Solidarity Brunch Meeting . The purpose of this meeting is to put the recent bitter TWU elections behind us and to do what's best for all of the sisters in TWU Local 100. The meeting will take place this Saturday at the IAC located at 55 West 17 Street on the 5th floor (between 5th and 6th avenue in Manhattan) <br /><br />WHAT : <strong>Solidarity Brunch to Rebuild TWU LOCAL 100 from a Women's Prospective </strong><br />DATE : <strong>Saturday December 19</strong><br />TIME : <strong>10:00AM to 1:00PM</strong><br />Where: <strong>55 West 17 street 5th floor in Manhattan </strong><br />Sorry Guys this is a Women's only meeting,To take part in the rebuilding of TWU Local 100 visit our blog often at www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-7149567350740611382009-12-15T22:31:00.003-05:002009-12-15T23:02:00.787-05:00The MTA Attacks TWU Local100 ,Transit Riders and StudentsJOIN COUNCIL MEMBER CHARLES BARRON, TRANSIT WORKERS, RIDERS AND YOUTH TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16, 2009 8:30 AM<br /><br /><br />TO PROTEST THE MTA'S ATTACK ON STUDENTS AND OTHERS<br /><br /><br />Wednesday, 8:30 AM at MTA Headquarters, 347 Madison Street , Bet 44th and 45th Street<br /><br /><br />As Wall Street prepares to lavish its bankers and traders with billions in year-end bonuses, the MTA is getting ready to worsen the economic crisis for millions of New Yorkers.<br /><br />Why? To make sure bankers get their billion-dollar bonuses by paying off the monstrous debt service the MTA owes to the banks.<br /><br />Don’t believe the media reports claiming that the raises – standard 3.5% and 4% annual increases – awarded to the transit workers on Friday are the cause of these outrageous cuts. To claim a crisis over $400 million – a pittance in comparison to the billions in bonuses going out to Wall Street even as we speak – is ridiculous. $30 billion in bonuses will be paid out among the top three banks alone. Trillions were handed out in bailout money.<br /><br />In fact, it is the banks who are creating this crisis. The MTA is scrambling to pay its debt service to the long list of banks it owes money to, many of whom are collecting interest on loans whose principle was paid off long ago.<br /><br />If anybody needs to “sacrifice,” it is these banks, who are bleeding public transportation and every other sector of society dry even as they kick people out of their homes and loot the treasury to cover their casino-gambling losses.<br /><br />By re-introducing the “doomsday cuts” in a jobless recovery – cuts that were supposedly avoided mere months ago – the MTA has made it crystal clear that its role is to serve the rich at the expense of the riders. Its illegitimacy is obvious to all. The riders, transit workers, and all the people who make this city and its subway run are the only ones who can be trusted to make these decisions justly. Bail out the riders, not the banks!To stay informed about the MTA service cuts visit www.takebackourunion.org or www.BailOutPeople.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-36475175449102426582009-12-13T16:25:00.004-05:002009-12-13T17:06:08.268-05:00Incoming TWU Local Officers to appear live on WBAI 99.5 tomorrow at 7:00PMWBAI Radio's Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report<br />Produced & Hosted by Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash<br />Monday, December 14, 2009, 7 - 8 p.m. EST, over 99.5 FM<br />or streaming live at http://www.wbai.org <br />Transit Workers Take Back Union After Bitter Election join the the newly elected leadership of TWU Local 100 <br />. John Samuelsen, President-Elect ,TWU Local 100<br />. Israel Rivera, Secretary Treasurer-Elect<br />. Benita Johnson, Recording Secretary-Elect<br />. Angel Giboyeaux, Administrative VP -Elect <br />Tomorrow live at 7PM 99.5FM<br /><br /><strong>the Take Back Our Union (TBOU)</strong><br />slate won the hotly contested TWU Local 100 elections Dec. 7 after a <br />two-year campaign of working on the members issues and fighting with the community to stop the MTA from cutting service to the riding public.They defeated the administration of Roger Toussaint and his hand pick successor Curtis Tate and look to rebuild TWU Local 100 from the bottom up.<br /><br />Their first priorities will be getting the MTA to honor an arbitration award <br />granting union members 11% raises under a 3-year contract that this pass Friday December 11, Judge Peter Sherwood ruled that the MTA was to give transit workers there pay increases. The new TWU leadership vows to increase the fighting of cutbacks due to the reduced revenue to the MTA. <br />*******<br />Building Bridges and most WBAI Programs are now being archived <br />for 90 Days. They are also being PodCast. These links will be live. <br />15 minutes after the program ends. To listen, download or pod cast <br />archived shows go to http://archive.wbai.org/allshows.php <br />Visit our web site - <br />www.buildingbridgesradio.org and visit the take back our union website at www.takebackourunion.org and our blog at www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-46683030642895191612009-12-12T17:03:00.004-05:002009-12-15T06:57:08.371-05:00TWU Local 100 Defeats MTA in Court Battle Over Arbitraion Awarded Contract.Judge Peter Sherwood of the supreme court of NY state has upheld TWU/MTA arbitration awards and the MTA’s petition to vacate the awards. This means the MTA is running of options in stopping transit workers from getting the fare increases they deserve.<br /><br />The MTA and the Mayor went to court to hold up the arbitration award in order to continue to punish transit workers for the 2005 strike .The MTA's case was weak to begin with at the court hearings in November the MTA lawyers only attacked two provisions in the arbitration decision one was giving transit workers 3% in 2011 the last year of the contract and the other was the capping of the 1.5% health care payments. The reason the MTA did not attack the 4% raises in 2009 and 2010 is the arbitration agreement calls for these 4% raises in 2009 and 2010 to be staggered so that the MTA would have the ability within there budget to pay transit workers the same 4% raises as other public sector workers where given.This also means however , where as transit workers where given the same 4% raises as other NYC public sector workers actual take home pay for TWU members would only be around 2.5% for 2009 and 2010.<br /><br />The ironic part is TWU Local 100 members would have gotten a 3.5% wage increase in 2011 but wages where cut by a half percent to pay for the capping of the 1.5% health care tax. The TBOU independent research team has obtain documents which show that TWU members paid almost 57 million dollars to the MTA in 2006 and 2007 due to the 1.5% health care tax. In 2008 alone the 1.5% health care tax cost transit workers $32,575,236.28. Records for 2009 are incomplete but for the first half of the 2009 transit workers have already given the MTA over 20 million dollars due the 1.5% health care tax. So where as capping the 1.5% is nice transit workers should keep in mind two things one is they paid for the capping of the 1.5% with a wage reduction and two the 1.5% was clearly stated to be for retirement health care benefits in the 2006 MOU. To stay informed visit www.tbou.org daily.Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-16493364041549169652009-12-11T20:59:00.003-05:002009-12-11T21:35:00.211-05:00Incoming TWU-Local 100 President John Samuelsen Scheduled to Appear on WWRL 1600AM's "Working New York" - Saturday, December 12th 2009Incoming TWU-Local 100 President John Samuelsen is scheduled to appear on <a href="http://www.wwrl1600.com/bio.asp?id=52"><i>Working New York</i></a> this weekend. The program, which is broadcast on WWRL 1600AM is hosted by longtime New York radio host and political commentator Mark Riley and airs Saturday afternoons from 2-5PM EST. <br />
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"Working New York" is a platform for people who are working, people looking for work, and people who have worked all their lives and are now retired. It's a show for unionized workers, workers fighting to maintain their jobs, and all those New Yorkers who work hard to keep this city alive and well. <br />
<div class="content" id="bd"><br />
Mark Riley talks to elected officials, union officials, labor experts, and more. "But most important," says Riley, "we talk to you, the hard working men and women of the New York City tri-state area." <br />
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WWRL proudly boasts the most progressive talk in the nation.WWRL 1600AM, is licensed to Access 1 Communications Corp., and is a 24-hour African American owned and operated radio station serving the New York metro area. <br />
</div>Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-11840785165415074772009-12-11T06:57:00.007-05:002009-12-11T20:45:26.439-05:00TBOU Action Alert - Tomorrow Saturday December 12 Join the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Movement for Two Big EventsIt's been a great year for the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Movement and as the year comes to a close we will like to invite all of our co-workers in transit as well as all of our supporters from the social justice movement to two big end of the year TBOU events tomorrow Saturday December 12, 2009.<br />
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In the morning starting at 11:00 AM to 2:00PM there is a Solidarity Brunch hosted by the TBOU Women's committee at the International Action Center located at 55 West 17 street 5th floor all sisters in TWU Local 100 are invited in good or bad standing. <br />
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Also tomorrow Saturday December 12 starting at 8:00pm please join us for our first ever Holiday Extravaganza at the Blarney Stone Bar and Grill Located at 121 Fulton Street New York NY 10038. Tickets are $40 which includes open bar & buffet tickets may be purchase at door or online (see post below).Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-47341817762560360382009-12-10T23:38:00.005-05:002009-12-11T00:02:29.200-05:00TWU Local 100 Election - NYC Reformers Rise Again by Steve Early<strong>NYC Reformers Rise Again—In Transit And Teamsterdom</strong><br /><br />Working In These Times<br />Wednesday<br />December 9<br />http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/<br /><br /><br />By <strong>Steve Early</strong><br /><br />The rise, fall, and rise again of union reformers is a familiar story line in American labor. To some observers, in fact, it's a source of much cynicism about the whole project of union democracy and reform.<br /><br />The day-to-day demands of full-time elected office, combined with heavy pressure to conform to the norms of business unionism, has led more than a few rank-and-file heroes down the primrose path, sooner or later.<br /><br />After reformers get elected, their "Si se puede" campaign rhetoric has been known to give way to a litany of excuses about why "we can't" -- empower members, fight the boss, or "build a new union," as promised during the campaign. There are, fortunately, always some committed activists ready to push the boulder of reform back up the hill again. But starting over is never easy. It requires winning support from fellow workers now angry, frustrated and/or disillusioned by the actual or perceived failure of previous insurgencies.<br /><br />Two iconic New York City labor unions—TWU Local 100 and Teamsters Local 804--provide a recent case in point.<br /><br />Local 100 of the Transport Workers has 38,000 subway worker and bus driver members. In 2000, a Caribbean-born track worker--bearing the name of a great 18th century liberator--took office as the presidential candidate of the "New Directions" caucus. Roger Toussaint was a battle-tested militant, with a left-wing political background, previously fired by the Transit Authority. His New Directions comrades-in-arms had contested many earlier elections, less successfully. They had also spent two decades or more trying to strengthen the union, from the bottom up, through workplace agitation and organizing, a story well told in "Hell on Wheels," a Solidarity pamphlet by Steve Downs, the elected chairperson of Local 100's Train Operators Division. (See www.solidarity-us.org for ordering info).<br /><br />In office, as Downs recounts, it didn't take Toussaint long to create a personal patronage machine, rather than "the democratic, member-run union that New Directions and thousands of the local's members had fought for." Reform of the local became "a top-down, staff-driven process...Officers and members who pushed for a more participatory approach were frozen out."<br /><br />As a result, Local 100 was in weak organizational shape when it skimped on contract campaigning in 2005 and then plunged into a brave but bungled strike in violation of the draconian Taylor Act. The dispute ended with healthcare give-backs, deep internal discord, costly fines for members and their union, Roger in jail for a few days, and suspension of automatic dues deduction. This last penalty--still in effect--has left Local 100 with a very big and disgruntled "open shop."<br /><br />Only 18,000 out 38,000 workers are still supporting TWU financially. The local's deeply eroded and demoralized stewards' network--long neglected by Toussaint -- has been unable to collect more voluntary dues or do much else to enforce the contract, except in remaining pockets of workplace self-activity.<br /><br />By 2006, the increasingly unpopular Local 100 president had to rely on a divided field of challengers to win re-election with only 43% of the vote. As reported accurately by no less an authority than Wikipedia, Toussaint soon came under renewed factional "criticism as he began removing union officers who were elected on opposition slates and working more closely with New York City Transit management."<br /><br />In Teamsters Local 804, based in Queens, the trajectory from militancy to complacency, demobilization, and de facto company unionism occurred in a better-known national context. 804 is the home local of Ron Carey, who died of lung cancer a year ago. In the 1970s and '80s, under his leadership, 804 was a formidable island of rank-and-file resistance to the largest Teamster employer in the country, United Parcel Service. In those days, Carey and his members were surrounded by a cesspool of Teamster corruption and gangsterism in New York City and New Jersey, plus union collaboration with UPS management just about everywhere else.<br /><br />In 1989-91, Carey joined forces with Teamsters for a Democratic Union to wage a successful grassroots campaign to oust old guard officials at the national union level. Carey's six tumultuous but productive years as IBT president in Washington reached their peak with the Teamsters' 1997 strike victory over UPS; shortly, thereafter, he was forced to step down from office in a re-election campaign fund-raising scandal, that also led to his indictment. Acquitted of all charges in 2001, he remained painfully banned from having any contact with his former co-workers in 804.<br /><br />Over time, Carey's successors in the leadership of this 7,000-member UPS local drifted into the camp of current Teamster President James Hoffa. Two years ago, they gladly went along with a Hoffa-engineered UPS contract settlement that was overturned, in 804 at least, by dissatisfied members. The TDU-backed rank-and-file campaign against concessions in the 804 local supplement to the UPS national contract forced management to put a better offer on the table.<br /><br />The final deal reversed a 30 percent pension cut, stopped a proposed wage cut, and saved the "25 & Out" retirement option that was key legacy of the Carey years. In a fatal pique of annoyance over this political setback for them, Local 804 officials didn't even send flowers to the funeral home or attend the wake when Carey died a year ago. At a memorial service for Ron last February, hundreds of UPSers showed up, angry and determined to avenge this grievous slight -- and, more importantly, take back their union--at the polls this fall.<br /><br />In Local 100, that's exactly what the anti-Toussaint forces called themselves -- Take Back Our Union (TBOU). Roger himself wasn't on the ballot this time because he now has a high-paid staff job with the TWU's tiny and not very helpful national organization, whose failings he once criticized harshly (during his previous incarnation as a rank-and-file militant and, for a few years, dissident local leader).<br /><br />Instead, a candidate backed by Toussaint and favored by the national union squared off against John Samuelsen, a Local 100 vice-president from Brooklyn with a long history of activism around track safety issues and the fight against contracting out. On Monday, Dec. 7, Samuelsen's multi-racial TBOU team won all four local-wide officer positions, including the presidency and four out of seven V-P slots. In his own race for the top job, Samuelsen won by nearly 900 votes out of more than 10,000 cast. Just a few days earlier, on Dec. 3, there was a record turn-out (1,000 more voters than before) in the balloting for 804's officers and executive board members. The TDU-assisted "804 Members United Slate" won all 11 seats, turfing out the hapless Hoffa fans in their union hall by an even larger margin of two to one.<br /><br />In both races, the challengers produced detailed campaign platforms that were strikingly similar. (See www.takebackourunion.org or www.804membersunitedslate.org for details.)TBOU's literature stressed the need for an "open, democratic union," "member-driven, clean of corruption," and "single-minded in its resolve to break the cycle of concessionary bargaining." As UPS worker and 804 president-elect Tim Sylvester explained last week, "We laid out ten changes we'll make to build a stronger Local 804. We're not going to be able to fix all the problems overnight. But we're committed to implementing a reform program and tapping the power of an informed and organized membership."<br /><br />When they take office like Sylvester in January, Samuelsen and his running-mates--Izzy Rivera, Benita Johnson, and Angel Giboyeaux -- will face an Augean stable full of accumulated organizational and financial problems. High on their "to-do" list will be a systematic membership drive, to get delinquent dues payers back into the TWU fold, and a push to secure long overdue 2005 contract pay increases that are still tied up in a post-arbitration appeal by management. Unusual among U.S. trade unionists at the moment, Samuelsen has a singular focus on "building rank-and-file power and re-establishing union strength in the workplace." At a day-long transition planning discussion, held in Manhattan last month with ninety TBOU supporters, John kept returning to the theme that Local 100 wouldn't become a "powerhouse" in NY labor again until it first re-built "layers of density" on the shop-floor, fought to "control the pace of work," and tackled, rather than ignored, day-to-day problems like the "disgusting condition" of subway employee bathrooms.<br /><br />At a time when unions like SEIU are downplaying the role of workplace representation and any fight over working conditions--and, in some cases, even replacing stewards with "call centers"--Samuelsen talks non-stop about the centrality of elected shop stewards, who can't easily be replaced with "loyal bums" at the whim of a local president. He believes stewards should be trained and encouraged to deal directly with management as "on-site dispute handlers" and key contract enforcers. In the legislative/political arena, he thinks Local 100 should rely less on high-priced lobbyists and consultants or union check-writing to politicians. He wants more rank-and-file members to run for office themselves and pressure public officials directly, in their own neighborhoods and communities.<br /><br />The 42-year-old Samuelson is particularly concerned about the challenge of reaching younger, newly hired transit workers. In a pre-election message to them, he warned of a Transit Authority management that has "stepped up its abuse of our members and routinely violates our contract." The Toussaint regime's abandonment of "any real attempt to mobilize the membership to defend our jobs" has produced a union "in full retreat on safety, discipline, job picks, and seniority rights."<br /><br />Now faced with the challenge of actually stopping that retreat and finding ways for Local 100 to go on the offensive again, Samuelsen and his slate will need all the help they can get from members, new and old, next year, as will those picking up Ron Carey's banner in Teamsters Local 804.<br /><br />(Steve Early was a CWA organizer, contract negotiator, and strike strategist in the northeast for 27 years. He is a longtime supporter of Teamsters for a Democratic Union and<br /><br />the author of "Embedded With Organized Labor: Journalistic Reflections on the Class War at Home," Monthly Review Press, 2009, a book that discusses TDU and other union reform efforts.)Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-22668757922966142022009-12-09T21:20:00.002-05:002009-12-10T18:01:29.504-05:00TWU-Local 100 leadership cancels scheduled Saturday, December 12th Mass Membership meetingThis is a clear violation of the by-laws, as an annual mass membership meeting is required by charter. <i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.twulocal100.org/sites/twulocal100.org/files/mm1new3.pdf"> *Flyers with a rescheduled date are being distributed,</a> however, there is no indication that the new leadership has agreed to hold this rescheduled meeting.</i>Alizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03699757916572392067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-25934364930405852972009-12-08T13:33:00.009-05:002009-12-09T10:54:58.392-05:00TWU Local 100 Election Results - Its Take Back Our Union (TBOU) in a Landslide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_CtL2hnKhTJWuFs_pWHjHPO6KMotglUsy8mGlunLlalhSf79nPvuh-bXZgSliAOLcJ3H2NWKBKNeZ2udz6IUoB9ZNOdITGrpe-DIcg4nSyJcmTKHJgvaXh6K6xkBochdOYZwBPCw06st/s1600-h/Capture+-+slate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmT3w9rMT994TRhFzVRhlAKFh-LX70sC0iHdXPenhRTrC-tTWbsAoiTqENalYG5QuifE9qYT_68Gy7zfy_mYOvbmrNa95pP0RMVgWiRgzD78_ltLqxQDR_zlOPGFImLS008YNmle5hIoV/s1600-h/Capture+-+slate2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmT3w9rMT994TRhFzVRhlAKFh-LX70sC0iHdXPenhRTrC-tTWbsAoiTqENalYG5QuifE9qYT_68Gy7zfy_mYOvbmrNa95pP0RMVgWiRgzD78_ltLqxQDR_zlOPGFImLS008YNmle5hIoV/s640/Capture+-+slate2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
The Take Back Our Union (TBOU) slate wins in a landslide in the TWU Local 100 election as they sweep the Top offices and take 4 of 7 vice president spots and control of the TWU Local 100 executive board.<br />
<br />
<b>The newly elected officers will take office on Jan. 1, 2010.</b><br />
<br />
Results:<br />
<br />
<b>President</b><br />
John Samuelsen (TBOU) 5549<br />
Curtis Tate (UI) 4681<br />
<br />
<b>Secretary-Treasurer</b><br />
Izzy Rivera (TBOU) 5296<br />
Ed Watt (UI) 4855<br />
<br />
<b>Recording-Secretary</b><br />
Benita Johnson (TBOU) 5511<br />
Andreeva Pinder (UI) 4560<br />
<br />
<b>Administrative VP</b><br />
Angel Giboyeaux (TBOU) 5255<br />
Barry Roberts (UI) 4866<br />
<br />
<b>Vice-Presidents</b><br />
<br />
<b>RTO</b><br />
Kevin Harrington (TBOU) 928<br />
William Wyatt (UI) 465<br />
<br />
<b>MoW</b><br />
Tony Utano (TBOU) 1505<br />
Charles Ayala (UI) 782<br />
<br />
<b>Stations </b><br />
Maurice Jenkins (TBOU) 550<br />
Kendra Hill (UI) 434<br />
<br />
<b>CED</b><br />
Richard Rivera (TBOU) 527<br />
Nelson Rivera (UI) 672<br />
<br />
<b>TA Surface</b><br />
Harry Wills (TBOU) 430<br />
Stephan Thomas (UI) 557<br />
JP Patafio (Independent) 479<br />
<br />
<b>MTA Bus</b><br />
John Day (TBOU)746<br />
Enzo Sinonna (UI) 661<br />
<br />
<b>MaBSTOA</b><br />
Brian Clarke of the UI slate ran unopposed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Take Back Our Union thanks all of the members of TWU Local 100 for taking the time to vote in the election and supporting us.</span><br />
<br />
To stay updated and for breaking TWU Local 100 election news visit our website : <a href="http://www.takebackourunion.org/">www.takebackourunion.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">CELEBRATE THE VICTORY:</span><br />
<br />
Don't forget the 1st ever <span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Movement Holiday Extravaganza</span> is taking place this Saturday, December 12th at the Blarney Stone Bar and Grill located at 121 Fulton Street New York NY 10038.<br />
<br />
Buy your tickets now online:<br />
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="9895541" /><a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=1QikLZ-bJ3QYToS1ipLqtApkNoB6rM9SiLR6NX4styz6sx3ixMlOcyi2plC&dispatch=50a222a57771920b6a3d7b606239e4d529b525e0b7e69bf0224adecfb0124e9b833248354cf50881e4ea372b2a42d76305e03018dc2a2bc7"><br />
<input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" height="47" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" type="image" width="122" /></a><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /><br />
</form><br />
Or to call for tickets visit <a href="http://www.takebackourunion.org/">www.takebackourunion.org</a>.Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-84550837786424573642009-12-07T15:12:00.010-05:002009-12-10T17:54:52.795-05:00THE TAKE BACK OUR UNION MOVEMENT INVITES YOU TO ITS FIRST ANNUAL HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA<a href="http://www.takebackourunion.org/index-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.takebackourunion.org/index-1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 471px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 361px;" /></a><br />
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<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="color: #669900; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 100%;"><b>DATE:<br />
</b></span><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;">Saturday, December 12</span><b><span style="color: #669900; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 100%;"><br />
<br />
TIME:</span></b><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><br />
8:00 PM - Until</span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: #669900; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 100%;"><br />
<br />
</span></span></span> <br />
</div><div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><style>
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</style><span style="font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="color: #669900; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 100%;">PLACE: </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><b>Blarney Stone<br />
</b>121 Fulton Street<br />
New York, NY 10003<br />
</span> <span style="color: #669900; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 100%;"> <b><br />
</b></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: #669900; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 100%;">TICKETS:</span></span><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><br />
<b>$40.00<br />
<br />
</b></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"> <span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Open Bar for beer, wine, soft drinks and well drinks (8pm to midnight)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hot Food all night buffet style</span><br />
<b><br />
Music by Sin City Movement Productions<br />
<br />
Buy tickets online:<br />
<a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=WVVaaIP1NyNmNm1ueCes4ZkroTEercgzSbJ95bZ_OFGub6i3q2IXRr6zMbK&dispatch=50a222a57771920b6a3d7b606239e4d529b525e0b7e69bf0224adecfb0124e9b833248354cf50881e4ea372b2a42d76305e03018dc2a2bc7"><br />
</a></b></span></span><style>
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</style><a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=WVVaaIP1NyNmNm1ueCes4ZkroTEercgzSbJ95bZ_OFGub6i3q2IXRr6zMbK&dispatch=50a222a57771920b6a3d7b606239e4d529b525e0b7e69bf0224adecfb0124e9b833248354cf50881e4ea372b2a42d76305e03018dc2a2bc7"><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" height="47" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" type="image" width="122" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><b> <u> <br />
Purchase tickets (in person) </u><br />
Derick Echevarria</b> 718-593-5553<br />
<b>Paul Piazza</b> 201-310-6030<br />
<b>Maurice Jenkins</b> 347-768-6741<br />
<b>Christine Williams</b> 718-781-3744<br />
<b>Marvin Holland</b> 347-804-6982<br />
<b>Felicia Fields </b>696-591-7246</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0em;"><span style="color: #000033; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><br />
<b>**TICKETS MAY ALSO BE PURCHASED AT THE DOOR**</b><br />
<br />
<b>Travel via train:</b> A/C Train to Broadway Nassau / 2,3,4,5, to Fulton Street </span></span> <br />
<br />
</div>Alizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03699757916572392067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-57944776073800660322009-11-23T12:56:00.003-05:002009-11-23T13:15:09.744-05:00TBOU Education Alert- Friday December 4 2009 "The Great Recession and the Battle for Good Jobs in the Black Community "Dear Friends and supporters of TBOU we would like to pass the word to you about the:<br /><br />The CUNY Murphy Institute for worker education Fall 2009 series of Labor Breakfast Forums, we are pleased to announce a forum entitled “The Great Recession and the Battle for Good Jobs in the Black Community.” The speakers slated for this important discussion are:<br /><br /><strong>Steven C. Pitts</strong>, author of Job Quality and Black Workers-A Multi-City Report and labor policy specialist at the Center for Labor Research and Education, University of California, Berkeley; and <br /><strong>David Jones</strong>, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Service Society of New York (CSS). <br />The event will be held on <strong>Friday, December 4</strong>, 2009, from <strong>8:30 to 10:15 AM</strong>, at the Joseph S. Murphy Institute, <strong>25 West 43rd Street, 18th Floor.</strong><br /><br />While some economists have begun to discuss the formal end of the Great Recession, most also recognize that the economy will likely enter a jobless recovery worse than those following the recessions of 1990 and 2001. This situation promises to have particularly damaging impact on the Black community which entered this recession with disproportionately high level of unemployment and low-wage work. Racially stratified labor markets existed prior to the Great Recession; economic growth policies which ignore this reality will simply reinforce these racial hierarchies. What sort of legislative policies could help to remedy these problems? What new forms of organizing within the black community are needed to wield greater power locally and nationally to improve the quality of jobs held by Black workers? What role should organized labor and other allied movements play? Steven Pitts and David Jones will engage these and other crucial questions in what promises to be a timely and important conversation.<br /><br /><br />Please be sure to RSVP to Eloiza Morales at 212-642-2029 or eloiza.morales@mail.cuny.edu by Monday, November 30, 2009. <br />We look forward to seeing you.<br />Sincerely,<br />Paula Finn - Associate Director Editor, New Labor Forum <br />Rich Blint - Coordinator of Special Projects Center for <br />Labor,Community & Policy Studies<br /><br />To Stay informed on all labor and community news visit www.tbou.org dailyBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-51109970292012655852009-11-13T06:09:00.004-05:002009-11-13T06:19:27.143-05:00TBOU Education Alert- Thursday November 19 2009 "The New York State Taylor Law goes International "TRANSPORT WORKERS CHARGE: NEW YORK'S BAN ON PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKES VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW<br /><br /><strong>What</strong>: discussion by distinguished panel of experts on labor law on New York State's Taylor Law pursuant to changes filed with the ILO by TWU Local 100<br /><strong>Where</strong>: Columbia Law School, Jerome Greene Hall, Room 102<br /><strong>When</strong>: November 19 4:00pm-6:30pm <br /><br />Transport Workers Union Local 100 today filed a Complaint with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva. The ILO is a tripartite UN agency that brings together governments, employers and workers of its member states, which include the United States, "in common action to promote decent work throughout the world." The complaint, directed to the ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association, tests the legality and the chilling effects of New York State's Taylor Law in light of ILO standards which protect the freedom of association and collective bargaining as fundamental human rights. The Taylor Law bars all strikes in the public sector, and punishes strikes with extensive fines, imprisonment of union leaders and loss of automatic dues deduction. The complaint alleges that these restrictions on strikes by public sector employees under New York's Taylor Law constitute "a serious infringement on core trade union rights" protected by international law. <br /><br />To stay informed on all Union and Labor news check www.tbou.org dailyBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-1979599963323757322009-11-06T14:13:00.005-05:002009-11-06T14:42:47.074-05:00Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Action Update- NYfST Meeting Thursday November 12 @ 5:00PMTBOU Action Alert-Taking Back Public Transit <strong>Thursday November 12,</strong> 2009 New Yorkers for Safe Transit (NYfST)is the only coalition of transit riders and transit workers working together to change mass transit policy and to make our mass transit system more safe for everyone so join please us on :<br /><br /><strong>Date: Thursday November 12, 2009</strong><strong><br />Time: 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.<br />Place: North Star Fund (Mid-Town Manhattan</strong>)<br /><strong>520 8th avenue 22nd floor (Between 36 & 37) street </strong><br /><br />Why are crimes and assaults going unreported on our subways and buses ?<br />Why where over 100 Subway booths closed without a public hearing ?<br />What kinds of violence do you see on NYC’s public transit system?<br />How can communities intervene? Respond?<br />What should the MTA do to curb/eliminate sexual harassment, assaults and hate violence?<br />What should perpetrator accountability look like?<br />Why are booths being closed in some communities and not others ?<br />Why are some booths being re-opened ?<br />Why are some bus lines being cut and not others?<br /><br />New Yorkers for Safe Transit invites you to join us as we begin to explore ways transit riders and workers can work together to change mass transit policy in NYC:<br /><br /><strong>So please join NYfST this Thursday November 12 from 5:00PM to 7:00PM in Mid-Town Manhattan at the North Star Fund located 520 8th ave 22nd fl.(bet.36st and 37st)</strong><br />This event is being hosted by the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) movement www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-76904533874157017972009-10-25T05:56:00.003-04:002009-10-25T06:09:28.525-04:00TBOU Action Alert - Protest against Mayor Bloomberg Friday October 30 , 2009Billionaire Bloomberg Rots the Apple! <strong>PROTEST</strong> Take Back Our Union (TBOU)urges all transit workers and our supporters to come out and protest on:<br /><br />Date: Friday, October 30, 2009<br />Time: 5:00pm - 6:30pm<br />Location: Bloomberg for Mayor Campaign Office <br />813 Broadway (between 11 & 12 sts.)<br /><br />Mayor Bloomberg made billions from banking and vulture capitalism. He has used his mayoral powers to enrich the banks, corporations and real estate developers who are devouring our jobs, housing and education. A quarter of NYC's $50 billion budget -- $12.5 billion -- goes to tax-free debt service to banks. Join us to say that money needs to go to the people of NYC.<br /><br />* Bloomberg says he's created jobs. Is this a joke? Unemployment is at record levels in NYC. The cost of living is up; wages are down. Homelessness is epidemic.<br /><br />* Youth unemployment is over 50 percent. Youth need jobs and education, not repression and jails.<br /><br />* Bloomberg did nothing to stop the closing of Stella D'oro, despite the company having received tax abatements. His planning board voted for the Bronx Armory developer, against community demands for decent jobs.<br /><br />* Billionarie Bloomberg is running campaign ads promoting racism. He is in cahoots with former Mayor Giuliani, whose racist policies targeting Black and Latino/a communities are well-documented.<br /><br />* Bloomberg rules over the public schools by fiat, preventing community control of schools that serve mostly people of color. He also forces educators to "teach to the test" for biased standardized tests.<br /><br />* Bloomberg opposes a raise for Transit Workers. He's attacking the public service unions.<br /><br />* Bloomberg has ignored the AIDS crisis completely. Health care in our communities has deteriorated.<br /><br />JOBS AT LIVING WAGES YES!<br />RACISM NO!<br />UNION BUSTING'S GOT TO GO!<br /><br /><br />Initiated by the Bail Out the People Movement. We urge unions, community groups and organizations to mobilize and work together for this important demonstration.<br /><br />Call 212-633-6646 or 646-353-2708<br />Email march4jobs@gmail.com for all your community and labor news visit www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-34478841056110332972009-10-24T00:13:00.005-04:002009-10-24T08:37:35.741-04:00Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Action Alert- TBOU Supports NYC Paid Sick Leave Campaign by Christine WilliamsWe all know how important it is to stay home from work when we're sick or to be able to stay at home and take care of a sick child. Many people take this for granted that you will get paid by your employer when you call out sick. Yet there are over a million workers in New York City who have no paid sick time. When workers can't afford to take off from work to recover from illnesses, this could become a health risk to co workers and the public. <br /><br />The Take Back Our Union(TBOU) womens initiative committee has joined with the NYC paid sick leave coalition to get the NYC Paid Sick Time Act passed this year. Join TBOU and add your voice to the movement gaining momentum throughout the city and tell mayor Bloomberg that workers deserve paid sick days.<br /><br />Important Upcoming dates<br /> <strong>*october 26 </strong>2009* Launch of the paid sick days subway ad campaign Also public out reach and leaflet at the following subway station locations along the 4 5 and 6 line. <br />Time: 7:30-9 AM East at Lexington avenue 125th street <br /> East 86th st and Lexington NW and SW corners on the downtown side <br />Union Square south end near 2 subway kiosks along East 14th street <br /> Also at 10 am at Union Square there will be a demonstration and mass leafletting to the public. <br /><br /> *<strong>November 16 2009 </strong>*Press conference and rally on the steps of city hall! The city council will hold a hearing on the paid sick time bill.More details on this action at a later date. <br /><br /> *<strong>November 18 2009 </strong>*NYC paid sick time coalition. will sponsor a Forum<br />" Mobilizing women to speak out on paid sick days" Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM<br />NYU School of Law 245 Sullivan street, Furman hall-student lounge Featuring: <br />Gloria Steinem For more info on future actions go to :www.timetocare.ny.org/nyc for all your labor news always visit www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-48769054904223405962009-10-23T21:26:00.003-04:002009-10-23T22:00:14.603-04:00TBOU Education Alert-Monday October 26,2009 " AT THE POINT OF PRODUCTION"Author's Forum : 5:30 P.M., October 26th, 2009 at Brooklyn College Graduate Center for Worker Education,25 Broadway , 7 floor to RSVP call 212 -966-4014<br /><br />At the Point of Production The Social Analysis of Occupational and Environmental Health A Collection of Essays Edited by Charles Levenstein.<br /><br />This book locates workers' health and safety problems in the board political economy, arguing that without a deep understanding of the social/political/economic context of particular industrial hazards.The chapters report a series of case studies, all of which use the " point of production " as framework to investigate particular problems or industries.<br /><br />The first section of the book focuses on globalization - the impact of privatization on health and safety of workers and communities in Brazil and Mexico. The Next section addresses environmental issues : the unintended effects of environmental regulation on workers, the situation of hazardous waste workers and emergency responders, the implementation of toxic use reduction and the role of workers in pollution prevention. The third section explores the intersection of labor relations with gender relations at the point of production.The last chapters addresses practical issues involved in conducting occupational health research in the contested terrain of the workplace.These chapters were previously published in New solutions Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health Policy.<br /><br />Sponsors : CUNY/Brooklyn College Graduate Center for Worker Education<br />Worker USA : Journal of Labor & Society<br />New Solutions Journal Occupational and Environmental Health PolicyBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-7448815705693196822009-10-23T20:24:00.003-04:002009-10-23T21:26:01.678-04:00TBOU Education Alert-Monday October 26,2009 " WOMEN ON THE LINE"On Monday October 26 Join Miriam Glucksmann for talk on her book and experiences:<br />Thirty Year Reflections on Women on the Line - Changes and Continuities in Women's Work with comments by Linda Gordon of New York University.October 26th From 5:00PM - 7:00PM at The Tamiment Library located at 70 Washington Square South NYU Bobst Library, 10th floor between La Guardia and Greene Street in lower Manhattan for more info contact Michael Nash by email Michael.Nash@nyu.edu to stay updated on all labor education news always visit www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-24861187084955332022009-10-23T20:13:00.003-04:002009-10-23T20:24:29.277-04:00Things Are Falling Apart Inside TWU Local 100 from TA SurfaceWhat is happening to TA Surface? The President, i.e., Roger Toussaint, talks about “accountability” but right here in TA Surface the Vice President, Stephan Thomas, continues to make a mockery of our Division. <br /><br />We have elected Division Officers barred from dealing with the membership. The Division Chair is back on the bus, and the VP has told management not to deal with him (backed by an email from Toussaint to management). Yes, the Union Hall is using management to go against an elected officer of the union. What a travesty!<br /><br />We have two Divisional officers, Willie Rivera and Armando Serrano,driving buses while there are two Depot vice-chairs, Keith Arrington and Carlos Clarke doing their work. We have the 1st Division Vice Chair, Lloyd Archer not doing any hearings while the ENY Depot Chair, Ron Carter, does disciplinary hearings in other depots and arbitration. Stephan Thomas and Toussaint give the discredited Grand Ave(appointed) Chair, Gale Lee, a job at the Union Hall and in the same week they fire John Farrington, a former officer and long time staffer who was the Coordinator at 2 Broadway. Competence gives way to cronyism.<br /><br />Things are indeed falling apart. For Toussaint and Thomas“accountability” means one thing, listen to their orders or face retaliation. How can there be any “accountability” when the top officers see no reason to be accountable to the membership? Change is coming on December 8th, but we don't have to wait till then.We need to demand that the Union’s by-laws and the member’s rights be respected. Let the Division officers run the Division (as it always has been). <br />TAKE BACK OUR UNION (TBOU) movement www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-89326513407978537832009-10-21T05:57:00.008-04:002009-10-21T06:33:26.215-04:00TBOU Election Update - Ed Watt bails out on TWU Local 100 by Israel Rivera JrLocal 100 Secretary Treasurer Ed Watt bails out on United Invincible and the members of TWU Local 100. As the most bizarre and controversial election in the history of TWU Local 100 heads into the home stretch . <br /><br />Ed Watt goes and takes a full time paid position at TWU international of America just as president Toussaint did in November 2008. Seems his new position was to be brought up before an upcoming International Executive Board meeting. Details of the $160,000 a year position may have been leaked out by Mr. Watt himself. This is a major blow to the United Invincible slate. Sure sign of a fracture as Mr. Watt is Curtis Tates number two man. A sign that United Invincible's top people believe the current Local 100 election is unwinable? Local 100 President Roger Toussaint has already secured himself a position at TWU of America.Many Local 100 officers and UI candidates are already at the TWU of America, leaving most of their supporters to wonder about their own fate as the ballot count approaches later this year. <br /><br />"Watt's departure from Local 100 is a sure sign that his Toussaint-supported United Invincible slate has lost the election," <br /><br />"There will be new leadership at [the] local come January 1." ... John Samuelsen, <br /><br />Smack in the middle of a contract fight, United Invincible shows their true colors. They turn tail and run to the safety of TWU of America!<br />Begging Internationl Pres. James Little for protection from the on slaught of Take Back Our Union (TBOU). Israel Rivera Jr, for news story click on link below<br /><br />http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/12/2009-10-12_roger_toussaintbacked_twu_slate_takes_a_whack_as_candidate_leaves_for_internatio.html#ixzz0TlaTHdR6 and for all your TWU Election news always visit www.tbou.org<br /><br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Brother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-31737083499928964762009-10-21T05:39:00.004-04:002009-10-21T05:54:06.540-04:00TBOU Supports The NYC Paid Sick Days CampaignMessage from :New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition<br /><br />Dear Paid Sick Days Advocates: <br /><br />There is so much happening on the campaign and so many significant dates approaching that the steering committee thought it was important to have an in-person meeting:<br /><br /><strong>Friday, October 23 at 8:30 AM @ CWA~ 80 Pine St., 37 floor</strong><br /><br />We need you to join us as we: <br /><br />Organize activities for the public release of our subway ads on Monday, October 26th <br />Plan for the bill's City Council hearing on Monday, November 16th<br />Expand on plans for a women's event on Wednesday, November 18th at NYU Law School<br />Report of the Coalition's October 19th meeting with Speaker Quinn <br /><br />Please RSVP by responding to this e-mail or by calling 212-558-2276. Thanks!<br /><br /><br />We look forward to hearing from you ASAP.<br /><br />The Take Back Our Union (TBOU) movement supports the efforts of The NYC Paid Sick Days Campaign to stay informed about this campaign and all workers issues visit www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8189436595179492645.post-19117798438658137442009-10-20T17:35:00.006-04:002009-10-20T17:49:00.846-04:00TBOU Education Alert-Friday October 23 " Is Conventional Trade Union Obsolete"As part of our fall 2009 series of Labor Breakfast Forums, we are pleased to announce a forum entitled “Is Conventional Trade Unionism Obsolete?” The speakers slated for this important discussion have considered these issues from crucial and distinct vantage points: Amy Dean, former Chief Executive Officer, South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, and author of A New New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement; Janice Fine, Assistant Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Rutgers University, and author of Worker Centers: Organizing Communities at the Edge of the Dream; Gerry Hudson, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union and co-founder of the Emerald Cities Project, committed to greening urban economies in equitable and democratically accountable ways; and Aijen Poo, Co-founder and Director, Domestic Workers United, an organization of nannies, housekeepers, and elderly caregivers fighting for power, respect, fair labor standards. <br /><br />The event will be held on <strong>Friday, October 23, 2009, 8:30 – 10:15 AM, at the Murphy Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, 18th Floor</strong>.<br /><br />Despite over a decade of renewed national commitment to organizing, the US labor movement has remained unable to significantly increase union membership. A legal framework that makes union recognition an uphill battle and huge job losses in heavily-unionized manufacturing sectors partly accounts for labor’s diminished size. Yet the fact that only a few unions have committed the resources necessary to support large-scale organizing also contributes to the fact that overall union density now hovers at 12.4%, and is a sobering 7.6% in the private sector. On the political front, organized labor helped to elect Barak Obama, but may be unable to secure the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), its top legislative priority. <br /><br />These conditions require the labor movement to grapple with some tough questions: How can labor adapt its organizing template of long-term stability in a single workplace to meet the contemporary realities of contingent and globalized labor? Can the structures and objectives of industrial unions meet the challenges workers face in a post-industrial economy? How might American labor make common cause with a diverse, international labor force increasingly vulnerable within a corporate-dominated global economy? Did it make sense for organized labor to have set EFCA its top legislative priority, rather than focusing on universal health care or financial reregulation, for example? Should organized labor refashion itself as a social movement, standing in for what has become an eviscerated Left? Or does that role unfairly burden unions and distract them from fighting the workplace battles of its members? Our speakers will engage these and other difficult questions in what promises to be a timely and important conversation.<br /><br />Please be sure to RSVP to Eloiza Morales at 212-642-2029 or eloiza.morales@mail.cuny.edu by Monday, October 19, 2009. We look forward to seeing you.To stay informed on all labor and worker news always visit www.tbou.orgBrother Marvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02235738415132493842noreply@blogger.com0