TWU Membership Rejects MTA ‘Poison Pill’ Demands; Empowers Leadership to Make Contingency Plans

At its annual constitutionally required Mass Membership Meeting today, the assembled membership of Transport Workers Union Local 100 heard reports from the union’s leadership and passed a resolution expressing their determination to arrive at a negotiated contract settlement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The resolution rejected what it called the MTA’s ‘indefensible” claims of inability to pay a fair wage increase and formally called upon the union’s leadership to “make plans for every contingency.” Union members have been working without a contract since January of 2012.

Meeting at the Brooklyn Marriott as snow began to blanket the metropolitan area, New York City’s transit workers heard President John Samuelsen give a 55-minute presentation on the state of TWU Local 100 for 2013 including an update on the union’s contract fight. He said that although Local 100 members had distinguished themselves in their response to Hurricane Sandy, the MTA has not moved off its position that any wage gain must be paid for by a reduction in some other benefit, such as health care, or another giveback. He said that the union has fought determinedly against this position for two years, and would continue to fight. He said that the recent election of Bill de Blasio as New York City’s new mayor holds out hope that a decent wage package for municipal workers would be possible, setting a pattern for transit workers as well. Those sentiments were echoed by Public Advocate-Elect Tish James, who electrified the crowd and spoke to NY Governor Andrew Cuomo from the podium, telling him that he must “do the right thing by New York City’s transit workers” and tell the MTA to negotiate a contract with wage increases. The Governor controls the MTA Board.

Local 100’s rank and file also heard from TWU International President Harry Lombardo, who ran for the top spot at the TWU on a slate that included John Samuelsen as his Executive Vice President. He delivered a broadside against politicians who count on labor’s support without doing the hard work of actually supporting workers' right to a piece of the economic pie that the rich are slicing up. Lombardo said that he had, since taking office, significantly cut expenses at the TWU to create a leaner, more streamlined, and more efficient organization that is battle-ready. He said that a practical, focused approach of building power state by state will produce benefits for all TWU members, whether in rail, airlines, gaming, or mass transit.