Transit Union's Uphill Battle

Besides getting the actual new contract approved by the union members, Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint admitted to a group that the union was battered from the strike. At a Wall Street Project breakfast, he said:

"We paid the price in millions of dollars in fines, 10 times that for our members, and face impending loss of dues check off which is going to hemorrhage the finances of our union. But you cannot take on a fight like this and not get bloodied. We are still here standing before you bloodied but unbowed."

However, other labor unions - and Reverend Jesse Jackson - are urging union members across the country to help with the TWU's fines. NY1 reported Jackson as saying, "Selma wasn't for Selma, Alabama, only. The workers’ fight in New York wasn't for New York only, so workers have an obligation in their own interest to rally the transit workers in New York."

But one person isn't that thrilled with Toussaint and the union - the mother of the firefighter who was injured during the transit strike (he was riding his bike to work) is asking a Brooklyn judge to jail Toussaint, since the Taylor says jail should be required for those who break it.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on January 12, 2006 11:32 AM

Comments [rss]

Ben

The victim's name is Matt Long and he remains in critical condition from the accident. He needs blood! If you, your family, friends, neighbors and colligues at work can give blood please do. There is a special blood dirve organized for this Saturday. Please sign-up and donate blood for Matt.

A NY Blood Center mobile blood donation unit will be parked out front of Third & Long (35th Street & 3rd Avenue NYC) and Turtle Bay Grill & Lounge (52nd Street & 2nd Avenue NYC)

SomeJoe

Robot. Trains.

peakguy

21 people have been killed in NYC riding bikes this year without a Strike. That means that there is a 5% chance every day of a cyclist dying on NYC streets.

The person she should sue is Iris Weinshall (Transportation Commish) or Mayor Bloomberg for not having real bike lanes that protect people from cars, trucks and buses.

Ben

The firefighter was struck by a private bus that was hired to transport Bear Sterns employees during the strike. Th bus made an illegal right turn, which puts the driver directly at fault, but that driver would not have even been on the road if the illegal transit strike was not going on. So I say that the mother has every right to blame Toussaint.

Tim N.

I'm not sure we want to call the mother of a critically-injured fireman an old hag (though the fireman's father, Conservative Party chief Mike Long, has never been a favorite), but I was going to echo anonymous's other sentiment... I think the poor man's injuries had more to do with the guy negligently driving the bus that smashed into him and his bike in an intersection than Roger.

Was it ever proven/shown that the bus accident was directly linkable to the strike? If not it certainly was not one of Mayor Bling's better moments when he brought up this tragedy in the context of the strike.

Anonymous

Why doesn't the mother just sue the guy who HIT HER SON? Stupid old hag.

austin

What is the status of the injured firefighter? Is that story still being covered somewhere?

Ben

The mother of the injured firefighter SHOULD sue Toussaint. It is his ego maniacal actions that put that guy in the hospital, and he should have to pay. In my mind, the uphill battle for the TWU is not steep enough!

pugsley

Why would anyone 'help' with the fines. The TWU lost a few million in fines, but they continue to take their cut of all the rank and file's income. Losing dues checkoff is the best thing that could happen to transit workers. Now instead of the TWU taking their cut before the worker even sees their paycheck, the worker has the ability to control their own money.