TWU LOCAL 100 BLASTS DE BLASIO IN ADS

I sometimes compare Transit Workers Local 100 to the UFT because TWU Local 100 still operates as a labor union, for the most part, defending its members and holding the powerful accountable. The UFT, on the other hand, has become a weak appendage of the often discredited Democratic Party.

UFT usually tells members and chapters under attack to fight behind the scenes instead of out in public since the Union wouldn't want to embarrass the mayor or chancellor. As a result, we are so weak now as people in schools see their friends who've been harassed transfer instead of being able to stand up to powerful administrators.

TWU has put some money where their mouths are with a series of ads blasting the mayor. The piece below is taken right from their website. Notice the direct attack on the mayor.

Could the UFT start a similar campaign to try to get education funds sent to the classroom? You better believe we could.

The NYC-MTA Funding Dispute: Why is Local 100 in this Fight?

In the 1990s, the MTA agreed to take over the job of providing specialized transportation for New York City's disabled and senior citizens who have difficulty walking. It took on this burden at the request of NYC government. Since then, the demand for paratransit service, known as Access-A-Ride, has soared.

Similarly, the MTA provides massive subsidies for student transportation in the city. It gives the city Department of Education valuable student MetroCards for school kids to ride buses and subway trains specifically to get to class and then back home. Essentially, the MTA acts as a complex yellow school bus apparatus on behalf of New York City.

These two programs are clearly outside the core mission of the MTA, yet the money to cover the cost comes right out of the MTA's Operating and Maintenance Budget. Providing these services to NYC residents is undeniably the responsibility of NYC government. But City Hall only reimburses the MTA for a small percentage of the costs to provide these necessary services to its residents. It is de Blasio's obligation, but transit riders and transit workers are getting stuck footing the bill. 

Not reimbursing the MTA for these services, which NYC asked to be provided, is the equivalent of hiring a contractor to perform work for you - and then refusing to pay for it.

There's a name to describe this. It's called theft of service. And right now, the de Blasio administration is stiffing the MTA for more than $530 million a year by refusing to pay up for services that NYC has requested.

That's more than $530 million that annually could be used to help pay for real solutions to the subway crisis, which would improve the riders' experience - and our work lives. 

TWU International President Samuelsen explains how de Blasio is pulling money out of the MTA Operating and Maintenance Budget in this CBS news story by Marcia Kramer: (just click on the image to get to the story).