To the Editor:
In response to last week’s Letters to the Editor. First up, James Mahoney, known for wearing a neck brace while trying to get another union brother fired. Mahoney turned on TWU President Roger Toussaint and Ed Watt and begged John Samuelsen to keep him on board because he was not able to drive a bus anymore and would not clear the medical clinic that all transit workers are subjected to.
Samuelsen kept him on payroll long enough to retire, and he is now forced to do Samuelsen's bidding. Mahoney can be found trolling online in transit groups doing Samuelsen’s bidding and being told to scram by just about everyone. Mahoney claims Samuelsen has many options on the solidarity fund excess—oh, really? The membership vote was to extend medical benefits to laid-off workers for six months—period!
Mahoney falsely claims I have never supported the Widow and Orphans Fund when, in fact, I contribute through payroll deduction every check and have gotten many members to contribute. He mistakenly claims I come from Track when, in fact, I come from the Power Division. He claims, unfortunately, that the division benefiting the most from the Widows and Orphans Fund is Track; then why would Johnny “Pathmark” Samuelsen appoint a bus mechanic as director of safety when the majority of fatalities came from Maintenance of Way Subways?
Next up, Tony Utano, known for having charges pending for being a “scab.” You see, he did not pay his dues one year prior to the election and is wrongfully sitting in office and on the executive board. On the campaign trail it was troubling to find out that with his 26 years of hiding at Systems Operations, the majority of members in MoW didn’t know who he was. Utano, along with Jack Blazejewicz, brought the Track Division, or Department of Subways for that matter, its first-ever five-year pick along with numerous pilot programs. John Chiarello’s division is wracked by Inspector General investigations going back 10 years. What was Chiarello doing all this time? It’s a running joke in the halls of TWU that he spent the past 13 months “Driving Miss Daisy,” I mean Tony Utano, around.
My proudest moment was representing Secretary-Treasurer Israel Rivera, and soon the appeal we wrote will be available online for all to read. Izzy will be vindicated in a real courtroom, not the kangaroo court Samuelsen put on. My members always want me to represent them and so did your president, John Samuelsen. Samuelsen wanted me to represent him against Izzy, but I stayed on the side of righteousness and chose to represent Izzy against Samuelsen and his four law firms, staff and ineligible executive board members as jurors.
What happened, Utano, to your 26 years of experience—no one wanted you? It’s Utano’s letter that is lie-filled. He said Samuelsen isn’t under investigation of any kind; well, that’s not what New Yorkers heard on 1010 Wins on Election Day. Utano claims there was no Committee on Political Education scandal—oh, really? Then why, after my Letter to the Editor in the Jan. 28 edition, did Samuelsen put back the $96,000 he took from the building fund and tried to use for COPE? Also why is there now a dedicated Transit Authority representative handling COPE cancellation notices from the members?
Is the TWU not homeless? Isn’t Samuelsen only trying to get us Roger Toussaint’s contract? You guys are bringing the union together by cutting off my e-mails? Didn’t you guys run on open transparency and democracy? Wasn’t Samuelsen exposed at Izzy’s trial for reading TWU officers’ and staff’s e-mails? Didn’t Samuelsen hire the supposedly independent stenographer from Izzy’s trial?
You guys claim to be trade unionists—well, what medical benefits did you offer staff that you laid off and put into the street after charging them union dues and making them pay for the solidarity fund? Also, did Samuelsen send a letter to the Transit Authority indemnifying the TA from future litigation concerning the solidarity fund? And if so, why did he do that?
Hey creegan don't quit your day job. You'll need it.
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