4 Challenge Toussaint: Ballots Out in TWU Officers' Elections

4 Challenge Toussaint
Ballots Out in TWU Officers' Elections

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

Ballots mailed Nov. 20 to 33,700 members of Transport Workers' Union Local 100 carried the names of five candidates for president.

After Local 100's neutral elections monitor threw out nearly 2,000 qualifying signatures for one of the challengers, the incumbent One Union slate featuring President Roger Toussaint, Secretary-Treasurer Ed Watt and Recording Secretary Darlyne Lawson secured the first line on the ballot.

Other Ticket-Toppers

In the second position was Barry Roberts, vice president of the union's Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority division, running for president on the Rail and Bus United slate. On his team are John Samuelsen, running for secretary-treasurer, and Nat Cummings, a candidate for recording secretary.

Michael Carrube, presidential candidate for the Fresh Start slate, is running with Eddie Creighton for secretary-treasurer, and the recording secretary nominee is Joe Bermudez. That slate is third on the ballot.

The Union Democracy slate comprised of Ainsley Stewart for president, William Pelletier for secretary-treasurer, and John Mooney for recording secretary took the fourth spot.

Anthony Staley, a dark-horse contender for president running as an Independent, was placed on the final line.

Ballots need to be returned by Dec. 15. The counting will be handled by the American Arbitration Association.

The mailing of ballots was delayed a week while Barbara Deinhardt, Local 100's election monitor, sorted through several hundred challenges to the petitioning nominations submitted by the five slates Oct. 27.

Rail and Bus United filed an appeal of her decision, which tossed out nearly 2,000 of its qualifying signatures that were obtained in violation of the union's witnessing regulations. Her ruling cost them the first line on the ballot.

But sources with knowledge of the process said the appeal didn't further delay the ballots' dispersal. There were several other challenges filed by One Union and Rail and Bus United pertaining to positions for lower offices, but they weren't finalized by the time the ballots had to be mailed.