Strip Toussaint Foe Of Steward's Post;

Clash on Dues Letter
Strip Toussaint Foe Of Steward's Post

By ARI PAUL

Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint has accused Track Inspector and political rival John Samuelsen of discouraging members from paying dues and said he was ineligible to hold his shop steward position.

ROGER TOUSSAINT: Acts against political rival. Mr. Samuelsen was chosen as shop steward by the eight other members of Gang No. 228, based at the 45th St. station on the R line in Brooklyn, on May 15. At the end of May, Track Division recording secretary Jack Blazejewicz received a memo from Mr. Toussaint stating that Mr. Samuelsen had discouraged members from paying dues and could not be authorized as a shop steward.

Took Issue With Letter

Mr. Toussaint's accusation is based on a letter co-signed by Mr. Samuelsen that circulated throughout the union telling members that they had the obligation to pay dues, but that it came "with the understanding that the union's leadership is not abusing the union's finances."

The union's bylaws state that the president can suspend or remove a union officer on employer-paid release time if that officer is discouraging members from paying dues. The union lost the right to automatically deduct dues from each member's paycheck for at least 90 days starting June 1 as a result of its illegal, three-day strike in 2005. The union is campaigning for members to sign up to pay on their own.

CREW STANDS BY HIM: John Samuelsen (center) is backed by members of his work gang who scoff at the claim by the leadership of Transport Workers Union Local 100 that he urged members not to voluntarily pay their dues. The letter, also signed by Track Division chairman Carlos Albert and Power Division chairman Thomas Creegan, called on Mr. Toussaint to "end his spending spree" and accused him of handing out political jobs, costing the union about $1 million in dues money annually. Mr. Toussaint believed that these statements told members there was a condition to paying dues and thus violated the union's bylaws.

A spokesman for Mr. Toussaint said the campaign to sign up members to pay dues was the first priority of the union and that Mr. Samuelsen's actions and political ambitions undermined the goals of Local 100.

Mr. Samuelsen called the accusation "ridiculous," saying that he called attention to financial mismanagement and put no stipulations on paying dues. He reiterated that he is not an officer on employer-paid release time and not bound by the bylaw Mr. Toussaint cited.

"He urged everybody to pay dues," said Lee Penkalo, a Track Inspector in Mr. Samuelsen's work gang. "We all pay the dues. I don't know how Toussaint could say he's not the shop steward. This is like the Bush regime. He's making his own rules."

Mr. Blazejewicz protested the allegations in a memo to Mr. Toussaint and said that if he continued with them he could face legal action. The eight men who chose Mr. Samuelsen as their shop steward wrote an open letter to Mr. Toussaint last week.

'He's Our Rep'

"We elected Samuelsen to represent us against management," they wrote. "He is here for us night after night when your $75,000-a-year staff reps are nowhere to be found."

None of the other officers or shop stewards who signed the letter with Mr. Samuelsen received threats of suspension or revocation of their status. Mr. Blazejewicz thought the allegations had little to do with dues payment. Mr. Samuelsen ran for secretary-treasurer, Local 100's second-highest post, in last December's election with Rail and Bus United, one of the main slates opposed to Mr. Toussaint's administration. He lost to Ed Watt of Mr. Toussaint's slate, but remains an outspoken critic and may run again in 2009.

"Samuelsen is Toussaint's biggest nemesis for the next election," Mr. Blazejewicz said.

Alliance Gone Bad

The two men are former allies whose relationship soured in late 2005 when Mr. Samuelsen urged Mr. Toussaint to table discussions on a sale of Local 100's headquarters until after a new wage contract was negotiated. Mr. Samuelsen's opposition was cited as a key factor in the narrow defeat of the original Local 100 wage contract in January 2006.

Mr. Samuelsen is still performing his duties as shop steward and is recognized by management, he said, even though Mr. Toussaint sent a letter to NYC Transit saying his status was revoked.

"It's amazing to me that with probably the biggest struggle Local 100 has faced in 26 years," Mr. Samuelsen said, referring to the loss of dues-check off, "Roger finds time to engage in dirty, cut-throat politics."