Toussaint Ally Wins VP Race In Local 100

By RICHARD STEIER

A candidate running on the slate of Transport Workers' Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint has captured the re-run election for vice president in the union's Car Equipment Division.

Nelson Rivera, running on the One Union slate, defeated Richie Rivera from the Rail and Bus United slate, 1,092 to 970, after several recounts of their original contest last December failed to produce a clear winner. Rail and Bus was the slate headed by Barry Roberts, one of the four men who unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Toussaint's re-election. Another of them, Ainsley Stewart, had been the vice president for Car Equipment.

Strengths Board Control

By winning that seat, Nelson Rivera allowed Mr. Toussaint to strengthen his control over what had been a divided Local 100 board. Among the top 10 union positions, seven are now held by Mr. Toussaint and his supporters; prior to the election, five vice presidential positions were held by his political opponents.

Ballots just went out, and are due back later this month, for six unresolved races in Local 100's Westchester Private Bus Lines Division, including one vice president's post. A re-run was ordered in those races after Local 100's election monitor, Barbara Deinhardt, determined that hundreds of eligible union members in the Westchester division had not received ballots because their addresses weren't on the voting roster.

Rod Bailey of Rail and Bus United won the original contest by about 500 votes, and was considered a heavy favorite to prevail in the re-run election.