Critics 'Off' Panel
Say Toussaint Plays Politics on Safety

By ARI PAUL

Two elected officials of Transport Workers Union Local 100 claimed last week that they were removed by order of the union from a joint labor-management inspection team investigating the safety of Track Workers.

PAUL NAVARRO: Bumped from safety team.

Paul Navarro and Jay Carrasco are vice chairmen of the Track Division and were asked to serve on the team by the chairman, Carlos Albert, in mid-May. It was set up by President Roger Toussaint of Local 100 and New York City President Howard Roberts in response to the fatalities of two Track Workers in April. The two presidents also set up a track safety task force with union and management representatives to evaluate current procedures.

'Developed a Rapport'

Mssrs. Navarro and Carrasco said they were working with representatives of the Office of System of Safety, going to work sites at night in order to evaluate the current safety measures in place. They took note of equipment that needed to be fixed and safety measures that were not being followed.

"We were starting to develop a good rapport with management," Mr. Carrasco said.

ROGER TOUSSAINT: Accused of cronyism.

Mr. Toussaint appointed Jose Iglesias, they said, to administer the union side of the task force. According to Mssrs. Carrasco and Navarro, Mr. Iglesias said he would decide which locations would be reviewed and that they would file their reports with him. Mssrs. Carrasco and Navarro objected, they said, because as elected vice chairmen they answer to the chairman, Mr. Albert. In a letter from Mr. Navarro to Mr. Iglesias, he said, "I work for the members of Track that elected me."

Pulled Without Reason

Mssrs. Navarro and Carrasco recalled that on May 26 they were supposed to assemble at 6 a.m. in NYC Transit headquarters at 2 Broadway for the team to choose the locations it was going to visit that day. Instead, they met with the management representatives later in the field. After they completed the tour, they both received calls from Mr. Iglesias saying they were off the task force and had to go back to their tools.

"We never got a reason," said Mr. Carrasco.

Mr. Iglesias was not available to comment, and no spokesman for Local 100 would publicly discuss Mssrs. Navarro and Carrasco's claims. A source within the union said that there are joint labor-management inspection teams that have rotating union representatives.

But Mr. Albert speculated that their removal was an act of political revenge, because they both ran - and won - on a slate opposing Mr. Toussaint in the union's last general election in December. Prior to the two men serving on the team, Track Worker Percival Thomas was appointed, said Mr. Albert, because he is a vocal supporter of Mr. Toussaint.

Mr. Carrasco said he still feels the sting of being removed, because he and Mr. Navarro were replaced by non-elected officials.

"Based on the politics he brings to the table," he said of Mr. Toussaint, "the members are going to suffer. And I think the public is going to suffer, too."