A Changed Toussaint

To the Editor:

I have been reading the back-and-forth in The Chief over the last few weeks between Roger Toussaint and his union opponents. The letters demonstrate that history does repeat itself.

It wasn't that long ago when Toussaint was the reformer who was looking to change things and was fighting against a Local 100 president named Willie James who wasn't doing the right thing. Now, 10 years later, it's Toussaint who is not doing the right thing. I don't want to comment on all the accusations in most of the letters sent to your paper, but I definitely agree with Carlos Albert's statement that Toussaint is not the same man he was in the 1990s.

You see, I have personal experience in dealing with the new Toussaint. I am a victim of the MTA's out-of-control disciplinary attack machine. To make a long story short, I was fired by the MTA on an allegation of comp fraud. I defeated them in front of both a state Workers' Comp Judge and a disciplinary arbitrator.

The arbitrator awarded me full back pay months ago, but management is refusing to pay me. They owe me more than $37,000. I have now been notified that the MTA lost its appeal, too, so now I am totally vindicated.

Many are calling me a poster child of why the MTA is a horrible outfit. I have had very favorable dealings with my elected reps, especially Jack Blazejewicz and Carlos Albert, who won the dismissal case for me. But they have taken my fight as far as they can. It is now above their heads.

In trying to get justice, I have called and spoken to many officials in a position to help me. Just a few days ago, I spoke on the telephone with the president of the International Transport Workers' Union, Jim Little. I was very grateful that he took the time to listen to the troubles of a common worker.

Unfortunately, the reason I had to reach out to him is because I cannot get in contact with my own union president, Roger Toussaint. I am $37,000 in the hole from MTA abuse and cannot get any answers, and the MTA is blatantly defying an arbitrator's order which happens to be enforceable in state court. I have tried repeatedly to obtain assistance from Roger Toussaint's office, yet he never responds. While he ignores me, he intercedes and helps other members. I know that he just went out of his way to personally file a grievance for another Track member last week. Why is he unwilling to give me any help?

I can only believe that he will not help me because I did not support him in the recent election. There can be no other explanation. The Toussaint of the 1990s would have been able to put politics aside and pursue justice. Now he is content to see a member get beat up by management for the sake of politics.

It is sad to say, but not only am I the poster child for MTA abuse, I am now the poster child for everything that is wrong with Local 100 under the presidency of Roger Toussaint. At one time, Roger was the great hope of transit workers. Now the only hope we have is for Toussaint to quit. We need a president who represents all the members, not just the ones who voted for him.

DANIEL DERMODY, Track Equipment Maintainer