Same Old Toussaint

To the Editor:

Your editorial, "What is Toussaint's Problem?" (Sept. 7 issue), ends with "We're not sure what has gotten into Roger Toussaint, but we hope there's a cure." The truth is, nothing has gotten into Roger Toussaint. His commitment to union democracy has always been thin.

For example, contrary to your statement that in 2000 Toussaint "helped push through a bylaw change that required elections for vice president posts", Toussaint (knowing New Directions would not win all seven vice-president spots if the members in each division elected their own) actually insisted that the New Directions members on the TWU Local 100 executive board find some way to prevent the change. Having a clean sweep of the top offices was more important to him than having the members deciding who would represent them. The members in each division of Local 100 are now able to elect their own vice president because New Directions' executive board members said "no" to Toussaint in 2000.

In late 2000, the newly elected chair of the Structure Division resigned before he was even sworn in. This was a transparent attempt to enable Joe Pajewski (who had run for local secretary-treasurer on a slate against New Directions) to run for the vacant position. When Pajewski's eligibility to run was challenged, Toussaint and the new executive board could have said, "let the members decide who will represent them." Instead, they adopted the narrowest possible interpretation of the by-laws and ruled Pajewski ineligible. The international union later overturned this decision, and Pajewski won the vacancy election.

Last year, Toussaint showed his disregard for the right of members to decide when he refused to accept their vote against the contract he negotiated after the strike. Later in the year, he engineered a change to the election rules that made it possible for a large number of the local's officers (including Toussaint and myself) to win their positions with less than 50 percent of the vote.

And, as your editorial points out, Toussaint's recent decision to appoint someone to fill a vacant vice president's position, "violates the spirit of union democracy." To many officers and members, it also violates the letter and intent of the by-laws. Whatever got into Toussaint got into him a long time ago. Fortunately, there is a cure - let the members decide.

STEVE DOWNS, Chair, Train Operator Division TWU 100