Removed for Late Dues
Toussaint Puts Coal In Foes' Stockings

By ARI PAUL

He's making a list. He's checking it twice. Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint is deciding which union officers have been naughty or nice, as he recently told New York City Transit management that three dissident union officials should no longer be considered worker representatives.

ANTHONY STALEY: Ousters are political.

In letters to Judith Pierce, NYC Transit's Senior Vice President of Administration, and Steve Feil, Senior Vice President of Subways, Mr. Toussaint said that Local 100 Stations Division Vice Chairman Dwayne Hammonds, Cleaner and Shop Steward Anthony Staley and Track Division Vice Chairman Marc Albritton are "not to be considered ... union representative[s] in any form or fashion." He did not elaborate on the reason. A similar letter was sent regarding former Maintenance of Way (MoW) Vice President Patrick Lynch, who stepped down from his duties this summer but did not formally resign from the post. Charles Ayala is the acting vice president.

Fallen Behind in Dues

Mr. Staley, who challenged Mr. Toussaint for the presidency in the 2006 election, admitted that he had fallen behind in his dues payments last month but added that he was not a member in bad standing because constitutionally the union would have to send him a letter stating so, which had not happened.

Local 100 Photo SANTA ROG IS GOIN' TO TOWN: Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint, here making a point to TWU International President James C. Little at a mass membership meeting Dec. 1, has fingered three more in-house critics for removal from union posts because they allegedly were late with dues payments.

"When it's convenient for Roger to quote the constitution, he quotes the constitution," Mr. Staley said. "But the constitution is for everybody."

Mr. Staley guessed that the action to remove him was politically motivated, as he criticized Mr. Toussaint's administration during the last election and had publicly defended Station Agent Joe Pollard, who was physically forced out of the union hall July 26 by Local 100 staffers on Mr. Toussaint's orders for allegedly not paying dues.

Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Ed Watt told Mr. Hammonds Aug. 23 that he could not enter the union hall because he was in bad standing, and that he would be arrested if he came in, even if he tried to pay his dues. Mr. Hammonds, who ran on the Rail and Bus slate opposed to Mr. Toussaint, paid his dues by personal check in the headquarters lobby Aug. 27 without police intervention.

Mr. Albritton had been brought up on bylaw charges for falling behind on dues payments, according to a source close to the situation.

Source of Acrimony

The union lost automatic dues check-off June 1 as punishment for its illegal three-day strike in 2005. It petitioned in Brooklyn Supreme Court for reinstatement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's conditional support. A judge denied the petition last month, and Local 100 has continued its self-collection drive.

ROGER TOUSSAINT: Bounces three more.

The loss of dues check-off has been a source of acrimony in the union and has set the stage for Mr. Toussaint to remove officers. This summer, a group of dissident MoW officials circulated a letter telling members they had the obligation to pay dues but that the union's leadership had to use the finances responsibly. Mr. Toussaint's spokesman at the time said this was a violation of the bylaws because it was putting a condition on paying dues.

Former Toussaint ally and now-nemesis John Samuelsen was the first to feel the sting in June when Mr. Toussaint announced that the Brooklyn-based Track Inspector was not authorized to be a shop steward because he had signed the letter. Since then, local staffers have canceled shop steward elections or voided their results in at least two races where letter-signers - Structure Division members Ray Palmenta and Greg McDonald - were running. MoW officials who ran on the Rail and Bus slate, including Thomas Creegan, Carlos Albert and Jack Blazejewicz, have been denied employer-paid release time and thus rendered unable to perform their duties.

Spokesmen for Mr. Toussaint did not respond to requests for comment.

Democracy Subverted

Mr. Staley called his ouster an instance of the subversion of union democracy that is discouraging some members from paying their dues in protest of Mr. Toussaint's administration.

"They're upset with the way the union's being run," he said. "They were hoping that the union would be put in receivership by the International and that they'll appoint a temporary president until there's a new election."