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'375' Foes Smear Fort

To The Editor:

This is in response to the letter from Behrouz Fathi, et. al, entitled "'375' Head Must Step Aside" in the Jan. 2, 2009 edition of The Chief.

Prior to the publishing of this signed letter to The Chief, an anonymous letter was distributed accusing two Local 375 officers, Vincent Sawinski and Jon Forster, of misusing Local 375 funds. An investigation is under way and both officers will have an opportunity to defend themselves, and no one should pre-judge the guilt of those officers without evidence being presented and without their ability to face their accusers.

The Jan. 2 letter attempts to smear Local 375 President Claude Fort by claiming that he failed to take action against Public Relations Chair Vincent Sawinski's supposed abuse of time. President Fort has stated that he will not take action against Vincent Sawinski without proof. Let's let these Local 375 officers have their opportunity to defend themselves without smearing their names in a letter to The Chief. The signers of this letter should be ashamed of themselves for trying to convict officers in the media prior to their day in court.

The letter's primary aim is meant to smear President Claude Fort's reputation. Mr. Fort, for the last eight years, has worked 11 hours every day for Local 375 without ever taking a vacation or being paid overtime. He has stated that he does not have convincing evidence that these two Local 375 officers are abusing time. He will not damage the reputations of these two Local 375 officers without convincing proof or evidence. An accusation is not proof.

Mr. Fort, however, has documented proof that the primary signer of the letter to The Chief, Behrouz Fathi, was AWOL for 14 months from the Local 375 union office, while receiving five days' released time from New York City Transit. Behrouz Fathi was required to report to his supervisor at Local 375 his action as the assigned grievance representative at the Transit Authority, both at regularly scheduled Local 375 grievance committee meetings at the union's office and to inform Local 375 of his activities as a grievance representative by telephone. Brother Fathi did not attend those meetings, nor did he communicate in any way with Local 375 as to what he was doing during those five days released. Brother Fathi, as an AWOL grievance rep, has no right to accuse anyone else of abuse of time. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

The facts about Brother Fathi's abuse of time are there for everyone to see. Local 375 President Fort, after repeated failures of Brother Fathi to report on his duties as a Local 375 grievance representative, took swift action to reduce his released time from five days to one day and replaced Brother Fathi with someone who is now working closely and cooperatively with the Local 375 union office for the benefit of the members at Transit.

In my 38-plus years as a member of Local 375, under several local presidents, I can testify that, in my opinion, Claude Fort is the best Local 375 president to have served our union in that time.

For the last several years, he has been the target of a conspiracy from a few individuals, including Behrouz Fathi, to damage him in the eyes of the Local 375 membership and the eyes of the readers of The Chief. Their misguided attempt to damage the reputation and the integrity of a truly dedicated leader of my union cannot be allowed to stand. These conspirators must be, and will be, exposed and defeated.

MIKE GIMBEL

Editor's Note: Mr. Gimbel is a former Local 375 executive board member who currently serves as one of the local's delegates to the AFL-CIO New York City Central Labor Council.