TWU RTO Dissidents Back 2 Members of Rival Slate

KEVIN HARRINGTON: Hoping to influence board.

The top candidates on the main dissident slate in the Rapid Transit Operations Division of Transport Workers Union Local 100 have endorsed two members of the incumbent United Invincible slate in an effort to build an alliance in the event they get elected.

Take Back Our Union candidates Steve Downs, Kevin Harrington and Lee Ireland sent an e-mail to supporters explaining that each sub-division in RTO had three seats on the executive board but that the slate was only fielding two candidates in the Train Operator and Conductor-Tower divisions.

Not Toussaint Loyalists

The dissident candidates told their supporters to vote for UI candidates Bruce Sabb and Ebony Stewart because unlike other UI candidates they have not served on the executive board and have no record of loyalty to departing President Roger Toussaint, who is campaigning heavily for the incumbents.

"By electing them—along with TBOU—you'll be holding the other UI candidates accountable for toeing Toussaint's line," the message said.

SETH ROSENBERG: Sees a mixed message in choices.

Train Operator Seth Rosenberg, who is running for an executive board seat on the Revolutionary Transit Worker slate, blasted the move, saying that it would be more appropriate for TBOU to endorse RTW because it also opposes the incumbent slate.

"That's what we thought they would do, even though we have significant political differences," he said in a phone interview. "Their single message is, 'Toussaint must go.' Now, [when] they have some gaps, they call to vote for Toussaint's people."

Choices Personal and Pragmatic

Mr. Downs, who is running for reelection as the Local 100 Train Operator chair, noted that the endorsements of the UI candidates were personal and did not come from the TBOU slate. He explained that he is urging supporters to vote for these UI members over RTW because he believed that Mr. Rosenberg and the other executive board candidate, Conductor John Ferretti, did not have a chance of winning.

"Our additional votes wouldn't help them win," Mr. Downs said. "So we want to try to influence the shape of the board."

He added, "It's a pragmatic choice."

Ballots in the election went out June 2 and will be returned June 20, to be counted in December. Mr. Harrington is running for the RTO vice presidency against Acting Vice President William Wyatt

Mr. Rosenberg added that just because those two UI slate members haven't served on the executive board did not mean that they would be independent from Mr. Toussaint, who despite planing to leave the Local 100 presidency at year's end to take on full-time duties at TWU of America is expected to play a large role in Local 100 affairs if the UI wins.

"I think that it just gives more evidence that the TBOU really isn't an alternative," he said.