Arbiter: British Union Leader's Endorsement Within TWU Rules

ED WATT: Protest late and off mark.

The neutral monitor in the Transport Workers Union Local 100 election has ruled that a British union leader's endorsement of one of the slates did not constitute an illegal employer contribution.

Bob Crow, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, in March came to New York and endorsed Local 100 presidential candidate John Samuelsen during a fund-raiser in Brooklyn for the Take Back Our Union slate. Local 100 Secretary- Treasurer Ed Watt, who is running for re-election on the incumbent United Invincible slate, filed a protest in May alleging that Mr. Crow's visit was in essence a contribution from the RMT in its employer capacity.

'Personal Endorsements Allowed'

Neutral monitor Dan Silverman denied the protest on two grounds. First, he said that Mr. Crow had come on vacation time from the RMT on the day of the fund-raiser—which was a Sunday—and had been in the city for a week at the invitation of the Irish-American Labor Coalition for Human Rights in Northern Ireland for a St. Patrick's Day event, and attended the TBOU fund-raiser on his personal time. Mr. Silverman added that Mr. Crow did not give any personal or union money to the TBOU slate.

"There is no evidence that any RMT funds were used," Mr. Silverman said. "Crow's appearance at the TBOU event was incidental to his official trip to New York City. Under the election rules and the [Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act] such personal endorsements, even by union officers, are not prohibited."

Secondly, Mr. Silverman noted that a protest must be filed with 48 hours from the moment the filer learned of the alleged violation, and Mr. Watt did not file a protest until May. Mr. Silverman noted that the news of Mr. Crow's endorsement was reported in this newspaper on March 27, and departing Local 100 President Roger Toussaint and TWU of America President James C. Little e-mailed Mr. Crow on the day of the endorsement to voice their displeasure with his support for TBOU.

Ballots in the general officer election for Local 100 were returned June 20 along with ballots for TWU of America Convention delegates. But while delegate ballots will be tallied immediately, the ballots in the officer elections will remain sealed until December.

Mr. Crow recently made headlines in the British press this month when his union led a 48-hour strike against the London transit system to protest job cuts.