Challengers Prod TWU To Release Results Of Int'l Delegate Election

JOHN SAMUELSEN: Incumbents try to hide bad news.

The opposition slate in the Transport Workers Union Local 100 election has blasted the union for not releasing the results of the international convention delegate election concluded last month, in part, its leader claims, because it points to victory for his team.

Take Back Our Union presidential candidate John Samuelsen said in a phone interview last week that the union did not want to reveal the results because several incumbent candidates on the United Invincible slate—including TA Surface Vice President Stephan Thomas, who is running for re-election, and Stations Vice President Andreeva Pinder, who is running for Local 100 recording secretary— did not win delegate spots. While ballots were counted in the delegate election immediately after all the ballots were returned, ballots in the general officer election will remain sealed until December.

Waiting on Recounts?

Several of the candidates in the election have learned of the delegate results from the election committee, but a formal notice of the results has yet to be released. The union has delayed posting the delegate election results on its Web site because several candidates on the UI slate had called for a hand recount in several divisions, all of which have been withdrawn, according to one source in the union.

"The greatest reason for that is that they believe that it points towards victory for us in December, and they don't want to make that a public fact," Mr. Samuelsen said. "We're pushing for them to make the results public."

The UI slate won 72 convention delegates while the TBOU won 40, but Mr. Samuelsen has argued that since many of his slate's candidates were taken off the delegate ballot because they had not maintained 12 months of good standing on dues, the UI won seats primarily where it faced no opposition, whereas the TBOU won its spots in head-to-head contests with the incumbent slate.