Union Officers Hold Spot Inspections
The war between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) & Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU Local 100) has been going on for years. Yet another chapter was added to it this past Friday when angry union officers caused delays in bus service due to spot inspections. Pete Donohue of the New York Daily News has more in this report:
Transit workers angry over MTA layoffs and other cost-cutting moves slowed down the morning rush in parts of Queens Friday, the Daily News has learned.
Before dawn at the College Point bus depot, union officers conducted spot inspections on buses heading to the only exit.
Citing equipment defects, union officers and staff delayed 64 buses by more than an hour, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed.
The scheduled runs of an additional 16 buses were canceled by managers because of the logjam, the MTA said.
All told, about one-third of the depot’s available fleet was affected by what sources said was the biggest action of its kind in years.
After taking office in January, Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen said members would fight management if they tried to close budget gaps with layoffs.
Friday, he maintained the equipment inspections were not connected to MTA plans to let go up to 500 token booth clerks and bus drivers later this year.
Click here for the complete report.
Let me start this off by saying that new TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen needs to cut the bullshit. I tend to support the unions as they normally get the raw end of the deal from the MTA & riding public due to the idiotic perception that they are the main reason for the MTA’s financial woes.
However, I will not support outright lies by Mr. Samuelsen in saying these spot inspections had nothing to do with recently approved cuts to slash bus driver & token booth clerk positions. Growing up in a family of bus drivers, I know that spot inspections are rarely done & the times they are, it usually is out of spite for one reason or another. This is nothing but a case of that & any claim otherwise is bullshit.
Honestly Mr. Samuelsen, I think you need to get a clue with this. Screwing over the riding public will not endear you to them. They also are not the reason why some of your members will lose their job. If you want to send a message to someone, target the management via ways that do not hurt the public. Also take that same sentiment & aim it towards the elected officials who continue to short change the MTA in terms of funding. So next time, a stunt like this is suggested, ignore it & focus on something legitimate. Anything else is complete unacceptable!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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