Dec 15 March Highlights Our Unity and Fighting Resolve

CWA VP Chris Shelton speaks angrily of an “ill wind” blowing through America as Local 100 President John Samuelsen, Angelo Tanzi of ATU Local 726, and Amy Muldoon of Occupy Wall Street look on.
CWA VP Chris Shelton speaks angrily of an “ill wind” blowing through America as Local 100 President John Samuelsen, Angelo Tanzi of ATU Local 726, and Amy Muldoon of Occupy Wall Street look on.

With the air of a confident army going into battle, 1,500 transit workers -- buoyed by support from the fellow unionists of the MTA Labor Coalition, political leaders and the TWU International – took over a block outside of NYCT Headquarters at 2 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Hundreds of union members also gathered directly across from 2 Broadway in the Bowling Green plaza transit hub. The rally mixed holiday high spirits with defiance, as TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen tore into the MTA and hundreds of commuters watched with union members from the sidelines behind police barricades.

Drawing attention to the central position of TWU Local 100 within the New York City labor movement, Samuelsen said that the union had never backed down from a fight and that this contest would be no exception.  TWU International Executive VP Harry Lombardo broadened the theme, saying that union workers  – in fact, all American workers – are under attack, at war with the corporate profiteers who had crashed the economy in 2008 and their government enablers. Communications Workers of America VP Chris Shelton spoke of the arrogance and greed of Verizon demanding steep concessions from workers. And John Johnson, TWU Local 234 President, representing transit workers in Philadelphia’s SEPTA system, said his union was looking to Local 100 to set a pattern for his members as well.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz – who injected some of his trademark humor into the event when he noted that he and President Samuelsen both speak “the King’s English – Kings County” drew applause when he deplored the “depersonalization” of the transit system, with Station Agents replaced by call boxes and canned announcements replacing the voices of subway conductors. Assemblyman Keith Wright, a strong legislative supporter of the Union, talked about “an erosion of workers’ rights,” and activist Jesus Gonzales of Make the Road scored Albany, saying that “they call it deficit, we call it greed.” Another activist, Jake Carlson of WEACT, said that a good transit contract “equals better service for our communities.”

IB ImageFittingly, the rally at 2 Broadway didn’t end in front of NYCT Headquarters. Inspired by the final speaker, Occupy Wall Streeter Amy Muldoon, who is also a Verizon worker, the crowd headed up Broadway to Zuccotti Park, where they occupied the space made world-famous by OWS. In a speech that was especially meaningful after maneuvers in Albany have again threatened transit funding, Muldoon talked about the greed of the super-wealthy. “It’s never enough for the one percent,” she said. “They’re coming for what’s in your pockets. And after they get that, they’ll take your pants.”

President John Samuelsen and other TWU Local 100 leaders joined in the peoples’ mic, thanking the spirit of OWS for invigorating the labor movement and creating a whole set of new allies in the struggle. Many transit workers stayed on and spoke, demonstrating a spirit of unity and resolve.