Standing Room Only as TWU Celebrates the Easter Rising on Quill Connolly Day

MARCH 15 -- Quill Connolly Day brought together Irish, British, Australian and Canadian trade unionists to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Ireland's Easter Rising and its martyr, James Connolly, whose struggle provided so much to inspire the TWU's founder, Mike Quill, and his fight to organize the transit industry in New York City. President John Samuelsen keynoted the event, introducing Councilwoman Liz Crowley, who he called an outstanding supporter of labor in New York City. Samuelsen also held out the story of New York City's pedicab workers, who received crucial help from the TWU when their plight looked desperate. When the Mayor threatened to take their jobs away, these workers, he said, did what he hoped all those in similar circumstances in our industry would do -- reach out the the TWU. The Union's top leadership all atended the event and had places on the dais, including Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp-Sauray, and Administrative VP Angel Giboryeaux. Jerome LaFragola, the TWU International's Director of the Transit Division, represented International President Harry Lombardo.

Mick Cash, the head of Britain's RMT -- the transit union that represents workers on the London Underground and many other properties in the UK -- gave a searing speech about inequality and the duty of labor to fight against it. Historian Brian Hanley recounted the grinding poverty which was the lot of Irish workers before the Easter Rising put them on a course to creating a powerful trade union movement. Canadian ATU Local 113's Bob Kinnear brought greetings from up North, and Sinn Fein MP from Armagh, Mickey Brady, spoke of his party's major successes recently in the polls and their strong ties to the Irish in America. Perhaps traveling the furthest to attend the evening's festivities was Luba Grigorovitch, Secretary of Australia's Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (TRBU) -- the highest ranking officer in that labor organization. Earlier in the day, she met with TWU Local 100 Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp-Suaray and a delegation of TWU women. Grigorovitch, at 30, is fresh off a major victory involving a general strike of transport in Melbourne, resulting in pay increases for workers of twice the government's earlier offer. Enjoy the photos from the night and a longer account to follow in the TWU Bulletin.