Utano Calls for MTA Chairman Pat Foye to Step Aside from Contract Negotiations
MTA Chairman Pat Foye is a bigot and a liar.
After portraying transit workers as time and overtime cheats, and posting cops in the work place like jail guards, multi-millionaire Foye has used ugly anti-Italian stereotypes - and more lies - to accuse Local 100 President Tony Utano of fraud. This latest attack came in an email that Foye sent to Utano over the Columbus Day weekend and was later leaked to the press.
It was a despicable attempt to weaken the union and dirty the reputations of the Local 100 president, the union and our membership during contract negotiations. Utano is calling on Foye to step aside and recuse himself from contract negotiations. His actions suggest he has become unhinged and is incapable of reaching a fair agreement for transit workers. TWU Local is now releasing Utano's email response to Foye:
Chairman Foye,
Have you completely lost your mind? I've been involved in contract negotiations with the MTA as a union officer for more than 30 years, and I've never - ever - seen anything like the email you sent me over the weekend. It's so packed with lies, so slanderous, so devoid of reality and so bizarre that it appears you have become unhinged and are cracking under pressure. I question your ability to negotiate a fair contract for transit workers.
It's clearly no coincidence that you accuse me of somehow being involved in a corrupt "scam" in an email sent on Columbus Day weekend, and that you end your screed with the line, "Have a peaceful Columbus Day." I'm the proud son of Italian immigrants. I'm all too familiar with ugly, anti-Italian stereotypes. You should be ashamed of yourself for going down that road. I want to make it crystal clear to you that we will never agree to any proposal that undermines the health benefits transit workers are entitled to, and no amount of lies and distortions you come up with will change that.
As you well know, PayerMatrix came to MTA headquarters at your invitation to make an informational presentation. At the meeting you convened, the company explained how it could achieve significant prescription drug savings without diminishing the health benefits of transit workers. The concept is based on raw numbers and has nothing to do with race or immigration. The means test, as you well know, covers 100 percent of the hourly employees, based on 40 hours. The few who earn above that amount by grueling hours of overtime are automatically covered by the current plan. There is nothing racist, or corrupt or anti-immigrant about it. It is math.You are simply lying when you describe the company as "highly compensated, out of town Local 100 consultants." And describing this routine informational presentation as "The Utano Specialty Drug Scam," is outrageous, despicable and bizarre.
We remain committed to negotiating with management a fair contract for our members. You, however, should remove your self from the situation and send someone else to the negotiating table. You do not seem up to the task. By the way, you can send this letter to the Inspector General too.
Tony Utano, President, Transport Workers Union Local 100