Re: [Marxism] N.Y. Transit Workers Reject New Contract

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

> Feisty workers!  What's next?  Is anyone here involved in -- or does
> anyone here know a person involved in -- the dissident group
> mentioned above?
>
> Yoshie Furuhashi

I am really no expert in TWU politics but I have heard John Mooney referred 
to as a leading dissident and a member of the Independence Party, the 
outfit run by Fred Newman and Lenora Fulani.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0528,robbins2,65772,5.html

Helping Bloomberg?
Fulani aide sues union
by Tom Robbins
July 12th, 2005 11:23 AM

The top lawyer for the pro-Mayor Bloomberg Independence Party has aimed a 
$3.3 million lawsuit directly at transit union president Roger 
Toussaint?who just happens to be one of Democratic mayoral candidate Freddy 
Ferrer's strongest backers.

Harry Kresky, longtime legal eagle for Fred Newman and Lenora Fulani, the 
IP's controversial leaders, filed the suit on behalf of a group of 
dissident officials in Transport Workers Union Local 100 who complain that 
Toussaint has prevented them from participating in running the union. 
Kresky told the Voice that the lawsuit "has nothing to do with mayoral 
politics." But union leaders are dubious. Kresky, who serves as the party's 
counsel, was picked by Bloomberg three years ago to serve on his charter 
review panel. The mayor recently donated $250,000 to the Independence 
Party, and in May it endorsed him for re-election.

That same month, the transit union endorsed Ferrer, just as it had in 2001. 
In a memo to members, Toussaint said the lawsuit threatens to tie the union 
up in knots as it is preparing to renegotiate its contract with the 
Metropolitan Transportation Authority later this year.

Adding fuel to suspicions about the lawsuit, which claims that estranged 
officials are barred from major meetings, is that a key plaintiff is a 
union vice president who is also an elected Independence Party official. 
TWU vice John Mooney said he had urged the union and Toussaint to support 
Bloomberg. "Yeah, I think Bloomberg is the best candidate," said Mooney. 
"But that's nothing to do with this suit."

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