Change we seek

When our TWU Local 100 president John Samuelsen released his communique on April 4, 2011 he was either missing the point completely or deliberately misleading those he purports to serve. But this is what he does best. He evokes one of the ten commandments ‘You shall not steal’ and ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor’. Those have nothing to do with what the labor movement is about especially TWU Local 100. However in an attempt to appeal to our most base emotions and prejudices we say Bravo!

John Samuelsen has portrayed Israel Rivera with a negative brush in the name of finance irregularities. What he fails to recognize is that he too was in charge of the treasury when there was no one in place during the period after the removal of Israel Rivera till the appointment of Earl M Phillips. It is John Samuelsen’s sole responsibility no one else.

Finance is a two way street. It is not only the undeniable right of every member of TWU Local 100 to review them but it is also the absolute right of those who find this communique offensive and damaging to TWU Local 100. We have no ability, no authority, nor the desire to see a government entity coming to clean the mess created by him. In fact quite the contrary if a governmental entity attempted to do so, we would be the first to take up arms in his defense, but that is not the issue here.

The financial irregularities were born by John Samuelsen and his administration. They used finance as their political tool of some very entrenched interests and they have behaved as such with brutal efficiency. But first and foremost it is one man’s crusade to spread fear and sow division, suspicion and hate. Among the principles that are as defining as a part of the Americans right to a free speech, is the right of self defense. 

Since John Samuelsen’s becoming the president of TWU Local 100 he has not moved TWU Local 100 forward or promoted it in a manner that the membership would benefit but rather he has enjoyed the fruits of the previous administration. Now instead of looking for ways to create new fruits for the membership he is trading on that reputation of the previous administration to destroy those fruits. He is cashing in the goodwill, support and the votes of the membership betraying the interests he purported to represent. It appears we are moving backward to the way it was back then when those robber barons didn’t like unions.

We promote the idea that every member review the TWU Local 100 LM2 of 2010 so they can judge for themselves if their membership dues are rightfully used. Not to score political points or otherwise but to defend our TWU Local 100 - it may take the remainder of his term but ultimately we will succeed in bringing about the positive change in TWU Local 100 that we all seek.