Deafening Absence

The TWU Local 100 - LM2 of 2010 is a perfect illustration of what is wrong with the current John Samuelsen administration. Members of TWU Local 100 rightfully feel disenfranchised that they don't even bother to show up to voice their opinions on the most important work related issues they could ever face. As we all know we have our monthly meetings which are all publicized than most. However many of those meetings do not meet the required quorum set on the by - laws of the TWU Local 100 thus they are cancelled. As a result we wonder why virtually no one comes to the monthly meetings. Surely we believe wherever the members of TWU Local 100 stand that the membership should care about their work place issues. 

Perhaps the TWU Local membership have wised up and are staying home because they don’t feel like wasting their time. Maybe the membership can no longer be duped by a system that asks them to weigh-in after the powers have already made their decision. Perhaps those union bosses have gotten the message that nobody cares what they think.

Maybe John Samuelsen can finally take credit for beating down the membership so thoroughly that it goes without saying that their ideas are no more than a tick box on a road toward a foregone conclusion. Maybe those union bosses have been successfully silenced out of fear that their current jobs and their desire to remain in the union hall in the future when their members are gone.

The union bosses behind the curtain have clearly made their choices however those in the cast with their TWU Local 100 costumes make a mockery of the equality. That may be another reason the members feel increases of heartburn on how their membership dues are utilized - it only poisons the membership’s attitudes. In the army a five star general of the army wears the same uniform as a new recruit with their head equally shaven however that is the army where they must hold their morale to high level. Therefore why are those union bosses in the TWU Local 100 not adhering to equality to boost the morale of the membership - do they bite the hand that feeds them?

The relative silence of the union bosses on the workplace issues shouldn't’ surprise anyone. The union bosses not embracing workplace issues is the reason the membership does not show up. If it wasn't clear that the TWU Local 100 doesn’t care then just frequent the monthly as an observer and put any doubts to rest. Attendees (regulars) are admonished by the union bosses (pseudo management) for ignoring their membership issues that  are affecting them at their workplace. Here and now is apparently not worthy of discussion.

Although it is tempting to call the TWU Local 100 bluff by staying home while decisions about our workplace are made in some distant room, it only gives John Samuelsen and the union bosses and anyone else who has a say another excuse to be dismissive. Now is the time to let John Samuelsen with his TBOU leadership team know, at the very least, that the whole membership is not duped.