End the extravagant perks at the Union Hall

Vice Presidents in TWU Local 100 make a good living and rightfully so: they have an important and demanding job overseeing their respective division. A good VP can mean the difference between a department that gets 14 release time spots for its members in a contract (CED) or just a clipboard in the contract (Stations). But the perks that come along with the office of VP in TWU Local 100 actually hurt the Union.

In addition to getting their own office at the Union Hall, where they either spend way too much time in and not enough on the field (RTO, Stations). Or they are never at their Union offices so members cannot see them (CED, TA Surface), the VPs also receive an automobile from the TWU Local 100, ostensibly for Union work. 

Late model vehicles for VPs would make sense if they were actually used for Union work, but most of these guys (with the exception of Harrington, who does not drive), use these cars for everything but union work. It is an expense TWU Local 100 could do without. Likewise the director of communications having a union vehicle is nothing short of ridiculous as well. Are we expected to believe he is running down stories for the TWU Express in his car? Highly unlikely.

A case could be made that the only union officer deserving of a 24 hour vehicle at their disposal should be the President of the TWU Local 100. After all the President of the TWU Local 100 should have access and freedom of movement at all times for whatever emergencies that may pop up.

The Secretary Treasurer of the TWU Local 100 is an important job as well and deserves respect and admiration, but do they really deserve a union car to go along with their big salary? It’s not like they are traveling to sign checks or going out to check the unions investments, the job is an office job, so the union car is an unnecessary perk.

A better idea would be a 24 hour vehicle for the President of the TWU Local 100. The safety department would also have 24 hour vehicular access in case of emergencies. Everyone else could use a few Union cars, a literal pool of cars that would be jointly shared by departments. When a VP needs a car for union work they could simply reserve one. Why should our membership dues go to pay for a VP taking their wife to go shopping? Or a VP who has to travel to non-work related areas? It is ridiculous and a classic waste of our membership dues. It is time to cut the inessential out in TWU Local 100.