Press conference could have helped

If John E Samuelsen president of TWU Local 100 Take Backward Our Union TBOU went to the Bronx County Hall of Justice on Monday, September 12, 2011 during the arraignment of the attacker of bus operator Marlene Bien-Aime after the court hearing by making a press conference to the press and media by denouncing the attacker for her heinous crime and pledging that we in the TWU Local 100 take care of our own that no one threats the safety of the membership or attacks one of TWU Local 100 and expects to get away easy then we would have stood beside him. 

We also believe the press conference would not interfere with the attacker Steangali Medina’s Fifth Amendment right to have her dispute resolved on admissible evidence by fair procedure in her trial. We also believe that it would not influence the jury or the judge but rather inform the general public that TWU Local 100 will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law without any leniency. 

Since then there has been one assault against TWU Local 100 member on Wednesday September 14, 2011 where a cleaner was attacked while working an overnight shift at Union Square Station. A male passenger came up to her mumbling something and slashed her finger. Had Samuelsen issued the above statement to the media and press  it could have probably been a deterrent to the attack of September 14, 2011 possibly. Any reasonable person would concede it is possible however he had to take the vestibule of 180 Livingston Street. The other side of the equation is that John E Samuelsen’s failure to speak out in some contexts rises to the equivalent level of negligence.

Now John E Samuelsen is going around claiming that bus operator Marlene Bien-Aime wished that no one show up at the court. In addition that her religious belief of forgiveness should be respected with her personal wishes - that is not a well-thought-theory. It is interesting if that is to be believed however we will not hold our breath. We here in why did you join the union believe in the common good of all the TWU Local 100 as an organization where its membership’s safety outweigh personal wishes. We are disappointed at how John E Samuelsen went missing. It’s bad because it adds insult to injury by peddling this version while not thinking intelligently with some sense of strategy.