As it was reported former president Roger Toussaint will retire on May 1. We here in why did you join the union say good riddance. We add that the leaves, branches and roots of that poisonous tree must be removed.
Who can forget or even overlook when Jose Rosado opposed Roger Toussaint and was fired and sent back to his tools while at the same time he was diagnosed with illness. That would make it impossible for Rosado to return to his job as bus operator who was a board member and the director of the TWU Local 100 Grievance and Discipline. That was an immoral act by Toussaint.
Many of you know who are the leaves, branches and roots of that poisonous tree. Now is the time for pruning - no forget pruning. We say removal would be a good sign for solidarity among the membership of TWU Local 100. There are two dead branches that must be removed. As we know an arborist would recommend that dead trees and branches are unpredictable and can break and fall at any time. Dead wood is often dry and brittle and cannot bend in the wind like a living tree or branch. Dead branches and tree tops that are already broken off (“hangers” or “widow makers”) are especially dangerous thus we have to heed to that advice.
Did Roger Toussaint ‘smash the TA’s disciplinary machine?’ many of you have heard him utter those words - what do you think about those words? We can speculate what is on your mind.
Since he took the leadership of TWU Local 100 Toussaint almost all of his agreements have come to haunt and harm the membership which have become more increasingly common. It is obvious he could not look forward or toward the future of what his actions would yield. The poisonous tree produced rotten and non-edible poisonous fruits.
He has not shined on even one occasion an exceptional individual may shine but many (and the membership in the care) are doomed by his inexperience. Respect is the grease that makes the good union successful. When a struggling Toussaint stays in management what we had was a clueless neophyte. There was no benchmark to rate him for his performance and accountability. He was nothing but a dictator who was eager to make the image seem much better than the reality.
We say to those Toussaintistas - the leaves and dead branches, now is the right time for them to follow in the footsteps of dead poisonous tree trunk and retire!
What is interesting to me is the Legacy Toussaint leaves behind. Exactly what is it? Can it be defined in quantative amounts or is it more subtle?
ReplyDeleteIs his legacy the 2005 strike? Or his contracts? Or his leadership?
Right now it is hard to pin down.
Certainly he was a larger than life President.
His persona was immense.
Can he be described in one incident or is it a cumlative effect.
It is pretty certain that the name Toussaint and his role in TWU Local 100 will be hotly debated for years to come.
You know I been thinking about my own post and one thing I must say Roger Toussaint legacy must include is: increasing the amount of people who are interested in running for Union office and being truly involved in TWU Local 100.
ReplyDeleteWhether they were pro-Roger or anti-Roger it did not matter.
When I started in 1983, my impression was that the Union was an untouchable ivory tower.
Along with the New Directions caucus, I think in the Toussaint era the Union L100 became a more accessable option to all members, not just a chosen few.
In fact, I think in a positive way, Roger Toussaint may actually be responsible for my personal entrance into the world of Union politics. It doesn' t matter that I ran against his chosen slate the 2 times I did run.
What matters is members had an attitude about being able to run for office and make a difference. And I think that began with the New DIrections caucus and with Toussaints' victory as President.
Before that Local 100 looked like a closed shop.
Just kicking an idea around.