Resign

Defeat after defeat in court cases, losing arbitration after another and now the membership are openly questioning the authority or the so called leadership of John E Samuelsen president of the TWU Local 100 Take Backward Our Union TBOU. Does John E Samuelsen agree that these are signs that his leadership has put TWU Local 100 in terminal decline? If Samuelsen got out and met the membership he’d realize his leadership is the issue.

All the promises before election have been abandoned, now his leadership is the same as the previous administration which he decried. His failure to deal with the layoff of 2010, and his failure to refund the solidarity monies which he promised in the mass membership of 2010 was that a deception one wonders. Then there is his leadership team failure and the union credit cards irregularities. The blunder of the year was the purchase of the property. Then there are failures of his TBOU team.

He has got nothing to say for the issues that face the membership, he has nothing to say about the write ups against the membership - all the promises that he would support the membership through their tough times within a few days he has abandoned them with his U turn.

Often Samuelsen will announce a plan after a plan and he would launch documents with colossal ideas that are received by the membership with incredulity at best and hostility at worst. What ever the problems the membership are faced with the answer is not more documents, surveys, vestibule take over, rat campaign and TV speeches - John E Samuelsen’s leadership cannot go on like this.

It is difficult times - big speeches are not the answer. Samuelsen simply is not up to the task. Lets look at the strings of misjudgments we have seen he has made infinite U turns in the hyped hurricane Irene, snow blizzard (2010), indirectly acquiescing in lowering of health coverage, lock box bill - why does he think he got so many judgments so wrong? Now he has no one to blame for expenses gone wild - if he is so confident of his arguments or if he is so confident of his judgement or if he thinks he is on the right side of these arguments why doesn't he listen to the membership? It is obvious he is in the dark ages and he has to think again, he wasted the first year with an utterly busted leadership. Now this is his second year isn't it clear he is not up to the job - the membership knows it, the TBOU know it, and the MTA knows it. Why not do the last bold thing - resign. 

Dispatch

Function of union hiring hall in which worker requirements from companies are logged, sorted and matched with union members’ skills, availability then members should be dispatched to the job.

It is obvious president Samuelsen and current leadership at TWU Local 100 are not serving or caring for the laid off members interests. They are forgotten - they did not have a say in layoff - those laid off members were in good standing, then why would Samuelsen and current leadership forget them? Out of sight out mind? 

Placement officer is a must at the unionhall for the laid off members - It is amazing how president Samuelsen and the current leadership have failed the laid off members,, Samuelsen and the current leadership were informed by the employer about the lay off earlier on however there was no plan to get them jobs from other companies, why

Should we be surprised that hundreds possibly now inching toward thousand of members were laid off, were not. The fact that even the most basic protections for the membership are ignored by president Samuelsen and the current leadership just reflects the sloppiness and lack of respect for our membership that pervades union hall. 

Thank you, president Samuelsen for your attention to the protection and job security of the membership entrusted to you. Just this layoff alone could be cause for president Samuelsen removal. But there are plenty of reasons to give him the boot, this breaks our heart. After all the union invented the concept of job security, only to see it diminished by those who lack any commitment to job protection.

We certainly would love to see Samuelsen leave, and the main reason is lay off - instead of setting our sights to be a highly nationally respected local Samuelsen has turned TWU Local 100 into just another troubled union.

All of this spells trouble for the membership. We need to take a hard look at what is becoming of TWU Local 100. Laid off members deserve better. Samuelsen and current leadership must take responsibility. Do the right thing. Resign.