Union election reveals collusion of MTA & sellout union

New York City, January 20—As the dust settles on the recent TWU local 100 (largest transit union in the country) elections the uncertainty that permeates the U.S., and is now is reflecting itself within the union and its members. This past election was held in the midst of pressure on the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) bosses to answer for unreliable service and mounting debt. The bosses’ answer has been a threat to raise fares, impose a hiring freeze, harsher discipline, and to cry broke.
The reality is that the best fix for the transit system is to do away with politicians and the MTA bosses. A worker run society will put the needs of the working class first about what and where service is needed. Under this capitalist system service needs are determined by what benefits the billionaire bankers and business owners. The working class ridership and MTA workers united against the politicians, real estate moguls, MTA bosses, and ultimately their masters the banks, is the only force than can win a better subway system in the short term and a better world, communism, in the long term.
The union sellouts’ misleadership regained power for many of the top union spots, while in the subways division (Service Delivery) of the union they lost almost all of their leadership posts to fake progressives. These ‘progressives’ talk about building morale amongst members and getting the union strike ready, all the while looking for friendly politicians. Their ultimate strategy still relies on using the bosses’ media, lawyers and arbitrators rather than workers powers’.  
This union misleadership has been ruling the union by pitting one division against the next, bribing workers in buses by controlling their overtime etc., while neglecting the needs of others outright. They back anti-labor Governor Cuomo, the boss of the MTA, without any criticism.
The subway is the cash cow of the MTA, moving over 5 million workers a day, but the life of subway workers is not easy. The average workday of the predominately Black and Latin workers ranges between 10-12 hours a day. Newer workers start with the worst schedules and very little certainty about where and when they work. Every Friday they must call to see if their days off have changed for the next week. The crew (screw) assignment section controls your life.
Bosses neglect subways–blame workers
The neglect of the subway system by the MTA bosses and politicians has left the subway workers to make do; making do with malfunctioning signals, no time to eat, and short to no recovery times between runs. Antiquated radios make communication impossible, leaving both ridership and workers in the dark about delays and other problems.
There has been a steady rise in operating crew discipline with little to no fight-back from the union. The best answer you receive from the union when fighting the MTA on discipline is to get your own lawyer. The latest round of news on the MTA is that they are aiming to speed up service by fixing broken signals. Immediately workers ask if there is going to be a lawsuit to win back lost jobs, wages and benefits for all the workers that have been disciplined for running into these malfunctioning signals. Starting from training you are told to do about 5-10 mph less that the posted speed when you encounter a time signal. But if you hit the signal doing less that 5-10 mph of the posted speed it’s your fault because you were “inattentive.” With the news that the MTA is now fixing these signals, they have finally admitted they are not working as they are supposed to. The union has been silent on the issue.
Workers must fightback!
The main organized resistance to the current union sellout leadership is coming from the subways division (Conductors, Train Operators, Tower Operators, Cleaners).This division has been under attack for about two decades and even more so under this new move to modernize. The resistance now is mostly angry talk, exposing the union misleaders backroom deals with management.
The election exposed many underhanded deals that the current union leadership made with the MTA bosses. They issued body cameras to spy on subway crews more than to prevent assaults. The cell phones policy is vague leaving workers open to harassment and disciplining. Recently, the MTA has installed cameras in work train cabs without a word to crew members who know this wouldn’t be possible without agreement with the union, but the union has been silent about this new camera program.
The coming election has emboldened more members to speak up and get involved but many still see allying with politicians as the only way we can make progress. We must have more confidence in ourselves, the working class, both transit workers and the riding public. Relying on politicians or the media builds cynicism.
Let’s turn our anger and discussions on the job into action. Let’s go to union meetings and confront our do-nothing misleaders. Let’s go to the bosses’ offices and confront them when they try to discipline one of us. Let’s reach out to our brothers and sisters who ride the trains and busses. Let’s build a stronger, fighting, strike ready union before the May contract deadline.  Join with the Progressive Labor Party in the long-term fight for a world run by the working class: communism.