Thursday, December 22, 2005

Take the "A" Train to a New Worker Nation.

"I guess illegality is in the eye of the beholder. A confessed lawbreaker has the gall to lecture 34,000 hard working people whose only crime is standing up for their families and for dignity and respect on one of the toughest, most dangerous jobs in New York." Open letter from TWU's Toussaint to NYC Mayor Bloomberg. Dec 21, 2005.

Robert Toussaint will not have to appear in court this morning. He and other leadership were scheduled to face court proceedings today on criminal contempt of court for violation of the Taylor Law. Right now the strike may be ending with no agreement in place. The executive board of the TWU may be asking their workers to return to work as negotiations continue. Everyone is at the table again talking. There is also going to be a media blackout on the negotiations.

I'm writing this already feeling somewhat disappointed. I want the subway up and running just like the next person in New York. But I've taken it in stride. A job interview I wanted was postponed this week and rescheduled for January because the worksite was closed. However I was ready on Wednesday morning to do whatever it took to get there, even if it meant walking for two hours. (In my most lean days I have walked from 120th and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd in Harlem to 66th street and Park to attend college classes, because I had no money left over for carfare. During the black out a few years ago, I walked from 33rd street and Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan, to 155th and Amsterdam Ave in Harlem. I wasn't alone in my walking. People really do have the power when they are need it.)

I've enjoyed seeing so many people in the street here in Harlem these last few days walking to their destinations and taking care of their business be it work or school or errands etc. Even with temperatures in the 20's and feeling more like the low teens, I exchanged smiles and greetings with others walkers. I walked over to the bus depot nearest my home over on 132nd and Broadway, to show my support for the workers yesterday. This strike helped bring attention to a very important issue, which many of us probably were not focused on. As a worker, I have an interest in what happens as transit workers go back to the table to negotiate with the possibility of returning to work with no agreement, means for the future of workers. Yet, I am proud of the TWU for their fierce stand on seeking to maintain their rights as workers.

I'm proud of the fact that other unions have come out to support the workers because what affects one worker affects all. Thank you New York City Central Labor Council an organization Working For Working Families, the teachers union and others for stating their public support for the transit workers. Perhaps they recognize that a multi-tier system of benefits and or pension systems divide unions and divides workers. I hope all workers begin to learn more about the Taylor Law. What does a worker have if they don't have the right to hold back their work to fight back against situations that don't have their best interests at heart?

I find it disturbing that there will be a black out in the media on this issue. I've made a conscious decision to stay out of corporate media. It has changed so much from when I first stepped into the classroom as a journalism student 20 years ago. I've come to independent media (thanks to WBAI 99.5 FM) because it is the only place where voices of dissent are being heard. Due to the media blackout imposed this morning, the voices of those around the bargaining table won't be heard. This is exactly the kind of thing we don't need. The people need to be informed. The people need information of both sides of the issue so we can make an intelligent assessment of the situation. All this week much of what we've been fed by the media is a biased position of the transit workers as "Rats" (New York Post yesterday) and headlines like "Strike Cripples NYC" (Daily Challenge yesterday). Even with these portraits of workers as "ruining our Christmas" (said one caller into WBAI yesterday), many people in New York polled yesterday were in support of the strike.

Here are some suggestions to show your support for workers in this situation and beyond:

*Go to the demonstration scheduled this afternoon on the Manhattan side of the bridge at 4pm this afternoon.

*Take food or water or coffee to those on the picket line.

*Call the 311 hotline in New York City, and leave a message for Mike Bloomberg expressing your opinion in his role in this strike.

*Read up on labor laws.

*If you are in a union be an active participant.

*Go to TWU.org to get the international union's position on the transit workers strike in NYC.

*Visit www.labourstart.org for labor news around the world as well as conditions in the United States.

*Read Herb Boyd's column on the Black World Today website for December 20th entitled "MTA: A Plantation"

*Wear a sign or a button saying you support workers. You can wear this even when the strike is over to continue to show your support for workers everywhere. We all want the same things. Food, clothing, shelter, health care and education. These are not just workers rights. They are human rights.

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