A MESSAGE FROM E-BOARD CANDIDATES
RICHARD LATTANZI (RTO) AND
TOM COWPERTHWAITE (TA SURFACE MAINTENANCE)

As candidates of the Transit Workers for a Fighting Union, we want to thank every union Brother and Sister who supported us during the recent TWU Local 100 elections. We campaigned hard in crew rooms and bus depots all over the city, got out thousands of our Five-Point Program flyer, and talked to coworkers about the urgent need to reorient and rebuild our union. Even though this time we did not win posts on the e-board, we laid a foundation of real workers support to build on.

We will not let up in our fight to improve wages, benefits and protections; to get rid of tiers and concessionary bargaining; for real workplace safety; against racial oppression and anti-immigrant witch hunts; and for independent working-class political and industrial action. In the heat of the recent national elections—when the incumbents and other union candidates were mostly campaigning as simply “good guys”—we took on burning questions and talked to transit workers about why working people and unions should not give support to either of the capitalist political parties, Democrats or Republicans, and instead vote for explicitly working-class alternatives. Our aim is to have working people run the country. If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our videos and other posts at twfu.org, Facebook, X and YouTube.

As everyone knows, the TWU Local 100 bureaucracy tightly controls union elections from start to finish. Voter suppression and fraud are commonplace and affect outcomes; for example, during this election cleaners in the TA Surface Maintenance bus division were re-classified as subway workers and had their signatures and ballots disqualified. Once they’re comfortably in power, union misleaders strive to suppress rank-and-file initiative and militancy in order to maintain “business as usual” for the MTA. Their message to earnest union members and activists is to just stay quiet and tow-the-line. Sadly, that’s why a lot of transit workers don’t even vote in union elections, believing the union to be “just another branch of management” rather than an indispensable bulwark to defend and improve our jobs and livelihoods.

We are dedicated to turning TWU Local 100 into a fighting union. If you agree, join us! Thanks again for your votes and your support.

In Solidarity,
Richard Lattanzi (RTO) & Tom Cowperthwaite (TA Surface Maintenance)
Transit Workers for a Fighting Union - December 15, 2024

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