Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

Unions Seek to Pry Loose Transit Stimulus Funding At National Transit Meeting On Feb 27th

Unions Seek to Pry Loose Transit Stimulus Funding

Eye on Operational Needs
By ARI PAUL

LARRY HANLEY: Only Feds can help.

Representatives of transit unions from around the country gathered Feb. 27 at the headquarters of Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ to discuss a national strategy to get the Federal Government to pump more money into mass transit, specifically for operational use.

Amalgamated Transit Union Vice President Larry Hanley said that transit systems in every major metropolitan area are facing layoffs—the Chicago Transit Authority has already laid off 1,100 workers—and that while the Federal Government has put stimulus money into transit, it has been restricted to capital construction budgets rather than day-today use.

‘Feds Handicapped Transit’

“They handicapped transit by saying that that money was restricted to new construction,” Mr. Hanley said of Congress and the White House.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Restrictions hurting systems.

As a result of the six-hour meeting, he said, transit union leaders and reps agreed that they needed a national lobbying campaign for more Federal money that would also involve working closely with rider advocacy and environmental groups.

YouTube - NYC TWU Local 100 Pres. John Samuelsen denounces MTA proposed service cuts, job elimination-"Targeted Attack Against New York Workers And Their Families"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1R_HrWRkI&feature=player_embedded

TWU Local 100 Pres. John Samuelsen denounces MTA proposed service cuts, job elimination

3,000 NYC TWU 100 Workers and Transit Supports Rally And Speak Out Against Attacks "Hell no, Mr. Walder."
http://www.twulocal100.org/node/3743

Outside MTA Public Hearings, The Union’s Voice Rings Out

A powerful rally on March 4 put over 3,000 TWU Local 100 members in the streets outside the MTA’s Manhattan Public Hearing at FIT. We were joined by a large contingent of high school and college students, vociferously protesting the MTA’s planned elimination of student metrocards. TWU Local 100 got strong support from allies in the union movement and government, including New York State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes, PBA President Pat Lynch, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, the UFT's Michael Mandel, DC 37’s Oliver Gray, Teamsters Local 237's Gregory Floyd, and Public Advocate Bill DiBlasio, to name a few. (Watch this page for videos, coming soon.)

President John Samuelsen trenchantly criticized MTA cuts as blatant disregard of workers and the needs of citizens. He called upon members to speak in a single voice: "Hell no, Mr. Walder. We will fight your attempts to steal our jobs; we will fight your attacks on our students; you will not destroy our transit system."

Victory To The Tekel Workers In Turkey

Victory To The Tekel Workers In Turkey-Statement Of The TWSC

Our bay area Transport Workers Solidarity Committee TWSC is in solidarity with
your struggle for your jobs and justice. The US controlled International Monetary Fund-World
Bank and their policy of forcing privatization of public services and public institutions is a plague
on the workers of the world. It is organized to benefit the billionaires and we are aware
that the past privatization of your national telecom system was used by US government
officials like US Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger to personally benefit from
the destruction of publicly owned industries as an investor.
The policy of privatization and deregulation is a way of stealing from the people of a country and
workers in the United States also face similar attacks on our living conditions and benefits.
We support your fight and call for the re-nationalization of Tekel under the democratic control
of the workers.
We will be publicizing your struggle in the United States and urging US workers to
build support for your fight. A victory of your strike is a victory for all workers around the world and

SF TWU250-A Drivers & Riders Rally & March Against Attack On Transit Workers And Public
http://blip.tv/file/3287978

On March 1, 2010 in San Francisco hundreds of MUNI TWU 250-A drivers
and riders joined in rallies and a march to demand that the cutbacks and
attacks on Muni workers end. SF Mayor Newsom and his appointed MTA
board have sought to pit the TWU 250-A drivers against the public by
saying that unless they took concessions on their wages and pensions
the city would have to increase fares for the elderly, students and the
disabled. Already over 100 operators have been layed off by the city.
Produced by Labor Video Project, P.O. Box 720027, San Francisco, CA 94172
laborvideo.blip.tv www.laborvideo.org (415)282-1908

3/6 SF Forum-Report On The Struggles From Three Continents-Japan, US &
Turkey "The Global Struggle For Public Education, Against
Privatization & For Working Class Solidarity"
Report On The Struggles From Three Continents-Japan, US And Turkey
The Global Struggle
For Public Education, Against Privatization & For Working Class
Solidarity
Reports/Video/Songs
Saturday March 6, 2010 7:00 PM
522 Valencia St./16th St San Francisco
Donation Requested $5.00
Potluck
Funds will be sent to Tekel hunger strikers in Instanbul, Turkey
Join with Japanese Zengakuren students from who have been fighting
privatization and militarization. They are visiting the US to join in
the March 4, 2010 day of action and strikes. Also US transport
workers, Students and trade unionists and a Report & video on the
national struggle of the Turkish Tekel Workers
The global struggle against capitalism and the defense of the working
class is escalating internationally. A delegation of Japanese student
activists who are members of Zengakuren will report on the fight
against privatization of the Japanese universities and the repression
against workers and students fighting militarization as well as the

Rallying for Mass UE union bus drivers
http://socialistworker.org/2010/02/23/rallying-for-bus-drivers

Rallying for union bus drivers
By Mark Clinton | February 23, 2010

GREENFIELD, Mass.--At least 100 members and supporters of United Electrical Workers (UE) Local 274 turned out February 20 to show the fighting spirit that ledNation columnist John Nichols to name UE the country's "most-valuable union" in 2008.

People gathered bright and early in this small, now largely reindustrialized, city in northwestern Massachusetts, to demand that the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) stop trying to enforce a policy prohibiting the long-standing practice of UE demand-response bus drivers from assisting passengers into and out of the buses, as well as into and out of their homes as needed.

Demand-response buses provide for the transportation needs of senior citizens. One UE member denounced FRTA's policy, observing, "The only good management rule is one that's broken."

In an inspiring show of solidarity, members of UE locals in Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Boston and Pittsburgh attended the rally and joined the picket line, some carrying signs that demanded FRTA stop "throwing grandma under the bus." Senior citizens with walkers and canes held signs thanking UE drivers for their dedication.

Video-Thousands March To Back ILWU Local 30 Rio Tinto Workers-Borax Lock-Out Sends Families On Foot

http://www.turnto23.com/video/22587217/index.html

2/24 From the Docks to the Desert - Emergency Caravan to Boron To Support ILWU Local 30 Rio Tinto Strikers

http://www.launionaflcio.org/events/231/

From the Docks to the Desert - Emergency Caravan to Boron

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Join our emergency caravan to Boron to support the borax miners who are being locked out by the international mining company Rio Tinto. We'll be delivering food and showing our solidarity.
Meet at 7:00 in the morning at Dodger Stadium Parking Lot 13 on Stadium Way.
Click here for a map.
Click the image below to download a printable flyer.
2/24 ILWU 30 Rio Tinto Rally-Info from LA
http://www.launionaflcio.org/pdf/100217-Boron-White.pdf

DATE & TIME:
February 24th
7 AM - Assemble
8 AM - Caravan Departs for Boron

PLACE:
Dodger Stadium - Lot 13 on Stadium Way

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Glen Arnodo
213.381.5611 x126

I.L.W.U. Local 30 Rio Tinto Borax Miners Locked Out In Boron,CA-Solidarity Rally Tuesday Feb 16

http://boraxminers.com/

I.L.W.U. LOCAL 30

2/5/2010

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Our Supporters

This website is organized by members of the ILWU Local 30 who work at the US Borax/Rio Tinto mine in Boron, where we operate the largest open-pit mine in California and process borates that are used around the world to make glass, preserve wood, fight fires, fertilize plants, and a host of other products. Our goal is to keep everyone - including our customers - informed about our efforts to secure good jobs and protect the communities where we live.

We arrived at the line, telling the company: "We want to work!"
Rio Tinto officials turned around and slinked back toward the mine.

Sharing the news - We made
the front page of the LA Times!

Rio Tinto is bringing busloads of replacement workers
who don't understand the meaning of "solidarity"

ILWU Locked Out

Rio Tinto locked-out almost 600 from our jobs at the Borax mine and processing plant on Sunday morning, January 31, 2010 at 7am. Hundreds of us showed-up Sunday morning to make a powerful statement by appearing with our families at the gate, wearing our work clothes, carrying lunchboxes in one hand and American flags in the other. We marched up to the gate, proud and determined.