Roger Toussaint Heading to Jail - for December strike by TWU

[pberq]

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/24/1346222

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AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about why you are headed to jail today?

ROGER TOUSSAINT: Why? Well, that was up to the judge. But essentially, they are trying to send a message to the entire labor movement and all the social justice causes that if you stand up and fight, they are going to crush you, so it’s important that we send back a message to them. That's why they’re subjecting us to what is the equivalent of a public flogging. The fines, the dues checkoff elimination, as well as the jail, is truly excessive, makes no sense other than to send a message.

[pberq]

1. impact of strike

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/24/1346222


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. . .JUAN GONZALEZ: . . .But I’d like to ask you, in terms of the
impact of the strike and why -- because I think this is critical to
understand. This strike really sent shockwaves throughout the business
establishment of New York City and, I think, across the country. And
your sense of what is, again, the message that is being sent to the
labor movement and how other union officials and union organizations
should respond?

ROGER TOUSSAINT: Well, I think that we are at a defining moment in
America. Pensions, health benefits are under attack from coast to
coast, and the powers that be need there to be no resistance, no fight
back. We made a decision back in December that we were not going to
allow them to impose a new pension on future transit workers. Same
thing with health benefits. Union rights, with respect to gains won
over the past decades, work rules, job descriptions and so forth, was
also under attack. So, in taking our stand in December, what we were
saying is that there needs to be a fight back. We, too, need to weigh
in on defining and on shaping the future of this country, on this
society. So, that's the overall issue, I think.

And we’ll do it again, meaning that we are proud of the stand that we
took back in December. We understand the consequences, and we
understand the magnitude and the enormity of the challenge that we are
faced with, but there needs to be a fight back. And I think most
working people understand what we are saying and what we are doing. And
hopefully it helps encourage more of a fight. And there will be -- a
lot more sacrifices will be called upon before we turn this whole
situation around.