All politicians have baggage and one of Gov. Pataki’s pieces is the transit union.
About a dozen TWU Local 100 members followed Pataki down to D.C. today as he continues to test the presidential waters.
One union members says they are there to “tell the truth about his failed leadership in NY. ... They are kicking off a campaign to follow Pataki to campaign stops around the nation.”
Let’s see if their protest makes the stories about Pataki’s speech -- “Energy Freedom – Putting an End to Foreign Oil’s Dangerous Grip on America’s Future” -- at the National Press Club.
That said, the union’s protests outside the homes of MTA board members didn’t seem to have any impact in getting their contract ratified.
UPDATE: No mention of the protest in the AP story about the speech. And Patakii didn't talk about mass transit.
UPDATE2: No mention in the story, but check out the AP pictures. It looks like they were noticed!
UPDATE3: Second write-through of AP story has this in the last paragraph: "While the focus was on energy throughout much of Pataki's appearance, hecklers from the Transport Workers Union of Greater New York briefly interrupted the governor during the question-and-answer period. The union has been without a contract since December."
-- Chuck Bennett amNY.com
Photo: Eileen Sullivan, right, of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, is removed from the room by an unidentified security official as her colleague Donovan Smith, seated left,, continues to shout, during the appearance by Gov. George Pataki at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP)
Comments (2)
The Nation needs to know how badly Pataki has failed NYC for too long! Kudos to the TWU Local 100 to step up and be heard!!!
By allowing his political hack, Peter Kalikow, to bargain in bad faith with Local 100 he caused the transit strike of 2005. In doing so, he killed what little chance he had of running for President. George "veto" Pataki must now become just a horrible memory.
Joe Campbell