The recession has hammered transit agencies across the country. Some 700 New York City transit workers—mostly bus operators and station agents—have been laid off since May and another 200–300 may be gone by the end of the summer.
Chalk up another win for union reformers in New York. After victories by reform slates in two Teamster locals, 814 (movers and auction houses) and 804 (UPS), reformers in the Take Back Our Union slate won control of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union on December 7. TWU 100 represents 38,000 bus and subway workers in New York City and Westchester County.
Bill Fletcher and Fernando Gapasin argue convincingly that the union framework is broken and a complete overhaul is needed so that the labor movement can be the engine of a movement for broader social change.
