From: Eladio Diaz ediaz3@si.rr.com
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005

AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 AM on December 20, 2005 after getting home at 4AM the previous night from the Executive Board Meeting, I was served with two subpoenas by two detectives that went to my house in Staten Island. This event made my family members upset and they worried if I was going to get arrested or not. The detectives told me that I was to appear at the Brooklyn Supreme Court by 11AM. I hurried to get dressed and left my house as soon as I could and arrived at court at approximately 11:30 AM due to traffic and trying to find a parking in downtown Brooklyn.

Once I arrived at the court house I noticed TWU Local 100 picketers at the Court Street Station entrance in front of the court house. John Mooney, Vice President of Stations for Local 100, was there leading the troops. John Mooney called me over and had me make an announcement to the members so that I could tell them that I was the Executive Board Member that made the motion to strike. I informed the members that my motion included that we not return to work unless the Taylor Law and all other fines, lawsuits and penalties, etc. were removed from the Union, its officers and its members. I also included language to inform our members of the negativity of crossing the picket line.

As I entered the court, a senior court officer approached me and asked me if I was an officer of TWU Local 100 which I responded yes. At this point he became elated and reached out to shake my hand and repeated told me how happy the Court Officers were that we took the stand that we did. He told me that the Court Officers were behind us 100% and told me that he had a man go and buy the members on the picket line hot cocoa and goodies, then pointed out the court officer, who had to disguise himself so that he would not get in trouble from his boss, and told me to get the bags that he was carrying for they were a gift for the picketers. He also told me that the Court Officers paid a coffee truck nearby so that the picketers could have all the coffee that they wanted and went on to have me inform the members that there was food from a Holiday Party inside the court house that the members could help themselves to. He also told me that if anyone had to take a break from the heat or use the bathroom that they could use the courthouses without a problem.

While I was at Court I also noticed a group of NYC Teachers at the picket line as well as about 40 students in support of the strike. I spoke to one of the students who told me they were from Borough Academy of Brooklyn and Freedom Academy. They understood that the strike was to fight for benefits for the new employees which might be them in the future.

I then proceeded to the court room. After the Judge entered and the lawyers started pleading their cases, I heard the attorneys for the National Union?s President Michael O'Brien practically beg the Judge not to include the National Union in the lawsuit. He mentioned that they did everything possible to try to stop us from going on strike, including telling the Executive Board that he did not think that we had good reason to strike. But we know that the only reason that the National Union made these motions to the Executive Board was so that they could sway the judge not to serve them with injunctions and fines like he did to Local 100.

Eladio Diaz
Executive Board Member
Line-Equipment/Signals Division
Transport Workers Union of Greater NY, Local 100