December 25, 2005

Michael T. O'Brien
International President
Transport Worker Union of America
1700 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10019-5905

Dear President O'Brien:

I read your pathetic December 20, 2005 letter to all TWU Presidents. 
I'm flabbergasted that the International President would distance
himself from a strike, and in the process betray his members!  Benedict
Arnold must be your hero.  You disgraced the memory of our founder,
Michael Quill, who wasn't a yellow-bellied coward like you.  Quite the
contrary; when he led a debilitating transit strike, he told a judge to
drop dead!  To paraphrase Roger Toussaint, there is something greater
than the law and it's called justice.

During World War II, Norwegian Union members sabotaged the German heavy
water experiments, thereby denying the Nazis weapons of mass
destruction.  Thank God you weren't president of the Union representing
those workers.  What might have you said at Union meetings? "Hey guys,
we can't break the law" or "The mushroom clouds will be over London and
New York not here."

You probably would have volunteered to slap the cuffs on Lech Walesa. 
Labor Unions, strikes, and demonstrations were all illegal in Communist
states.  The Polish Solidarity movement started with workers' rights,
but then grew to include: freedom of speech, the release of political
prisoners, the end of censorship, and religious freedoms. Poland was
devastated by crippling strikes and the Communists were forced to accept
reforms. So, the collapse of the Soviet Union began with Lech Walesa, a
fugitive leader of an outlaw trade Union.  But this is NOT a good thing
according to your beliefs, because the law was broken in the process.

Since you're intent upon singing camp fire songs with the governor, the
mayor, and corporate leaders, I must demand your resignation.

I won't bother wishing you a Merry Christmas.  To do so would suggest
you have Christian values.

Fraternally,



G. Santos
Member-in-Good Standing
TWU Local 562