Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Movement fights layoffs and service cuts by the MTA.

   Station Agent Christine Williams
   holds up a TBOU sign during protest

On Friday April 3rd the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Movement was once again front and center in fighting layoffs and service cuts by the MTA. In March the MTA voted 12-1 for a budget that calls for the layoffs of over 1,100 transit workers and up to 800 Station agents. The leadership of TBOU is so committed to using all means to fight these layoffs, we even sent a letter to the president and acting president of TWU Local 100 to fight these layoffs together, with no response.


MTA Starts To Forgo Station Agents

  MTA Station Agent Francisco Donno
  at his post at the Wall Street
  Station the 2, 3 line.
  (Photo by Andrew Hinderaker)




In a taste of things to come, the MTA has started reducing the number of station agents in subways, leaving token booths empty and some high-traffic entrances closed during rush hour.

MTA Reverses Position on Closing Turnstiles

The MTA has decided to keep turnstiles open even if subway entrances are not staffed, a response to the anger that erupted at some stations when officials recently gated the entry points, a transit spokesman said yesterday.

TBOU fights layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes all over the city
On Monday, February 2nd the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) movement led a march across 125th Street in Harlem to protest the closing of subway booths. Members of TBOU RTO and Stations joined with the Harlem community and the Bail Out The People movement for the march to inform people what these service cuts will mean to their safety and security. Many people were surprised when TBOU told them about the booth closings and service cuts as the Harlem community will be be hit particularly hard by booth closings.

On Wednesday February 4th members of TBOU Stations spoke out about the booth closings and fare hikes at the last of the fare hike hearings in the Bronx. Six TBOU members stood up and spoke out at all five public hearings, including Staten Island, and handed out thousands of "Keep The Booths Open" brochures which were produced and paid for by members of TBOU stations. Now that the deadline of July 26th has been set by the MTA for the closings of subway booths, TBOU Stations will intensify its fight to keep booths open.

Women's Labor Round Table - Part I


TBOU held their first Women's Women's Labor Round Table forum on March 20th, 2009. The topic was the budget crisis, and its impact on working women. Among the speakers were Dr. Stephanie Luce, Research Director at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Labor and author of two books on living wages and Darlene Lawson of TWU-Local 100. TBOU launched their Women's Initiative Committee following the successful roundtable.

The first meeting will take place this Wednesday, April 15th at 4:00 pm in midtown. The focus of this round table will be the MTA layoffs and how transit workers can fight back. All members are welcome.