Transport Workers Union of America, Local 100: Joseph Gayol Files

The collection contains materials collected by Joseph Gayol, an activist in rank-and-file movements in Transport Workers Union of America, Local 100.

Joseph Gayol, a subway car maintenance worker, became involved in the rank-and-file movement of Local 100 in 1978. In anticipation of the 1979 Local elections, Gayol joined with nine other rank-and-file workers at the 207th Street Shop. They collected grievances as evidence that the Transit Authority (TA) and TWU leaders were derelict in not providing adequate attention to safety issues and to protection of transit workers. With the intent of taking the TA and TWU to court, they organized a Health and Safety Committee associated with the George McDonald slate.

Though the Health and Safety Committee was very popular, they felt their efforts were stymied as McDonald continually postponed or incorrectly filed their proposals for action. In an endeavor to move forward they switched their allegiance to the Unity slate but eventually became disillusioned with that group as well.

Greatly factionalized, each of the contending slates lost its momentum and failed to build a united coalition of dissidents. A combination of racial, political and divisional conflicts prevented the rank-and-file groups from backing a single slate. As a result, incumbent John Lawe maintained his office as president of Local 100, winning 9,781 votes compared to the 13,076 split among the three rank-an-file slates.