firemarypeters

This morning a group of Teamsters were down at the Navy Yard Metro Station just outside U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters. We were there passing out Fire Mary Peters cards and telling folks what’s going on with the Mexican Trucking Program.

For a Teamster who has only lived in D.C. for a couple months, I can tell you that the DOT workers seemed sad – no, miserable. The long faces approaching their gloomy Thursday with Mary had a quick City power-minute to smile as we told them how their boss is blatantly breaking the law, endangering Americans and exploiting our friends South of the Border in one fell swoop by continuing with the Mexican truck pilot program. We told folks that Mary really needs to be brought to justice before someone gets hurt.

It was a cold and windy morning, but it didn’t stop a number of commuters from stopping to talk with Teamsters about the campaign. One DOT employee close to the pilot project told me, in a whisper of sorts, that the “OIG really needs to get on Peters.”

Another worker, heading to a meeting, was curious enough to have me walk with her for a block or so to tell her what this is all about. I told her that Mexican trucks and drivers are simply not held to the same standards as American drivers. I told her that we have to go for drug tests, get a CDL and a whole host of other things before we can work, and now we are dealing with drivers who don’t have to do anything at all but climb behind the wheel, “and that can be terribly dangerous,” I said. “All that aside, we have a Department of Transportation that is blatantly breaking the law by continuing this program; and she really needs to be stopped.” My new friend wholeheartedly agreed with me and promised she’d come to www.firemarypeters.com tonight to show her support.

And this is what it is all about – getting the word out to everyday working people, even if they are sad-faced DOT workers. They are not our enemies. In fact we would like to encourage DOT workers to visit our site, to call our hotline at 202-508-6439 and tell us what is really going on. We want to know what other laws Peters is breaking. But most importantly, we want this dangerous program stopped, and Peters removed from office.

I mean, hell, if I went out and broke just one law my ass would end up in jail. We just want Peters fired. Oh, and not to run for governor of Arizona.

Join us DOT workers. Here is what you can do.