0 - member ▁Track ▁Division . ▁As ▁a ▁T W U ▁member , ▁he ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁purs uing ▁workers ' ▁gr iev ances , ▁much ▁to ▁the ▁dis like ▁of ▁management . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁fired ▁by ▁the ▁Trans it ▁Author ity ▁for ▁having ▁been ▁in ▁an ▁una ut hor ized ▁car ▁during ▁working ▁hours , ▁although ▁he ▁was ▁on ▁official ▁union ▁business . ▁ ▁T ouss aint ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁an ▁accident ▁three ▁months ▁earlier ▁( he ▁was ▁hit ▁at ▁an ▁intersection ), ▁and ▁had ▁suffered ▁neck ▁and ▁back ▁inj uries . ▁ ▁Management ▁had ▁apparently ▁h ired ▁private ▁investig ators ▁to ▁follow ▁him . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁extensive ▁surve ill ance ▁was ▁exposed , ▁including ▁tri ps ▁to ▁his ▁son ' s ▁nur ser y ▁school ▁and ▁union ▁meet ings , ▁his ▁firing ▁became ▁a ▁r ally ing ▁cry ▁for ▁union ▁members ▁who ▁demanded ▁his ▁re inst at ement . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁union ▁election , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁T W U . ▁ ▁Upon ▁taking ▁office , ▁he ▁cut ▁his ▁own ▁sal ary ▁by ▁ 2 5 %. ▁ ▁After ▁being ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁came ▁under ▁heavy ▁criticism ▁from ▁his ▁membership ▁as ▁he ▁began ▁removing ▁union ▁officers ▁who ▁were ▁elected ▁on ▁opposition ▁sl ates ▁and ▁began ▁working ▁more ▁closely ▁with ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Trans it ▁management . ▁ ▁In ▁mid - 2 0 0 9