Alexander Kemp (TWU) testifies opposing ban

Good afternoon, my name is Alexander Kemp.

I am the administrative vice president for TW Local 100.

I appreciate you guys taking the time to hear the concerns of the local and the union.

My condolences go out to the Mahajan family.

I just want to state for the record to the Mahajan family that I am a father.

I have an 11-year-old daughter.

I have a 17-year-old son.

And one of my biggest fears in life is ever finding out that my son might not be coming home or my daughter.

So for the sake of my condolences and...

and a heartfelt condolences to the family.

I am very, very sorry that this has become your reality and that this tragic event, you will spend the rest of your life reliving.

I also want to say for the record that an equal tragedy is that this is being used to weaponize

removing the property of business owners who have gave everything they have to try to live and act out the American dream.

And because of a tragedy, people who are bloodthirsty for this industry have exploited it.

And absolutely used disgusting experience to make this their framework to eliminate an industry that has been represented for over 160 years.

The truth is that this is one of the safest mechanisms of tourism on the planet.

The truth is that

Although, and unfortunately, we have lost a life, we do not take a consequence and throw the baby out with the bathwater.

We look for ways to make it safer so that it never happens again.

We can cite the triangle fires and how it modified a whole industry.

We can speak to the fact that when planes crash, we look for ways to make it safer.

We in transportation, in buses, in trains, we have 400 to 500 people, members, employees of the transit authority getting assaulted every year.

I just heard a stat from 1980 up until now has been 98 instances with the

Truth is, everyday transit workers are getting annihilated, and I don't see any caucus about the safety of the people that you guys are tasked with protecting.

So I would just demand that prior to you making a decision on this industry, you look at all of the responsibilities that you have to hold up your end of the bargain, and then collectively we can figure out what the future looks like.

But nobody should be making decisions over one experience that is a tragedy that I believe we can ultimately learn from and make the industry safer.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Who's next?

Please keep it to two minutes.

Press the button.

Yeah.

My honor.

I cleared with the staff.

I'm going to read a statement from International President John Samuelson, and then I'm going to give my testimony.

That was approved by the council staff, just so you know.