TWU SLAM ‘SCAM’

Union bosses rip ‘unhinged’ MTA big for drug email

Leaders of the city’s largest transit workers union want MTA Chairman Patrick Foye to resign after he accused a labor leader of conducting a “drug scam” in an angry email sent over the weekend.

Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen called Foye’s behavior “disgraceful” Wednesday in a note to the agency’s board members.

“Pat Foye (inset right) is obviously totally unhinged and he should resign,” Samuelsen wrote in the email, which was obtained by the Daily News. “He’s lost all moral authority to continue on as chair of the MTA.”

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano (inset left)— who was the target of Foye’s weekend email — took a more measured approach. He called for Foye to “step aside and recuse himself from contract negotiations” in a message posted to the union’s website Wednesday.

The war of words began with an unsolicited email Foye sent at 3:15 p.m. Sunday to Utano that accused the union boss of trying to orchestrate a “Utano Specialty Drug Scam” through an outside vendor claiming it can save the MTA roughly $50 million a year in health care.

MTA spokeswoman Abbey Collins said Foye is not going to resign or recuse himself from contract negotiations.

“The chairman is focused on reaching a mutually beneficial resolution,” Collins said.

The two sides have been without a contract since May 15.

The vendor is a Pennsylvania-based company called Payer Matrix, which acts as a liaison between businesses and foundations set up by pharmaceutical companies that provide low-cost and free specialty drugs to patients who cannot afford them.

Payer Matrix Vice President Jennifer Hoefner told The News that the MTA approached her company to pursue a deal.

“At this point we believe we’re still moving forward with everything despite the email because we haven’t been told otherwise,” she said.

Payer Matrix’s lawyer Bob Raskopf was worried the company could be damaged by Foye’s comments, and called on the chairman to retract his attack.

Utano told The News he was initially intrigued by Payer Matrix’s offer because he thought he could use the savings to negotiate a better deal for his members.

Collins said that the MTA stands behind Foye’s email to Utano over the weekend.