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Local 100 President Tony Utano and elected officers leaving the Bronx courtroom Monday
Local 100 President Tony Utano and elected officers leaving the Bronx courtroom Monday

Update on Court Case: Stabbing of Conductor Denaul Jenkins

MAY 13 -- A Bronx judge on Monday continued the $150,000 bail imposed on a man charged with stabbing Conductor Denaul Jenkins on Easter Sunday. During the court proceeding, authorities said the defendant, Walter Rivera, remains incarcerated on attempted murder, assault and other charges in connection with the attack at the 149th Street/Grand Concourse station.

“It’s good to hear this man remains behind bars,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said outside the River Street courtroom. “He doesn’t belong on the streets or in the subway.” Utano, Maintenance of Way Vice President John Chiarello and RTO Train Operators Division Chair Zachary Arcidiacono attended the court proceeding in order to get a status report on the case, and to emphasize its importance to Local 100.

Rivera himself did not appear. Rivera’s lawyer waived his client's right to be present for the hearing. Local 100 expects Bronx prosecutors will secure a Grand Jury indictment against Rivera, which would move the case into a pre-trial stage. Jenkins, 33, was waiting on the platform for his train when Rivera punched and stabbed him several times for no reason. Jenkins, despite his serious injuries, managed to hold Rivera until police arrived and arrested him. “I had to hold him down because you can’t let somebody like that get away,” he later said.

IB ImagePhoto: Conductor Denaul Jenkins in the hospital.

MTA withdraws cops under TWU pressure

Under pressure from union officers, MTA Chairman Pat Foye said he’d stop using police officers to monitor workers clocking in and out of work. Foye called Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano Thursday night to inform him of the withdrawal.

“Its a good development but I’m still furious that this happened at all,” Utano said. “The Chairman had police officers standing watch over workers like prison guards over inmates. He treated his employees like convicted criminals.” The MTA posted authority police earlier this week at Long Island Rail Road properties. Foye said he was concerned about excessive overtime paid to some MTA workers. He also asked the MTA inspector general to look into time and attendance practices across the authority.

LIRR union President Anthony Simon sent a letter of protest to Foye on Wednesday. Utano blasted Foye for calling the cops on workers - instead of deploying them to protect workers from attacks and to deter farebeating. “It’s disgusting. It’s shameful. It’s outrageous,” he said earlier in the week.

TWU International President John Samuelsen was quoted in The Daily News and other outlets attacking Foye for using police like “beakies and Pinkertons.” As the MTA itself previously acknowledged, NYC Transit overtime is up largely because of the Subway Action Plan to restore system reliability.

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Utano Takes on Vicious Attacks, Contract in New Radio Spot

APRIL 29 - A new 60-second radio spot, focusing on the latest rash of vicious attacks on transit workers and the union's current contract negotiations with the MTA, began running this morning on 1010 WINS. In the spot, Local 100 President Tony Utano decries the Easter Sunday stabbing and the two urine assaults. He states that "no workforce in New York has to put up this type of disgusting abuse and disrespect." Utano also emphatically states that "TWU will not be stopped" from winning a fair contract for transit workers.

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