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VP Danny D'Amato Honored at Italian-American Celebration

OCTOBER 20—TWU Local 100 celebrated Italian-American heritage in Coney Island on Friday, and honored one officer for the 20 years of service he has devoted to the organization: Danny D'Amato, Vice President of the MTA Bus/PrivateLines/School Bus Department and a member of the TWU International Executive Board.

The annual event took place at Gargiulo's, which opened in 1904—only a few years before the first subway rolled out of City Hall. Opening the festive evening, MaBSTOA Division Chair Sean Battaglia said that “when you combine Italian culture with union culture, it’s an unstoppable force.” And that force, he said, is because of Local 100's diversity – “every culture, every race and every gender. That tells you what this union is all about.”

Every year, an outstanding union member is honored at the event. The award plaque, presented to D'Amato by President John V. Chiarello, read: “With gratitude for your dedicated service and proud celebration of Italian heritage, your loyalty and leadership have strengthened our Union and inspired generations.”

2026 Open Enrollment Begins Today

OCTOBER 15—Open Enrollment begins for NYCT and MTA Bus Active Employees today at: www.mymta.info/openenrollment.

-If you are not making any changes to your plan, no action needs to be taken unless you become eligible for Medicare in 2026

-If you are opting out of medical coverage, you may do so from Oct. 15-Nov. 15

-If you wish to participate in the Flexible Spending Account Plan in 2026 you must re-enroll even if you took part last year. Registration for FSAs begins Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15

-Open Enrollment for Retirees begins Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 30

-If you have questions or experience any issues, contact: BSC Customer Management Center at 646-376-0123, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM or via email at bscservice@mtabsc.org.

Structure Division Mourns Darrell D. Gresham, 58

OCTOBER 14—Darrell D. Gresham, a Structure Maintainer B (Mason) with only five months on the job, died of natural causes at home on October 6th, reported Division Vice Chair Billy Taaffe. Brother Gresham worked out of the 14th Street shop assigned to ICC Capital Construction.

Brother Gresham came to transit late in life, after working in the construction trades for most of his life. Nina Davis, who had two children with Brother Gresham, says she has many family members who work for New York City Transit and that she pushed hard for him to join the transit workforce.

One of their children, Gresham’s daughter Dominique, who is a 911 Police Communications Technician, said her father was very excited to work for transit, and that he was especially impressed with the 14th Street location. “He would say he worked underground, and he kept on talking about how big [the facility] was and how excited he was about working there.”

Ms. Davis said that their other child, Darrell Jr., was murdered at the age of 18 in 2009, and that his father will join him in interment at the Pinelawn Memorial Park cemetery in Farmingdale. Besides Dominique, Brother Gresham is survived by three other children—Dartay, 35; Taquan, 33 and Sheilaya, 23.

A viewing will take place for Brother Gresham at the Lawrence H. Woodward Funeral Home, located at 1 Troy Avenue in Brooklyn on Friday, October 17th at 2 PM. A funeral service will be held at the same location on Saturday, October 18th, 9:30 AM.

Conductor Alerts Police, Who Make Gun Arrest on Transit Property

OCTOBER 14—Conductor Abdul Adetunji, heading home Saturday after a visit at MAC 3 for a random test, saw an encounter between three men on the A train that had the potential to escalate into a violent situation.

"I'm actually trying to doze off a little bit," said Adetunji, after noticing two young men on the train who were rolling weed, but not bothering anyone. "Then I saw another gentleman who gets on the train, wearing a ski mask and gloves. The first two start throwing gang signs at the third man, who starts throwing gang signs back. Then one of the men who was already on the train lifts up his waistband to show a firearm."

In full MTA uniform, Adetunji maintained a low profile on the southbound A Train and kept his eyes on the men as the train rolled to 59th Street, where one man—though not the one with the gun—exited.

The EECA Day Committee enjoying the fruits of their labor

Eastern European and Central Asian Day Delivers Solidarity Message

OCTOBER 14—Eastern European and Central Asian Heritage Day livened up the Brighton Beach boardwalk on Sunday, with a crowd of 800 transit workers enjoying the festivities as a nor’easter churned up the surf.

CED Executive Board Member Gregory Dunichev introduced President John Chiarello as the first TWU Local 100 President to serve as a Car Inspector. President Chiarello noted that he was a provisional Car Inspector briefly before moving on to becoming a Signal Maintainer. He thanked event participants, union leadership in attendance, and the Committee that ensures a successful event year after year.

“In order to keep what we have gained, we have to be ready to fight,” he said, invoking the upcoming 2026 contract fight. “Just as we have gathered together from different nations,” he added, “we must gather together to fight for what we deserve: good pay, good benefits for our families, and dignity.”

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrated in Sunset Park

OCTOBER 13—More than 500 transit workers of Chinese descent and their families gathered at the New Phoenix Seafood Restaurant in Sunset Park on Friday to enjoy an evening of dining, entertainment and solidarity.

The annual Mid-Autumn Festival sponsored by TWU Local 100 included a wide variety of dances and entertainments, including the iconic dragon dance where costumed performers drive away evil spirits and bring good luck and blessings to the community.

Both President John V. Chiarello and International President John Samuelsen addressed the festive crowd, bringing up preparations for the 2026 contract fight.

“You have to get ready to fight, shoulder to shoulder, for a contract,” Chiarello said. “We’re going to call for rallies, and when that time comes, we need you to show up.”

2026 Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 15th, Closes Nov.15th

OCTOBER 10—Active employees covered by our OA/TA/MTA Bus insurance plans can change their insurance plan and take advantage of other benefits for 2026 over a one-month period starting October 15th. If employees are not planning on making any medical plan changes they don't need to take any action. This notice does not apply to members who are not MTA employees.

The information for enrollment is available on the internet at the MTA portal at www.mymta.info/openenrollment. At that site a health benefits summary can be seen that has various options, including the MTA Opt-Out Program and the Flexible Spending Account.

You will receive dental, vision and hearing benefits information directly from your providers by October 15th, 2025.

The open enrollment period for retirees begins December 1.

More information, incliding downloadable postcards, will be available on this site soon.

Local 100 Statement on Attorney General Letitia James

OCTOBER 10—TWU Local 100 stands in support of New York State Attorney General Letitia James. It is clear that this indictment is politically motivated, and a gross misuse of this country’s justice system. Attorney General James has always been on the side of democracy and working people, and we remain in her corner.

New Poll Shows Strong Support for Keeping Carriage Horses in Central Park

Voters say Keep Horses in Central Park

OCTOBER 9—A new poll of NYC voters shows strong support for continuing horse-carriage rides in Central Park - with 70% of those surveyed saying the horses “add beauty and charm” to the park.

At Flatbush Depot, Councilwoman Narcisse Talks to Our Rank and File

OCTOBER 6—Local 100 President John V. Chiarello and other union leaders visited the Flatbush Depot in the Flatlands neighborhood of South Brooklyn today to show our support for Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, a registered nurse who represents hundreds of transit workers in District 46, which covers Canarsie, Flatlands, Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach and Sheepshead Bay.

Rank and file Bus Operators and Bus Maintainers heard from Narcisse, who is facing a challenge from two opponents this coming November. Sharase DeBouse, Local 100's Political Action Director, introduced her to the members saying she is a strong supporter of Local 100 and is working to protect our jobs against incursions from dollar vans, which saturate South Brooklyn.