Union Win on “Scheduled Operations” Work in TA Surface

Joe Sclafani
Joe Sclafani

TA Surface Maintenance Chair Joe Sclafani, working with his depot chairs and the top leadership of TWU Local 100, pushed back concessions management wanted that would have short-staffed maintenance crews in the critical jobs of inspections and brake re-lines. The agreement with management came after TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen intervened, allowing the TAS Maintenance Division Committee to reopen negotiations with management and secure key union demands. At issue were new rules that would have ended Scheduled Operation (SO) status for certain jobs.

Sclafani met with 17 depot chairs and mid-trick chairs at the Fresh Pond Depot on January 4. Also present at that meeting were Local 100 Recording Secretary and Local 100 Administrative VP Angel Giboyeaux. All present agreed that Surface Maintenance would boycott the pick scheduled the next day unless management came to an agreement on work rules that did not roll back union rights.

Union action stopped the planned reductions in manpower for inspections and re-lines, as well as continuing the protection of weekends and holidays off for S/O work. Sclafani says that the winning fight to stop the breakup of crews has a key benefit to the public: “These are trained individuals, who do this work consistently. We stopped the pick because it was a safety violation and a seniority violation. This shows that when the membership unites we get the job done.”

The high quality of TA Surface Maintenance work has been protected as well as the preservation of rights won over years of struggle.