Back to Work at Smith and 9th in Brooklyn

A TWU Local 100 Station Agent and three Cleaners were on the job at the newly opened Smith and 9th Street Station on the F and G lines in Brooklyn. The station, closed for two years for renovations, opened with much fanfare on Friday morning, with a gaggle of local politicians, as well as former MTA CEO Freddie Ferrer and incoming NYCT President Carmen Bianco. TWU Local 100 Officers Derrick Echevarria and Paul Piazza were on hand with Shop Steward Theresa Green to salute our rank and file members who are back on the job at the highest subway station in the world.

Tragic Anniversary at Columbus Circle

Union Brothers and Sisters made an annual pilgrimage to the uptown #1 platform at Columbus Circle to commemorate the passing of Track Worker Danny Boggs, who died on the tracks at this station in 2007. Today’s memorial was made especially somber by the death yesterday of Signal Maintainer Louis Moore, who also died after being hit by a train. President John Samuelsen spoke personally of the loss of his friend, and Danny’s widow, Bernadette, also addressed the crowd. MTA Chief Chaplain Rabbi Harry Berkowitz spoke movingly of the humble character of the transit workers who do a dirty and often unrecognized job running the transit system.

President Samuelsen Marks the Passing of Signal Maintainer Louis Moore

Just hours after Signal Maintainer Louis Moore died on the tracks at the 46th Street and Broadway subway station in Astoria, TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen spoke to the press about the tragic incident, placing it into the context of the number of fatalities over time and the intractable safety challenges facing transit workers.

Misdirected Anger

About two dozen people picketed outside Local 100’s offices April 18, chanting that the TWU had “abandoned” over 600 members who recently lost their jobs at First Transit.  While a few of the pickets hope to score some cheap political points, most of them are understandably angry at losing their jobs.  However, their anger is misdirected. 

First Transit lost their bid to continue their contract with the MTA. They were underbid by an anti-union contractor from South Carolina. Despite our efforts, the  new contractor refused to hire most of the existing workforce.  But we never abandoned our brothers and sisters there.  In fact, the Local is continuing its efforts to force the new contractor to bargain with the TWU and offer jobs to the workers from First Transit.  Charges have been filed at the NLRB against the MTA and the new contractor for discriminating against the workforce in place because of their membership in the TWU.