Save the Dates! Upcoming Union Events

Saturday, Jan. 28th: Mass Membership Meeting at the Sheraton Times Square (53rd & 7th Ave.) Open to all members in good standing.

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Black History Celebration at the Union Hall

Wednesday, March 15: Quill-Connolly Day (Irish Heritage) at the Union Hall

Tuesday, March 28: LOBBY DAY in Albany (Political Action to Advance our Legislative Agenda)

Wednesday, March 22: Women's Heritage Day at the Union Hall

Update on Collecting Agent involved in Shooting

As many of you know from media accounts, one of our Collecting Agents was involved in a shooting at the Union St. subway station in Brooklyn Tuesday night. Stations Vice President Robert Kelley and his team quickly responded to the station and provided the Agent with support and assistance and were instrumental in getting him home to his family.

“We will continue to support our union brother through this process, but we are unable to comment further at this time,” Kelley said.

Union Slams MTA On Service Cuts, Assaults

TWU Local 100 Local 100 President Richard Davis, RTO Vice President Canella Gomez, and TWU International President John Samuelsen spoke out against planned subway service cuts at MTA Headquarters Wednesday. “Service cuts are a terrible, terrible idea,” Davis told MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and Board members at their monthly meeting.

“TWU Local 100 will fight you every step of the way.” The MTA is planning to reduce subway service on seven lines on Mondays and Fridays when ridership is lighter in part because suburbanites are choosing to work from home. But running fewer trains those days will make it harder for riders who don’t have the luxury of staying at home, including the many working-class, front-line, essential workers who also had to toil through the pandemic, Davis said.

Service cuts also will lead to more worker assaults, the union leaders warned. “We’re going to have more angry passengers waiting on the platform,” Gomez said. Planned cuts on the 1,6,7, E, F, Q, and L lines would happen in June if enacted. Gomez's remarks are here.

Investment Banker Jean-Francois Coste

Drunken Banker Punches Train Operator

An entitled rich investment banker punched one of our female Train Operators in the face for stopping him from going into a non-public area of a Brooklyn station. He was arrested but outrageously was later released without having to post bail.

Local 100 President Richard Davis issued a blistering public statement following the Friday, Dec. 16, 2022,  attack at the Stillwell Ave. terminal station - and vowed that TWU would see the attacker in court.

“The public should be treating transit workers as heroes, not punching bags,” Davis said. “Time and time again we’ve stepped up for this city, most recently working through the pandemic, and this is the thanks we get. It has to stop. We will see this guy in court.”

Davis continued: “We’re going to send a strong message to the judges and prosecutors that they must take assaults against transit workers far more seriously. No more slaps on the wrist.”

Jean Francois Coste, 53, was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and some misdemeanors. A judge did not impose bail and he was released ROR. “This is just another slap in the face to all transit workers,” RTO VP Canella Gomez said. “It’s amazing how quick you can go from heroes to zeros in this city.”

TO Tanya McCray was leaving the crew room at approximately 12:15 a.m. and closed the door so it would lock as an apparently intoxicated Coste approached on the mezzanine. He then punched her without warning, striking her in the face at least twice.  She got in a few licks in herself, punching Coste in self-defense and swinging her lunch bag, which contained a thermos, at him. Another Train Operator came to her assistance and pushed Coste away.

“Thank God for him,” McCray said. “He really came to the rescue and helped me.”

Coste fled to the platform and boarded a train, but Local 100 members cornered him and made sure he didn’t go anywhere until the police arrived.
 

Applications Open for Local 100/M3 Technology College Scholarships

Applications for our TWU Local 100 -- M3 Technology Scholarships are now open! Deadline is May 31, but don't delay. Click here for the easy online application form!  Scholarships are open to members, their spouses, their children, and our Retirees, and their children and grand-children.

Richard Davis Sworn in as New Local 100 President

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano – whose career as a union leader has spanned four decades – announced he was stepping down from the top position this morning. The Executive Board overwhelmingly voted to elevate Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis to the presidency with 41 in favor, none opposed.

Utano, who has served as president since 2017, and was previously the Vice President of the Maintenance of Way Department, said he wants to spend more time with his family and enable a new generation of leaders to lead. Utano will continue to serve as Executive Director. 

The Executive Board also voted to promote MOW Vice President John Chiarello to Secretary-Treasurer. Structures Chair Richard Rocco was named MOW Vice President.

In a statement to the membership, Davis said:

“I’d like to thank the Executive Board for this honor. Thank you for putting your faith and trust in me to lead our union forward. 

And that’s exactly what I intend to do - move us forward and make this great union even greater. My mission is to build a better, stronger, more unified, and more effective TWU Local 100 that has an administration that is focused on you, the membership. 

I promise to work tirelessly on your behalf and put your needs first. I will never stop working to make improvements on multiple key fronts, including safety, job security, your quality of life and your ability to take care of your families. 

Priority number one is gearing up for our upcoming contract fights at the MTA and at our private bus and school bus divisions. I will be immediately sending teams into the field as part of an internal organizing and membership outreach campaign. I believe it’s vitally important that your voices be heard as we chart a course for the future. We also must be ready to mobilize to face any obstacles that are placed in our way.  

You have my commitment to lead, to serve, and to fight. 

Thank you, 

TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis

Davis, 53, joined NYC Transit as a Bus Operator at the age of 26. His first union position was chief line steward. He was elected MaBSTOA Division 1 Chair in 2004, then Vice President of the Department in 2014. Davis became Secretary-Treasurer in May following the retirement of Earl Phillips.

Utano, 60, joined NYC Transit in 1980 as an Electrical Helper at the age of 18. He was elected to his first union position the following year. He never lost an election, serving as Section Vice Chair, Section Chair, Division Chair and Vice President before becoming President in September 2017.

Joint International/Local Toy Drive Brings Holiday Cheer to Kids in the Bronx and Brooklyn

DECEMBER 13 -- For the first time, the TWU International Women's Committee joined forces with the TWU Local 100 Women's Committee in a holiday toy drive that collected a thousand toys for area kids.

TWU International Women's Committee Chair LaTonya Crisp, who is also Local 100's Recording Secretary, put out the call to TWU locals across America, and they responded by shipping toys to Local 100 in New York. And here, Local 100 Women's Committee Coordinator Giselle Martinez organized toy donations from dozens of transit locations on both bus and subway properties, including Westchester County.

On December 1, Day Two of the International Women's Conference, Crisp congratulated all of the many TWU Locals across America that shipped toys to the Local 100 Union Hall on behalf of the charity drive. "Everyone in this room should be standing up because your local presidents shipped toys here," she said. "This is the work that all of us did."

Hundreds of toys were picked up at the Union Hall by Sean Moriarty, Director of Special Gifts at Montefiore Hospital. Two van loads went to children in the cancer ward.

“We often think about the moment that a kid gets a toy, and how excited that kid is, particularly at that point, because they are going through a crisis,” Moriarty said. “Play for a kid, is super important. It is how we become who we are… giving children the opportunity to play while they’re ill is an incredible gift.”

On December 13th, Martinez delivered hundreds of toys to the Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation along with MABSTOA officers Monique Rondon and Harriette Goodridge-Seymour, and Nicolette Brown from Stations.

Martinez thanked all who donated, but gave a 'special shout-out' to Pete Rosconi and his team for being the first to step up.

Job Security and Higher Pay for Station Agents

Stations Vice President Robert Kelley has negotiated a landmark agreement to protect Station Agent jobs – while raising the pay rate by $1 an hour – as the MTA moves towards full implementation of its digital OMNY fare-payment system. Station Agents will get training for new roles providing customer service outside booths. They also will retain access to the booths and can spend time during their tours inside as well.    

Watch the video of the press conference here.

The Station Agent title has been under a very serious threat from OMNY, which is now in every station and on every bus. OMNY allows riders to instantly buy trips at turnstiles with credit cards, debit cards, and smartphones. Riders also can now purchase and load OMNY cards at Walgreens, 7-Eleven, CVS, and other stores across the city. But with this agreement, the MTA is now stating clearly that it intends on preserving the Station Agent title and jobs. In fact, the authority hired nearly 300 new Station Agents over the last year and plans on hiring about 230 more in 2023. 

“This is about protecting the employment of Station Agents so they can continue to take care of their families,” Kelley said. “OMNY posed a very real threat. We can’t sit back and watch our members get phased out along with the MetroCard. We are forging a new path with a new role that makes their presence in stations even more vital.”

NYC Transit Richard Davey said: “The reason we came into this agreement, frankly, was to put a stake in the ground and say, for NYC Transit, the Station Agent of the future is critically important to the kind of service we want to provide. This is our commitment, our joint commitment, to say the intent is for these 2,000-plus station agents to continue to be part of our transit family and to provide a heightened level of customer service.” 

Asked by a reporter about the possibility of layoffs, Davey said the MTA’s need for additional government funding to fill budget gaps must be acknowledged, but “the intent is for no layoffs whatsoever.”

Station Agents will get new roles and spend parts of each shift outside the booth to provide customer service, such as helping riders with OMNY equipment, giving directions, assisting the elderly and disabled, assessing station conditions, and reporting conditions or situations that need to be addressed. Agents will get cellular telephones and training, including de-escalation training. 

Indian Day Brings 800 to Celebrate Transit Workers' Heritage

Over 800 transit workers of Indian heritage gathered in Fresh Meadows, Queens for a night of celebration. Both President Tony Utano and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis spoke to the crowd, and all of the top union officers in attendance -- including VP's Shirley Martin, Canella Gomez, Robert Kelley, and Donald Yates lit the ceremonial candle to begin the event. Indian cuisine was a highlight, as well as entertainment featuring Bollywood-style singing and dancing. State Senator and longtime TWU Local 100 supporter John Liu was on hand, as well as Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commisssioner, Mayor's Office for International Affairs.

President Utano got an unexpected award, from WBLS radio personality Dr. Bob Lee, who presented him with a plaque from his Make the Grade Foundation for his humanitarian work.

Horse Carriage Drivers Need Your Help!

New Gym Offer for Local 100 Members

Click for a high resolution download.

TWU Recap: Episode 5 - Now Streaming!

Would you look at that:

It's time to watch TWU Local 100's Recap of October!

This month's recap captures all the best moments of union events that bind our membership. Celebrating one another's heritage and sticking together when the going gets tough help make the daily grind worth it.

Hochul Makes History and a Win for Local 100

Gov. Kathy Hochul made history yesterday, Nov. 8, 2022, by becoming the first woman elected Governor in our state. This also was a win for Local 100.

We enthusiastically endorsed Hochul for several reasons:

• She is working with Mayor Adams – not against him – on initiatives to make the city safer. She put more police in the transit system, for example, and increased the number of psychiatric beds for the mentally ill homeless.
• The Governor enacted the first positive change on Tier 6.  The time needed to be vested and receive benefits was cut in half in half from 10 years to 5.
• She signed landmark legislation, championed by Local 100, that allows widows and dependents of workers who died of cancer caused by diesel exposure to file for Workers Compensation benefits. The “Nigro” bill was named after Local 100 Bus Maintainer Bill Nigro, who died of lung cancer in 2012.
• The Governor strengthened Kendra’s Law, which enables judges to order disturbed individuals, who pose a danger to themselves and others, to get treatment or be temporarily committed.

Unlike her opponent, Lee Zeldin, Hochul also has a history of supporting funding for mass transit, which is critical to our livelihoods. And Kathy grew up in a blue-collar, union household. She understands what it’s like to be a member of the working class.

There are no quick fixes to the problems facing New York and other cities right now: inflation and crime. The Governor does have to get bills approved by the state Legislature, which will be very challenging at times. But she is moving NY in the right direction. I believe she truly cares about transit workers.

Safety Team Launches Pre-Dawn Inspections in Westchester

    The Local 100 Safety Team and a contingent of union officers descended Friday on the First Mile Square school bus yard in Mount Vernon for an unannounced safety-inspection blitz.

    The pre-dawn action in Westchester County was in response to driver complaints about wheelchair-lift defects, worn-out tires, faulty brake lights, and other pieces of equipment, School Bus/Paratransit Division Chair Gus Moghrabi said. Several buses were knocked out of service. Management responded within hours, promising to fix all defects, and asking for a meeting to further discuss union concerns, Moghrabi said. The inspections and show of force also had an impact on the members at First Mile. 

    “The members were so proud to see the union out there supporting them,” Evelyn Castillo, First Mile Square Chair, said. 

Stations Stands Strong in the Bronx for Assaulted CTA

NOVEMBER 3 -- Stations VP Robert Kelley, other  Departmental officers, and rank and file members came to the Bronx Hall of Justice for the continuing trial of Alexander Wright, who brutally assaulted CTA Anthony Nelson at the Pelham Bay Park stop on the 6 line. At today's hearing, Wright was brought out in handcuffs but the trial was adjourned until December 15th. We are going to keep pushing prosecutors to do their jobs and bring him to justice -- and we are urging all members to stand with us at the next hearing date.

Brother Kelley told news media that seven years is not enough punishment for those who assault transit workers. He called CTA Nelson's injuries "a life sentence" of a different kind, saying he will never completely recover from the assault.