Join Us in Court on Thursday 11/3 to Demand Justice for CTA Anthony Nelson

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! STOP THE ASSAULTS!

STAND UP AND BE HEARD WITH YOUR TWU LOCAL 100 BROTHERS AND SISTERS

TWU Local 100 is urging members who are off-duty Thursday morning to go the Bronx courthouse for the court appearance of the man charged with the brutal attack on our Union Brother Anthony Nelson. CTA Nelson suffered a broken nose and broken collarbone. He has had two surgeries to date.

Indian-American Day Set for Nov 19

Italian Day 2022 Puts Focus on Unity

Unity.

That was a major theme expressed Wednesday at the annual Italian Night celebration.

Co-host Sean Battaglia, MaBSTOA 1 Division Chair, drew parallels between being in a union and growing up in a tight-knit Italian family in Brooklyn.

“We can argue with each other, we can even fight with each other, but when push comes to shove, all we have is each other,” Battaglia said. “We need to stand together as one, not only against the MTA but also against anyone who is threatening any of our livelihoods.”

At least 250 members and retirees turned out for the celebration, which featured Italian music and, of course, food. President Tony Utano, Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp, and Vice Presidents Rosconi, Gomez, Martin, Patafio , Yates and Kelley were at the dais. MOW Vice President John Chiarello was co-host.

 

Stroller Strife

MaBSTOA Vice President Yates raising concerns about the MTA's new open-stroller pilot program following a fight on a Bronx bus.

Flu Shots Available for Bus Operators

Chinese-American Day Brings Over 500 to Sunset Park

OCTOBER 21 -- More than 500 rank and file union members joined TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis to celebrate Chinese-American heritage at the Affable Eatery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. We were also joined by a great friend of transit workers, Assemblyman Peter Abbate, and his Chief of Staff, Iwen Chu. Many of our Chinese-American Brothers and Sisters work in Maintenance of Way, and MOW VP John Chiarello saluted them from the stage. RTO VP Canella Gomez also attended. The audience was also treated to some excellent singing and dancing entertainment, which you can see in these photos.

Breast Cancer Walk Draws Union Members to Bay Plaza Mall in the Bronx

OCTOBER 23 -- TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano, Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis, and Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp joined other officers and rank and file members at a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event at the Bay Plaza Mall. President Utano, speaking from personal experience -- his mother suffered through breast cancer -- said, "We've got to get involved, we've got to stop this disease." He also said that his four grandchildren -- all girls -- would be benefited from the fight to find a cure. He urged women to get tested for early detection of cancer.

Speaking to an audience that included other Making Strides sponsors, he said that during the pandemic, transit workers "had to make sure that the people who had to go to the doctor were able to go to the doctor -- and we put our lives on the line."

Giselle Martinez, the Union's Working Women's Committee and Family  Assistance Coordinator, was also present, along with Private Lines Vice President Pete Rosconi and Executive Board Member Vanessa Jones

Veteran's Day Dinner Set for November 9 -- Join Us at the Hall. Click on the image to download the flyer.

Stroller Wars

A bus rider in the Bronx nearly tripped over an open stroller on a bus, sparking a fight and the arrest of 3 passengers last week, VP Donnie Yates reports.

Open strollers are only allowed on a small number of buses and routes in an MTA pilot program that our bus reps objected to for safety reasons. Because of the pilot and publicity surrounding it, some riders now think open-strollers are permitted on any bus.

“I’m opposed to the stroller pilot because of the issues you are getting ready to see,” Yates said. “It’s not shocking to me because we told the MTA that you will have assaults on the buses as a result. We also mentioned that we didn’t think that customers would differentiate between the pilot buses and the rest of the routes.”

More information can be found in this article which ran in The City: https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/9/16/23355685/mta-baby-stroller-space-nyc-b...

In this image, a woman was arrested following a dispute on a bus involving a stroller.

Ryder the day after he fell

Sad Passing of Ryder

Statement from TWU Local 100 on the sad passing of Ryder, the carriage horse that collapsed in August.

We’re all saddened by Ryder’s death. His new owner, who was taking care of him in retirement and made the difficult decision to euthanize in consultation with a team of vets, indicated Ryder was believed to have had cancer. 

Ryder appeared in good health in April when he arrived in the city and passed a mandatory physical exam. He then lost weight rapidly during the late summer. He should have been sidelined then and checked by an equine veterinarian.

This was an isolated incident involving one driver and one horse out of 200. It absolutely is not representative of the entire horse-carriage industry or the high standards to which we are committed. 

Immediately after Ryder’s incident, carriage driver leaders began putting into place internal protocols, such as:

–      Forming a standing Safety Committee to ensure that horses developing any health issues are noticed as soon as possible, regardless of the actions or whereabouts of their particular owners. 

–      Bringing in a new veterinary practice, New England Equine, to visit the stables every two weeks to perform the city mandated physicals and conduct additional body-condition assessments, providing a new continuity of care and layer of scrutiny. 

–      Organizing the first of several planned horse-health clinics for drivers conducted by an equine veterinarian.

–      Electing a shop steward for each barn to provide a new structure and system of internal controls and oversight.

–      Unveiling the Big HEART platform - which envisions additional training, further common-sense regulations, and a stable in Central Park so the horses don’t have to commute on city streets.

We are doing all this in furtherance of our commitment to continue working in the best interests of our beloved horses and their welfare.

Click here to read the Big Heart platform

In Case You Missed It -- Local 100 Recaps September 2022

Union Celebrates Eastern European & Central Asian Day in Brighton Beach

Union members who hail from Eastern Europe and Central Asia enjoyed a festive day of dancing, food, and entertainment at Local 100's annual event at Tatiana's restaurant in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

Union leaders attending including President Utano, Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis, and Shirley Martin, VP of Car Equipment, where many members come from Russia, the Ukraine, and many republics of the former Soviet Union. Also on scene was MOW VP John V. Chiarello, TA Surface VP JP Patafio, and many Division officers. International President John Samuelsen spoke powerfully on the need to unify the union in preparation for a big contract fight come next year. Also speaking were politicians including Assemblyman Peter Abbate and City Councilman Ari Kagan.

These photos will give you an idea of the professional caliber of the entertainment. Photos can't do justice to the food, however.

Union Toy Drive on Through Friday, 11/25

Our Holiday Toy Drive is now in progress.

The Working Women's Committee will be collecting toys and unwrapped donations of clothing and arts and crafts materials for kids who are in need of holiday cheer and who are in shelters or other difficult circumstances.

Please look for donation boxes at your work location.

Hispanic Heritage Night Honors Carlos Bernabel with First Nelson Rivera Award

Gone but never forgotten.

OCTOBER 13 -- TWU Local 100 honored the late Nelson Rivera at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration Wednesday night with personal tributes to the labor “warrior” and a new award bearing his name.

The inaugural Nelson Rivera Award award went to Private Operations Division Chairman Carlos Bernabel.

“He too is a true warrior in every sense of the word,,” MTA Bus/PBL/School Bus Vice President Pete Rosconi said of Bernabel. “I have watched him demand Liberty Lines managers treat Local 100 members with respect and dignity, and demand that Westchester County government officials pony up when it came to wages and benefits. I can not think of anyone more deserving of this award.”

Rivera served three terms as CED Vice President before the Executive Board elevated him to Administrative VP in 2017. He died in 2020 after a valiant struggle with cancer.

Rivera’s tenacity and commitment to the membership is becoming legendary: his battles with management literally continued to the day he died. He was on the phone on his final day arguing with supervisors about their failures in providing masks during the pandemic, his widow, Catherine recalled.

“He loved the union and the members,” Catherine said. “They were everything to him.”

Rivera also organized and led several relief missions to Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria.

Local 100 President Tony Utano presented Catherine Rivera with an award posthumously honoring Rivera as a “Humanitarian, Leader, Ambassador, Warrior.”

MAC Nurses Unionize

The nurses are in the house. 

Staff nurses who work at the MTA’s Medical Assessment Centers have joined Transport Workers Union Local 100.  

Management granted voluntary recognition to the group after all members signed pledge cards, Local 100 Senior Director of Organizing Frank McCann said. 

“The nurses were united in wanting to join and they remain united,” McCann said. “We look forward to negotiating on their behalf.”

The nurses first expressed interest in unionizing to Member Services Director Chris Lightbourne. Lightbourne then connected the medical workers with the Local 100 Organizing team.

Staff Nurse Peter Fung said his colleagues need help addressing a range of problems, including inadequate staffing, irregular and last-minute job assignments, and insufficient compensation for additional duties.

“Overall, the group is feeling pretty positive,” Fung said. “We feel like we can ask for some changes and make some solid improvements.”