$102,500 in Scholarships is Awarded at the Union Hall; First Goble Scholarship Winner Announced

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photo: Members of Garrett Goble's family stand with the first recipient of the Garrett Goble Scholarship, Jake Burns and his father, Train Operator George Burns.

AUGUST 2 -- Fifty-Eight lucky scholarship winners, with parents and other family members, thronged the Union Hall today to pick up scholarship award envelopes worth $102,500. The annual scholarship program is endowed by M3 Technology, which provides life insurance and disability benefits to Union members on a voluntary basis.

The scholarship program has grown each year in increments of $25,000, with two winners receiving $10,000 each, six getting $5,000, and Fifty getting $1,000 each. Scholarship winners are predominantly college-bound children of Local 100 members, but can also be spouses of members or children or grandchildren of retirees.

For the first time, a scholarship named after fallen Train Operator Garrett Goble in the amount of $2,500 was also awarded this year. The winner, Jake Burns, a Yale-bound High Schooler, is the son of Train Operator George Burns. His name was selected in a blind drawing by Garrett Goble's son, Noah, earlier this year.

President Tony Utano, speaking at today's event, said that the Union is looking to raise the amount of the awards given each year in order to make a meaningful contribution to the high cost of attending college. The scholarship program is coordinated by Assistant to the President Shannon Poland.

See the highlights of the awards here.

CED Mourns Prince, Car Inspector, 32

Car Equipment Department is grieving an unexpected and tragic loss of a TWU Brother Car Inspector, Bhagwant Scrichawla (Prince) who worked in the truck shop of the 207 Overhaul Shop. According to police, Prince's life tragically ended early Wednesday (7/28/2021) morning when he lost control of his car on the Long Island Expressway in Queens and struck a tree at about 4:30 am.

At the time of the accident, Prince was on his way to work, where he was highly respected and had earned for himself a solid reputation as a giving soul during his seven years of service.

Rob Ruiz, who is TWU Chairman of the 207th Street Overhaul Shop described Prince as someone who always came to work, was respectful and was always ready to help others without looking for anything in return.

Prince was only 32 years old and leaves behind a 3 year old son, loving girlfriend, parents and siblings. His funeral took place on Friday, July 30th, in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, and many friends, co-workers, and family were there. CED VP Shirley Martin and all the officers of the Department share their deepest condolences.

 

Get Vaccinated Now -- the Delta Variant is Spreading

Last week the Director of the CDC made it plain – 97% of new COVID-19 hospitalizations are people who are unvaccinated, making COVID-19 a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

The Delta Variant is spreading and the Union recommends that everyone get vaccinated right away.

More than 65% of eligible adults in the U.S. now vaccinated -- but only 47% of our MTA Brothers and Sisters are vaccinated. More needs to be done so that we can protect ourselves and our families.

These are facts:

Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Vaccines reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Vaccines are also effective against COVID-causing variants, which are spreading across the U.S.
 
Vaccines are free and easy to get these locations

MTA vaccination site at 130 Livingston St, Brooklyn (Wednesday and Thursday for employees and eligible family members)


Pop-up sites at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal (daily)
New York; https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/
New Jersey: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/vaccine
Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal
In your community or county – visit Vaccines.gov to find a nearby site.

You can also reach out Transit at teamvaccine@mtahq.org and they will put you in touch with an expert who can answer your questions. Here are some additional resources.

CDC Vaccine FAQs

NYS Dept of Health

NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene

MTA Employee Resource Center

 
Get vaccinated. The life you save could be your own or that of a family member. It's not only about fatalities. COVID-19 can produce long-lasting adverse effects after you recover from an infection.

6 Local 100 Winners in 2021 Michael J. Quill Scholarships

The TWU International has announced the winners of the 2021 Michael J. Quill Scholarships. Awardees come from many TWU Locals. TWU Local 100, the largest Local Union, has six winners. You can see the list here.

MTA Members: Where to Get Your Free Vaccine Shot

COVID-19 Vaccines are given to MTA employees on Wednesdays and Thursdays (9am to 5pm) at 130 Livingston Street in downtown Brooklyn.  The site is located on the 1st floor in the training center. If you haven't been vaccinated, now's the time since the more contagious delta variant is creating an uptick in infections.

NYS Essential Workers — $25 Million Available for Child Care Scholarships

Starting June 23, 2021, New York State Essential Workers will be eligable for $25 Million — available for Child Care Scholarships 

Eligibility
All essential workers:
health care providers, law enforcement, pharmaceutical staff, firefighters, transportation workers, food delivery workers, grocery store employees, child care staff and others are eligible. (No. 202.6)
• Essential staff must work outside the home and have an income of less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level (or $79,500 for a family of four)
More information

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Attention Cleaners, Checkers, TPPA's -- Apprenticeships Taking Applications

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Our Upward Advancement Program in construction and the electrical trades is a career pathway. It provides a career track for men and women to complete a fully accredited trade school for five days a week for six months, at your full 40-hour pay rate. Only open to Traffic Checkers, Cleaners, and TPPA's. Click on the flyer above for more info. Upon successfully completing the six month program, you will enter a three-year apprenticeship program with Maintenance of Way. Interested? Visit our website at www.twulocal100tuf.org to apply.

Transit Workers Honored at the NYC Hometown Heroes Parade

How many times does a rider say thank you?

When are you celebrated at work?

The answer is rarely and never. 

 

But thousands of New Yorkers lined Broadway to cheer and thank essential workers Wednesday - and they showed a lot of love and appreciation for transit workers and our union. 

 

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TWU Local 100 Demands Hazard Pay at Hometown Heroes Parade

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JULY 8 -- Transit workers were cheered for their pandemic service by many thousands of New Yorkers that lined Broadway for the Hometown Heroes Ticker Tape Parade Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

More than 60 TWU Local 100 members marched or rode floats from Battery Park to City Hall.

“Thank you transit workers!” parade onlookers shouted as confetti swirled through the air.

 

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In case you missed it — 2021 Scholarship drawings. Watch Now!

M3 Technologies Scholarship drawing:

RGLZ Scholarship drawing:

Son of hero Train Operator Garrett Goble picks the winner for the scholarship award made in his honor

Garrett Goble’s eldest son, Noah, helped pick the winner of the first annual TWU Local 100 scholarship honoring the slain Train Operator.

Noah Goble, 11, randomly picked a ticket for the Garrett Goble Memorial Scholarship from the lottery barrel at a public drawing held Monday at the Union Hall. 

Attendees, including Garrett’s mother, Vicki, and wife, Delilah, erupted in applause when Scholarship Coordinator Shannon Poland announced the winner, Jake Burns, also is the son of a Train Operator: George Burns.

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Welcome Back! Union Hosts Picnic for Quality Bus Members

Local 100 President Tony Utano, Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips, Vice Presidents Pete Rosconi and John Chiarello, MTA Bus Division Chair Danny D'Amato and Vice Chair Mike Capocci, joined school bus members from Quality Transportation in Brooklyn for the annual end-of-the-school-year picnic on June 25, 2021. Last year's event had to be cancelled due to Covid. President Utano said that he was "thrilled to see everyone having a good time. It's been a long time since we have been able to relax and enjoy one another's company as brothers and sisters of our wonderful union."

$2,500 Scholarship Established in Memory of Garrett Goble

As part of this year's scholarship drawings, the union will be presenting the first  annual scholarship in memory of Train Operator Garrett Goble, who was murdered in an intentionally set fire on his train on March 27, 2020.

The initial scholarship is in the amount of $2,500.  

Local 100 President Tony Utano said the annual award will serve as a permanent reminder of the incredible dangers transit workers face each day on the job.

Opposition Growing to MTA Plan to End Cash Transactions at Booths

Opposition is growing to the MTA’s callous and insulting decision not to resume cash trash actions at subway booths.

Sen. Julia Salazar, Councilman Justin Brannan, the Riders Alliance, and others, have joined Transport Workers Union Local 100 in demanding NYC Transit President Sarah Feinstein reverse direction and enable riders to make cash transactions at the booths.

The MTA has resumed cash transactions for its suburban commuter train riders using the LIRR and Metro-North roads.

“Are they better than subway riders? Are they more deserving of this level of customer service? It’s an insulting outrage,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said.

TWU Stations Vice President Robert Kelley is bashing the MTA in TV and radio and print interviews.

President Utano Hails Adams Victory as First Choice Ballots are Counted

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JUNE 23 — TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano hailed the victory of Eric Adams as the first choice among New Yorkers to become the next Mayor as “a great day for transit workers and a first huge step to gaining a leader at City Hall who truly understands the needs and values of blue-collar workers in this City.”

Local 100 was instrumental in defining subway crime as a major issue in the Mayoral campaign. Transit workers supported Adams at rallies and press conferences as that issue surged in the opinion polls.

President Utano said: “We in TWU wholeheartedly supported Eric Adams because he was the only candidate who saw what we saw; that the growing problems of assaults against the transit workforce, and the tragic issues of homelessness and the mentally ill living in the subway system have to be addressed as a top priority of the next mayor if we expect New York to return to normalcy after this pandemic.”

“Eric Adams is the right man for our City at the right time. No one else even comes close. If he continues to maintain his lead, we know that he will bring New York back to greatness. We will continue to provide our support in every way possible as he moves forward to the November election.”

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