Utano Lambastes GCS for Coronavirus “Policy”

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 -- TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano lashed out at MTA contractor, Global Contact Services(GCS), for threatening to fire workers who can’t come to work if they have the coronavirus or are quarantined because they might have the illness. In a Thursday interview with 1010 WINS news radio, Utano vowed that Local 100 would seek legal action against the company should it terminate any worker because of a coronavirus illness.  He also said the union would demand that the MTA terminate the GCS’ contract for its actions.

“The company’s policy is an absolute disgrace, especially considering the extraordinary steps the City and State are taking to contain the spread of COVID-19,” Utano said in an earlier press release.  “Under this idiotic and dangerous policy, sick workers will come to work to try to save their jobs, and possibly infect co-workers.” The company’s sick leave policy grants up to 5 sick days per calendar year; workers who take more than 5 days face termination.  A GCS lawyer told the union on Wednesday that the company policy remained in place – despite the coronavirus crisis in which people are quarantined for weeks at a time and those who are ill need more than 5 days to recover.

Because of Local 100’s criticism and public attacks, GCS issued a more empathetic memo telling workers not to worry about termination if they are symptomatic or test positive for the virus.  The memo, however, falls short of a guarantee and Local 100 continues to press them on this issue.