This is a select archive of necessary reports, documents, articles and documents for the members of TWU Local 100.

Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced the indictment of Erick Clements, 24, for the attempted assault of a subway token clerk by trying to light him and his booth on fire during an attempted robbery.  He was indicted on charges of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, Attempted Arson in the Second Degree and Attempted Robbery in the First Degree.

The New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) today [Jan. 30, 2009] designated a three-person public arbitration panel with power to determine terms and conditions of employment for New York City's 36,000 transit workers.

January 27, 2009
In the weeks ahead I expect that all outstanding contracts between the MTA and Local 100 will be resolved. I will continue to take responsibility to see our MTA contracts through and I will continue to serve as President of Local 100 through December 31st, 2009. In addition, in connection with my position with the International Union, I have been assigned by International President James Little as the International Officer responsible for Local 100. In this capacity I can be a resource for our local and its leaders. 

If you had paid your Union Dues in advance, from the period of check-off suspension, and had a balance remaining, then refund checks are being distributed on the following schedule.

The Express printed a special edition, including an interview with President Roger Toussaint, comments by Secretary Treasurer Ed Watt and information on Dues and automatic payments.

 

On December 13, over 2,500 members of TWU Local 100 converged on the Javits Center for our annual Mass Membership Meeting. The meeting heard reports on the work of the Union over the past year and the prospects for the year ahead. Click here for photo galleries of the meeting.

We strongly believe that the MTA must complete a reduction of the over 2,000 overlapping managerial positions, eliminate bureaucratic waste and streamline its organization before considering even a single service cut.

With a dramatic and historic increase in ridership, more service – not less – is needed on our subway and bus lines. Failure to maintain and reinvest in our transportation infrastructure now will result in huge costs to riders and all taxpayers down the road.

Before any fare increase, the Bloomberg administration must be required to fund its share of mass transit, and not abrogate responsibility while insisting on even more control. Now is not the time to relieve the City of the hundreds of millions in unpaid obligations it owes the MTA. It is not only bad policy, it also fuels fare increases now and in the future.

At midday on Monday, September 29, over 500 labor activists rallied at Exchange & Broad under the slogan NO FREE RIDE FOR WALL STREET!

As you know, the Hon. David A. Paterson is now Governor of the State of New York. Thousands of our members have had the good fortune to enjoy the then-Senator’s presence at our Lobby Days in Albany and at other events at our Union Hall. He is a good person, he is an upright person, he is an elected official who has never forgotten that his constituents are working people, and he is a knowledgeable advocate for mass transit. The regrettable circumstances notwithstanding, we sleep better knowing that he is in the Governor’s mansion.

Local 100 members should be clear that Mr. Paterson’s governorship is not going to mean a free ride for anyone. One factor in the Governor’s high public standing is his reputation for being open and aboveboard. What we get done in Albany will get done the old-fashioned way – through hard and steady lobbying of our legislators, combined with demonstrations of Local 100’s political muscle at election time.

The recent crisis in Albany highlights the importance of this year’s Lobby Day. It will be a wake up call to legislators, reminding them that real business awaits. The Assembly and the Senate can and must refocus on the legislation in committee. And we can and must be there to remind them that our legislation deserves priority handling.

How does a Union that has been deprived of dues check-off take hundreds of members to Albany to show that we mean business? Few or no dues dollars go to Lobby Day; dues money is reserved for direct services for members and for negotiating our next contract. The cost of Lobby Day is borne first and foremost by the members who use their own time to participate; it is borne secondly by our Political Action Committee, using COPE funds. While dues check off has been denied to us, COPE continues to go strong.

This is not to say it couldn’t go stronger. Every time another member signs up for COPE, it makes a difference. Contributing to COPE is one of the best investments public employees can make in their future. If you are not yet signed up with COPE, do it now. What transpires politically this year and the next on the national, state and local levels is going to determine our possibilities for years to come.

The crunch begins
On March 24, the MTA rescinded plans to improve bus and subway service. The plan was announced just three weeks earlier. What happened?

Faced with the deepening crisis on Wall Street, the MTA is revising its financial estimates downward. The problem is not at the fare box, but rather with the dedicated revenue streams that supplement the fare box.

One of these is a surcharge on the mortgage recording tax. With real estate values declining, and the mortgage market freezing up, this mass transit-dedicated revenue stream is facing a double hit.

Another important transit revenue stream is a wholesale petroleum tax. With petroleum prices over $100 a barrel, this stream should have become a torrent – except that years ago it was capped. As a result, these revenues have not increased with the recent rise on petroleum prices.

Local 100 has long called for uncapping the petroleum tax and adding new revenue streams. To ensure the financial health of our mass transit system, action on this is needed now.

from the March 2008 edition of the Local 100 Express