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Membership Meeting Brings over 2,500 to Javits Center; Chiarello Sets Tone for Contract Fight

JANUARY 26—More than 2,500 union members braved bitter cold temperatures on Saturday and packed the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan for the 2026 TWU Local 100 Mass Membership Meeting.

The event was our first mass meeting since 2023, and the first with John V. Chiarello at the helm as Local 100 President. Members filled the seats and lined the room to hear President Chiarello issue a resounding call for action in the run-up to the union’s 2026 contract fight. The central theme of this year’s meeting, “Our Fight, Our Contract, Our Future, Our Union”, formed the foundation of Chiarello’s fiery keynote address, which closed out the meeting.

To boos, he said the MTA had budgeted two percent for the 2026 contract. “Two percent raises. That’s not an offer — that’s an insult!”

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Bus Operator Christopher Accettulli
Bus Operator Christopher Accettulli

Baby's Fine After Bus Op Helps Mother Deliver on B37

JANUARY 26—Bus Operator Chris Accettulli, who works out of Jackie Gleason Depot in Brooklyn, followed a 911 operator's instructions to help a mother give birth on his B37 bus, multiple news outlets reported on Friday.

As he was driving on 3rd Ave. near 20th St. in Gowanus at about 10:00 a.m., Accettulli said he heard a woman in the middle of the bus of the say the word "hospital".

"I looked up and I saw ladies standing up in the back of the bus," the Operator told 1010WINS.

He pulled into the next stop and two passengers on the bus exited, one telling the Operator they thought a woman was giving birth.  Then he saw that woman, very pregnant, coming to the front of the bus, and kneeling down. Accettulli called supervision and then spoke to a 911 Operator.

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Contract Negotiations Begin at Liberty Lines Ahead of March 1 Deadline

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JANUARY 23—Thursday marked the start of contract negotiations for the members at Liberty Lines Transit. 

The TWU Local 100 bargaining team, led by President John Chiarello, also included Treasurer Carlos Bernabel, a 27-year veteran of Liberty, PBL VP Danny D’Amato, Division Chair Tom Monaco and union staff. The union delegation met with company officials in Armonk, NY to exchange proposals for a contract that would take effect March 1st. 

”We completed our first round of contract negotiations today. It was a productive discussion, and we clearly presented the membership’s priorities. We’ll share updates as talks continue,” said D’Amato.

Local 100 represents nearly 700 transportation and maintenance employees at Liberty, which operates the Bee-Line bus system in Westchester County. ”People sometimes forget that we represent members outside of the MTA. In fact, Local 100 has members at approximately 20 other companies across the region,” said President Chiarello. 

“As President, I am here to support every member on every property and that includes our brothers and sisters here at Liberty”.

Quill Scholarships Now Accepting Applications

The International Union's annual Michael J. Quill Scholarship Program is now open for applications. It will award $4,800 to 15 college-bound dependents of TWU members. You can read the memo announcing the program here.

The deadline to apply is April 27th and all applications must be mailed in. Here's a link to the application itself.

 

TWU Walks Picket Line With NY Nurses

JANUARY 16—On both Thursday and Friday, Local 100 President John V. Chiarello and other top officers joined strikes held by 15,000 members of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) against major NYC hospitals over issues of workplace safety, adequate levels of staffing and healthcare for the nurses.

The Greater New York Hospital Association – the trade group for the private hospitals – has already spent $100 million on replacement workers, GNYHA head Kevin Raske said.

To cheers from the nurses, President Chiarello and about three dozen TWU members and officers visited a crowd of over 200 nurses on Thursday, showing that our 44,000 members have their backs in the strike. 

“We know about strikes. We went out in 2005 for three days. And we’re proud of every one of you because you’ve been out for four days,” said Chiarello Thursday outside of NewYork-Presbyterian's Allen Pavilion on Broadway in upper Manhattan.

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Conductor Peppered with Rubber Bullets on 6 Train

JANUARY 13—A 6 train conductor was left shaken up and disturbed after he was ambushed by a passenger and shot in the face with rubber bullets on Monday.

Conductor Isiah Steele, 37, had just started his run on the 6 Train about 4:00 AM at the first stop, Pelham Bay Park, when his attention was directed to the man who would later take aim and shoot him with a BB gun. Customers were already waiting as Steele boarded the train. As he entered, another rider motioned in the direction of a young man with a pony tail, who wore a two-tone red and black jacket.

“Someone told me he had something,” said Steele, “But that maybe it wasn’t a real gun."

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Union leaders converged on Quill Depot to enforce safety concerns. President Chiarello is at top, left.
Union leaders converged on Quill Depot to enforce safety concerns. President Chiarello is at top, left.

Management Blinks as Unions, Led by Local 100, Enforce Safety at Quill Depot

JANUARY 8—A coalition of unions led by TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello confronted New York City Transit management this morning at Michael J. Quill Bus Depot, addressing in person the safety concerns about falling concrete and possible structural damage to the facility that he had previously asked about.

Chiarello had requested the structural integrity report on the depot last week, but the union was not given a copy until after today's action. He was joined at the depot, named for TWU's founder, by leadership from Amalgamated Transit Union Locals 726 and 1181 as well as TWU Local 106 and United Transit Leadership Organization, both of whom represent supervisors.

At issue are longstanding concerns about evident damage to structural components in the massive three-story building in Hell's Kitchen, which stores around 350 buses and services a dozen major bus routes. Local 100's safety team previously documented mesh suspended from ceilings to protect workers and vehicles from falling debris and deteriorating concrete, while expansion joints on the floor of the depot, built to relieve the pressure caused by the weight of the buses, are in need of reinforcement.

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A New Year's Message from the President

I want to wish the members of Local 100 a very Happy New Year.

You successfully transported more than a billion riders in 2025, from New Yorkers on the subways and buses to residents of Westchester on the private lines, children going to and from school in Connecticut to tourists in Central Park horse carriages and tour buses in San Francisco.

Last year saw public transit in New York bouncing back even more from the pandemic that began six years ago, with post-pandemic ridership on subways reaching new heights again and again, and that’s thanks to your hard work and dedication.

There were many accomplishments to be celebrated, from acts of bravery and extraordinary service by individual members to our collective work to move New York and beyond—you have shown up every single day, including holidays, to get people where they need to go safely and reliably, and you should take great pride in that.

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