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(l-r): Kristina Ching, Shallena Jabid, and Rita Simon
(l-r): Kristina Ching, Shallena Jabid, and Rita Simon

Bringing Holiday Cheer, Museum Workers Want Some for Themselves

NOVEMBER 14—The Grand Central New York Transit Museum looked a little more festive than usual when it opened Thursday morning. A mammoth train set dominated the space, with cars looping through models of tunnels from miniature snowy mountains to elevated tracks that led to a scale model of Grand Central Station itself.

Greeting customers were some of Local 100’s newest union members—MTA Sales Leads and Sales Associates who staff the museum’s three locations (2 Broadway, Grand Central, and Livingston Street in Brooklyn).

Kristina Ching, a four-year employee at the museum, is the Shop Steward for the Grand Central store. She’s one of about 35 members across the three locations who signed with TWU Local 100 in April to obtain better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Also representing workers in the shop is Shallena Jabid, with 26 years on the job. Both Ching and Jabid are on the bargaining committee, which just met with management at the table for the third time.

“I like working with people,” said Jabid. “So many come here just for information, every day—nothing to do with the museum—and we can help them.”

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Health Committee Kills Horse Ban Hearing

NOVEMBER 14—With dozens of TWU Local 100 Horse Carriage Drivers and a large turnout from New York City Transit in attendance, the City Council’s Health Committee voted not to hold a hearing on the future of the horse carriage industry in New York.

Council Member Robert Holden, who is finishing up his final term in office, tried to force a hearing on Ryder's Law on his way out of the Council, but the four of the Council Members present—James Gennaro, Carmen de la Rosa, Justin Brannan and Oswald Feliz—voted not to convene a hearing, which concluded the matter.

One Council member voted yes and two others abstained. Without a new hearing, efforts to ban the industry are off the table for the rest of the year.

The contentious issue has been the subject of much press attention and political posturing for years, with major opposition to the horse carriage industry in Central Park coming from the animal rights group NYCLASS, which was founded by real estate mogul Steve Nislick. TWU Local 100 represents 170 Horse Carriage Drivers who want to continue the 166-year old tradition of treating tourists to stately carriage rides around the park, working with horses and supporting their families. 

The animals are well-treated, as testified to by multiple veterinarians, and benefit from city regulations which insure their comfort and health.

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President Chiarello Presents Check to Recipient of Nelson Rivera Scholarship Award at SOMOS

NOVEMBER 8—While in Puerto Rico for the SOMOS conference, President John V. Chiarello on Friday presented a young doctorate student with the Nelson Rivera Scholarship Award in the amount of $5,000.

The student, Kenneth Pol-Rodriguez, attends Nova Southeastern University as a first-year graduate student after receiving his undergraduate degree in Medical Microbiology from University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, where he maintained a 3.49 grade point average and was on the Dean’s List for all four years. He is expected to graduate as a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2029.

Carmen Flores, who is on the SOMOS Board of Directors, described Pol-Rodriguez’s activism, pointing out that the student had recently gone to Congress to advocate for college students to receive SNAP benefits so they could get proper nutrition while studying to become the next wave of leaders.

President Chiarello described Nelson Rivera’s contributions to not only Local 100 but also Puerto Rico, noting that Rivera was battling cancer as he devoted himself to helping the island’s people after the devastation of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm.

“When you say his legacy lives on, that’s the important part. Because now a young man is going to receive a check, and it’s not about the money, it’s about giving forward,” said President Chiarello. ”Maybe this young gentleman will be a senator, maybe he’ll cure cancer. Whatever he does, it’ll be in memory of someone who’s very near and dear to this union, and I want to carry that forward.”

“There’s no doubt about this, this guy was a fighter, but when you would talk to him on the side he was a gentleman, a scholar, and he fought like hell and I want that to live on,” President Chiarello said about Rivera, before shaking Pol-Rodriguez’s hand and wishing him well.

Local 100 Gives Back to Puerto Rico

NOVEMBER 7—While TWU leaders attend the essential SOMOS conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico to to get facetime with lawmakers, they also participated in a day of community service.

Local 100 members gathered Friday to volunteer for Pinones Aprende y Emprende (PAYE), a non-profit that provides tutoring, workshops, and support to the children, youth, and community of Pinones in the Puerto Rican municipality of Loiza. The group was organized to provide services after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria and continues with a mission of enhancing education.

Members helped paint a school, and PAC Director Sharase DeBouse donated some funding to PAYE in memory of former Administrative VP Nelson Rivera, who passed away in 2020 after having led three trips to the island to help victims of the hurricane. 

 

Alex Ramos, middle left, with veteran advocates at the workforce seminar
Alex Ramos, middle left, with veteran advocates at the workforce seminar

Local 100 member and Marine Alex Ramos Speaks at Webinar about Veterans in Transportation

NOVEMBER 7—Recording Secretary of Line Equipment Section, TUF Outreach Coordinator and Marine Alex Ramos spoke in a webinar Thursday to a national audience of transit agencies along with three other U.S. military service members.

The discussion focused on opportunities for veterans in the public transportation workforce. The event, sponsored by the Transit Workforce Center, shared resources to encourage veterans to join transit agencies. Ramos says that military veterans are particularly suited to transit jobs because of their self-discipline, work ethic, and ability to follow directions. 

“It took me six to eight months to transition to civilian life. In the Marine Corps we carry a high standard. The skills that I managed from the service to my job now include time management. Every job here is crucial. I’ve been here 22 years, and I’ve never been late. And when the task changes, it’s not an issue for me.

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TWU members and TSS to the rescue. Kathy Ann Caesar is at the top.
TWU members and TSS to the rescue. Kathy Ann Caesar is at the top.

TWU Teamwork Saves Man and Dog Who Fell Onto Tracks

OCTOBER 31—October 4 was a ruff night for first-year Conductor Kathy Ann Caesar when she pulled into the 14th Street/Union Square station on the N train around 10:30 PM and heard a clamor of passengers alerting her that a man had fallen onto the southbound tracks. She called control to stop train traffic in the other direction and then saw another shocking sight—a dog running on the tracks, heading north.

The man who had fallen was lifted onto the platform and into a stretcher, Caesar said, but the dog, who was with the man, kept running into the tunnel. Caesar followed, her N train also heading north.

“By the time I got to 34th Street, the dog was at 34th Street. Passengers told me, ‘there’s a dog on the tracks!’ I thought, ‘my God, the dog again? I called control again, and they asked me if I could see the dog, and if there was someone who could grab him. But no – the dog just kept on running northbound.”

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TA Surface Mourns Former Vice Chair Lennox Ali, 75

OCTOBER 30—Lennox Ali, formerly Shop Steward for TA members at the Zerega Maintenance Facility, passed away on October 22, said TA Surface Vice President Gary Rosario. Brother Ali, a Bus Maintainer by trade, retired in 2017. He had 27 years with New York City Transit.

A viewing will be held on Friday, October 31 from 11AM to 2PM at Benta's Funeral Home at 630 St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan. 

Early Voting is Underway: Endorsements from TWU Local 100

OCTOBER 27—While TWU Local 100 is not endorsing a candidate for mayor of New York, there are many candidates down the ballot who have the interests of labor in mind and have had Local 100’s back when it counts. We are proud to make the following recommendations on candidates and ballot proposals:

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