TWU Wants Tax Deduction for All Workers

JULY 24 -- Millions of hourly workers are ineligible for the new overtime tax deduction – a serious flaw Congress needs to fix. That’s the message the Transport Workers Union of America is sending to Congressional leaders, urging them to draft corrective legislation so all hourly workers can take advantage of the benefit: up to $6,000 in savings per year.

“Providing tax relief to blue-collar workers is a great idea,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “They deserve it much more than greedy corporate giants and hedge-fund vultures who never get their hands dirty or have to lift anything heavier than a cocktail. All blue-collar workers, however, must be deemed eligible.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) revised the tax code, allowing most hourly workers to deduct up to $25,000 in overtime pay from their yearly income for tax purposes. Congress passed the bill on July 3. However, the revision relies on an outdated definition of overtime dating back to a law enacted in 1938. As a result, an estimated 3 million workers were unintentionally excluded. They include workers employed by airlines, railroads, school bus companies, and motor coach carriers.

Twenty unions and affiliates signed a TWU-drafted letter sent on July 21 to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “This is just the beginning of our efforts,” Samuelsen said. “We will be leading the charge on this until all our members get what they deserve.”

V & D Section Mourns Dennis Serebrenik, 50

JULY 23 – Maintenance of Way members in the Ventilation and Drainage section are mourning the death of V&D Maintainer Dennis Serebrenik, who perished in an automobile accident yesterday, July 22, while in his native Russia. Brother Serebrenik had seven years with New York City Transit. He worked at the Broadway Lafayette shop.

V&D Section Chair Alfonso Simmons said: “Dennis wasn’t just a coworker. He was the kind of person who made the workplace feel like a second home. His warmth, his humor, and the way he treated everyone with kindness and respect made a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him. He had a way of lifting people up without even trying, simply by being himself-- genuine, humble, and full of heart.”

Update on Management-created Workers Compensation Catastrophe

JULY 19—President Chiarello blasted MTA Chairman Janno Lieber again on Saturday in continued correspondence over the gross mismanagement of worker’s compensation and differential payments that could result in 2,500 of our members not receiving that money on time thanks to Sedgwick, a third-party administrator chosen by the MTA this spring.

“[We] demand that you – the leader of the organization – stand up and take responsibility for the inept handling of this entire situation,” wrote President Chiarello.