TWU Local 100 | New York's Public Transit Union

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Anger and Diappointment in Brooklyn as Convicted Assailant Refuses Court Appearance

OCTOBER 22—A man who pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of NYCT Train Operator Myran Pollack, accepting a 15-year prison term in August, refused to enter the courtroom Wednesday to be formally sentenced and face the man he brutally stabbed 13 times.

Just over a year ago, on October 8, Jonathan Davalos was on a 4 train sitting at the end of the line on Utica Ave. when Pollack asked him to step off the car. Davalos responded by stabbing Pollack repeatedly, and giving chase to continue stabbing him.

“I was looking forward to seeing him, because the last time I saw him, he was above me with a knife. I wanted to let him know exactly how much pain I’m going through," Pollack told reporters after the aborted court appearance.

CED Mourns CTA Jonelle Lopez, 39

OCTOBER 22—Co-workers at the Pelham Bay terminal are fondly remembering a joyful co-worker who died at the young age of 39.

Jonelle Lopez's cause of death was an enlarged heart, also known as cardiomegaly, said CED Division Chair Robert Ruiz. Lopez passed away at home on October 14.

Lopez’s mother, Luz Yvette, said her son was proud and happy to be an employee of the MTA. A devoted father, Jonelle worked hard to build a better life for his children, Alyson, 15, and Alekzander, 10. She added that every day, he came home with stories from work—about his coworkers, customers, and the day's adventures—always finding humor in everything.

“That was Jonelle: a true jokester with a big heart and a bright spirit,” said the grieving mother.

Fellow union members may pay their respects at a funeral service to be held on Monday, October 27th, at the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home at 22 First Avenue in Manhattan from 4PM to 8PM.

Happy Diwali — Festival of Lights

OCTOBER 22—TWU Local 100 acknowledges the Festival of Lights — Diwali — and all our members who celebrate. As the observance continues, we honor the workers who help move New York City every day, bringing light, strength, and dedication to our great city.

Early Voting Starts October 25th

OCTOBER 21—Early voting starts in New York this weekend, on Saturday, October 25th, and lasts through Sunday, November 2. As always, Election Day is on November 4.

You can find your early voting location here. And remember—the ballot also includes, on the flip side, six ballot proposals:

1. Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex In Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land
This proposal would allow the expansion of new ski trails in the Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County, New York. The Olympic Sport Complex is in state forest preserve land. This proposal would also require New York State to add 2,500 acres of protected forest land to Adirondack Park.

2. Fast Track Affordable Housing to Build More Affordable Housing Across the City
This proposal would make two new processes to fast-track certain affordable housing projects. The first process is for publicly financed affordable housing projects. The second process is for affordable housing projects in the 12 community districts with the lowest rates of affordable housing development.

3. Simplify Review of Modest Housing and Infrastructure Projects
This proposal would create a faster review process for certain land use projects, such as smaller projects to change how land is used and to prepare the city for extreme weather or other future challenges. For most of these projects, the proposed process would remove final review by the City Council.

VP Danny D'Amato Honored at Italian-American Celebration

OCTOBER 20—TWU Local 100 celebrated Italian-American heritage in Coney Island on Friday, and honored one officer for the 20 years of service he has devoted to the organization: Danny D'Amato, Vice President of the MTA Bus/PrivateLines/School Bus Department and a member of the TWU International Executive Board.

The annual event took place at Gargiulo's, which opened in 1904—only a few years before the first subway rolled out of City Hall. Opening the festive evening, MaBSTOA Division Chair Sean Battaglia said that “when you combine Italian culture with union culture, it’s an unstoppable force.” And that force, he said, is because of Local 100's diversity – “every culture, every race and every gender. That tells you what this union is all about.”

Every year, an outstanding union member is honored at the event. The award plaque, presented to D'Amato by President John V. Chiarello, read: “With gratitude for your dedicated service and proud celebration of Italian heritage, your loyalty and leadership have strengthened our Union and inspired generations.”

2026 Open Enrollment Begins Today

OCTOBER 15—Open Enrollment begins for NYCT and MTA Bus Active Employees today at: www.mymta.info/openenrollment.

-If you are not making any changes to your plan, no action needs to be taken unless you become eligible for Medicare in 2026

-If you are opting out of medical coverage, you may do so from Oct. 15-Nov. 15

-If you wish to participate in the Flexible Spending Account Plan in 2026 you must re-enroll even if you took part last year. Registration for FSAs begins Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15

-Open Enrollment for Retirees begins Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 30

-If you have questions or experience any issues, contact: BSC Customer Management Center at 646-376-0123, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM or via email at bscservice@mtabsc.org.

Structure Division Mourns Darrell D. Gresham, 58

OCTOBER 14—Darrell D. Gresham, a Structure Maintainer B (Mason) with only five months on the job, died of natural causes at home on October 6th, reported Division Vice Chair Billy Taaffe. Brother Gresham worked out of the 14th Street shop assigned to ICC Capital Construction.

Brother Gresham came to transit late in life, after working in the construction trades for most of his life. Nina Davis, who had two children with Brother Gresham, says she has many family members who work for New York City Transit and that she pushed hard for him to join the transit workforce.

One of their children, Gresham’s daughter Dominique, who is a 911 Police Communications Technician, said her father was very excited to work for transit, and that he was especially impressed with the 14th Street location. “He would say he worked underground, and he kept on talking about how big [the facility] was and how excited he was about working there.”

Ms. Davis said that their other child, Darrell Jr., was murdered at the age of 18 in 2009, and that his father will join him in interment at the Pinelawn Memorial Park cemetery in Farmingdale. Besides Dominique, Brother Gresham is survived by three other children—Dartay, 35; Taquan, 33 and Sheilaya, 23.

A viewing will take place for Brother Gresham at the Lawrence H. Woodward Funeral Home, located at 1 Troy Avenue in Brooklyn on Friday, October 17th at 2 PM. A funeral service will be held at the same location on Saturday, October 18th, 9:30 AM.

Conductor Alerts Police, Who Make Gun Arrest on Transit Property

OCTOBER 14—Conductor Abdul Adetunji, heading home Saturday after a visit at MAC 3 for a random test, saw an encounter between three men on the A train that had the potential to escalate into a violent situation.

"I'm actually trying to doze off a little bit," said Adetunji, after noticing two young men on the train who were rolling weed, but not bothering anyone. "Then I saw another gentleman who gets on the train, wearing a ski mask and gloves. The first two start throwing gang signs at the third man, who starts throwing gang signs back. Then one of the men who was already on the train lifts up his waistband to show a firearm."

In full MTA uniform, Adetunji maintained a low profile on the southbound A Train and kept his eyes on the men as the train rolled to 59th Street, where one man—though not the one with the gun—exited.

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