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Why We're Supporting the Sept. 21 People's Climate March on the United Nations

Mass transit systems  in coastal areas will be hard-hit by global warming as sea levels rise and extreme weather increases. In this video, TWU Local 100 Conductor Roxanne Coombs says why she'll be at the People's Climate March on September 21, which takes place just two days before world leaders are scheduled to meet at the United Nations for another attempt to agree on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Governments aren't doing enough. It's time for people power and Union power to force them to act. For more information, and to join our climate change group, text CLIMATE to 313131. For information about the march, go to the People's Climate March site. Read the union's page on global warming here.

Veterans Committee members toured Ground Zero and remembered the sacrifices made on that day.

NY Conference Putting TWU in Vanguard for Veterans

TWU members who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces came to the TWU Local 100 Union Hall from all over the United States this week in a historic conference to promote and expand Veterans’ benefits state by state and nationally. At the initiative of the TWU International,  the Airline Transport Division’s Veterans Committee has  joined forces with TWU Local 100’s own Veterans to create a national  TWU Veterans Committee which includes all of our industrial sectors.

The Conference was opened by TWU Local 100 President and TWU International Executive VP John Samuelsen, who welcomed participants from across the country to New York and pledged his and the union leadership’s full support for the Conference’s agenda. “The TWU of America is committed to putting new resources into the political arena for our Veterans,” he said. “It’s time to bring increased national attention to bringing more benefits to the men and women who have served our country.”

Local 100 Joins Family of Slain Bus Operator William Peña in Speaking Up for Justice

JULY 14 -- Defense Motion Rejected: In NYS Supreme Court today, Justice Gregory Carro rejected arguments put forward by Harvey Slovis, attorney for Dominic Whilby who is being tried for the murder of Bus Operator William Pena. Slovis wanted the Judge to throw out the top two counts, for Murder in the Second Degree, claiming that Whilby was too drunk to understand what he was doing. Reading a two-page decision, Carro made it clear that the Grand Jury’s indictments were well-founded because Whilby had made many rational decisions even while drunk. He ultimately drove a stolen bakery truck into Pena’s M14 crosstown bus, killing the Operator.

Samuelsen Testifies at DOT Hearing: TWU Setting Benchmarks in Preventing Transit Worker Assaults

JULY 11 -- TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen brought the union's wealth of experience in combating transit assaults to Washington when he participated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's transit assault prevention summit at DOT headquarters today. Samuelsen -- also representing the TWU of America as International Executive Vice President -- told DOT officials including Deputy Administrator Therese McMillan about the dangers transit  workers face day in and day out as they fulfill their mission of transporting millions who depend on a safe ride on public transit buses and trains. "For many transit workers in America, going to work every day means putting themselves in harm's way," he said. "Transit workers who deal regularly with the public often have no guarantee of their physical safety on the job. They are the face of the system. If a rider is frustrated because their bus is late, they take it out on the driver."