TWU Local 100 Endorses Eric Adams for Mayor of New York City

APRIL 29 -- TWU Local 100 overwhelmingly and enthusiastically endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for mayor today.

The Local 100 Executive Board voted overwhelmingly after hearing from eight leading candidates at the Union Hall in Brooklyn.

“Our members and officers have known Eric for a long time,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “He’s stood with us in many battles and has always been there for us. He’s earned this endorsement and richly deserves it.”

Working in the Heat

Working in hot environments is not safe. Your body builds up heat when you work and sweats to get rid of it. Too much heat can make you tired, hurt your job performance, and increase your chance of injury. When the temperature changes quickly, you need time for your body to get adjusted to the heat. Be extra careful early in the summer when hot spells begin.

You have a right to a safe & comfortable work environment:

Clean water provided through a fountain, cooler or bottled water at all locations
Cool Work areas and break rooms
Ventilation to bring in clean air and take out hot air
Make adequate water supplies part of your daily workplace inspection

Need relief? Follow up with supervision immediately:

Bus- Call console, request immediate medical assistance
RTO- command 212-712-4480
CED- call your Barn Chair or Local Union rep
MOW- control 212-712-4120

If needed, file a Safety Rule Dispute Resolution Form.

For Stations: To follow up with supervision, call your respective Field Office. If you are a CTA, you can also ask for a comfort by entering the booth to cool down. If you feel unwell, you must notify OSAC and inform them that you are going home. Doctor’s lines will be needed on your return. Field Office numbers are as follows: 125th Street: 212-712-3127 or 718-436-8421; 44th Street: 212-424-5407 or -5408; 7th Ave: 718-243-3903 or 243-3905; Parsons-Archer: 718-334-8106. OSAC is 347-694-6500. Sick Desk for CTA’s ext. 42.

Click here to download a printed version of this message. Print it out and post it in your workplace.

For Stations Department members, click here.

One good flyer deserves another.

London Calling! TWU Local 100 Glad to Help Out

London’s Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (the RMT) – our brothers in arms across the pond – found inspiration in our recent graphic campaign to slow trains and prevent subway fatalities. We sent them our graphics files and they went to work, repurposing our graphic image of a chalk outline on the roadbed and making it the centerpiece of their campaign to bring back laid off workers who ensure safety on the Bakerloo line. The line’s management cut staffing, forcing train operators to drive out of service trains into stations or “sidings” in yards without checking for passengers who didn’t get off in time. The RMT points to the case of a 12-year old boy who found himself alone in a yard walking the tracks. Now the public is getting the message that this unsafe practice should end and that they should let London Underground management know they need to bring back the laid-off staff. See the RMT’s flyer here.

Union Mourns Retired Bus Mechanic Phinies Logie, 80

Union members are mourning the death of Phinies Logie, a TA Surface Bus Mechanic who worked out of East New York Depot. He had 20 years of service with NYCT, retiring in 2005.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1943, he was the fifth child of eight siblings. He was a gifted athlete, winning a gold medal in 1968 in the 200 meter Neal and Massey competition in Trinidad. He became an apprentice auto mechanic at the age of 15, and emigrated to America in 1968 as part of a skilled automotive workers initiative. He worked at car dealerships as a mechanic before being hired by MTA/NYCT in 1985. He retired to Trinidad in 2005 where he enjoyed taking care of his small farm. He came back to America recently and passed away at the Bedford Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn.

A viewing will take place on Saturday, May 4th at the Caribe Funeral Home at 1922 Utica Avenue in Brooklyn from 2PM to 4PM, with a Service to follow from 4PM to 6PM. TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis will deliver opening remarks and a Eulogy for Brother Logie.

Union Blasts Bronx DA for Mental Health Waiver in CTA Assault Case

TWU Local 100 Station VP Robert Kelley blasted Bronx DA Darcel Clark for allowing defendant Alexander Wright to claim mental health as a reason to delay his ongoing trial in the Bronx. Wright assaulted CTA Anthony Nelson in August of 2022, inflicting serious injuries which still have not healed. In this Fox 5 report, Kelley notes that Wright has over 40 arrests on his rap sheet and Fox 5 showed surveillance video of Wright sucker punching an Asian woman in Chinatown. Wright previously claimed mental illness and the trial was already put on hold once, before he was judged fit to stand trial. This latest delay comes from the Bronx DA's office and has stirred anger among transit workforce who see justice delayed yet again.

Show Your Talent at Family Day — Register Now!

Attention: TWU Local 100 Members: Showcase Your Talent in Our Union Talent Show! Show up & show out….

Get ready to shine and share your talents with your fellow union members! We are excited to announce the upcoming TWU Local 100 Talent Show hosted at Family Day, June 1st at Maimonides Park, where we will celebrate the diverse skills and abilities within our union family.

Union Leads Legal Battle Against MTA Over Pregnancy Discrimination

In a bold move to address the widespread denial of reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers within the MTA, Richard Davis, President of TWU Local 100, has thrown his support behind members in need of reasonable accommodations in the TA Surface Department as they pursue a landmark lawsuit. The legal action, an Article 78 proceeding filed in New York State Supreme Court on April 18, aims to challenge the systemic barriers faced by pregnant employees and demands equitable treatment of women within the transit authority.

TWU Local 100 Family Day Celebration!

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable day of fun, camaraderie, and family bonding! TWU Local 100 proudly presents Family Day on June 1st, 2024, at the scenic Maimonides Park, in the heart of Coney Island, adjacent to all the big rides.

Major Victories in State Budget For Local 100 Pension Reform, Overtime Calculation Extensions, and Protection Against Spitting Incidents!

As the Albany budget dust settles, TWU Local 100 can claim significant victories on three fronts -- a more favorable calculation for Tier 6 retirement benefits, a carry-over of overtime pension calculation benefits from the COVID-19 years, and a breakthrough in raising penalties for perpetrators in spitting incidents on NYCT workers.

These accomplishments are due to persistent engagement by our membership -- who showed up in Lobby Day in unprecedented numbers -- along with a full-court press by union leaders and staff, said President Richard Davis. Davis also credited the win to a new initiative, organized by our Tier 6 Reform Committee Chair and Co-Chair, that brought a large group of transit workers -- Tier 6 Ambassadors -- to the State Capitol as the budget was being finalized.

Yoga, Relaxation Classes Come to the Union Hall

Local 100 will present relaxation and yoga classes at the Union Hall beginning later this month. The relaxation sessions include guided relaxation, breathing, and aromatherapy. The Yogatation class will teach techniques that you can apply anytime you want a healthy break during your workday.

Relaxation classes take place on Fridays: May 17th, June 14th, and July 12th. Sessions last 30 minutes, and four are scheduled on each day from 2PM to 4PM.

Yogatation takes place on 11 Fridays from April 26th through July 26th in two one-hour sessions from 2PM and 3PM and from 3PM to 4PM.

Mike Quill in 1938

Today 4/12 Marks 90 Years Since the Union Began

On April 12, 1934, seven men met in a Columbus Circle cafeteria after a hard night’s work on the IRT to find a way to fight the transit companies which had trampled workers’ rights into bitter dust. They knew that in past years – 1905, 1910, 1916, strikes had failed to create a union.

Eid Al Fitr Mubarak

Sending all our love and blessings! Eid Mubarak!

Union Retirees Covered for Treatment at New York's Premier Cancer Hospital

In response to the Union's request for clarification, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York's premier cancer hospital, has clarified that the hospital accepts our retirees' Aetna Medicare Advantage plan as "in network" coverage as a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). You can read the relevant section of the Memorial Sloan Kettering website here. This Aetna coverage is accepted at MSK for NYC Transit Retirees only, according to the site.

"Retirees can rest assured that their coverage at MSK is in good hands and is in force," said Local 100's Director of Health Benefits, Chris Lightbourne. "The commercial plan that active members participate in has had Sloan as a participating provider for years. If individual members are having difficulty with Sloan being an in-network provider, please provide member details and what facilities are involved and Aetna can then investigate," he said. You can reach the Union at: member.services@twulocal100.org.

Pilot Program Will Test Gun Detection in Subways

MARCH 28 -- Stations VP Robert Kelley along with MOW Power Division Vice Chair Celeste Kirkland, who leads our Safety Department, attended Mayor Eric Adams’s press conference today at the Fulton Street Station in Manhattan. Adams announced a new-tech scanner to aid in detecting guns and other dangerous weapons people may attempt to carry into our transit system. The technology is said to be smart enough to detect the difference between a gun and a phone. Local 100 was present for the demonstration and will keep members updated for further developments.

We Commemorate the Workers Killed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire -- 113 Years Ago

MARCH 25 -- Today marks the 113th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in Greenwich Village in 1911. It was the greatest industrial disaster in the history of the city, causing the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and girls and 23 men – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, falling, or jumping to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Italian or Jewish immigrant women and girls.

Because the doors to the stairwells and exits were locked – a common practice at the time to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks and to reduce theft – many of the workers could not escape from the burning building and jumped from the high windows. There were no sprinklers in the building. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers. It paved the way for safety rules and fire regulations which have protected millions of workers to date.

Remembering the tragic fire and the union's vital role in protecting workers, we say along with Mother Jones: Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.