NBC’s Today Show and Al Roker Honor Bus Operators

Tuesday, June 13, 2023
About two dozen TWU Local 100 Bus Operators rode the bus today as the feted passengers of veteran weatherman Al Roker, who did a live broadcast on wheels for NBC’s Today show. With Father’s Day approaching, Roker, whose dad was a Bus Operator, decided to honor the men and women who move New York above ground. So, the Today show, with assistance from your union and the MTA, arranged for Roker to broadcast from a NYC Transit bus with Operators being the veteran newsman’s guests and audience.
 
 
Roker warmly greeted the Bus Operators as they boarded in midtown. As they headed to the NBC’s studio at Rockefeller Center, he shared fond memories of riding with his dad, spoke about the importance of transit workers, did a live weather broadcast, and chatted with his uniformed passengers. At Rockefeller Center, the Bus Operators walked a red carpet to the plaza where they were welcomed by Today co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. They were then invited inside to the Today studio.
 
“I think it’s a great thing,” Bus Operator Edward Arbogast said. “It’s good to see that we are noticed, so to speak, and appreciated, because a lot of guys that do drive don’t think we’re appreciated at all, to be honest with you. They feel we’re just taken for granted. It’s good to see the media thinks enough of us to show us how much we are appreciated.”