Eastern European and Central Asian Day Delivers Solidarity Message

The EECA Day Committee enjoying the fruits of their labor
The EECA Day Committee enjoying the fruits of their labor

OCTOBER 14—Eastern European and Central Asian Heritage Day livened up the Brighton Beach boardwalk on Sunday, with a crowd of 800 transit workers enjoying the festivities as a nor’easter churned up the surf. 

CED Executive Board Member Gregory Dunichev introduced President John Chiarello as the first TWU Local 100 President to serve as a Car Inspector. President Chiarello noted that he was a provisional Car Inspector briefly before moving on to becoming a Signal Maintainer. He thanked event participants, union leadership in attendance, and the Committee that ensures a successful event year after year.

“In order to keep what we have gained, we have to be ready to fight,” he said, invoking the upcoming 2026 contract fight. “Just as we have gathered together from different nations,” he added, “we must gather together to fight for what we deserve: good pay, good benefits for our families, and dignity.”

Recognizing the difficulties of so many in Eastern Europe, in particular the agony of those in Ukraine, some of them the family of transit workers, Chiarello offered up a prayer for peace in that region and throughout the earth.

Speaking next, International President John Samuelsen called MTA CEO Janno Lieber an “anti-worker boss” who “would like nothing better than to farm out big chunks of our work to outside contractors.”

Samuelsen spoke of the divisiveness in America, including its culture and political wars.

“One place where divisiveness can’t happen,” he said, “is within the TWU. TWU Local 100 members must stay unified if we are going to face off against the MTA.”

Samuelsen said that management plans to use a concession made by an ATU Local to allow part-time bus operators to open the door to “part time everything. “That can never happen." 

He also cautioned that the MTA wants to contract out station cleaner and maintenance jobs. “The one thing that’s going to stop them is a unified fightback from TWU local 100, walking lock-step with the TWU International.”

Rounding out the evening were endless plates of Eastern European and Central Asian food and the ethnic dancers and musicians that the Tatiana club is famous for.

To see more photos of the event, click below.

Eastern European & Central Asian Heritage Day 2025