Membership Meeting Brings over 2,500 to Javits Center; Chiarello Sets Tone for Contract Fight
The crowd roared in agreement. Citing large funding increases for the MTA, Chiarello demanded that the management offer a contract that exceeds inflation.
Later in his speech, he asked questions of the membership in the room.
“Are you ready to do what it takes to win? Are you ready to stand together on the front lines?”
An enthusiastic cheer went up. Chiarello reminded members that in February, division meetings will solicit their input on ideas for the upcoming contract and asked them to bring them.
The event was a lively gathering of union members, many decked out in their TWU colors and some still in uniforms from their work shifts. The turnout would have been greater but for the huge number of transit workers mandated to remain on post to the imminent winter storm.
To keep the show on time and the crowd fired up, Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp served as MC.
“Cold hearts wake up every morning and think about ways to spread their pain on everybody else,” said Kemp, pointing out the parallel between the frigid temperatures and the MTA bosses.
Local 100’s political power was also on display at the meeting. Local elected officials, including new City Council Speaker Julie Menin and newly-elected Comptroller Mark Levine appeared as guest speakers to show their support for transit workers.
“You are essential workers,” said Menin. “You are on the front lines, not only during 9/11…. You were on the front lines during Covid. You keep the city moving…. We owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Levine told the members that his “single most important job is protecting your pensions…we have to make Tier 6 better...I have to make sure that whether you retire in two months, or two decades, your check comes every month, come hell or high water.”
The comptroller also addressed assaults on transit workers, calling them unacceptable, and stressed that “the place for [the mentally ill] is not on the subway platform; they need to be in treatment.”
Labor support was also in the house at the Javits Center. We were joined by New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento, who represents the 2.5 million union members across our state.
He recounted the recent successes of the labor movement in winning two significant enhancements to Tier 6 pensions, adding that further improving Tier 6 “is the priority of the entire labor movement in this state, because every single public worker in this state deserved to live their retirement years with dignity, with self-respect, and with financial independence.”
He also pledged the AFL-CIO’s support in our upcoming contract fight.
Representing the Transport Workers Union of America, TWU International Secretary-Treasurer Jerome Lafragola commended the transit workforce for coming out in even the harshest weather to serve the public. He gave a nod to Mike Quill’s pioneering work to organize the TWU, which began in New York and pledged the International’s support as the contract fight unfolds.
After a video recap of the 2025, highlighting the union’s accomplishments on the ground, the audience heard from Secretary-Treasurer Carlos Bernabel, who reported on the continuing advances in all departments in the percentage of members in good standing.
Other highlights included an invocation from MTA Chaplain Rev. Philip Sharp, who is also a Bus Operator out of Ulmer Park Depot. The National Anthem was performed by RTO Tower Operator Denise Davis, a 22-year transit veteran.
The fight is on, and the next big demonstration of union strength will be in Albany on March 25th for Lobby Day. We are calling on all members who can attend to sign up, spread the word, and join us in the state capital. The state government plays an important role in MTA contract negotiations, and has the final say on Tier 6 pension reform. Let’s show them what union power looks like!