Councilmember Yusef Salaam stands with Union leaders at the funeral for Charles Rangel

Union Pays Tribute to Harlem Legend Congressman Charles Rangel

JUNE 13 -- TWU Local 100 President John V. Chiarello headed up a delegation to St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown from the Union to honor legendary Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel after his passing last week. TWU Local 100 proudly endorsed 'the Lion of Lenox Avenue' as he ran for Congress over 23 terms. Chiarello noted that Rangel always was in the forefront for labor and worker rights.

News 12 photo

Perp in Conductor Slashing Caught - Chiarello Calls for Accountability

STATEMENT OF JOHN V. CHIARELLO ON THE APPREHENSION OF A SUSPECT IN THE JUNE 10 SLASHING OF A TWU LOCAL 100 CONDUCTOR

JUNE 12 -- I would like to thank the NYPD for their quick work in apprehending Isaiah Thompson, 29, who has been identified as the suspect in the slashing of an NYCT Conductor at Whitlock Avenue in the Bronx. Mr. Thompson is no stranger to the NYPD. He has at least 18 arrests on his record, 17 for offenses committed within the transit system. In 2019 he was arrested twice for pushing two riders head-first into trains.

Boricuas Take Manhattan

JUNE 8 -- More than 600 union members and families celebrated being part of the City’s largest Puerto Rican Parade on Sunday, June 8th, as we took over 45th Street with a float featuring a live band and a DJ, a City bus, and marchers galore.

First came the food – generous portions of pernil, baked chicken, plantains, and other treats for hundreds of transit workers. Ready to serenade the union family was TA Surface Chair for Operators Gary Rosario and his orchestra, ten members strong, featuring a full horn section, violin, guitar, and flute, and Gary on percussion.

Statement of President John V. Chiarello on the Slashing of a Conductor in the Bronx

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11 -- Yesterday at about mid-day a brutal slashing took place on the 6 Line at Whitlock Avenue in the Bronx. A Conductor with only 15 months on the job was assaulted by a man who came up to her at her station while she was making announcements.

He reportedly told her that “no one will tell him what to do,” and then slashed her on the left side of her nose below her left eye with a sharp object, possibly a razor. She immediately called for police and medical assistance, and the train was placed out of service.

Family Day 2025 Conquers Coney Island

JUNE 7 – Bright spirits made for a relaxing and fun-filled Family Day at Maimonides Park in Coney Island as Local 100 hosted thousands of transit workers and their guests on a cloudy Saturday.

Addressing the crowd, TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello said, “This is what’s it’s all about. This is your day with your family – you earned it – and the Union delivered it.”

Retired Conductor on America's Got Talent

Follow your Passions During Retirement

“I told everyone I was going to retire on my birthday, and I did. Ever since I retired, I have more time to work on my dream and work on my talent. This is the time where I'm going to do it. This is my moment,” said Eric Booker, aka “Badlandschugs,” a retired Subway Conductor and TWU Local 100 member on a recent America’s Got Talent (AGT) episode. In his juicy three minutes of stardom, Booker chugs four glasses of pickle juice, hot dog water, creamed corn, and hot sauce. Each glass holds 1,000 ml (4.23 cups) of liquid.

Former CTAs Become Station Agents Through Direct Promotional Pathway

Last winter, during a New Hire Orientation class for the Stations Department, Vice President Robert Kelley and Division Chair Nicolette A. Browne congratulated a class of newly hired Station Agents. The class included external candidates who had never worked in transit and former Cleaners Transit Authority (CTA) workers repeating the process. However, this group was special because they were the first graduating class of CTAs being promoted directly into Station Agent positions because of the new agreement.

Major Takeaways from TWU Women's Appreciation Day

On May 16 2025, TWU Local 100 celebrated Women’s Appreciation Day by uplifting the women who power our city’s transit system while also sounding the alarm for the contract fight ahead. The day started with a rejuvenating open house at Union Hall, where members enjoyed yoga, massages, aromatherapy, giveaways, and more, thanks to health and wellness practitioners. But the energy shifted into high gear during the evening program, where union leadership connected appreciation to action.

Celebrating the Life of Congressman Charles Rangel

TWU Local 100 celebrates the life of Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represented New York’s 13th Congressional District for nearly half a century. Charles Rangel, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, has passed away at 94. “Losing him hits hard. Rangel never hesitated to make good trouble when working people were at risk. We will miss him as a congressman, but also as a friend of labor who unequivocally understood solidarity and never sat out of a fight.” Said John V. Chiarello, President, TWU Local 100

Remember the Black Founders of Memorial Day

Brothers and Sisters,

This holiday weekend people around the country will celebrate the official beginning of summer. The school year is almost over, and trips can be made to beaches, theme parks or to see family members who haven’t been visited nearly enough this past year. For others, it is a weekend that calls for remembrance. A time to reflect on the space no longer occupied by those who were called to serve. Like America itself, this day is a mixed bag of ideas and emotions. It’s joy and pain that sit side by side at your table and demand attention.

First Contract at Haddam-Killingworth Brings Raises of 25%

May 23 – A new contract for 60 school bus drivers and monitors in the Haddam-Killingworth school district in Connecticut has brought major improvements for workers.

“They contacted us, asking for representation,” said School Bus Division Chair Gus Moghrabi, who oversees the Union’s school bus operations. Employees at the company, which is run by the massive school bus firm Student Transportation of America, began meeting last April with Director of Organizing Frank McCann and his associate Karla Kozak to discuss what the Union could offer.

Five Years Later, We Remember AVP Nelson Rivera

MAY 23 — Five years ago today, Nelson Rivera, a great champion of Union rights and an unrelenting fighter for transit workers, passed away. He was only 53. Diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer shortly after Labor Day in 2018 and given only months to live, Nelson didn't break stride. He never missed a day of work until he passed, sometimes working from home or even from his hospital room.

Local 100 Quill Scholarship Winners Announced; 7 Other Awards Also Given

MAY 21 -- Michael J. Quill scholarship recipients have been announced by the TWU International. Each winner receives $4,800 in four installments of $1,200 over the four years of college. The TWU Local 100 winners include:

MTA Bus Div. Chair Mike Capocci with PBL/MTA Bus/School Bus VP Danny D'Amato

Union Gains Back Work in Queens Redesign Grievance

MAY 21 -- An April decision by Arbitrator Martin Scheinman restored work to three MTA Bus depots which stood to lose routes under the plan.

After being informed by management in November of 2023 of major changes to bus routes in the Borough of Queens, MTA Bus Division Chair Mike Capocci filed a grievance challenging the Redesign on the grounds that moving bus routes outside of the MTA Bus bargaining unit was prohibited by the contract.

Standing in Solidarity with S/A Baboo Singh (center left) are Pres. Chiarello, Station VP Robert Kelley, and other officers

Chiarello: Five Year Prison Term for Station Agent Assault is Not Enough

MAY 16 – TWU Local 100 President John V. Chiarello said a five-year sentence handed down against a 30 year-old man who assaulted NYC Transit Station Agent Baboo Singh was still not enough, considering the suffering the Agent went through.
 
Union members and officers crowded the courtroom on the 6th Floor of the Bronx County Hall of Justice as they waited for the sentence to be handed down against Anthony Williams by Judge Ralph A. Fabrizio. Williams' sentence also included five years' supervised release, psych evaluations, fines and a protective order.