Statement by Pres. Richard Davis on Gov. Hochul's new Subway Safety Initiatives

Welcome New Members!

JANUARY 7 -- New York City Transit’s newest hires – and our newest members – were welcomed today at the Union Hall in downtown Brooklyn. Over 100 new union members about to go into the system include Traffic Checkers, Transit Property Protection Agents, Station Agents and CTA’s, Signal Helper Maintainers, and others.

They were welcomed into our Union family by Vice Presidents and Division officers, who explained the progress we have made over 90 years of struggle which have turned a job into a real career, and a mainstay for working class families. Our newest members also heard about the benefits that come with their new jobs and got a glimpse of union history in an opening video narrated by President Richard Davis.

New Union Leadership is Sworn In

JANUARY 6, 2025 -- TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis stands with his newly-elected Executive Board at the Union Hall after the swearing-in ceremony. President Davis was first sworn in by Local 100 Legal Director Deirdre Feerick, then he in turn administered the oath of office to the Executive Board under the TWU Constitution. Officers serve for a term of three years beginning now. From left to right, the new top four leaders of the Union are Recording Secretary Shirley Martin, Secretary-Treasurer John V. Chiarello, President Richard Davis, and Administrative Vice President Carlos Bernabel. The Members of the Executive Board also include the Union's seven Vice Presidents.

Safety Director Celeste Kirkland points to burned power panel with melted meter at the site of Dec 11 explosion

Union Raised Safety Concerns at Transformer Fire Site

DECEMBER 31 – Power to four Brooklyn subway lines went out for several hours on December 11th when an explosion tore through an underground substation in downtown Brooklyn. 3,500 passengers were stranded between stations as union members worked quickly to re-direct power from another substation and put the lines back in service.

Our disaster response crews were called to stop any further damage, to assess the damage, and to start repairs, said Safety Director Celeste Kirkland. But she said that management originally overlooked some safety protocols that should have been in place, forcing the Union to shut the job down several times. Management responded quickly to the demands of the Chairman and we resolved our complaints, resulting in a Safe Return to Work. Maintenance of Way Structure Division Chair Ken Bachoo and Power Division Chair Steve Higgins both stepped in to stop unsafe operations which included no survey for underground utility lines at the site. While some safety violations may seem minor, they represent an unacceptable hazard at a worksite such as an NYC Transit power substation.

Three weeks later, Kirkland said the cause of the explosion, which is still under investigation, could be traced to shortfalls in maintenance caused by lack of staffing. She said NYC transit is reviewing the status of similar transformers in the system.

The repair work was entirely done by Local 100 members, with no contractors on the job except Bay Crane to handle the heavy lifting. Maintenance of Way Structure Division removed three feet of concrete to allow crane operators to remove the damaged equipment. Safety reps on the scene included Chris Lake of TA Surface, William Bolar, Vice Chair of Line Equipment/Signals, Power Division Vice Chair Sacha Sapp, and Duvet Williams of LES.

TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis

Davis Elected as Local 100 President; Members First Slate Comes Out on Top

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 12 – The 2024 election for top leadership at Transport Workers Union Local 100 has been decided, with most wins going to incumbent President Richard Davis and his Members First slate. Davis, 55, won by a vote of 6848. His rivals for the top spot, Evangeline Byars and Mike Cordero, received 2289 and 1855 votes respectively. These are unofficial numbers but we expect them to hold when the complete tallies are released tomorrow.

Also winning in the contest for the top four positions – President, Secretary-Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Administrative Vice President, were incumbent Secretary-Treasurer John Chiarello, Shirley Martin, formerly Vice President of the Car Equipment Department, who ran for Recording Secretary, and Carlos Bernabel, formerly Division Chair for Liberty Lines in Westchester, who ran for Administrative Vice President. Chiarello received 6941 votes, Martin received 6996 votes, and Bernabel received 6844 votes.

Vice Presidential contests were won by JP Patafio in TA Surface, Donald Yates in MaBSTOA, Richie Rocco in Maintenance of Way, Robert Kelley in Station, Matthew Ahern in Car Equipment, Danny D'Amato in Private Bus Lines, and Tramell Thompson in Rapid Transit Operations.

Under the TWU Constitution, the candidate who receives a plurality of the votes cast is declared elected. The newly-elected officers take their official positions on the first business day of the New Year.

The vote tally was conducted by the American Arbitration Association and was held at the Brooklyn Marriott, with observers allowed in from each competing ticket. 11,411 union members cast ballots in the election.

The complete vote count, including vote tallies for all contested positions, will be released as soon as it is officially verified by the AAA.

Richard Davis, a Bus Operator by trade, started with New York City  Transit in 1996, and worked his way up the ranks, beginning his career at the Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot in  Manhattan, where he became Chief Line Steward. Other promotions followed, leading to election as Vice President for MABSTOA where he served two terms. He was elevated to Secretary-Treasurer in May of 2022 and then to the Presidency of Local 100 in December of 2022 by the union’s Executive Board. He negotiated the current contract between TWU Local 100 and the MTA which took effect in May of 2023.

The second Caribbean-American after Roger Toussaint to win election to the Union’s top post, Davis came to the United States from Guyana as a child. His father worked for NYC Transit as a Bus Mechanic.

"This is a bright day for TWU Local 100 and I look forward to leading this great union into the future," he said.

Secretary-Treasurer John Chiarello, 57, a Signal Maintainer by trade, joined New York City Transit in 2001. He was previously Vice President of Maintenance of Way.

Newly-elected Recording Secretary Shirley Martin, 66, started with New York City Transit in 1991 as a Car Inspector. She was previously a Machinist in her native Jamaica.

Newly-elected Administrative Vice President Carlos Bernabel, 55, is a Bus Operator with Liberty Lines Transit in Westchester.

Veteran's Night Shows Appreciation of our Members' Military Service

NOVEMBER 15 -- Our Annual Veteran's Day dinner was the last formal union event of the calendar year, featuring presentations by MC Dart Magana and a speech by President Richard Davis. We extended and invitation to all Local 100 veterans of the armed forces, and appreciate this opportunity to thank them for their service.

Indian Heritage Takes Center Stage in Elmont

NOVEMBER 2 -- Transit Workers and their families of Indian heritage packed our 18th annual celebration in  Elmont, Queens. Enjoy the photos of the event, which capture the excitement.

Hispanic Celebration 2024 -- Photos from the Event

OCTOBER 25 -- Hundreds of Union members had a great time at our annual Hispanic Celebration, held in Inwood on October 25th at Zona De Cuba. Here are the photos, to remember the event or if you didn't make it this year. See you next year!

TWU Local 100's Holiday Message Features Station Agent Robin Sutton

DECEMBER 1, 2024 -- TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis wishes a great holiday season to all New Yorkers in this year's annual radio holiday message, which also features Station Agent Robin Sutton. Hear it on 1010WINS and also at this link. We salute our 43,000 members, who are bringing 15 million New Yorkers and tourists from point A to point B 24/7 this holiday season. Yes, the population of the City doubles during the Holiday Season!

The right one to use

Important Update on Dental Coverage

We’re reaching out with an important update regarding your dental coverage. TWU Local 100 has transitioned to the TWU Local 100 Premier Preferred Dental Plan through EmblemHealth, effective October 15th. If you have received any HealthPlex cards in the mail, please discard them, as they are no longer valid.

Your new TWU Local 100 Premier Preferred Dental Plan card should have already arrived. If you have not received it, please contact EmblemHealth directly at: to request your card. For any additional questions, please reach out to:TWU Local 100 Member Services at 347-643-8060.

Thank you for your attention to this update. We’re glad to offer you expanded benefits with this new plan.

ABC Recognizes ENY Bus Operator

NOVEMBER 7 -- ABC News today recognizing the outstanding service of East New York Bus Operator Chad Tomlinson. Thanks, ABC, for helping us to raise the profile of transit workers!

Station VP Kelley outside Manh Criminal Court with assaulted S/A Noreen Mallory and union Brothers and Sisters

Judge Sentences Abdellahi to 2 Years in Assault on Station Agent; Deportation to Follow

OCTOBER 31 -- A Manhattan Criminal Court judge today sentenced Mohammed Abdellahi, 25, an illegal immigrant, to two years' prison time for assaulting Station Agent Noreen Mallory, 58, on February 14 of last year at the Wall Street 4/5 subway station. In an unprovoked attack, Abdellahi punched Mallory several times, including bruising Mallory's left eye, breaking her eye socket. He will be deported after the sentence is served.

Union Anger Over Delays in Prosecuting Bus Assault

OCTOBER 16 -- Local 100 VP Donald Yates, representing Manhattan and Bronx Bus Operators and Maintainers, took the court system to task for delays in prosecuting Rashon Eagle, who brutally assaulted Bus Operator Moses Adams at the end of his M15 Bus run at South Ferry in February. Also speaking outside the courthouse, Bus Division Operator Chair Sean Battaglia said the Union looks forward to what the People are demanding as a penalty -- five years' incarceration and five years' supervised release once the trial, which will begin next January, concludes.

(l-r) MABSTOA Officer Monique Rondon, Labor Press CEO Neal Tepel, Pres. Richard Davis, Nancy Galvet, Mario Galvet, Harriette Goodridge-Seymour, Emblem Health CEO Karen Ignagni, and Local 100 Health Benefits Director Chris Lightbourne

Galvet, James Given "Hero of Labor" Award for Work at 9/11

OCTOBER 9 -- EEM Mario Galvet and Conductor Guilaine James were given "Hero of Labor" awards for their work during the 9/11 rescue and recovery effort 23 years ago. The awards event, sponsored by Labor Press and Emblem Health, took place at Emblem's offices at 55 Water Street in lower Manhattan. As an EEM, Galvet worked on restoring radio communications after the towers sent down. James was a CTA at the time, assigned to clean debris with a paper mask and a tyvek suit that ripped during the clean-up. James didn't attend the ceremony due to respiratory problems. She retired from NYCT in 2012.

In his remarks, Galvet said he was accepting the award "on behalf of the nearly 4,000 TWU Local 100 members who responded to Ground Zero. Our members were the largest presence at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the towers," he said. "It was only our heavy duty equipment -- hundreds of trucks, 40-ton cranes that were brought down by barge from the 207th Street Yard, generators, fuel trucks, hundreds if not thousands of oxy-acetylene tanks to do all the cutting, front loaders bought in to clean all the debris from the towers. It was our guys who cleared that so that all the rescue crews could come in."

The awards were presented by Emblem Health CEO Karen Ignagni and Labor Press CEO Neal Tepel.

ABC 7 Coverage on Brutal Assault of Train Operator Myran Pollack

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 -- Our member, Train Operator Myran Pollack, is now in stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery on Tuesday, October 8th and a second procedure the morning of October 9th. He was viciously stabbed while performing his job, bringing to light the urgent need for changes in TA policies. TWU Local 100 is demanding immediate changes and a meaningful role in shaping policies that will protect our members. This is a pivotal moment to take action, to reduce the chances of such tragedies happening again. Watch ABC’s full coverage and support our push for lasting change.