MTA withdraws cops under TWU pressure

Under pressure from union officers, MTA Chairman Pat Foye said he’d stop using police officers to monitor workers clocking in and out of work. Foye called Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano Thursday night to inform him of the withdrawal.

“Its a good development but I’m still furious that this happened at all,” Utano said. “The Chairman had police officers standing watch over workers like prison guards over inmates. He treated his employees like convicted criminals.” The MTA posted authority police earlier this week at Long Island Rail Road properties. Foye said he was concerned about excessive overtime paid to some MTA workers. He also asked the MTA inspector general to look into time and attendance practices across the authority.

LIRR union President Anthony Simon sent a letter of protest to Foye on Wednesday. Utano blasted Foye for calling the cops on workers - instead of deploying them to protect workers from attacks and to deter farebeating. “It’s disgusting. It’s shameful. It’s outrageous,” he said earlier in the week.

TWU International President John Samuelsen was quoted in The Daily News and other outlets attacking Foye for using police like “beakies and Pinkertons.” As the MTA itself previously acknowledged, NYC Transit overtime is up largely because of the Subway Action Plan to restore system reliability.

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Utano Takes on Vicious Attacks, Contract in New Radio Spot

APRIL 29 - A new 60-second radio spot, focusing on the latest rash of vicious attacks on transit workers and the union's current contract negotiations with the MTA, began running this morning on 1010 WINS. In the spot, Local 100 President Tony Utano decries the Easter Sunday stabbing and the two urine assaults. He states that "no workforce in New York has to put up this type of disgusting abuse and disrespect." Utano also emphatically states that "TWU will not be stopped" from winning a fair contract for transit workers.

Suspect in Urine Attacks in Custody

Police have a suspect in custody in connection with the urine attacks on two female transit workers in the Bronx.

The man is suspected of tossing urine into the face of a Conductor and a Bus Operator in separate incidents on April 12th.

“This is great news for transit workers,” Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “A twisted individual targeted two of our members and committed these vile attacks while they were simply doing their jobs. He needed to be caught and locked up.

But the larger problem remains. Transit workers are getting assaulted, harassed and abused, physically and verbally, all the time. The city has to do much more to protect us.

In the subway, it seems like there are more and more people with serious problems on the trains and in the stations, and some of them pose a threat, not just to workers but our riders. This has to be addressed by City Hall.”

The first attack happened at about 10:30 a.m. on a No. 6 train as it idled at the platform. The second attack happened about an hour later nearby as the bus was halted at an intersection.

The police released video images of the suspect and TWU Local 100 distributed wanted posters in the area where the vile attacks took place.

Charges against the suspect are pending.

Police nab suspect in urine attacks on Bronx MTA workers

The pee-petrator splattered a 43-year-old female train conductor on an uptown No. 6 train at the Brook Ave.-E. 138th St. station. He struck again about 45 minutes later, dumping urine on MTA bus driver Trellis Robinson as she sat behind the wheel of a Bx1 bus at the Grand Concourse and 138th St., about 15 blocks from where the first incident occurred.

Attacker Charged with Attempted Murder

The man arrested for repeatedly stabbing a Conductor in the Bronx on Easter Sunday has been charged with attempted murder, TWU Local 100 has learned.

Initial press reports after the attack said suspect Walter Rivera was arrested for assault and possessing a weapon.

But a police complaint that was signed late Sunday night charged Rivera with the more severe attempted murder charge, along with felony assault and weapons possession.

Prosecutors from Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark’s office asked a judge on Thursday to impose $150,000 bail on Rivera – and the judge agreed. Rivera remains in custody in a hospital psychiatric ward where he was taken for evaluation after his arrest.

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano met with DA Clark earlier this year and urged her to aggressively prosecute criminals who attack transit workers.

“This was a horrific, unprovoked attack,” Utano said. “I’m glad to see that the police and prosecutors appear to be taking this case extremely seriously, as they should.”

Clark had her first Town Hall meeting since her election in the Bronx Wednesday night. Conductor-Tower Chair Raul Lugo and other elected RTO officers asked about the case and demonstrated Local 100’s intense interest in it.

“We need to send a clear message that if you assault a NYC Transit worker you will get caught and face the consequences,” RTO Vice President Eric Loegel said. “We recognize there are underlying social issues plaguing our city and we need to fix them. But in the meantime, frontline transit workers can not be victimized just for doing their jobs.”

Conductor Denaul Jenkins was waiting for his train at 149thSt.-Grand Concourse hub when attacked. He is now at home recuperating from his injuries.

TWU Launches Main Table Talks with the MTA

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano and the union’s elected Executive Committee launched main-table negotiations with the MTA Tuesday afternoon.

Utano was joined at negotiations by Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, Recording Secretary Latonya Crisp, Administrative Vice President Nelson Rivera, and Vice Presidents John Chiarello, Richard Davis, Peter Rosconi, J.P. Patafio, Eric Loegel and Lynwood Whichard.  The union’s legal team of General Counsel Denis Engel, Legal Department Senior Director Deirdre Feerick and outside counsels Vincent Pitta and Arthur Schwartz sat alongside the union negotiators on the 29th floor conference room at 2 Broadway.

In his opening statement, Utano said that the Local 100 leadership and the union’s Contract Policy Committee, took great care in consolidating scores of the membership’s proposals into a document that truly reflects the needs of the membership.

This first main table meeting, attended on management’s side by Anita Miller, the MTA’s Chief Employee Relations officer, Veronique Hakim,  MTA managing director, Andy Byford, NYC Transit president, and other ranking labor relations and operating officers, was conducted in a respectful atmosphere.

Utano explained the rationale behind each of the union’s main table demands, which include raises, a reduction in disciplinary actions against workers, increased longevity pay, an improved dental plan hearing aids for retirees, and a request that the MTA join the union in supporting legislation in Albany for Tier 6 reform.

The MTA executives did not present any counter-demands.  They instead offered to set up a series of mutually agreeable dates to move forward on the negotiating process.

Daily News Lauds Transit Hero

We are pleased to say that our brave conductor who managed to hold a maniac for police after being stabbed on a subway platform in the Bronx is recuperating at home. Denaul Jenkins’ heroics made the front page of the NY Daily News. President Utano and RTO Vice President Eric Loegel are quoted in the article below.

'You can't let somebody like that get away': MTA subway conductor captures his attacker after being stabbed on the job

A Bronx subway stabber arrived at his last stop thanks to a gutsy and bloodied MTA conductor who fought off a platform knife attack and corralled his assailant for cops - and it nearly cost him his spleen.

Statement by Local 100 President Tony Utano on the Stabbing of a Conductor on Easter Sunday

"One of our union brothers was stabbed in the abdomen and in the arm on the No. 4 express platform at the 149th Street station in the Bronx this morning. He has been hospitalized. He is now in stable condition. Union officers responded, and we will provide updates.

The police have made an arrest, and we demand that the full weight of the law now come down on this individual. We also demand that the city step up and make the subway safer for both workers and riders. We want to go to work and return to our families safe and sound.

The early reports indicate that the attacker is an emotionally disturbed person.  Too many of these unfortunate people use the subway system for refuge, and some of them pose a serious threat to workers and passengers, as was the case this morning.  The city is failing to address some very serious social issues, and it is falling well short of its responsibility to move these people from the subway system to proper shelters where they can receive the care and treatment they need."

TWU's Lobby Day Brings Out Political Support

Legislative leaders including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli came out with direct support for the Union's agenda on April 9th. Watch the video for President Utano's remarks to legislators and for their statements to the membership.

On 1010 WINS, President Utano Ramps Up Pressure to Find Assault Suspect; Sec-Treas Phillips Talks on CBS-TV

APRIL 14 – Speaking to 1010 WINS, TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said Local 100 is circulating photos of a man wanted in two disgusting assaults on female transit workers. The images, taken from surveillance video obtained by NYPD detectives, shows a young man who is suspected of throwing urine first onto a Conductor at the Brook Avenue station on the 6 line, and then on an Operator driving a BX2 bus on 138th Street and the Grand Concourse. You can see the NYPD Wanted Poster here.

President Utano expressed his outrage at the disgusting and unprovoked nature of the attack, telling 1010 WINS about the Bus Operator: "She can't believe it. I wasn't like there were any words going back and forth. She was loading passengers and the person came and threw urine right in her face." He added that the Union is cautioning Conductors to watch for anyone moving toward them on the platform and Bus Operators to keep windows closed.

On WCBS Ch. 2, Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips talked about the incident, and you can watch that here.

The suspect has not yet been apprehended but detectives are following up on a lead coming from a Local 100 Bus Operator who says she may have recognized the suspect. We will keep our membership updated as developments occur.

Union Urges Members, Public, to be on the Lookout for Man Wanted in Assaults on Female Transit Workers

Union Warns of Possible Serial Attacker Targeting Transit Women

Passenger Throws Cup Of Urine In MTA Bus Driver's Face, Police Say

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - An MTA bus driver is speaking out after being assaulted while on the job. She says she was on her usual route in the Bronx Friday morning when a stranger suddenly threw urine on her. "It literally went inside the collar... whole left shoulder soaked," Trellis Robinson said.

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano is warning transit workers of a possible serial attacker targeting women on the job.

“Bus Operators should keep their windows closed and Train Conductors should make sure they are wearing their goggles and immediately shut their windows if someone approaches on a platform,” Utano said. “We will do everything we can to help the police catch this disgusting individual and put him in handcuffs.”

A female No. 6 train conductor was punched in the face and splashed with a liquid believed to be urine at the Brook Ave. station Friday morning at about 10:40 a.m. A female Bx1 Bus operator was splashed in the face with urine at East 138th Street and Grand Concourse, which is about 15 blocks away. You can see the news report on that incident above.

Utano is asking the NYPD to increase their presence along the No. 6 line and bus routes in the area. If the attacker’s image was captured on video, Utano said TWU Local 100 will flood the area with the image along with an appeal to members of the public to call the police if they recognize the individual. “This abuse of transit workers is outrageous,” Utano said. “No other group of workers gets treated like this.” The assailant was described as a black male, about 5-feet-7 inches tall, 160 to 180 pounds, wearing a Navy sweatshirt with a hood, khaki pants and red sneakers.

NYCT Clarifies Cancer Screening Policy; Allows 4 Hours Paid Leave

In a memo from NYCT Human Resources dated March 21, the company clarifies that four hours of paid leave are available to employees for cancer screenings. A cancer screening is defined as an "examination for cancer where there may be no symptoms present. Cancer screenings may include, but are not limited to, physical exams, laboratory tests, imaging procedures and genetic testing." Read the memo here. For the form to request the leave, click here.

Local 100 Rocks Albany at our Annual Lobby Day

APRIL 9 -- TWU Local 100's annual Lobby Day brought approximately 1,500 transit workers to the State Capital to graphically demonstrate the power of the union. Legislative leaders including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and Assemblyman and Chairman of the Committee on Governmental Employees Peter Abbate addressed our members in the convention center, while other political leaders came to the union's pre-lobby day reception at Corning Tower. Our photo essay shows the enthusiasm of our members as they began the day, which featured direct one-on-one lobbying of legislators to advance our political agenda. That agenda includes pension reform, a guarantee that train crews will include an Operator and a Conductor, fairness for our School Bus Members who are subject to discipline, and protections against diesel fumes exposure.

Train Operator Acts Fast; Saves Boy on Tracks

APRIL 4 -- A Local 100 Train Operator rescued a young boy who wandered onto the very dangerous subway tracks in Brooklyn Thursday morning. Train Operator Hopeton Kiffin was heading through the Hoyt St. (2/3) station on an express track when something out of the ordinary caught his eye at approximately 9:15 a.m. “I see a slight red flash, and I slowed the train down,” Kiffin said. “As a Train Operator, you always have to be aware. I saw a customer on the platform pointing to the tracks, so that confirmed that something was wrong.”

To his amazement, Kiffin, 51, said he saw a boy, about 12 years old, wearing a red sweater or jacket standing between two pillars. The boy was in a narrow area separating the northbound express and local tracks. There are four parallel tracks in the station.

“I was taken aback. I was like, “What is he doing there?,” Kiffin said. Kiffin alerted the Rail Control Center and then exited the No. 5 train to approach the boy. “He was clapping his hands,” Kiffin said. “He wasn’t afraid. There was no fear. I guided him to the train, got him on board.” Kiffin took the boy to the next station, Borough Hall, and handed him over to the NYPD Transit Bureau.

“This could have been a terrible tragedy if not for the alertness and professionalism of our Train Operator,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “You can never relax when you are operating a subway train. You have to be alert for anything out of place. This story has a happy ending only because this Operator spotted this child and managed to get him to safety.”

At about the time Kiffin’s train was entering the station, a rider who observed the boy on the tracks used a Help Point intercom to alert the Station Agent. The Station Agent informed the RCC, which put out an alert to train crews in the area. Numerous television stations wanted to interview Kiffin, but he didn’t want to be in the spotlight. “It’s just part of my job,” he said. “I’m just glad everything turned out well.”