Bus Operator Susan Guzman (at right) and her daughter, Suchari Guzman. Both were killed at gunpoint.

TWU Mourns Bus Operator Susan Guzman; Arrangements Set

TWU Local 100 mourns the untimely passing of Bus Operator Susan Guzman, who died at the hands of her estranged boyfriend in the Bronx on Wednesday. Susan worked at the Eastchester Depot for MTA Bus. There will be a service on Wednesday, January 17, at 3pm at the Ortiz Funeral Home, 2121 Westchester Avenue, in the Bronx. We will update our site with more information when it becomes available. Here is the Facebook link to the memorial service: https://www.facebook.com/events/157028481602009/

From Private Lines Vice President Pete Rosconi: "I would like to say to the family and friends of Susan Guzman, "Right now your friends and co-workers from Eastchester Depot and all of MTA-Bus mourn for you and your daughter Suchari. As we sit with emptiness in our hearts, thinking if anything could be done to ease the pain. We pray for you both to be happy and together in heaven. To lose a co-worker and friend is heart-wrenching for all."

Recognizing Transit Workers: President Utano Invites the Media to Coney Island Yard

Watch News 12's coverage available below:

Crews work to clear MTA switches of snow

Posted: Saturday, January 6, 2018 1:36 PM EST Updated: Saturday, January 6, 2018 8:35 PM EST Transit workers were out across New York City Saturday clearing switches and elevated tracks of snow. The MTA yard on Shell Road in Gravesend saw high snow drifts due to the wind, and employees made sure none of the workers clearing the snow were affected by the freezing temperatures.

Executive Board Names Carlos Albert Track Division Chair

DECEMBER 28, 2017 -- The Local 100 Executive Board today unanimously elevated Carlos Albert to Chair of the Track Division.  The veteran officer and activist replaces current Chair Paul Navarro, who earlier resigned his office to concentrate full time on his role as the Local 100 Director of Safety for the Subway Divisions.  Albert joined New York City Transit in 1993 as a Track Worker.  He served as a Track Shop Steward for a number of years prior to being elected to the union’s Executive Board in 2003.  He was elected Chair of the Division in 2006.  In 2010, Albert was named a full time member of the Track Safety Task Force.  In accepting his assignment, Albert said that he will aggressively represent the workers against management abuse, and vigorously enforce all safety regulations to insure a secure work environment. Photo, from the left: President Tony Utano, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp-Sauray, new Track Chair Carlos Albert, and MOW Vice President John Chiarello.

Utano Visits New Titled Customer Service Ambassadors

Local 100 President Tony Utano checked in with two veteran Station Agents working in the new title, Customer Service Ambassador (Wayfinders) at the busy Atlantic Terminal/Barclays Center complex.  Utano was accompanied by Vice President Derick Ecchevaria, Division Chair Joe Bermudez and union liaison for the new program, Ellton Perez.  Utano told Station Agents Chen and Peoples, who said they were generally happy with their new assignments of helping passengers navigate the subway system, that the union is committed to making the new pilot program work long term for Station Agents.  “We want to stay ahead of technology,” Utano said, referring to the MTA’s future plans for “contactless” fair collection.  “We can’t let technology get ahead of us.  I’m all about protecting our members’ jobs,” said Utano.

In the photo, SA Chen, in his new role as a Customer Service Ambassador (Wayfinder) assists passenger with directions at the Atlantic Terminal complex.

TWU Local 100/M3 Tech Scholarships Grant $66,000 to Children of Transit Workers

DECEMBER 21 -- A roomful of proud parents applauded as TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano, along with John Pescitelli of M3 Technology, gave out $66,000 in scholarships to college students, the children of TWU Local 100 members, along with a few members who are in college part-time while on active duty. Four of the 50 winners got $5,000 scholarships, with the rest receiving $1,000 each. Members are drawn by lottery, and can win in more than one year.

President Utano, congratulating the students, said it was possible that one of them might discover a cure for cancer. He urged them not to forget where they came from, sustained by the support of their parents and TWU Local 100. He noted that the union's scholarship program with M3, which supplies life, disability, and other insurance products to members on a voluntary basis, has been in place since 2010. Each year, the amount of scholarship monies have increased, with a total of $245,000 awarded to date.

Anila Williams, one of the $5,000 winners, is a student at the Florida Institute of Technology, working towards a degree in electrical engineering. Standing with her father, Albert, who works as an EMD in MOW/LES, Anila said that she wanted to "get a taste of everything" before she settles down to a career after graduation. Her immediate plans include an internship on the electrical maintenance team at SUNY, and possibly an application to NYCT.

Local 100 outside Manhattan courthouse where a judge posthumously dismissed the case against CTA Goodwin

Station Agent Goodwin's Good Name Restored

 A Manhattan judge on Friday posthumously dismissed the bogus criminal charges police levied against Station Agent Darryl Goodwin in May. Local 100 Stations Division Chair Joe Bermudez, and a contingent of union officers and members, attended the court proceedings, fulfilling a union promise to see Goodwin’s good name cleared. “Darryl never should have been arrested in the first place,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “Even though he is no longer with us, it was important to his family, and to us, that these charges be dropped.”

Goodwin, 54, passed away of an apparent heart attack in August, approximately 3 months after a police lieutenant from a Midtown North precinct claimed Goodwin thwarted his pursuit of a fleeing shoplifter through the 59^th St./Columbus Circle station. The lieutenant claimed Goodwin twice refused to buzz him through a service gate and then resisted arrested on an obstruction charge. Goodwin adamantly denied the allegations, saying he opened the gate remotely once he became aware of the situation. He initially was focused on taking care of a rider at his booth, he said prior to his passing. “These charges were bogus,” Vice President of Stations Derick Echevarria, who knew Goodwin since high school, said. “Darryl was a quite guy. A gentle giant. He wasn’t someone who would be starting trouble.”

Police officers are issued MetroCards. The lieutenant could have simply swiped himself through the turnstiles – or jumped the turnstile – if he was in fact in hot pursuit, Echevarria said. The case was in an early pre-trial stage when Goodwin died. He was under a lot of stress from the case and working a lot of overtime to make up for time lost while he was suspended by the MTA. “I think that played a role in his death,” Echevarria said.  - Pete Donohue

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano thanks CTA Sean Monroe for his actions at the subway blast

DONOHUE’S QUILL: CTA Bravely Thinks of Riders First After Bombing

When a bomb exploded Monday morning in a subway passageway beneath Manhattan, police officers heard the blast and sprinted towards the scene. CTA Sean Monroe was already there. Police and firefighters are called first responders - but transit workers are first on there when something goes terribly wrong in the subway. This is a fact that should be raised whenever some academic, think-tank blowhard or conservative columnist suggests the MTA should save money by reducing the staffing of stations and trains. Remind them what happened on Monday, Dec. 13, 2017.

CTA Monroe was working the Port Authority station beneath 8th Ave. that morning. At about 7:20 a.m., he went to the western edge of the long corridor connecting the Port Authority station with the Times Square station to the east. “I looked to see if there was any trash there,” he said. “I see everybody walking. Everything was normal. Then ‘Boom!’ A guy in the middle exploded.” A cloud of white smoke filled the passageway. It was pandemonium. The blast knocked two or three people to the ground but they quickly got up and took off, as did everybody else. The riders “were frantic,” Monroe said. “They were running and didn’t know where to go. They were scared. Shocked.” 

Monroe knew where they should go. The nearest exit was a bank of turnstiles behind him and to his right. The exit led into the Port Authority Bus Terminal. “I started pointing them all that way,” Monroe said. “It was extremely scary. You panic for a second. But you see all those people getting up and rushing, and your first instinct, especially with your training from MTA, is ‘let me try and direct people out of here and far away from the situation.’ You have to evacuate everyone out as fast and as safely as possible.” One woman fled the corridor but then wanted to go back into it to retrieve one of her shoes. It fell off during her mad scramble. She had to retrieve it, she insisted. Monroe wouldn’t let her. Instead, he ran into the passageway and picked up the woman’s shoe. It was about six feet away from where the injured bomber was still sprawled on the floor, Monroe estimated. “It’s hard to run with just one shoe,” Monroe said. “I just wanted to grab her belongings so she would able to exit better and high-tail it away from him.” 

No one was seriously injured. Just the terrorist, a homegrown fanatic, and that’s quite all right. No one is under the illusion that his arrest ends the threat. Certainly, not CTA Monroe. “After what happened, you just have to be more alert,” Monroe said. “That’s the way I look at it. I have to be more alert of my surroundings, and it just makes me feel like I have more of a duty to fulfill. If it happened again, I would do same thing I did, try to direct people to get away from there.” Local 100 President Tony Utano had nothing but praise for Monroe. “Sean did an amazing job,” Utano said. “He kept cool and calm in the midst of chaos. Like all transit workers, he’s on the front line and his first thought was the safety of the riders.”

Sean Monroe, CTA Who Acted Swiftly and Professionally at Times Square Bombing Scene, Talks to Press at Union Hall

President Utano lauded the heroic actions of CTA Sean Monroe, who witnessed the explosion that engulfed the passageway between the 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue lines under Times Square. Monroe acted quickly to secure possessions of customers while protecting them and pointed the way to safety for many. His account is featured on a New York 1 news report which you can see here. 

Our Membership Meeting in Pictures

Transit workers packed a large hall at the Brooklyn Marriott to hear reports on the state of our union. Featured speakers included Terrance Melvin, President of the national Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and Attorney Mark Richard, who spoke on the threat posed by the Janus v. AFSCME case. President Utano gave the membership a report on the Union's achievements and objectives, and International President John Samuelsen spoke of the bright prospects for the TWU. As always, vendors provided information and give-aways to the membership. Enjoy the pics!

TWU International President John Samuelsen Addresses Local 100 Membership Meeting

TWU International President John Samuelsen talks about his strategy of building national power for the TWU and congratulates TWU Local 100 members on our growing union.

TWU's Mission to Puerto Rico

The Union sent nine Transit Workers to Puerto Rico. This is the story of their efforts to restore power, repair roofs, and bring health care professionals to the people of the island.

Members Pack Annual Mass Membership Meeting

New Local 100 President Tony Utano chaired his first union-wide mass membership meeting on Saturday, Dec. 9^th at the New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge Hotel. We are presenting his "State of the Union" address here for those members who were not able to attend the meeting.

Utano welcomed back International President and former Local 100 President John Samuelsen, who said that “it feels good to be home” among Local 100 members. Samuelsen proclaimed to cheers, "Imagine that -- a Trackworker from Brooklyn is President of the national TWU.” Samuelsen pledged to bring “Local 100 style aggressive leadership” to the TWU of America.

Keynote Speaker Terrance Melvin, Secretary Treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO and President of the national Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) commended Local 100 members for the turnout at the meeting.  “It’s good to see so many workers showing an interest in their union.”  Melvin focused his remarks on the pending Supreme Court case, Janus v AFSCME, that will be heard in early 2018.

President Utano delivered his report to the membership in a 20-minute prerecorded video (above). Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips delivered a positive financial report, that included numbers on overall membership exceeded 42,000 dues payers. PAC director Michele Gilliam reported on the union’s political activities, including the stirring victory to defeat Prop 1, the New York State Constitutional Convention, on election day. Guest Mark Richard, a labor attorney from Miami with a long resume of representing TWU Locals nationwide, gave a presentation on the aforementioned Janus case.

The members in attendance were treated to a promotional video on the life of TWU founder Michael J. Quill.  Director Macdara Vallely is working on a full-feature documentary that he hopes to distribute nationally. Members in attendance also viewed an emotional video about the union’s efforts in the revitalization of hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico.

Considering Retirement? Make an Appointment with Our Pension Consultant in-house -- It's Free!

TWU Local 100 members in good standing who are considering retiring are invited to make an appointment with our Pension Consultant, Norman Rosenfeld, here at the Union Hall. Norman is a former Deputy Director of NYCERS, and will calculate your monthly pension benefit, go over all the options available to you, discuss pension loans and their consequences, and the pension tiers. Norman will also discuss your medical benefits as a retiree, how the retirement process works, and questions about credited service, bad time, and compensation time. Call Norman at 212-873-6000, ext. 2161 or 2077. He'll save you time and money!

Victory for our Station Agents on Buyback Bill

The Station Agent Buy Back bill is now law!

Gov. Cuomo signed the legislation Tuesday night. That means hundreds of Station Agents can now obtain the pension credits that they were denied when former MTA Chairman Jay Walder imposed draconian layoffs and service cuts in 2010.

“This is a huge victory,” Local 100 President Tony Utano and TWU International President John Samuelsen said in a joint statement. “Getting legislation like this passed by the State Legislature, and then getting the Governor to sign it, was a huge lift. We couldn’t have done it without the hard work and dedication of the members and officers who lobbied elected officials and kept this issue alive.”

The MTA pink-slipped nearly 500 Station Agents during a fiscal crisis that saw the authority’s tax revenues plummet with the economy. Walder had other options but he maliciously laid-off the Station Agents anyway after Local 100 leadership refused his demand to re-open the contract and accept sweeping agency-wide cuts to wages and benefits. “The MTA was trying to bully the union,” Station Agent Marnee Anastos said. The MTA began recalling some of the agents less than one year later. But some had to wait nearly two years before getting their jobs back.

S/A Frank Fodera and his wife literally shouted with joy when Sharase DeBouse, of Local 100’s Political Action unit, called them to say Gov. Cuomo had signed the bill. Frank had to fight back tears. “You made our day!,” Frank, 58, said. “We couldn’t be happier. This is going to help so many people.” Hired in 2006, Frank was laid off for 16 months. He has worked on and off over the last couple of years as he battles cancer. Buying back the pension credits for that lost 16 months moves him closer to reaching 10 years of pensionable service - and gets him closer to being able to retire on disability with the health benefits secured by Local 100 during contract negotiations. Frank requires extensive medical care that would be astronomically expensive without the Local 100 insurance plan. The prescription drugs that he currently needs now cost him $10 for a three-week supply. Without the coverage, that three-week supply would cost $11,556, his wife, Lynn, said. “It’s so crucial he retire with these benefits,” she said. “We’re grateful to all the people who went to Albany to lobby, and we thank God for the union. Without them, I don’t know what we would do.”

Anastos was stunned when she was laid off after 2 and a half years on the job. “We were laid off for no reason,” Anastos said. “The MTA said they didn’t have enough money but they then paid people overtime to do doubles and triples.” Anastos said she is “ecstatic” about the legislative victory, and glad she became involved. She joined a contingent of union members on a springtime lobbying trip to the state Legislature in Albany. “If people don’t get involved, things just get swept under the rug,” she said. “We all have to all stand together and get involved and make sure we get what we need.”

Union-Backed Bill Could Help 100,000 in W'Chester

 BY PETE DONOHUE 

NOVEMBER 28 -- A stomach-turning situation may soon come to an end up in Westchester County. For the geographically challenged, Westchester is north of the Bronx. It’s just beyond the reach of the subway system.
In other words, it’s upstate. More than 100,000 people who work in Westchester – including waitresses, chefs, school bus monitors and store clerks – can’t afford to take a day off when they come down with the flu, a nasty cold, or some other contagious illness. If they don’t show up at work and punch the clock, they won’t get paid. They should stay in bed to rest and recover. But they are compelled to trudge to their jobs in restaurants, school cafeterias, clothing stores and other businesses.

Would you like the flu with that shake? How about a side order of Strep with your coffee? Everybody off the bus, and take my germs with you.

There are two very good reasons, however, to be optimistic things are about to change for the better. First, the Westchester Board of Legislators is expected to approve legislation requiring businesses in the county give workers up to five paid sick days a year. That approval could come as early as February.  Democratic Majority Leader Catherine Borgia says she has the votes on the board to pass the Earned Paid Sick Leave bill. Second, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino – a Trump-supporting Republican - won’t be around to veto it. After two terms, Astorino is now packing his bags and dusting off his resume. Democratic State Sen. George Latimer drubbed Astorino at the polls on Nov. 7th.  Latimer will take over on Jan. 1.

The Democratic majority on the Board of Legislators will then be a super-majority. Three seats currently held by Republicans were taken by Democrats in the November election. The Earned Paid Sick Leave bill would apply to businesses with at least five employees. It’s not a giveaway. You earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours hour you work. When this bill becomes law, Transport Workers Union Local 100 can rightly take a lot of the credit. Local 100 brought the issue to Westchester legislators and helped craft the bill. It was modeled after legislation enacted in New York City several years ago.

Local 100 also helped form a coalition of supporters, participated in rallies and penned Op-Ed articles in local and regional newspapers. Here’s to a happy, and healthier, New Year to our brothers and sisters “upstate” in Westchester.