TWU Marches Proudly in the Columbus Day Parade

President Utano giving interviews to the media after Andre Chandler's request for a bail reduction was denied by the judge.

TWU Packs Courtroom for Arraignment of Bus Attacker

OCTOBER 4, 2018 -- TWU Local 100 packed a Brooklyn courtroom for the arraignment of a man who sprayed a mace-like liquid at a B15 Bus Operator – and then released pepper spray on another B15 bus hours later. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Murphy took notice of the large Local 100 contingent in his courtroom Thursday morning.

“We have a full audience here today, mostly from the Transport Workers Union,” Murphy noted. He then refused to lower Andrew Chandler’s $30,000 cash or bond bail.

Local 100 President Tony Utano then addressed reporters waiting in the hallway for comment. “I don’t have any sympathy for anybody that attacks a transit worker,” Utano said. “We come here to do a job and go home safe to our family. We don’t come here to do a job and go to the hospital.” Utano said Local 100 would press the NYPD to pay attention to buses and provide a police presence to serve as a deterrent. Local 100 also will continue to distribute its Most Wanted posters, he said. “If you assault a transit worker, we’re coming after you,” Utano said.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez summarized Chandler’s crimes in a press release: On August 23, 2018, at approximately 4 a.m., Chandler boarded a B15 bus without paying the fare. The Bus Operator allowed him to remain on the bus, and Chandler requested a stop near the corner of Rockaway and Hageman Aves. in Brownsville.

The Bus Operator observed construction in the way and advised Chandler that he would have to pull up a little further up the street. Chandler then allegedly pulled out a canister and sprayed the partition with a noxious substance, causing the Bus Operator to choke and suffer burning to his eyes.
A passenger who attempted to board the bus also started choking and tearing up. Chandler fled. The driver was treated at Brookdale Hospital.
Later that day, at about 4:30 p.m., Chandler allegedly boarded another B15 bus. At the corner of East 98thSt. and Blake Ave. in Brownsville, he allegedly pulled out a pepper spray canister and started spraying the bus, causing passengers to exit as they coughed and teared up. Chandler fled, and the driver pursued him while calling 911. The Bus Operator observed Chandler throw the canister in a garbage can before returning to tend to the passengers. A police officer later found a can of Counter Assault Bear Deterrent, a type ofpepper spray, in the garbage can.

A Brooklyn grand jury indicted Chandler on assault, reckless endangerment and other charges. He faces up to seven years if convicted of the top felony count, prosecutors said. "Transit workers provide invaluable services to our city and I am fully committed to protecting them,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in the press release.

Leon “Sonny” George, #1 Train Operator, 77, Laid to Rest in Brooklyn

OCTOBER 1 -- Leon George, first in seniority among Train Operators working for New York City Transit, was escorted to his final resting place by family and friends after a heartfelt funeral service at the Guarino Funeral Home in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The 47-year NYCT veteran was remembered as a loving man by family members and as an example of professionalism by his co-workers.

Some 600 rank and file union members attended the five-hour viewing on Sunday, September 30th. The funeral service was held at 10 AM on Monday, October 1. In brief remarks, RTO Vice President Joe Costales recalled how George came up to him one day at Stillwell terminal where he was driving the F train. “He knew me as the union man,” Costales told the mourners. “And he asked me how to fill out a sick form. I couldn’t believe it – he had at the time over 30 years on the job and had never taken a day off.” Costales added that Local 100 is in discussions with management to get a facility named after George to honor his life of service to transit.

Local 100 President Tony Utano attended both the viewing and the funeral along with other top officers. The union arranged for two NYCT buses to transport members to the viewing. The TWU/MTA Ceremonial Unit displayed their usual high level of professionalism at the event and escorted the casket from the funeral home as Brother George went to his final resting place after Monday’s service.

TWU Celebrates Chinese-American Transit Workers

700 Chinese-American transit workers turned out for the union's 4th annual Mid-Autumn Festival in Sunset Park last Friday, the 21st. Our top four officers -- President Utano, Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp, and Admin VP Nelson Rivera -- were on hand for the food and festivities, which included a ceremonial dragon dance and a lot of karaoke from our members. Enjoy the slide show!

TWU Fighting Back

by Pete Donohue

Anger. Disgust. Frustration.
That series of emotions often follows news that another transit worker was punched, spat upon, cursed out, struck with a bottle, splashed with an unknown liquid, or subjected to some other form of foul abuse. Those feelings can be even more intense when there’s an iPhone or surveillance camera recording, like the one posted on Facebook last month showing a man and woman beating an A-train conductor because service was being rerouted.  It’s even more real and troublesome when you actually see such reprehensible behavior.

That’s why it felt good to be at the end of the No. 5 line in the Bronx a few weeks ago passing out TWU Local 100’s first-ever “Most Wanted” poster, hoping a rider would recognize one of the individuals and call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline. The posters feature images of suspects police believe attacked transit workers but have eluded arrest. As Local 100 President Utano told the media, “We’re fighting back against these criminals. If you attack one of our members, we are going to do everything in our power to make sure you are identified, arrested and prosecuted.”

Brooklyn D.A. Gonzalez Joins Union’s Fight for a Safer Workplace

TWU Local 100 has a powerful new partner in the fight against assaults on transit workers. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez joined Local 100 President Tony Utano to record a radio spot to be aired on local New York City AM radio stations.

In the spot, Gonzalez says that “assaulting a transit worker is a felony. And if it happens in Brooklyn, I will aggressively prosecute these cases.”

Utano responds: “Transit workers don’t cause delays. Anger towards them is totally misplaced.”

This is the fifth spot in the union’s media campaign to highlight the contributions of transit workers to New York City; the dangers they face on the job, and how the union transform people’s lives.

This is the first spot that specifically targets assaults on transit workers. Listen to it by clicking on the link above.

Chief Edward Delatorre (front, wearing uniform hat) stands with TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano and Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips along with other personnel

NYPD Transit Bureau Heeds Utano’s Call for Increased Protection for Workers

Local 100 President Tony Utano’s aggressive push-back against assaults has scored a major win for safety on the job.

Chief Edward Delatorre, head of the NYPD’s Transit Bureau, outlined a new policing strategy at a meeting on Sept. 18, 2018 with Utano, Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, and other union leaders that he pledged would provide increased protection for Train Crews and other transit workers in the subway system. Delatorre said that the new approach will include tighter coordination of police resources and greater interaction between Police Officers and Train Crews.

Delatorre told Utano that he wants his Officers to get to know the Train Crews through interaction with them at crew quarters and terminals. He also said that the Bureau intends to facilitate better communication between train crews and Police to help prevent potential crimes or to respond more quickly to a crime in progress. He praised Local 100 for its new anti-assault tactic of posting “Most Wanted” fliers in the subways. He said the union’s posters serve as a deterrent to those who might think of taking out their frustrations on a transit worker.

In addition to the “Most Wanted” posters, Local 100 has partnered with NYCT in pressing the union’s case against assaults through the media. The NYPD’s Transit Bureaus comprise 12 transit districts, located within or adjacent to the subway system, and overseen by three borough commands: Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx/Queens. The Bureau, he explained, also has a number of specialized units including three borough Task Forces, an Anti-Terrorism Unit, Citywide Vandals Task Force, Canine Unit, Special Projects Unit, and MetroCard Fraud Task Force.

The Police Captains in charge of the 12 Transit Bureau Districts also attended the meeting, which was held at 130 Livingston St. in Brooklyn. The NYPD’s Transit Bureau only covers the subway system. Utano said he will be facilitating additional meetings between the union and borough commands to address safety in the bus system.

Train Operator Leon George Has Died

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 -- Brother Leon George, the beloved elder statesman of the Train Operator’s Division, has died of complications from a stroke at Interfaith Hospital in Brooklyn. Brother George’s family informed the union of his passing earlier today.

George, 77, was the longest serving Train Operator in the system and carried the distinction of being #1 on the union seniority roster. He suffered a stroke on the way to work on Monday, September 10th.

Rapid Transit Operations Vice President Joe Costales said that he will provide the arrangements for Brother George as soon as they become available. Costales, President Tony Utano and many others had visited Brother George in the hospital.  Utano had assigned a union representative to be available to the family, including George’s brother, a retired Train Operator. 

TWU Mourns Laura Adams

TWU Local 100 mourns the passing of Laura Adams, grandmother of Derick Echevarria, Vice President of Stations Department. Here are the arrangement for those wishing to pay their respects: There will be a viewing at Benta's Funeral Home, at 630 St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan, from 3pm to 7pm on Thursday, September 20. A Funeral Service will take place on Friday, September 21, at 10 am at the same location.

TWU Celebrates African-American Day Parade

click below for our slide show:

Our union's leadership joined dozens of other transit workers in a march through Harlem to celebrate African-American Day. It has become an essential annual event for TWU Local 100.

Union Honors Transit 9/11 Responders

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano marked the 17th anniversary of the rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero by honoring five transit workers, who have verified illnesses caused by their service at Ground Zero. Honored with the union's 9/11 service medal were CTA Gwendolyn Broughton, Structure Maintainer Dennis Buccello, Trackworker Dan Demody, Structure Maintainer Bobby Nash, and Track Specialist Johnny Sparks. Each of them has had a claim for victim's compensation because of 9/11 illness accepted by the federal government. In addition, more than a dozen other workers received 9/11 recognition pins from the union. Recognition pins are given to those transit workers who participated in the rescue and recovery effort. In all, about 3,000 TWU Local 100 members were either assigned to duty at Ground Zero or volunteered to help.

In his remarks, President Utano recounted the false promise by then EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman, who assured responders that air at the WTC site was safe to breathe. He recounted the sacrifice of thousands of transit workers who risked their health in the response and pledged to continue to push for public recognition of the role of transit workers at Ground Zero. Assemblyman Peter Abbate, Chair of the Governmental Employees Committee, who sponsored New York State's bill to compensate 9/11 workers for health care expenses, also spoke. He told the audience of transit workers that there is still more work to do in assisting those who responded. He also said that he would work to have the 9/11 transit response recognized both in the state's museum in Albany and also in the 9/11 memorial museum in lower Manhattan.

Read the Daily News's coverage of 9/11 related transit worker deaths here.

New York State has extended the deadline to file for workers' compensation benefits until September 11, 2022. For more information, see a workers' comp attorney.

Union Push Ends Aetna-Montefiore Standoff

West Indian Day Parade a Big Party for TWU

SEPTEMBER 3 -- Hundreds of transit workers and their families converged on Eastern Parkway on Labor Day to celebrate New York's biggest parade -- celebrating the Caribbean heritage of so many union members and New Yorkers. Local 100's contingent featured exuberant dancers, a large union float, the TWU Local 100 van showcasing our workers, and an antique City bus. We proudly marched with Governor Andrew Cuomo, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Assemblywoman Rodnyese Bichotte, and other friends of Local 100. The joy was apparent throughout, as you will see in these photos!

Exec Board Approves Contract for Big Bus Washington

SEPTEMBER 5 -- The TWU Local 100 Executive Board today unanimously approved a negotiated contract between the Union and Big Bus Tours of Washington, DC. If ratified by the membership, benefits will include a raise of $10,000 for each Bus Operator.

Representing the negotiating committee was Big Bus Operator Jonathan Williams, Sr., (in checked shirt) who is pictured next to Private Lines Division Chair Carlos Bernabel. With the union leadership including (l-r) Administrative VP Nelson Rivera, President Tony Utano, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp, and Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips. Next to Brother Rivera is Manny Agosto, an Executive Board member representing Liberty Lines in Westchester. At far right is Private Lines VP Pete Rosconi.

Big Bus is one of the world's largest open top double decker tour bus companies, with fleets in 20 cities in 11 countries.

Police Capture B15 Bus Mace Assailant; Union Pledges to Keep the Pressure On

At 12 AM this morning, the Daily News reported the capture of Andre Chandler, 46, in spraying attacks against two Bus Operators represented by TWU Local 100. Read the entire story in the Daily News here. TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said, "We have been working with the NYPD and the MTA to get menaces like this off the street, so this is a satisfying development. The B15 is safer today for our bus operators — and for our bus riders — than it was yesterday. We're going to keep the pressure on and continue to distribute photos of suspects so that there are more arrests like this. No one who assaults a transit worker should ever get away with it.”