Grand Ave Honors Transit War Veterans

Dozens of transit workers turned out on a rainy Thursday to honor our fallen veterans. The annual ceremony featured the TWU Local 100 Honor Guard, and the honoring, by TA Surface Vice President JP Patafio, of Phil Caruana, a US Army Vet who served two tours in Vietnam and is now the Union’s go-to man for our Veterans. We wish all of our veterans and their families a great Memorial Day Weekend, and thank them and all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces for their service.

Local 100 Veterans Accept DOD Honors for MTA/NYCT

MTA/NYCT has won the prestigious Pro Patria Award from Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The official recognition by the Department of Defense was presented at an awards banquet on April 28^th . The award, showing an American Eagle perched next to the DOD insignia was picked up at the event by Telephone Maintainer Dartagnan Magana, (in black) and by MaBSTOA Facilities Maintainer Steven V. Carl, along with a certificate. Brother Magana was a Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) in the US Marine Corps, deployed both to Iraq and Afghanistan, and was on active duty for ten years. He now works in the Union Hall assigned to the Tier 6 team.  Brother Carl is a Petty Officr 2^nd Class (E-5) in the US Navy, who has served from 2003 to the present. The ESGR award honors the “dignity, fairness, and respect accorded the active members of the Guard and Reserve in the employ of MTA/NYCT.” Congratulations to all concerned.

Over a thousand gathered for the annual group photo, which stretched out far beyond the borders of this image.

Lobby Day 2017 Brings TWU Power to Albany

MAY 16 -- In an impressive show of unity and activism, more than 1,500 transit workers converged on the state capital Tuesday to lobby for TWU Local 100’s legislative agenda, including pension reform. Rolling back the unfair burdens of Tier 6, including elevated worker contribution rates, was the major theme of the annual Lobby Day event in Albany. Members also focused on transit worker safety concerns including a legislative mandate for Conductors on all trains in excess of 4 cars, and a pension credit buy-back for Station Agents laid off during the Walder cutbacks of 2010.

Transit workers in “Fix Tier 6” tee shirts filled the Convention Center where members of the state Senate and Assembly praised transit workers and pledged support. “Thank you for moving New York,” the influential Sen. Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) said from the stage. “Thank you for the work that you do. Thank you for making sure that the transit system is the best that it can be.” Klein told the enthusiastic crowd “you deserve equity in the pension system and we’re going to make sure we get this done in this legislative session.” Klein heads the Independent Democratic Conference, a breakaway group of eight Democratic senators aligned with the Republican Party. Combined, the Independent Democrats and Republican senators hold the balance of power in the chamber. “You move New York,” Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, a Long Island Republican, said from the podium.  “We know that and we appreciate that. We want to help you. We want to work with you.”

TWU Local 100 and International President John Samuelsen cautioned that victory will not be easy. Still, Samuelsen said Local 100 for years has been working on increasing its political clout. A growing number of Assembly and Senate members attribute their elections and reelections to the support received from Local 100.  “Our political support is at peak strength and we’re going to use it to drive home pension reform,” Samuelsen said. “We now stand a very solid chance of incrementally rolling back Tier 6.” Local 100 allies in the Legislature have introduced two pension-reform bills targeting Tier 6. One bill would eliminate the $15,000 cap on annual overtime that can be added to a worker’s base salary when calculating what his or her pension payments will be in retirement. Another bill would reduce workers’ pension contributions to 2%. Workers now under Tier 6 contribute between 3% and 6%, depending on their income. The Tier 6 pension was enacted by the state Legislature in 2012 and imposed on a wide range of public sector workers hired on or after April 1st of that year. The majority of transit workers hired before 2012 are in Tier 4. They do not have a pension-related overtime cap, and they contribute 2% towards their retirement.

TWU Local 100’s argument for a Tier 6 rollback is simple, strong and just, Samuelsen said. Unlike other unions, Local 100 secured the Tier 4 terms decades ago through collective bargaining, whereby the MTA agreed to jointly support pension legislation in Albany as part of overall collective bargaining agreements that included concessions in other areas to pay for the improvements.

Local 100 was able to save the 25-55 pension for transit workers in the initial push back against Tier 6 in 2012, but legislators in 2012 ignored the TWU-MTA bargaining history when they imposed other terms of the new plan.  “They have to undo the dirty deed done to us in 2012,” Samuelsen said. “This is a just fight and we have a solid argument. New York State had no right turning the collective bargaining process on its head.”

Union Leadership Pays Respects at Dicks-Drumgold Funeral

Local 100 leadership and dozens of members bade a sad farewell to Conductor Jacqueline Dicks-Drumgold Wednesday at her Funeral Service in Queens. Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, Recording Secretary Latonya Crisp-Sauray, Administrative Vice President Nelson Rivera, Maintenance of Way Vice President Tony Utano and Conductor/Tower Chair Crystal Young paid their respects to Dicks-Drumgolds’ children and brothers at the J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home in Jamaica.

Dicks-Drumgold was shot near her home in East New York, Brooklyn, by her estranged boyfriend, according to police. He took his own life days later, police said.

Phillips, Young and Member Services Director Chris Lightbourne have been talking with Dicks-Drumgolds’ relatives, including CTA Harvey Dicks, one of her brothers, about ways the union will assist the family. That process of assisting has begun, Phillips said.

Local 100 Leading Westchester Earned Sick Leave Fight

MAY 8 -- Approximately 60 people – including dozens of TWU Local 100 school bus workers – rallied in White Plains for county legislation that would grant paid sick days to many workers who now don’t get them from their employers. Local 100 is leading the fight in Westchester on behalf of our members working for private companies in the county.

Speakers at the rally included Westchester County Legislative Leader Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), who sponsored introduced the Earned Sick Leave law in March; Joseph Mayhew, Secretary-Treasurer of CWA Local 1103; David Schwartz, a retired high school teacher who is now Vice Chair of the Westchester-Putnam Working Families Party.

But one of the most compelling and dynamic speakers to step up to the podium was one of our very own: School Bus Operator Jamare Pabon, a mother of four who works for Royal Coach. If she doesn’t go to work because she is ill, she doesn’t get paid. If she stays home to care for a sick child, she doesn’t get paid. “There is no choice,” she said. “You have to go to work. Either you go to work or you don’t pay your bills. We don’t want to go to work sick. We don’t want to spread disease. Westchester has to pass this bill!”

Orlando Vasquez (pictured in center with dark glasses), Vice Chair of the School Bus/Paratransit section brought about 35 Local 100 members to the White Plains rally.

Local 100’s Earl Phillips One of Brooklyn’s ‘Most Influential’

Local 100 Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips was named one of Brooklyn’s 25 most influential movers and shakers by City & State New York at a reception at the Brooklyn Historical Society on Pierrepont St. on May 4^th. Special guest speakers included Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Public Advocate Letitia James (pictured with Phillips), both of whom were featured in the most recent edition of the City & State magazine.  City Councilman Jumaane Williams also attended. With Brother Phillips in the photos is our TWU Local 100 Campaign Director Michelle Williams, staffer Sharase Debouse, and City and State Honorees Zakiyah Ansari (in green dress) and Janella Hinds, Secretary-Treasurer, NYC Central Labor Council.

City & State New York is a prominent media company devoted to covering the political scene in New York City and Upstate. The organization chose the 25 honorees from among labor, business, education, real estate, law and the arts.

Whilby, Pena's Assailant, Gets Max from Judge Gregory Carro

MAY 2 -- Judge Gregory Carro, speaking forcefully and outlining the deliberate actions of Domonic Whilby in the killing of Bus Operator William Pena, sentenced Whilby to the max on each of the four counts on which he was convicted by a Manhattan jury. The judge sentenced Whilby to one year on the count of Reckless Endangerment, an A misdemeanor, two and a half to seven years on one count of Vehicular Manslaughter, a D felony, five to 15 years on one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a C felony, and eight and a third to 25 years on one count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a B felony. Because all sentences are served concurrently, this means that Whilby will serve between eight and a third to 25 years in jail, which in turn indicates that, after two-third of his sentence is served, he will be eligible for parole. That could come as soon as three years from now. Outside court, TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips forcefully asserted that the union will aggressively seek to have Whilby's application for parole denied when it comes up. And family attorney Sanford Rubenstein, also speaking in front of the court house to news media, said that his office has been in discussions with DA Cyrus Vance, the Union, and the Pena Family, to advance new legislation in Albany strengthening the rights of victims who are killed by drunk drivers, with the aim of making the offenses which Whilby committed carry a higher penalty.

This was the scene at the International Executive Council meeting where Local 100 President John Samuelsen was named the TWU International’s new President. Also in photo, are In’tl Secretary Treasurer Alex Garcia, Admin. VP’s Gary Maslanka and John Bland, and Local 100 and Int’l officers Tony Utano, John Chiarello and James Whalen. Retiring President Harry Lombardo has back to camera.

TWU’s International Executive Council Elects Local 100 President John Samuelsen as 10th TWU International President, Replacing Retiring Harry Lombardo

Local 100 President John Samuelsen is stepping into a new role as International President of the Transport Workers Union of America.  The TWU International Executive Council voted unanimously to elevate Samuelsen after incumbent President Harry Lombardo, from Philadelphia’s Local 234, announced his retirement, effective immediately. Samuelsen had been serving as the International TWU’s Executive Vice President since his election to that position at the TWU’s 23^rd Constitutional Convention in 2013. Samuelsen, 49, becomes TWU’s 10^th International President and the youngest to be elected to that position since founder Michael J. Quill in 1937. He will continue in his role as Local 100 President to see through the implementation of the most recently negotiated agreement for the Local’s 37,000 members at MTA-NYCT, MTA-MABSTOA and MTA Bus.

Looking back, he expressed pride in a legacy of the union’s collective accomplishments for the Local 100 membership during his time as President, including working tirelessly to bridge the political divides and stop the infighting that had torn the Local in half for nearly two decades. Samuelsen helped grow Local 100 by nearly 5,000 to 42,000 active members through the development of a top-notch organizing department, and by helping to expand the in-house capital construction forces across Maintenance of Way. Samuelsen aggressively pursued work that was previously done by outside contractors, and successfully fought for proper city and state funding for the MTA Capital plan.  The Local is now the largest in its history.

TWU Local 100 Mourns Conductor Jackie Dicks, 41

MAY 2 -- TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips issued the following statement this morning.

"Conductor Jacqueline Dicks was shot and killed late last night in East New York, Brooklyn. Sister Dicks was in uniform and off duty when she was accosted by one or more men. The NYPD is investigating. Please pray for Sister Dicks and her family. Justice can’t come soon enough for the bastards responsible for this evil and cowardly act. We will be doing everything we can for Sister Dicks’ family, and we will keep you posted as we learn more about this horrible tragedy."

You can read the account of this tragic event in the Daily News here.

Union Honors Fallen Transit Workers; Welcomes Families to Memorial Event

Workers Memorial Day is a solemn event at TWU Local 100. President Samuelsen, top officers, and rank and file invited the families of transit workers who passed away in the line of duty to the hall for a luncheon and symbolic lighting of candles on Friday, April 28th. The President spoke of the tragedies he has personally witnessed on the tracks and the union’s commitment to survivors through our Widows and Orphans Fund, which pays toward college expenses for the children of fallen members. He also gave a special nod to longtime MTA Chaplain Harry Berkowitz, who is retiring this year after nearly 40 years of serving transit workers and their families as a steadying force amid the tragic accidents which are all too frequent on the job.

TWU Announces 2nd Class of Upward Advancement Program

The TWU Local 100 Training & Upgrading Fund (TUF) has announced an open enrollment period for its second class of the Local 100 Upward Advancement Program. The program is an incredible opportunity for good standing members in the Cleaner, Traffic Checker and TPPA titles to advance into NYCT’s highest paying hourly jobs.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, CLICK HERE to start the application process.  http://twulocal100tuf.org/step_upward.php

Trump's Hit Job on Public Housing

BY PETE DONOHUE

The city is in the midst of a homeless crisis with approximately 60,000 in the shelter system. Thousands more are on the streets and in the subway system. And it will only get worse if our train wreck of a president manages to get his federal housing budget enacted. President Trump’s budget plan would whack $6.2 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which represents a 13% cut. It’s a hit job on public housing. It’s also a slap in the face - or a shove out the door - to many low-income Americans struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

More than 2 million people in the United States live in public housing. More than 7 million receive subsidies like Section 8 vouchers to help pay the rent. Such a massive budget cut as Trump proposes could only result in HUD distributing fewer subsidies. It also could lead local agencies like the New York City Housing Authority to impose limits on how long tenants can stay in public housing.

So where will they go? Shelters. Seedy hotel rooms the city rents for the homeless. The streets, the parks, and the subway. The displaced will include working families, single parents with children, senior citizens, veterans and people with disabilities. The hypocrisy of all of this is thicker than the smog blanketing pollution plagued metropolises like New Dehli, Beijing and Mexico City. Trump is proposing to push struggling Americans towards the curb while forcing government agencies to spend millions of dollars in taxpayer money so he can spend his weekends at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Since his swearing in just three months ago, Trump has visited Mar-a-Lago seven times. The cost to the federal government for the additional security and related expenses could be more than $20 million, according to some estimates. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office spent $3.5 million in Trump-related overtime between Jan. 20 and April 9.  And New York City spends $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower where First Lady Melania resides with the Trump’s young nobleman son, Barron, instead of taking up residence in the White House, according to The Washington Post.

Everyone knows Trump didn’t exactly make his own way in the world. His father, Fred, was a real-estate magnate. Fred gave or loaned his son millions of dollars, and provided other critical support. Trump’s first big deal was only possible because his father, and the Hyatt hotel chain, guaranteed a $70 million construction loan from Manufacturers Hanover Bank, Wayne Barrett reported in his book, “Trump: The Deals and the Downfall.” In addition to Daddy Warbucks, Trump was aided over the decades by tax loopholes and bankruptcy options made available by the federal government. They helped his businesses restructure, or walk away from, massive debts and obligations while living larger than most people can even dream of.

The nation’s poorest – in our cities and rural areas - are asking for the same thing from their government, just on a much more modest scale: help. Trump of all people should understand that.

Sentencing Date for Domonic Whilby Postponed to May 2

On Tuesday, May 2nd at 2PM, the killer of Bus Operator William Pena will be sentenced to a prison term of unknown length. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro, who has presided over the case since Domonic Whilby was jailed in February of 2014, will hand down a sentence of between 8-and-a-third to 25 years. TWU Local 100 is hoping that the judge imposes the maximum sentence in this case. The death of a public servant, in this case a transit worker, in the line of duty, has a special distinction. This is because he or she serves the public, and when this public service is done with honor and excellence, as in William Pena’s case, this person is owed a special measure of respect and support. We believe a penalty of 25 years (which would be reduced by three years' time served and good behavior) would send a strong message about drinking and driving, and about the special consideration our transit vehicles and transit personnel must command. At the request of the Pena family, we have invited all TWU Local 100 Bus Operators to sign this petition to the judge pressing for a maximum penalty. You can download that petition here. Please circulate the petition, and return it to your Union Rep or to the Union Hall, attention MABSTOA.

Make it a point to turn out for the sentencing on May 2nd at 2PM at 100 Centre Street (Manhattan Supreme Court, Criminal Part), when Judge Carro will hand down the sentence. If transit workers pack the courtroom, the Judge will see the value all of us placed on William's life and the expectation we have that a stiff sentence be imposed.

Apply Now for Metro North or LIRR Rail Pass

As part of the recently ratified contract, Local 100-MTA members living within the five boroughs are eligible to get a Commuter Rail pass for LIRR or MetroNorth.  Click on the this link to download the form and start the process.

Meet the Hometown Heroes in Transit – Class of 2017

Seventeen Local 100 members were honored Thursday morning at the Daily News’ fifth annual Hometown Heroes in Transit award ceremony in Manhattan.

The men and women called into the spotlight on the Edison Ballroom stage on W. 47^th St. included: CTA Darren Johnson, who chased down and held a subway groper for police; Train Operator Trina Hayes, who coaxed a suicidal man off the tracks of the Rockaway Shuttle; Bus Operator Diana Belgrave, who calmly confronted a knife-wielding lunatic who was harassing passengers, and Track Worker Maurice (Moe) Jackson who runs a Saturday morning basketball program for kids in his Queens neighborhood. You can read all the winners’ full profiles here.

The Hometown Heroes were heralded by some of the biggest names in media, entertainment and politics. The presenters included television news anchors Mary Calvi (CBS), Greg Mocker (WPIX) and Cheryl Wills (NY1),  Daily News Co-Publisher Eric Gertler and Bill Mulrow, Secretary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo would have attended but had to stay in Albany to work with the state Legislature on the budget, Mulrow said.

“I want to say that transit workers rock,” Local 100 President John Samuelsen said. “Transit workers are the most professional workforce of any transit system in the world, and the transit system is the best transit system in the world. This system is absolutely incredible, and I’m thankful to the NYC transit workers who keep it moving every single day.” The News also quoted Samulesen in a special edition published Thursday. Transit workers are “as New York as you can get,” he said. “We are exposed to extreme hazards, including live train traffic and the electrified third rail. But as these award winners highlight, transit workers never hesitate to put themselves in even greater danger to serve the riding public, bravely and professionally. WE are the first responders of the transit system.”