Five Years Later, We Remember AVP Nelson Rivera

MAY 23 — Five years ago today, Nelson Rivera, a great champion of Union rights and an unrelenting fighter for transit workers, passed away. He was only 53. Diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer shortly after Labor Day in 2018 and given only months to live, Nelson didn't break stride. He never missed a day of work until he passed, sometimes working from home or even from his hospital room.

He intervened to save hundreds of jobs during his tenure as a union officer. He spearheaded TWU Local 100’s relief effort for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and personally led three aid missions to the Island’s hardest hit areas. He oversaw the union’s “Trash Train” campaign which succeeded in forcing the MTA to hire dozens of additional terminal Cleaners.

Brother Rivera joined New York City Transit in 1989 at the age of 23 as a Car Maintainer Helper at the 207th Street Overhaul Shop.  He earned a promotion to Car Maintainer in 1990.  He also worked at the Concourse Barn and Coney Island Overhaul shops, repairing and rebuilding subway cars. He was elected TWU Local 100 shop steward at 207th Street in 2000 and then Shop Chair in 2004.  He was then elected Vice President for the Local 100 Car Equipment Department in 2007, and was reelected in three subsequent elections.  He was named Administrative Vice President in 2017, and was elected to a full-three year term to that office in 2018. He was also a member of the National Executive Board of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).

He graduated from Automotive High School, as did his dad, in Brooklyn and found work doing quality assurance and warranty work for MTA vendors Kawasaki, Alstom and CLRT, before joining New York City Transit. In 2019, he was presented with the Community Service Leadership Award by New York City Transit at 2 Broadway. You can see his remarks here. 

Local 100 President John V. Chiarello said: "Nelson was unmatched in his dedication to the transit workforce. For him, a Union Brother or Sister was always right, always worth of defending. His commitment was legendary, and he will be remembered that way as long as this union endures."