Local 100 Celebrates West Indian Day in Style

SEPTEMBER 8, 2026—TWU LOCAL 100 had a strong showing for this year’s West Indian Day Parade, with hundreds of members coming to Crown Heights Monday for the joyful procession on Eastern Parkway that featured a float with a DJ, a decorated bus and flags of many nations.

After the parade we met up at our mas camp on the corner of Bedford Ave. and Eastern Parkway to continue the celebration with Jamaican and Trinidadian food and drink, more DJ sets and some words from President John V. Chiarello, starting with a moment of silence for Conductor Moet McCullum, who was killed late Thursday on the job.

“This parade, with all the cultures here, this is a direct representation of our union,” Chiarello said before asking if anyone in the crowd was from Grenada, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, among other countries, as groups of members cheered.

“This country was built on immigration,” said Chiarello, pointing out that everyone aside from Native Americans are immigrants.

Chiarello also reminded the crowd that the contract fight was ongoing, and the MTA was still demanding givebacks and concessions and offering 2% raises.

“We need to keep fighting,” he said, “Tomorrow, Labor Day, we’re going down to lower Manhattan to show the politicians that labor means something.”

“The union is the last fight left—we have to fight until we can’t fight anymore!”

West Indian Day Parade 2026