Sec-Treasurer Richard Davis Announces New Safety Team

JUNE 17 -- TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis is restructuring and reinvigorating Local 100’s Safety Department, Davis announced.

“We’re embarking on a whole new approach to safety that will be more comprehensive, more strategic, and more member responsive,” Davis, who also serves as Local 100’s Director of Operations, said. “We will be equally focused on addressing the unacceptable plague of workplace violence – and the hazards posed by our work-related equipment, assignments, and environment.”

New initiatives are being developed to improve communication with the members, identify safety problems and trends; coordinate with MTA security officials; educate members about safety protocols; upgrade existing safety protocols; and get officials to take mitigating actions, Davis said.

 

The department also will press the MTA to do a better job of informing divisional officers and vice presidents when assaults take place, as an effective Safety Department works hand-and-hand with the divisional officers and vice presidents, Davis said.

One example of a mitigating factor to be pursued: getting police to deploy in targeted areas of the system when assault “hotspots” and spikes are identified, Davis said.

One example of a more complex and longer-term solution: the MTA buying new buses with Bus Operator cockpits. Such a new design would provide total separation between the public and the Bus Operator position – a game-changing upgrade Local 100 President Tony Utano and Davis first raised with MTA management two years ago.

Davis was the MaBSTOA vice president until last month when the union's Executive Board promoted him to Secretary-Treasurer following the retirement of Earl Phillips. The team of Safety Representatives will be headed by Joe DiPaola (buses) and Celeste Kirkland (subways). DiPaola and Kirkland will report directly to Davis.

“We plan on working hard and working smartly every single day on making the transit system safer for our members and for the public,” Davis said. “That’s what we intend to do.”

The roster of Departmental representatives and contact information can be found below: (Download Newsletter)
 
Lionel Harrison, CED
lharrison@twulocal100.org
718-310-0622
 
Joe DiPaola, MaBSTOA
jdipaola@twulocal100.org
917-972-7525
 
Celeste Kirkland, MOW
favoredcee@gmail.com
212-920-1131
 
Jamie Ayuso, Private Lines
jayuso@twulocal100.org
917-892-1445
 
Denise Long, RTO
dlong@twulocal100.org
929-276-2137
 
Nilda Lont, Stations
nlont@twulocal100.org
917-913-7716
 
Rocky Veltri, TA Surface
rveltri@twulocal100.org
917-499-7954