Union Demands Respect, Justice for Female Transit Workers

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President Samuelsen listens as Bus Operator Nancy Jenkins talks about her ordeal
President Samuelsen listens as Bus Operator Nancy Jenkins talks about her ordeal

Local 100 President John Samuelsen led dozens of angry TWU Local 100 members into the MTA’s lobby at 2 Broadway to tell a press conference that MTA has ignored at least four incidents of sexual harassment by one supervisor at Kingsbridge Depot in the Bronx.  President Samuelsen demanded that the MTA take immediate disciplinary action against the supervisor.  Conversely, he charged that had the roles been reversed “our member would have been dragged off the property in handcuffs and terminated.”

“But this maniac, this pervert is still working and collecting a check,” because he is a member of supervision Samuelsen affirmed.

The story first broke over the weekend when MTA Bus Operator Nancy Jenkins told the Daily News that the supervisor in question licked her face after trying to kiss her on April 9th. Other women and one man have come forward to speak about their personal experiences of harassment from the same supervisor.

Jenkins, who told the press she felt angry and violated, reported the incident to higher management.  She was told to write a statement, and was interviewed by the MTA’s office of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).

Teresa Garcia, also a Bus Operator at Kingsbridge who has 13 years with New York City Transit, told the press that the offending supervisor tried to pull her through an office window to kiss her back in January. She said she has known the supervisor since 1999, and described him as generally being free with verbally abusive comments.

Another Bus Operator told TWU Local 100 that the supervisor had made explicit sexual comments to her in an elevator when he had her in an enclosed space with no witnesses.

The MTA has taken no disciplinary action, other than to transfer the supervisor, Earl Bryant, to West Farms Depot.