Union Mourns S/A Amy Cho Wah Koo, 56

A tragic accident claimed the life of TWU Local 100 member Amy Koo on July 8 when she was hit by a car near her station, the Bushwick Avenue-Aberdeen Street stop on the L line. Amy was on her lunch break when the accident took  place at approximately 9:30 at night. When she did not return to work, an MTA station superintendent checked area hospitals and discovered that she was at Brookdale Hospital, where she later died.

Sister Koo was one of our Station Agents laid off by Jay Walder in 2010 when he implemented the worst staffing cuts even seen in New York City transit. She had returned to work only recently, coming back last April. She was a strong Union supporter. Said Stations Department Executive Board Member Paul Piazza: “Amy showed up to every rally outside Jay Walder’s house. She came to MTA hearings, and she fought like a tiger to get back on the job.”

Amy is survived by her two children, Rachel and Ronald Pang. Rachel graduated from the Cornell School of Industrial Labor Relations in 2011, and Ronald is still in school working on his degree in accounting. Rachel remembered her mother as “a very tough lady,” who was resourceful and determined to carve out a better life for herself and her children. She brought the family to America from Hong Kong in 2003, began working in Chinese restaurants, and then got jobs with KeySpan  Energy and HealthForce in customer service, before moving onto her Station Agent’s job with the MTA.

Amy’s energy, dedication and determination will be greatly missed by her brothers and sisters  at TWU Local 100. She was remembered at a services on Friday, July 13 and on Saturday, July 14, and was interred at the East Ridgelawn Cemetery at 255 Main Street in Clifton, New Jersey.