News from TWU Local 100

NYS Paid Family Leave: Your Questions Answered

Paid Family Leave is a New York State program that allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave at 67% of their pay, up to a cap. It’s an insurance plan funded by employees through payroll deductions. The amount of that deduction changes every year.

In 2022, the employee contribution for Paid Family Leave is .511% of gross wages, with a maximum annual contribution of $423.71, deducted from after-tax wages. If an employee makes less than the NYS average weekly wage of $1,594.57, the deduction will be less.

Union Mourns Former RTO Vice President Tim Schermerhorn, 67; Arrangements Set for Sept. 24

TWU Local 100 activist and one-time RTO VP Tim Schermerhorn passed away Sunday morning at the age of 67.

Tim was a co-founder in the 1980's of the New Directions caucus in Local 100 that sought sweeping changes in union leadership and policies. He ran for President four times, losing by small margins before becoming Vice President of RTO. The photo shown here is from his 1997 campaign.

Join us for the African-American Day Parade in Harlem on September 18th

Join your Union Brothers and Sisters as we proudly march in the African-American Day Parade in Harlem!

Assemble at 11AM in front of the New Ebony Hotel, at 142 West 112th Street (corner of 112 & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.)

Registration required. Click here to register.

Son of Train Operator passes away

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of retired train operator Darryl Gause’s son Nelson Lee who has transitioned on. Nelson Lee was born September 15, 1982 in Brooklyn NY. He served in the United States Navy and is survived by his 5 children. We ask that you all keep our Brother Darryl Gause and his family in prayer at this difficult time.

Final Deadline Coming for 9/11 Pension, Worker's Comp Benefits

JULY 27 -- Secretary-Treasurer and Safety Director Richard Davis is sending a letter to all TWU Local 100 members who are still active and served during the rescue and recovery effort at the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Retirees who served at the site are also being notified. The letter notes that there are two important deadlines which are coming up on September 11 of this year -- deadlines for filing a 9/11 Notice of Participation with your pension system (either NYCERS or MABSTOA) and a deadline for filing a Registration of Participation with the Worker's Compensation Board.

Read the letter to understand what these deadlines mean for you.

Union Mourns Lighting Maintainer Damian Valerio, Killed in Tragic Accident

Statement from MOW Vice President John Chiarello, LES Division Chair Chris Canty, Vice Chair Alex Seise, Vice Chair Rosario Parlanti and the LES Committee:

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the tragic passing of one of our union brothers, Lighting Maintainer Damian Valerio. Damian was killed in motorcycle accident in Queens on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

“Damian was a great guy, a family man, who got along with everyone,” MOW Vice President John Chiarello said. “This is a terrible loss.”

Working in the Heat Can Be Dangerous -- An Alert from Your Safety Team

Click to learn more about 'working in the heat' from your Safety Department.

Bus Operator Giselle Martinez Named Women’s Committee Coordinator

JULY 8 -- Bus Operator Giselle Martinez – a published author, an active union member, and the former president of a non-profit childcare provider – is the new Working Women’s Committee and Family Assistance Coordinator, President Tony Utano and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis announced Friday.

A Bus Operator in the TA Surface Division for seven years, Martinez penned an autobiography, “The Lady of the Miracle” (La Dama del Milagro) which chronicles the struggles she faced in her life and how she overcame them.

TWU Local 100 Introduces TWU Recap -- Episode 1

It’s hard to keep informed. The job, the family, life itself, can get in the way. That’s why TWU Local 100 created the TWU Recap.

Bus Safety Update

JULY 7 -- Teams of MTA police officers are now riding local buses – potentially providing a much-needed uniformed presence that will deter some of the assaults being inflicted on Bus Operators, TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis announced today, Thursday, July 7, 2022.

Local 100, meanwhile, has formed an Employee Safety Committee of Surface Transportation with the Amalgamated Transit Union leadership and NYC Transit to develop additional recommendations to reduce assaults and the risk of injury from other hazards – and to monitor and give input on police deployment, Utano and Davis announced.

Rank-and-file Bus Operators also will have a seat at the table, Utano and Davis said. The task force will include a committee that has a Bus Operator from each depot. Victims of assaults themselves also will be on the committee.

“I believe we are making real progress,” Utano said. “We’ve made a big push to get police on buses, but we need more, and we need involvement from the NYPD.” Davis, who also serves as Local 100 Safety Director, said the MTA police teams and task force builds upon his initiative to restructure and reinvigorate the Safety Department, which will also be involved in this task force.

The MTA has told the union that the MTA police officers are being deployed to “hot spot” segments of bus routes where assaults have been particularly problematic. The targeted areas are identified by MTA Security, which has also directed some of its Eagle Teams to pay attention to local buses.