News from TWU Local 100

NY 1 Report: Transit Union Demands Masks Enforcement on City Buses as Ridership Returns

JULY 9 — NY1 Reporter Dan Rivoli reports on the MTA's refusal to enforce rules on mask wearing on buses. You can watch the report here.

Here's the text of the report:

NEW YORK - Bus drivers are seeing too many faces of passengers not wearing a face covering. It’s unnerving bus drivers who either radio to their command center to report violators or make announcements reminding passengers that masks are mandatory.

We Mourn Railroad Stock Worker Lafayette Terrell, Taken by the Virus

The Division of Supply Logistics – in charge of distributing the equipment used by transit workers in maintenance and repair throughout the system -- suffered a serious loss on May 2 with the death of Lafayette Terrell, who worked nights at the Pelham Maintenance Shop in the Bronx. Mr. Terrell was 65 and had 39 years of service with New York City Transit. He had served in the US Army for four years before beginning his transit career.

Lafayette's younger brother, Angelo Terrell, Assistant Chief Officer of Supply Logistics, encouraged Lafayette to join transit in 1981, a year after he started the job in 1980.

"I always loved you. I miss you so much. We were brothers and best friends," he said.

He said both his brother and himself wore masks at work but got sick with COVID-19 in April. They fought the disease together. Angelo developed antibodies and recovered, but Lafayette, who had other health risks, was not so fortunate. Angelo said responding firefighters initially advised Lafayette not to go to the hospital because it was overwhelmed with virus cases at the time, and instead try to win the battle at home with supplemental oxygen. Lafayette felt better for a time, his brother said, but then had to be hospitalized and was put on a ventilator after the third day in the hospital. He died on Saturday, May 2. In his immediate family, Lafayette leaves his wife, Karen, and four daughters, Barshona, Chadera, Alisha, and Divana to mourn.

Ivan Barco, a Railroad Stock Worker who worked with Lafayette Terrell for eight years at the Pelham Shop, said "he was very gentle, courteous, and respectful. He never took a day off, only took off for vacation. He used to talk about his daughters and how he would go down to North Carolina to see them.

"He was very thorough and was always on point. When he did something he always did it the right way. He was always on time, always punctual. And he liked wearing his jewelry, his rings and chain. He was a nice dresser, and a funny guy. He was down to earth. All of the Cleaners miss him."

 

Union Mourns David Gantt, 78, Chair of NYS Assembly Transportation Committee

TWU Local 100 mourns the passing of longtime NYS Assemblyman David Gantt, 78, who passed away last Wednesday, of long-term illness. Assemblyman Gantt served in the legislature for nearly 40 years, and his stewardship of the Transportation Committee made him a go-to legislator for Local 100. "He was always willing to meet with us in Albany to advance our shared agenda -- better mass transit for under-served communities amd more protections for the transit workforce," President Tony Utano said. Members may recall meeting with Mr. Gantt at our lobby days in Albany.

Mr. Gantt was the only African American from Monroe County ever elected to the state Legislature. A Democrat, he was known as a fighter for civil rights and championed funding for Rochester public schools. He grew up poor in Alabama and his family moved to Rochester in the 1950's. He is credited with a legacy that, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, "brought a pantheon of younger African American elected officials and leaders into government."

Sec-Treas Earl Phillips examines new partition at Quill Depot in Manhattan

Union Officials Review New Bus Barrier Concepts

JUNE 30 -- The MTA today showcased new barriers to separate Bus Operators from riders as it looks to resume fare collection some time in August. There could be additional modifications but under the current MTA plan there are different retrofits for different bus models.

The vast majority of buses – 4,200 locals – will get a retrofit with a sliding see-through polycarbonate panel extending towards the front windshield, MTA officials said. When manually extended, the sliding panel extends about 18-inches farther towards the windshield than existing partitions. Approximately 600 older buses (Orions), and all 1,000 express buses, initially would get retractable vinyl curtains. But the authority is developing prototypes for those buses similar to the more solid, sliding-panel design, transit management said. When fare collection resumes, riders will not be allowed to sit in the front row, the MTA said.

TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, MaBSTOA Vice President Richard Davis and MTA Bus/Private Lines V.P. Pete Rosconi were among the Local 100 officers who inspected the barriers at the Quill Depot. MTA officials said the authority will retrofit as many buses as possible before resuming front-door boarding and fare collection, but said the entire fleet may not be done by then.

Local 100 President Tony Utano said any bus going into passenger service will have to have a barrier if passengers are to board through the front door. “We’re not going to allow our Bus Operators to pull out a bus without a barrier of protection while the pandemic is going on,” Utano said.

For a longer-term upgrade, Utano and Phillips have previously urged the MTA to pursue a completely new bus design where Bus Operators are enclosed in a cab that extends the entire width of the bus. The front door of such a bus is shifted behind the front right wheel. MTA bus officials on Tuesday said they are looking into that possibility. "These are steps in the right direction and we will continue to push the MTA, as we have for years, to improve safety for our Bus Operators," Phillips said.