News from TWU Local 100

New Radio Spot Features Conductor Sujatha Gidla

1010 WINS is now airing the second in a series of TWU Local 100 produced radio spots highlighting how transit workers are moving New York. Last month, President Tony Utano introduced the series by talking about the hazards faced by transit workers every day. This month, Conductor Sujatha Gidla, who has achieved acclaim as a writer. speaks about her immigrant roots and the power and camaraderie she feels as a transit worker. You can hear the spots on 1010 WINS throughout the day and also right here.

New Member: Big Bus Las Vegas Tour Guide Tricia Payne

TWU Local 100 Organizes Tour Bus Workers in Three More Cities

JUNE 29, NEW YORK CITY -- Hundreds of new union members – from Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco – have joined Transport Workers Union Local 100. These newly organized Bus Drivers and Tour Guides, all working for Big Bus Tours, expand TWU’s presence in the tour bus industry to six cities, as the new members join Drivers and Tour Guides already represented by the union in New York, Washington, DC, and Miami. With the new members, TWU now represents 500 Big Bus Tours employees. The company is the largest operator of open top sightseeing tours in the world.

An overwhelming majority of the Drivers and Tour Guides signed cards to indicate their desire for a union, said TWU Local 100 Director of Organizing Frank McCann. The American Arbitration Association certified the cards as constituting majorities of each group of employees on June 25^th. The TWU has an agreement with Big Bus Tours that the company will not contest organizing efforts at their properties.

Big Bus employees saw Local 100’s gains for workers in New York as big incentives to go union. These gains included better pay for work on holidays, across the board wage increases, better medical coverage, and improved 401 (k) employer contributions.

Just last month, Local 100 organized 500 more MTA employees, predominantly in Staff Analyst titles.

“TWU Local 100’s message to transit workers in every branch of the industry is the same,” said Local 100 President Tony Utano. “We will aggressively fight to increase your wages and benefits and protect your job as you do the important work of serving the public.”

Statement from Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano on Supreme Court Janus Decision.

"The Supreme Court majority is nothing but a bunch of Pinkertons in black robes. As expected, they are helping right-wing politicians and greedy corporate executives who want to bust unions and silence workers. Unions are nothing more than workingmen and working women advocating for fair wages, affordable healthcare and solid pensions so they don’t wind up paupers in their old age, all of which reduces revenues and profits.

Still, we are cautiously optimistic this putrid ruling will have a minimal impact on TWU Local 100. We are a very active, aggressive and growing union. We are always ready and willing to fight the bosses. Transit workers know that, and know how important it is to support their union so they don’t become doormats for the MTA or other employers.

Transit workers also know that the TWU has been and will continue to be an important pathway to the middle class for new immigrants to our city."

President Utano's remarks on the Janus decision to MTA Employees:

New Stewards Graduate in Westchester

JUNE 20 -- TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano presided over a graduation ceremony Wednesday for 22 Westchester members and officers who completed shop steward training.  The graduates, who attended training sessions by veteran labor educator Robert Wechsler, received their certificates at the Local 100 satellite office in Yonkers from President Utano, School Bus/Paratransit Division Chairman Gus Moghrabi, Private Lines V.P. Peter Rosconi and Senior Organizing Director Frank McCann.

Utano told the newly minted stewards during the ceremony not to be timid. “You are equal to management,” Utano said. “Don’t let management fool you. Sometimes you have to stand up to these bosses and let them know, ‘You need to respect me. I’m the union.’  Utano added: “I’ll tell you, you will have the support of Local 100. You will have our backing.” 

This was the first class of a revived and revamped shop steward training program, Utano said. Its members came from five different school bus companies in Yonkers. The training covered a range of topics, including: how to connect and communicate effectively with members; how to file a grievance; the right to organize; and the core goals of a union.

One particularly important point Wechsler stressed was the need to educate members about their right under the law to have a union member present in meetings with management that could entail or lead to disciplinary action by the employer. A union representative can ask questions, ask for documentation and even halt the meeting to talk privately with the member.  “It’s in their interest to have the union in there,” Wechsler said.

Viviana Guzman, a bus driver for First Mile Square for 10 years, said she wanted to become a shop steward “to learn the rights of workers and to make sure they are protected.” This was echoed by Yiri Collado, a driver for Royal Coach for 5 years. “I wanted to work in TWU to be more prepared to help members,” Collado said.