News from TWU Local 100

TWU's Mission to Puerto Rico

The Union sent nine Transit Workers to Puerto Rico. This is the story of their efforts to restore power, repair roofs, and bring health care professionals to the people of the island.

Members Pack Annual Mass Membership Meeting

New Local 100 President Tony Utano chaired his first union-wide mass membership meeting on Saturday, Dec. 9^th at the New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge Hotel. We are presenting his "State of the Union" address here for those members who were not able to attend the meeting.

Utano welcomed back International President and former Local 100 President John Samuelsen, who said that “it feels good to be home” among Local 100 members. Samuelsen proclaimed to cheers, "Imagine that -- a Trackworker from Brooklyn is President of the national TWU.” Samuelsen pledged to bring “Local 100 style aggressive leadership” to the TWU of America.

Keynote Speaker Terrance Melvin, Secretary Treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO and President of the national Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) commended Local 100 members for the turnout at the meeting. “It’s good to see so many workers showing an interest in their union.” Melvin focused his remarks on the pending Supreme Court case, Janus v AFSCME, that will be heard in early 2018.

President Utano delivered his report to the membership in a 20-minute prerecorded video (above). Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips delivered a positive financial report, that included numbers on overall membership exceeded 42,000 dues payers. PAC director Michele Gilliam reported on the union’s political activities, including the stirring victory to defeat Prop 1, the New York State Constitutional Convention, on election day. Guest Mark Richard, a labor attorney from Miami with a long resume of representing TWU Locals nationwide, gave a presentation on the aforementioned Janus case.

The members in attendance were treated to a promotional video on the life of TWU founder Michael J. Quill. Director Macdara Vallely is working on a full-feature documentary that he hopes to distribute nationally. Members in attendance also viewed an emotional video about the union’s efforts in the revitalization of hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico.

Considering Retirement? Make an Appointment with Our Pension Consultant in-house -- It's Free!

TWU Local 100 members in good standing who are considering retiring are invited to make an appointment with our Pension Consultant, Norman Rosenfeld, here at the Union Hall. Norman is a former Deputy Director of NYCERS, and will calculate your monthly pension benefit, go over all the options available to you, discuss pension loans and their consequences, and the pension tiers. Norman will also discuss your medical benefits as a retiree, how the retirement process works, and questions about credited service, bad time, and compensation time. Call Norman at 212-873-6000, ext. 2161 or 2077. He'll save you time and money!

Victory for our Station Agents on Buyback Bill

The Station Agent Buy Back bill is now law!

Gov. Cuomo signed the legislation Tuesday night. That means hundreds of Station Agents can now obtain the pension credits that they were denied when former MTA Chairman Jay Walder imposed draconian layoffs and service cuts in 2010.

“This is a huge victory,” Local 100 President Tony Utano and TWU International President John Samuelsen said in a joint statement. “Getting legislation like this passed by the State Legislature, and then getting the Governor to sign it, was a huge lift. We couldn’t have done it without the hard work and dedication of the members and officers who lobbied elected officials and kept this issue alive.”

The MTA pink-slipped nearly 500 Station Agents during a fiscal crisis that saw the authority’s tax revenues plummet with the economy. Walder had other options but he maliciously laid-off the Station Agents anyway after Local 100 leadership refused his demand to re-open the contract and accept sweeping agency-wide cuts to wages and benefits. “The MTA was trying to bully the union,” Station Agent Marnee Anastos said. The MTA began recalling some of the agents less than one year later. But some had to wait nearly two years before getting their jobs back.

S/A Frank Fodera and his wife literally shouted with joy when Sharase DeBouse, of Local 100’s Political Action unit, called them to say Gov. Cuomo had signed the bill. Frank had to fight back tears. “You made our day!,” Frank, 58, said. “We couldn’t be happier. This is going to help so many people.” Hired in 2006, Frank was laid off for 16 months. He has worked on and off over the last couple of years as he battles cancer. Buying back the pension credits for that lost 16 months moves him closer to reaching 10 years of pensionable service - and gets him closer to being able to retire on disability with the health benefits secured by Local 100 during contract negotiations. Frank requires extensive medical care that would be astronomically expensive without the Local 100 insurance plan. The prescription drugs that he currently needs now cost him $10 for a three-week supply. Without the coverage, that three-week supply would cost $11,556, his wife, Lynn, said. “It’s so crucial he retire with these benefits,” she said. “We’re grateful to all the people who went to Albany to lobby, and we thank God for the union. Without them, I don’t know what we would do.”

Anastos was stunned when she was laid off after 2 and a half years on the job. “We were laid off for no reason,” Anastos said. “The MTA said they didn’t have enough money but they then paid people overtime to do doubles and triples.” Anastos said she is “ecstatic” about the legislative victory, and glad she became involved. She joined a contingent of union members on a springtime lobbying trip to the state Legislature in Albany. “If people don’t get involved, things just get swept under the rug,” she said. “We all have to all stand together and get involved and make sure we get what we need.”

Union-Backed Bill Could Help 100,000 in W'Chester

BY PETE DONOHUE

NOVEMBER 28 -- A stomach-turning situation may soon come to an end up in Westchester County. For the geographically challenged, Westchester is north of the Bronx. It’s just beyond the reach of the subway system.
In other words, it’s upstate. More than 100,000 people who work in Westchester – including waitresses, chefs, school bus monitors and store clerks – can’t afford to take a day off when they come down with the flu, a nasty cold, or some other contagious illness. If they don’t show up at work and punch the clock, they won’t get paid. They should stay in bed to rest and recover. But they are compelled to trudge to their jobs in restaurants, school cafeterias, clothing stores and other businesses.

Would you like the flu with that shake? How about a side order of Strep with your coffee? Everybody off the bus, and take my germs with you.

There are two very good reasons, however, to be optimistic things are about to change for the better. First, the Westchester Board of Legislators is expected to approve legislation requiring businesses in the county give workers up to five paid sick days a year. That approval could come as early as February. Democratic Majority Leader Catherine Borgia says she has the votes on the board to pass the Earned Paid Sick Leave bill. Second, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino – a Trump-supporting Republican - won’t be around to veto it. After two terms, Astorino is now packing his bags and dusting off his resume. Democratic State Sen. George Latimer drubbed Astorino at the polls on Nov. 7th. Latimer will take over on Jan. 1.

The Democratic majority on the Board of Legislators will then be a super-majority. Three seats currently held by Republicans were taken by Democrats in the November election. The Earned Paid Sick Leave bill would apply to businesses with at least five employees. It’s not a giveaway. You earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours hour you work. When this bill becomes law, Transport Workers Union Local 100 can rightly take a lot of the credit. Local 100 brought the issue to Westchester legislators and helped craft the bill. It was modeled after legislation enacted in New York City several years ago.

Local 100 also helped form a coalition of supporters, participated in rallies and penned Op-Ed articles in local and regional newspapers. Here’s to a happy, and healthier, New Year to our brothers and sisters “upstate” in Westchester.

Dental Open Enrollment Extended

Dental Open Enrollment Extended to December 9, 2017

For More info, click below:

New Agreement Gives Raises to Station Agents Who Become Customer Service Ambassadors

NOVEMBER 15 -- Local 100 President Tony Utano has signed an agreement with management that protects jobs and gives raises to station agents who volunteer to be Customer Service Ambassadors. Station Agents who pick to become Customer Service Ambassadors, a new job title, will receive at least $1 more an hour in pay. The MTA will then fill those vacated booth positions. It also will not reduce the number of Platform Controllers or change their duties, the agreement for the one-year pilot program states.

“This is an important agreement that benefits both workers and riders,” Utano said. “Riders will get better customer service and our members will get access to new, better-paying jobs.” Up to 355 Ambassadors will move about stations with digital devices to help riders with directions, service changes and provide real-time train information. The MTA Board last month awarded Cubic Transportation Systems a contract to phase in a new fare-payment system with digital technology. The “contactless” system is expected to include riders paying at turnstiles with devices like iPhones.

The increasing reliance on technology is one of the reasons the pact negotiated and signed by Utano is so important, Derick Echevarria, Vice President of Stations, said. “It creates new jobs and moves us forward with technology,” Echevarria said. MTA officials said they envision the phase-out of the MetroCard to take until 2023. The agreement also states that “as technological advancements and improvements to the NYC subway system are implemented the parties will continue their ongoing discussions to preserve the jobs of Station Agents and to integrated job functions of the Station Agents with the improved technology to support an overall enhanced customer experience.”

Union Acts to Enforce Extinguisher Safety Recall at Transit Properties

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10 -- Local 100 identified an extremely serious safety hazard, prompting the MTA to replace 2,000 defective fire extinguishers on buses. One day after a national recall was issued for certain Kidde model extinguishers, elected union officers and staff conducted emergency bus inspections at the Flatbush Depot in Brooklyn. Those Nov. 3 inspections discovered the defective equipment on more than dozen buses, prompting management to order a complete canvass of the fleet. NYC Transit then deployed workers to replace 2,000 of the Kidde models subject to the national recall.

According to Consumer Reports, Kidde recalled more than 40 million extinguishers because they can clog and fail to work when needed. The company has received one report of a related death in 2014, when a fire extinguisher failed to work during a car fire. There have been 16 injuries, 91 reports of property damage, and 391 reports of the extinguishers either not working at all or not working properly, according to Consumer Reports.

“A dangerous and potential tragic situation may very well have been averted because this hazard was identified,” Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips said. “This was great work by Local 100 TA Surface Vice President J.P. Patafio, Division Chairs Willie Rivera and Danny Ascona and their teams, and Safety Rep. Tommy McNally."

“Once the union realized there was a recall we took immediate action to remedy the problem,” Patafio said. “When the union is running on all cylinders we can get things done. The members feel confident in their officers, and everyone goes home safe and sound.” Defective extinguishers also were found in work vehicles on the subway side and were being replaced, Phillips said.

TWU Scores Big Wins on Election Day

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TWU Local 100 and New York statewide labor movement scored big wins on Election Day, with the biggest being the successful campaign to defeat Ballot Proposal #1, the New York State Constitutional Convention, or ConCon. TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano had made defeating the ConCon proposition the union’s number one election day target.

After the announcement that New York voters had rejected the proposition in landslide fashion, Utano credited a strong grass roots effort by TWU and many other unions for the strong performance. “As little as a month ago, polls showed that ConCon had a good chance to pass. Our members and activists, and the entire labor movement deserve a lot of credit for turning it around into a huge victory for the security of our pensions, contracts, Workers Compensation and much more.” The stunning turnaround was reflected in the final vote – 78 percent voting no, and only 22 percent voting yes.

Other big wins for Local 100 include:

Westchester County Executive’s Race – TWU’s endorsed candidate , Democrat George Latimer, handily defeated two-term incumbent Rob Astorino. Local 100 put forth a big effort to dump Astorino, who has opposed a key piece of County legislation that would grant earned paid sick days for County workers, including School Bus employees and workers at Liberty Lines Transportation.

Yonkers City Council President – TWU Local 100 pushed hard to defeat incumbent Yonkers City Council President Liam McLaughlin. Our candidate,Democrat Mike Khader, won a tight contest, and credited his victory in big part to the help of TWU and our activists. We now have the County Executive and Yonkers City Council leadership in union friendly hands.

City Council District 43 – In one of the tightest races in the City, our endorsed candidate for the 43 City Council District, Justin Brannan, defeated his Republican opponent, John Quaglione, by less than 900 votes. The two were running to replace outgoing Councilmember Vincent Gentile (D), who is term-limited, for a seat that encompasses the southern Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and parts of Bensonhurst, neighborhoods with a heavy Local 100 presence. Brannan will be a solid vote for union-friendly and transit friendly measures on the City Council.

Westchester County 16th District TWU’s endorsed candidate Christopher Johnson won his race in the 16^th District of the Westchester Board of County Legislators. Johnson is a strong community activist and supports us on the earned paid sick days campaign, as well as other issues concerning our School Bus properties and Liberty Lines.

Con Con is Gone Gone!

By an overwhelming margin, New York State voters rejected a Constitutional Convention in yesterday's voting. A convention, that would have opened the State Constitution, and all of its provisions that protect worker pensions, collective bargaining rights, workers' compensation, and other safeguards was roundly opposed by labor. TWU Local 100 played a prominent role in the fight. Local 100 President Tony Utano participated in a labor walk, door knocking against Proposition 1. He was joined by other TWU Local 100 officers and rank and file members. Here's a round of applause to TWU Local 100 -- our members heard the message, got out to the polls, and delivered! Here's a message from the New York State AFL-CIO that says it all: http://nysaflcio.org/nyconcon-has-been-defeated/