News from TWU Local 100

Bring Back the Cash!

AUGUST 10 — TWU Local 100’s campaign to resume cash transactions at subway booths received a big public boost Tuesday from an impressive contingent of elected officials and advocates.

State Senator Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Catalina Cruz – and eight other members of the State Legislature – demonstrated their support by holding a well-attended press conference Tuesday with Local 100 President Tony Utano, Stations Vice President Robert Kelley, and other union leaders. Advocates from the Straphangers Campaign and the Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled also came and voiced their support at the event outside the Broadway Junction subway-bus hub in Brooklyn.

New Radio Campaign Honors the Transit Workers who Responded to the Attack on America on 9/11

TWU Local 100 · Transit Workersat Ground Zero Honored 20 Years Later

In a new radio spot, TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano salutes the over 3,000 transit workers who responded to the Attack on America on September 11, 2001. The campaign began on August 1 and will continue through the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

CED Mourns Prince, Car Inspector, 32

Car Equipment Department is grieving an unexpected and tragic loss of a TWU Brother Car Inspector, Bhagwant Scrichawla (Prince) who worked in the truck shop of the 207 Overhaul Shop. According to police, Prince's life tragically ended early Wednesday (7/28/2021) morning when he lost control of his car on the Long Island Expressway in Queens and struck a tree at about 4:30 am.

At the time of the accident, Prince was on his way to work, where he was highly respected and had earned for himself a solid reputation as a giving soul during his seven years of service.

Rob Ruiz, who is TWU Chairman of the 207th Street Overhaul Shop described Prince as someone who always came to work, was respectful and was always ready to help others without looking for anything in return.

Prince was only 32 years old and leaves behind a 3 year old son, loving girlfriend, parents and siblings. His funeral took place on Friday, July 30th, in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, and many friends, co-workers, and family were there. CED VP Shirley Martin and all the officers of the Department share their deepest condolences.

Get Vaccinated Now -- the Delta Variant is Spreading

Last week the Director of the CDC made it plain – 97% of new COVID-19 hospitalizations are people who are unvaccinated, making COVID-19 a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

The Delta Variant is spreading and the Union recommends that everyone get vaccinated right away.

More than 65% of eligible adults in the U.S. now vaccinated -- but only 47% of our MTA Brothers and Sisters are vaccinated. More needs to be done so that we can protect ourselves and our families.

These are facts:

Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Vaccines reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Vaccines are also effective against COVID-causing variants, which are spreading across the U.S.

Vaccines are free and easy to get these locations

MTA vaccination site at 130 Livingston St, Brooklyn (Wednesday and Thursday for employees and eligible family members)

Pop-up sites at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal (daily)
New York; https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/
New Jersey: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/vaccine
Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal
In your community or county – visit Vaccines.gov to find a nearby site.

You can also reach out Transit at teamvaccine@mtahq.org and they will put you in touch with an expert who can answer your questions. Here are some additional resources.

CDC Vaccine FAQs

NYS Dept of Health

NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene

MTA Employee Resource Center

Get vaccinated. The life you save could be your own or that of a family member. It's not only about fatalities. COVID-19 can produce long-lasting adverse effects after you recover from an infection.

MTA Members: Where to Get Your Free Vaccine Shot

COVID-19 Vaccines are given to MTA employees on Wednesdays and Thursdays (9am to 5pm) at 130 Livingston Street in downtown Brooklyn. The site is located on the 1st floor in the training center. If you haven't been vaccinated, now's the time since the more contagious delta variant is creating an uptick in infections.

Attention Cleaners, Checkers, TPPA's -- Apprenticeships Taking Applications

Our Upward Advancement Program in construction and the electrical trades is a career pathway. It provides a career track for men and women to complete a fully accredited trade school for five days a week for six months, at your full 40-hour pay rate. Only open to Traffic Checkers, Cleaners, and TPPA's. Click on the flyer above for more info. Upon successfully completing the six month program, you will enter a three-year apprenticeship program with Maintenance of Way. Interested? Visit our website at www.twulocal100tuf.org to apply.

TWU Local 100 Demands Hazard Pay at Hometown Heroes Parade

IB Image

JULY 8 -- Transit workers were cheered for their pandemic service by many thousands of New Yorkers that lined Broadway for the Hometown Heroes Ticker Tape Parade Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

More than 60 TWU Local 100 members marched or rode floats from Battery Park to City Hall.

“Thank you transit workers!” parade onlookers shouted as confetti swirled through the air.

In case you missed it — 2021 Scholarship drawings. Watch Now!

M3 Technologies Scholarship drawing:

RGLZ Scholarship drawing:

Welcome Back! Union Hosts Picnic for Quality Bus Members

Local 100 President Tony Utano, Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips, Vice Presidents Pete Rosconi and John Chiarello, MTA Bus Division Chair Danny D'Amato and Vice Chair Mike Capocci, joined school bus members from Quality Transportation in Brooklyn for the annual end-of-the-school-year picnic on June 25, 2021. Last year's event had to be cancelled due to Covid. President Utano said that he was "thrilled to see everyone having a good time. It's been a long time since we have been able to relax and enjoy one another's company as brothers and sisters of our wonderful union."

$2,500 Scholarship Established in Memory of Garrett Goble

As part of this year's scholarship drawings, the union will be presenting the first annual scholarship in memory of Train Operator Garrett Goble, who was murdered in an intentionally set fire on his train on March 27, 2020.

The initial scholarship is in the amount of $2,500.

Local 100 President Tony Utano said the annual award will serve as a permanent reminder of the incredible dangers transit workers face each day on the job.