News from TWU Local 100

Pres. Utano Addresses News Conference after Slashings at Union Square

MAY 14 -- After three riders were slashed on the 4 Train starting at Union Square, Local 100 President Tony Utano addressed the media in a joint press conference with MTA CEO Pat Foye. He called on NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to resign.

Union Action Upgrades Case Against Man Who Assaulted Conductor

After TWU Local 100 put a spotlight on the unhinged rider who threatened a subway Conductor early Monday morning at the Willets Point station, the police re-interviewed our union brother – and upgraded the case from a mere violation to criminal menacing.

A detective from the NYPD Transit Bureau is now investigating and trying to identify the individual who terrorized Conductor Kevin Rivera. Once the man is identified, police will try to locate and arrest him.
“Thank God for the union,” Rivera said. “The union opened up everyone’s eyes to what happened, including the NYPD. I really appreciate the union.”

Police officers who responded to Willets Point in Queens wrote up the case as harassment – a violation, which is at the same level as a parking ticket. With such a case, police are unable to make an arrest or take any enforcement action. Menacing is a B misdemeanor punishable by jail time.

The NY Post was one of the many media outlets that reported on the incident once Local 100 brought it to their attention.

At News Conference on Subway Crime, RTO VP Loegel Announces Increased Charges for Assaulter

MAY 12 -- At a news conference called by the Union, RTO VP Eric Loegel gave the union's rebuttal to the Mayor's statement that subway crime is under control. He called upon the Mayor to bring more police and mental health services to the system. In addition, he announced that charges against an individual who threatened and chased a Conductor with a razor have been upgraded.

TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano blasts Mayor for saying subway riders with safety concerns should be laughed at

May 7 -- TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano today issued this statement in reaction to Mayor de Blasio's refusal to recognize the severity of crime in the subway system:

"Mayor de Blasio’s shameless political hackery has reached new depths.

"The mayor said that “a real New Yorker” would not be afraid of riding the subway. He said any subway rider with safety concerns should be “laughed out of the room.”

"Clearly and unfortunately, the mayor has future political ambitions, and he wants to foster this fiction that everything is wonderful in the transit system. The fact that he made these comments hours after a transit worker was nearly killed, and during a steady drumbeat of erratic, alarming and dangerous conduct in the subway, much of it by people with serious mental health issues, is stunning and outrageous. Transit riders, workers and all voters will remember this betrayal."

Here are the Mayor’s comments as reported in the Daily News:
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-subway-stabbing-slash-overnight-20210506-ns4jasm4rzcbxjoipnssufjvju-story.html

Conductor Badly Slashed in Queens; Aunt Pleads for More Police

MAY 6 -- After the near-fatal slashing of her nephew, Conductor Gerard Sykes, his Aunt, Cassandra, begged Mayor de Blasio for more police to combat the crime wave currently engulfing the subway system. TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano responded to Jamaica Hospital along with RTO VP Eric Loegel. Brother Sykes had two emergency surgeries and is now declared in stable condition.

IB Image

Queens Memorial Honors Our Transit Workers Who Died of COVID-19

2.5% Contractual Raise on May 16, 2021

MAY 5 -- Local 100 President Tony Utano today announced that the third of four contractual raises resulting from the current TWU agreement with the MTA will show up in our checks on the following dates:

• For OA and TA, May 26th - 27th, respectively.
• For MTA Bus, June 3rd

This is the third of the four contractual raises negotiated in late 2019 and ratified by the membership in January 2020. The final increase of 2.75 percent will be effective on May 16, 2022.

“Our members deserve this raise. Our contract has kept us well ahead of inflation, and it has provided strong financial security for our members during the pandemic, and I believe will continue to do so for the next two years,” said Utano.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR A DOWNLOADABLE COPY OF THE PAY RATES

Sen. Charles Schumer (kneeling, center) is surrounded by TWU Local 100 officers, including Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips, Vice President Richard Davis and OA Division 1 Chair Donald Yates.

Sen. Schumer Says All Electric Bus Fleet is Coming to MTA, Part of Biden Climate Plan

MAY 4, 2021 - Manhattan -- Sen. Charles Schumer announced today that the federal government will be providing funding to the MTA to convert its entire bus fleet to electric vehicles in the years ahead. Schumer spoke on the subject at a press event at the Tuskegee Airmen’s Depot on 100th Street.

Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips, Vice President Richard Davis, Division 1 Chair Donald Yates and other MaBSTOA transportation and maintenance officers met with Schumer to insist that job protection for maintainers be a top priority in the transition to electric.

“We support Sen. Schumer’s initiative for the MTA’s bus fleet,” said Phillips. “We have been fighting to rid the workplace and the neighborhoods surrounding our depots of diesel fumes for the past decade.”

But, added Phillips, “a switch to electric buses must not be a job killer. We will not allow that to happen, and we have Senator Schumer’s word that job protection will be a key part of the equation.”

Felony assaults in the subway up 42% compared to three years ago; Union demands more mental health and police resources

APRIL 30 -- A subway rider spat in a subway worker’s face, brandished a razor blade, and threatened, “I’ll stab you” this morning in Queens. The violent outburst occurred at the end of the F line in Queens when a Train Operator roused the man from his sleep at approximately 10:30 at the 179th St station.

"The subway system desperately needs more resources - mental health services, homeless outreach workers and police officers to protect my members and riders,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “This has to stop. Every single day there's an incident like this." Felony assaults from January through late April are up about 17% compared to the same period last year, up 24% compared to the same time period two years ago – and up 42% compared to the same time period three years ago, according to the latest police statistics.

Ridership, meanwhile, is a fraction of what it was pre-pandemic. More than 5 million people rode the subway in 2018 and 2019. The weekday average now is about 1.8 million riders. Far fewer riders, more serious crime.

Trains are regularly cleared of passengers at the end of subway lines so they can be cleaned or sent to the rail yard to be temporarily parked without riders on board. Overall crime is down in the subway system because the largest category is grand larceny committed by pickpockets. That’s driving down the statistics and masking the very real problem with mentally ill homeless in the system.

Dedra Brinson Sworn in as Vice Chair, Train Operators, B Division, RTO

IB Image APRIL 29 -- Dedra Brinson, a career Train Operator with 19 years of service at NYCT, was sworn in by President Tony Utano to complete the term of T/O Brussard Alston, who retired. She was appointed by the Executive Board to occupy the position of Vice Chair of Train Operators for the B Division. For most of her career she has worked the F Line. She has previously served as a Shop Steward

RTO Vice President Eric Loegel (also pictured) said Sister Brinson "has worked closely with the union for the last couple of years and has done an excellent job serving our membership and moving RTO forward. I'm thrilled to have her working in an official capacity as a Vice Chair for the B Division. I know she will continue her great work for the Department."

Brother Alston, who retired in December, had 32 years with NYCT and has previously held the position of Division Chair.