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Pres Tony Utano Holds Candle for Victims of Domestic Violence

President Utano Addresses Symposium on Domestic Violence at the Union Hall

BROOKLYN, OCTOBER 4 -- TWU Local 100 hosted a Domestic Violence Awareness and Symposium at the Union Hall in downtown Brooklyn on Wednesday, Oct. 4. More than 100 people attended the symposium, which included short presentations by experts and a panel discussion that explored topics such as identifying signs of trauma, policies to protect victims and resources available for survivors.

The symposium was a joint project of the Local 100 Women’s Committee, led by Recording-Secretary LaTonya Crisp-Sauray, the MTA’s Work Life Services department and the MTA’s Office of the Chaplain. Below are the remarks delivered by TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano

"We like to think that, as a society, we have progressed and have improved over the years. We like to think that we have made great strides in areas like racism, race relations, economic opportunity, women’s rights and women’s equality. Maybe we are better off than we were six or seven decades ago. Maybe not.

But one thing is absolutely clear: we have a long, long way to go. You can’t look at domestic violence statistics and not be shocked – or angry. There are approximately 1.3 million domestic-assault victims in the United States - every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly 12,000 American women were killed by their current or ex-partners between 2001 and 2012, according to one study. That’s nearly double the number of American soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq during that time period.

Abuse, however, isn’t just physical. It can be emotional. It can be economic. And it can go unnoticed by the rest of us. It’s not always obvious. Victims will often hide their suffering - and not seek help - because they fear their abusers will inflict even worse harm on them or their loved ones. That’s why the TWU Local 100 Women’s Committee, led by Recording-Secretary LaTonya Crisp-Sauray, along domestic-violence experts, put together this excellent program. It is designed to help raise awareness and combat the scourge of domestic violence.

TWU Local 100 is a family. We spend a lot of time working to defend and improve wages, work rules, workplace safety and pensions. But our friends, sisters, daughters, mothers and co-worker can’t pick up their check if they are too broken to walk. They can’t enjoy their pensions if they don’t make it to old age. Addressing domestic violence is as important, and daunting, as anything we do here. Together we can make progress - but only if we take action as we are doing here today. Thank you."

Utano Announces New Local 100 Effort to Aid Hurricane Victims

OCTOBER 9 -- Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano today announced a ramped up effort to help hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. “Our hearts go out to the victims of these devastating storms,” Utano said. “Local 100 has a strong history of taking action when disaster strikes and that’s what we are doing here.” Utano said that the Local will quickly set up a TWU Local 100 Disaster Relief Fund that members will be able to easily contribute to through the union website. "It’s important for our members to know that any money they donate will go directly to helping those impacted by these horrific storms," he said. "Every penny will find its way to those who need it most.”

Weeks ago, Local 100 chipped in with a $10,000 donation to a TWU International Fund to aid the victims of Hurricane Harvey, which included several thousand TWU Local 260 members in Houston.

Then after the wicked hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria laid waste to huge parts of the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, Local 100 President Tony Utano was the first to pledge $10,000 to the TWU International’s Relief fund at the TWU’s 25^th Constitutional Convention in late September. In all, delegates and officers from across TWU, donated nearly $125,000 in less than 30 minutes. In addition, Local 100 will help the International load up a plane with purchased supplies for the ravaged region, officials said.

President Utano said, “I’m proud to be part of these efforts, but as a Local we need to do more. I’m counting on the great generosity of Local 100 members to add as much as possible to help as many people as we can.” Utano is also working with the MTA on a special effort to directly help Puerto Rico with boots on the ground. More details will follow in the next few days.

SEPTEMBER 28 – Tony Utano, a TWU lifer who has served Local 100 as an elected officer for nearly 35 years, the past seven as Vice President of Maintenance of Way Division, is Local 100’s new President. The Local 100 Executive Board voted overwhelmingly to elevate Utano after accepting the resignation of three-term President John Samuelsen.

Samuelsen was elected TWU’s International President at the TWU Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas on September 27th and will now devote his full energies there. Samuelsen called an emergency meeting of the Executive Board on September 28th to announce his decision to leave the Local, and offered his support to Utano. Local 100 Vice President from MaBSOTA, Richard Davis, made the motion to name Utano as President. It was seconded by Line Equipment/Signals Chair John Chiarello.

In an emotion filled meeting, Board member after Board member, some in tears, offered their heartfelt thanks to Samuelsen for his leadership at the Local since 2010, as well as their total support for the new President, Tony Utano.

In a brief acceptance speech, Utano promised to build a more unified TWU, as well as an administration built on respect for all officers and members. He said that the Local, as well as the entire public sector union movement, is facing tremendous challenges in the next few month as well as in 2018. He said he would put the power of Local 100 behind the effort to defeat a ballot question in November to authorize a State Constitutional Convention. He called the possibility of a State Convention a “threat to our pensions, Workers Compensation, our children’s education and more.”

Utano said he would lead an energetic drive inside and outside the Local to prepare for the fallout of an expected negative Supreme Court vote on Janus v. AFSCME, that would undermine the financial underpinning of unions representing public sector unions. Utano will fill out the remainder of Samuelsen’s term through 2018.

John Samuelsen Elected International President of the TWU

IB Image SEPTEMBER 26, LAS VEGAS -- TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen won election today as International President of the Transport Workers Union of America, a post he has been filling since the resignation of former President Harry Lombardo earlier this year. In delegate voting by the representatives of TWU locals from across the nation, Samuelsen won by 364 votes over former Local 100 Car Equipment Department Division Chair Joe Campbell, who received 36 votes. The voting took place as part of the business of the 25th Constitutional Convention of the TWU. Read the full story in the Daily News here.

We Celebrate African American Day in Harlem

SEPTEMBER 17 -- Hundreds of TWU Local members proudly marched along Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd in Harlem for the Annual African-American Day Parade. Prominent in the parade route were the TWU Local 100 float, a City Bus, and our Buffalo Soldiers MC riders. Top Leadership including Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, Administrative VP Nelson Rivera, and MOW VP Tony Utano, MABSTOA VP Richard Davis, and Stations VP Derick Echevarria, were on hand. We served delicious soul food to hundreds and provided the day's best old school beats. Enjoy the show and thanks to all who came out!

Why the Constitutional Convention Must be Stopped: It's a Double-Dipping Bonanza for Legislators

BY PETE DONOHUE

New York State government may spend tens of millions of dollars on a constitutional convention – a massive political orgy where fat-cat politicians, and their cronies and sidekicks, and a host of lawyers, lobbyists and public relations spin masters, would wine and dine and fill their pockets with money. Only we – the voters – can stop it. And we should.

In addition to being an overly expensive and unseemly affair – estimates range from $50 million to as much as $100 million – a constitutional convention could result in a back-door attack on workers’ pensions. Under state law, voters must be asked every 20 years whether or not a constitutional convention should be convened. Delegates at such a gathering would get to draft, introduce and vote on proposed amendments to the state constitution. This wouldn’t be a one-day affair but could go on for weeks or months, and the delegates, who essentially would be handpicked by the political party machines, would get paid for their “service.” Even members of the state Legislature who are picked to be delegates would get paid – on top of what they already are making on the state payroll.

To do what? Decide whether or not to draft, introduce and pass legislation, which is the job they were elected to do in the first place.

It’s a crock. A double-dipping bonanza. Who the hell needs a gun and a bank with schemes like this?

A horde of lobbyists, lawyers and public relations slicksters will descend on the convention in order to press their issues with delegates over dinner, drinks, or rounds of golf or whatever else they can conjure up to win favor. This would be an opportunity for right-wing ideologues to advance legislation that would weaken unions, just as they have in many other parts of the country. The guarantee that workers’ pensions “may not be diminished” could be eliminated.

IB Image The right to organize and collectively bargain and the right to workers compensation also could come under fire. Proposals that would weaken women’s rights, environmental protections, guarantees to a free public school education – and more – could be advanced and become law. “This is the “Pandora’s Box” of a constitutional convention in New York,” as Angelo Cucuzza (at left), chairman of the NY State Conference of Transport Workers Union of America, has said. There’s no shortage of better uses for that kind of dough, including increasing bus and subway service, putting significant numbers of law enforcement officers on buses, and putting more security cameras in stations.

Voters overwhelmingly said NO to a constitutional convention in 1997 and again in 1977. Now it’s time to say NO again. Make sure you make it to the polls on Election Day in November.

VP Tony Utano at “Welcome Back” Breakfast for School Bus Members

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 – Local 100 Vice President Tony Utano, School Bus Division Chair Gus Mohgrabi, Organizing Director Frank McCann and other Division officers were on hand for a “Welcome Back” breakfast meeting for School Bus members at the TWU satellite office on Saw Mill River Rd. in Yonkers. Special guest Corazon Pineda Isaac (center, in white blouse), who just won the contested primary election, with TWU’s support, for the Yonkers City Council's Second District by 146 votes, dropped by to say “thank you” and to wish the members a great school year. Also joining us was another big supporter of the TWU, Assemblywoman Shelly Mayer (at right, in yellow, next to Brother Utano) who has been the driving force behind our fight for earned sick leave in Westchester County. Councilwoman Pineda attended our Westchester Family Day picnic and we look forward to a productive partnership with her in promoting legislation which benefits working people in Yonkers.

Transit Workers Recall 911 -- In Their Own Words

TWU Local 100 produced this video of the recollections of transit workers who served at Ground Zero during the rescue and recovery effort on 9/11 and the days thereafter. As the towers fell, TWU Train Operators and Bus Operators evacuated citizens from lower Manhattan. Then, once the scope of the disaster became evident, Transit assigned over 2,200 workers to the operation. Hundreds more volunteered. For the first three days, the only heavy rigs at the site were New York City Transit’s. Our Track Workers and Structure Maintainers removed damaged and destroyed debris and vehicles using our heavy equipment, so that rescue crews could access the site. Other MOW personnel went in to repair crucial radio and communications links which were severed when the towers went down. NYCT Telephone Maintainers extended the Transit Authority’s underground phone lines to create phone banks for first responders at Ground Zero since cellphone communications had become disabled after the towers fell. Lighting Maintainers set up dozens of generators and lighting towers that turned night into day for the first wave of rescue personnel. Our Bus Operators, some of whom evacuated citizens as the towers fell, later brought first responders to the site using our fleet of buses. Trades titles assisted in the rescue and recovery effort by cutting iron and lifting wreckage. Station Cleaners then performed the massive clean-up required to begin to rebuild the damaged subway stations and tracks at the site.

Our Celebration of West Indian Day -- in Pictures

TWU Local 100's leadership, including President John Samuelsen, Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp-Sauray, and Administrative VP Nelson Rivera, stepped off on Eastern Parkway for the fabulous and festive West Indian Day Parade 2017. They also represented our members at a political breakfast before the event. TWU Local 100 fielded a float, an old City Bus, the Union van, and costumed dancers. At Bedford and Eastern Parkway, we offered delicious Caribbean fare including jerk chicken to all members and guests. Enjoy the photos.

The NYC-MTA Funding Dispute: Why is Local 100 in this Fight?

In the 1990s, the MTA agreed to take over the job of providing specialized transportation for New York City's disabled and senior citizens who have difficulty walking. It took on this burden at the request of NYC government. Since then, the demand for paratransit service, known as Access-A-Ride, has soared.

Similarly, the MTA provides massive subsidies for student transportation in the city. It gives the city Department of Education valuable student MetroCards for school kids to ride buses and subway trains specifically to get to class and then back home. Essentially, the MTA acts as a complex yellow school bus apparatus on behalf of New York City.

These two programs are clearly outside the core mission of the MTA, yet the money to cover the cost comes right out of the MTA's Operating and Maintenance Budget. Providing these services to NYC residents is undeniably the responsibility of NYC government. But City Hall only reimburses the MTA for a small percentage of the costs to provide these necessary services to its residents. It is de Blasio's obligation, but transit riders and transit workers are getting stuck footing the bill.

Not reimbursing the MTA for these services, which NYC asked to be provided, is the equivalent of hiring a contractor to perform work for you - and then refusing to pay for it.

There's a name to describe this. It's called theft of service. And right now, the de Blasio administration is stiffing the MTA for more than $530 million a year by refusing to pay up for services that NYC has requested.

That's more than $530 million that annually could be used to help pay for real solutions to the subway crisis, which would improve the riders' experience - and our work lives.

TWU International President Samuelsen explains how de Blasio is pulling money out of the MTA Operating and Maintenance Budget in this CBS news story by Marcia Kramer: (just click on the image to get to the story).