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Ribbon Cutting at Eastchester Depot

AUGUST 13 – TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips cut a ceremonial ribbon with MTA President of Buses Darryl Irick to commemorate the opening of the new Bus Wash at Eastchester Depot. On hand as well were TWU MOW VP Tony Utano, MTA Chief of Facilities George Meduina, and others. In his remarks, Brother Phillips spoke of his early days working as Bus Maintainer at the nearby Gun Hill Depot, and about the cold winters where workers had to wash down and services buses outside. With the facility upgrade, this will now be done inside, with large doors keeping the facility dry and huge fans ensuring good ventilation. MTA faciltiies chief George Meduina noted that Eastchester has the ability to contain any spills which might before have caused environmental pollution, and to remediate fuel spills on site. Rank and file fuelers and mechanics were treated to a breakfast by New York City Transit at the event.

GOP Debate - Good Televison, Bad Candidates

If you missed the Republican presidential debate, go watch it on the Internet. This union member found it thoroughly entertaining - both amusing and somewhat frightening at the same time.

First the fright factor.

The cast of characters includes men, and only men, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who successfully led a war against unions in his state, signing legislation that took away their right to collectively negotiate the terms of employment on behalf of workers.

Union power has been sapped, membership plummeted and Walker wants to take his anti-union crusade to the national stage.

On social issues, Walker would take away a woman's right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy even if it was the result of rape or incest, and even if the procedure is deemed necessary to save the mother's life.

The sleepy-eyed Wisconsin governor, meanwhile, would repeal the groundbreaking Affordable Care Act, which has resulted in 22 million of previously uninsured receiving health coverage and better care.

Those views, at least broadly, are in line with most or all of the other GOP candidates on the stage.

The 10 candidates stood at podiums that stretched across the entire stage at the Quicken Loans Arena.

TWU at the 2015 Dominican Day Parade

TWU turned out to celebrate Dominican Day 2015 in style, first enjoying a political breakfast at La Marina on Dyckman Street and Broadway with Dominican entertainers including Johnny Ventura and Celina Torribio. Our PAC team welcomed political leaders including Governor Cuomo, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Leticia James, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito, Assemblymen Keith Wright and Victor Pichardo, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and his father, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. Then it was off to the parade, which marked up 5th Avenue from 38th Street to 52nd Street. Enjoy the parade photos and make it a point to join us next year!

Union Hall to Host First Health Fair in Late August

TWU Local 100 and the MTA are co-sponsoring a first-ever joint health fair at the union hall on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015. Come on out and bring the family. Make it a first step to a healthier future for you and your dependents.

See official invitation from TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen and NYCT President Carmen Bianco.

Union Mourns Duane MacMenamie, Long-Time LES-MOW Officer

Local 100 members and officers are mourning the passing of Duane MacMenamie, Vice Chair of the Line Equipment & Signals Division. Duane had recently retired amidst a difficult battle with cancer. He died on July 30, 2015 from complications after surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He was only 59 years old.

Brother MacMenamie had been with TWU for the past 25 years as a member of the Lighting Section of LES. He had served as an officer for the past 15 years in several capacities, including most recently as Division Vice Chair. Local 100 President John Samuelsen offered the union’s heartfelt condolences to his wife, Linda, and sister, Donna. “Duane was a great union activist and even better person. We are all going to miss his friendship and humor, and the members he served so well are going to miss his advocacy on their behalf.”

Local 100 MOW Vice President Tony Utano echoed those sentiments, saying: “Duane was a real fighter for his members. He fought for them with the same vigor he tried to fight the cancer that has finally taken him. We are all heartbroken here in Maintenance of Way.” LES Chair John Chiarello added: “You can never replace a person like Duane. He brought so much energy and vitality to his job. It was a pleasure to work with him and to call him a friend.”

Arrangements for Brother MacMenamie are as follows:

Viewing: Thursday Aug. 6, 2015, 4:00pm-8:00pm, Gray Memorial Funeral Home, 12 Springfield Ave., Cranford, NJ, 07016. Tel: 1-908-276-0092

Funeral Services: 9:30am Friday August 7, 2015, St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, 40 Alden St, Cranford, NJ 07016

Interment: Fair View Cemetery in Middletown, NJ.

John Samuelsen, President * Earl Phillips, Secretary Treasurer * LaTonya Crisp-Sauray, Recording Secretary * Angel Giboyeaux, Administrative Vice President

Tony Utano, Vice President, Maintenance of Way * John Chiarello, Chair, LES-MOW * Richard Rocco, Chiar, Structure-MOW * Paul Navarro, Chair, Track-MOW * Ed DeCamillis, Chair, Power-MOW

At Coney Island Overhaul, a Crew of Car Inspectors and Maintainers Honored the Memory of a Brother

After George Manetta's brother, Firefighter Richard Manetta succumbed to World Trade Center related illness, a crew from the Coney Island Overhaul shop completely refurbished an electric vehicle in his memory.

Prostate Cancer Now Accepted as 9/11 Illness -- 90 Days to File

The Victim's Compensation Fund (the federal compensation program for those who served at the World Trade Center site) adds new illnesses from time to time that will qualify for compensation. The deadline to bring those claims is two years from when a particular illness is added. For most cancers diagnosed before October 12, 2014, a claimant has to be registered by October 12, 2014. If diagnosed after October 12, 2012, you have 2 years from diagnosis to register.

But prostate cancer wasn't added as an eligible injury until October 21, of 2013. This means that anyone who was at the WTC site between September 11, 2001 and May 30, 2002 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer after September 11, 2005 still has a claim if they file their claim with the next 90 days (until October 21, 2015).

If you were at the World Trade Center disaster site between September 11, 2001 and May 30, 2002, and have been diagnosed with prostate cancer after September 11, 2005, the deadline to file a claim for compensation with the federal government expires soon. For more information and a free attorney consultation call 1-800-331-2782 or 212 687-8181

Whilby Granted Bail in Pena Murder Case; Judge Sets 250K Cash Requirement

Domonic Whilby, whose drunken joyride in a stolen truck caused the death of Bus Operator William Pena in February of 2014, was granted bail in a Manhattan courtroom after 17 months of incarceration. The decision to set a $500,000 bond for Whilby, which can also be satisfied by $250,000 in cash, came over the objections of ADA Randolph Clarke, who called Whilby a flight risk due to the severity of the charges, which carry a potential penalty of life in prison. Judge Gregory Carro set September 14^th as the next court date, which will likely see the beginning of the trial process. Nancy Rodriguez, William Pena’s widow, said that she will be notified by the DA’s office if and when Whilby makes bail. TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen wrote a strongly-worded letter to Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, urging him to place tight restrictions on Whilby should he make bail, including no issuance of a passport and electronic monitoring.

Whilby, 23, was led into Judge Carro’s courtroom at 9:55 in a freshly pressed white dress shirt and gray slacks. His mother, sitting in the third row on the right hand side of the courtroom, put her arm around her sobbing younger son’s shoulders. On the left were members of the Pena family, along with officers from MaBSTOA and union rank and file and staff, including Division 1 Chair Richard Davis and Vice Chair Donald Yates.

Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer is greeted by the Governor today in the Bronx

TWU Cheers Governor Cuomo's Task Force to Root Out Worker Exploitation

JULY 16 -- TWU was on hand for today's historic announcement by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo that he is initiating a statewide Task Force to root out worker exploitation in many industries throughout the state. TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips represented the 39,000 members of the Union, along with other officers and rank and file members at the Bronx announcement of the initiative.

The Governor spoke from the heart when he recounted the experience of his grandfather, who worked as a laborer from the age of 15 in the bitter cold without being able to afford a coat, for an owner who would not let him sit in the cab of the truck to get warm. He said that the contemporary experience of state investigators, sent to take low-wage jobs, was similar: they found themselves working seven days a week, without vacations, for less than minimum wage. But "even if you are an undocumented worker, you are still entitled to the protections of laws of the State of New York," the Governor said.

He added that the recently-exposed plight of nail salon workers, who must work for starvation wages in an atmosphere of toxic chemicals, was only one example of exploitation. "If you want to open your eyes and be honest," he said, "it's everywhere in this economy." He mentioned landscaping, car wash work, laundry and cleaning services, and construction. The Task Force, he said, will employ 700 investigators who will be charged with investigations violations of labor law throughout the state in a variety of industries.

TWU Local 100 is proud to go on the record in full support of this Task Force.

President Samuelsen, with the bikeshare negotiating committee, holds the new signed contract to smiles all around.

Bikeshare Workers Ratify Their First TWU Contract

JULY 16 -- Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen announced today that bikeshare members have overwhelmingly ratified their first union contract by an 83 percent margin (97-19). The four and a half year contract, the first for bikeshare workers in North America, covers nearly 200 workers employed by NYCBS-Motivate, which operates bikeshare in New York and other major American cities.

“I am gratified that the members have shown their strong support today in their ballots, as well as support throughout the process,” said Samuelsen. “This contract greatly improves the income and benefits of these dedicated workers and we are confident will lead to better service for bikeshare users.”

Under the agreement, the workers running the nation’s biggest bikeshare program win raises of more than 20% over the contract period. Full-time employees in NYC will get an immediate average 10% boost to their hourly rates, a key worker goal, and will receive periodic raises throughout the life of the agreement. The contract includes creation of an empowered Workers’ Council, another key union goal, to meet regularly with Motivate management. It will be a forum for worker representatives to propose operational changes and resolve work place problems.

The contract also mandates predictable and stable schedules for workers who will pick assignments through seniority. It establishes a system enabling workers to get priority for promotions. It also provides a grievance and discipline procedure to guarantee just cause. The union also won an array of other economic and benefit enhancements, including 8 weeks of fully paid parental leave, eight paid holidays, the establishment of substantial paid annual vacation, paid medical benefits and night differential .

In NYC, the TWU represents approximately 200 mechanics, technicians, call center agents and “re-balancers,” staffers who supply docking stations with bicycles in New York City. The union also represents 300 additional workers at Capital Bike in Washington D.C., Divvy in Chicago and Hubway in Boston, all operated by Motivate.