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President John Samuelsen to Local 100 Bus Operators: ‘Protect Yourself, Operate Your Bus With Extreme Caution.'

Local 100 President John Samuelsen Issued the Following Statement and Advice today in the Wake of the Outrageous Arrest of Bus Operator In Brooklyn Under Vision Zero:

""On top of all the difficulties and dangers already facing our Bus Operators, a new one now exists. Under the initiative known as Vision Zero, the Police are now stating they are mandated to arrest a Bus Operator involved in a fatal pedestrian accident. The implementation this policy, written or otherwise, that calls for our Bus Operators to be arrested for accidents is nothing short of an attack against all New York City Transit Workers.

"Under this unjust, punitive policy one of our Operators was arrested on the evening of December 23, 2014 in Brooklyn. He was charged with “failing to yield to a pedestrian.” This arrest was an absolute outrage and must not stand. Day-in and day-out, we deliver a tremendous service to this City under extremely adverse conditions. Subjecting transit workers to such treatment is nothing short of despicable. WE ARE NOT CRIMINALS!

"The resulting anger and frustration of brother and sister bus operators and depot and division officers the following morning at several depots was a powerful, spontaneous demonstration of support for the charged Bus Operator. This portion of the Vision Zero law is a travesty, and must be amended. The union will be pursuing every angle to accomplish this, and pressuring elected public officials to take immediate action.

"In the meantime, all Bus Operators throughout the City must proceed with extreme caution on the job. This means abiding by MTA regulations rigidly. Observe all traffic regulations, most importantly the new City-wide speed limit. You are under great scrutiny right now by people in positions of authority who do not care about your livliehood, or your ability to take care of your family. This is an extremely serious situation and you must respond accordingly. Do not take any chances whatsoever. If the diligent operation of your bus causes a negative impact on service, then so be it. You must operate safely at all times. That must be your focus.

"Should any member of Supervision threaten or harass you in any way to speed up service to make schedule, notify your Depot or Division officers immediately.
"Be safe. Be careful. Protect your job."

Statement of TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen on the Murder of Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu

On behalf of all transit workers of good will, and on behalf of my own family, I offer my heartfelt sympathies to the families of Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu and to all members of the New York City Police Department.

Their murder is a shocking assault on our entire City and on all workers who risk their lives and devote their careers in service to the people of New York. There is no justification on any level for this monstrous crime against society and the rule of law that keeps us all grounded in basic human goodness. It is my fervent hope that this shameful act serves as a catalyst for healing in our City.

May our Union Brothers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu rest in peace, and may their families find the courage to get through this awful time.

Coro Fellows with PAC Director Marvin Holland

New Blood from Coro Fellows Energizes Union Fight

TWU Local 100 has been benefiting from the services of two Coro Fellows, highly-skilled college graduates who have been selected to be part of a rigorous leadership training program. Coro is a non-profit education organization that's been developing leaders for over 60 years, and training them to tackle complex problems by rotating them in and out of government and industry.

Local 100's two Coro fellows, David Bocarsly and Michelle St. Julien, were thrown into the mix to help tackle two of our most pressing issues: David was assigned to research the differences between MTA bus employees and the rest of the MTA workforce. Michelle was put to work mapping and analyzing patterns of bus operator assaults in Brooklyn.

Working out of the PAC "war room" on the 9th floor, and mentored by PAC Director Marvin Holland, David and Michelle immersed themselves in the issues and culture of our union. David, who comes from California and attended UCLA, did research and met with City Council members to educate them on the history of the MTA Bus pension and what could be done to fix the inequity.

AUDIO: Talking about TWU's National Bike Share Initiative with WPFW Radio's Bill Fletcher

On Bill Fletcher Jr.’s talk show on WPFW, Arise! TWU National Bike Share Initiative lead organizer Nicholas Bedell discusses the recent successful efforts to unionize bike share workers. He describes the effort, the fight against anti-Union law firm Jackson Lewis, and our long-term objective, which is to provide these workers with sustainable jobs in the new green economy.

After months of work, MTA VP George Menduina and MOW VP Tony Utano unveil new lobby at East New York Depot

The work was done by in-house forces, showcasing another example of excellent workmanship by TWU Local 100 members. Sharing in the satisfaction of a job well done were rank and file TWU members, under the Structures Division of MOW, Division Chair Richard Rocco, as well as engineers from DC 37 and managers.

Hat trick plus one: DC Bikeshare workers go TWU

Workers at Capital Bikeshare in Washington, DC, which offers 2,500 cycles to commuters at 300 stations in the Metro area, have voted overwhelmingly to join TWU.

With the 41 to 14 vote to unionize, bikeshare workers in DC have joined with their brothers and sisters in New York, Chicago, and Boston.

The organizing drive was profiled by The Next City.

D.C. Bike-Share Is on the Verge of Unionizing

Holiday Spirit Fills Women's Committee Toy Drive

The TWU Local 100 Women's Committee, headed by Liz Wilson and Brander White, put out an appeal and transit workers answered, donating hundreds of "gently used" coats and toys. They're going to the Odyssey House Mother and Child Program. Committee Members, staff and rank and file members posed with some of the holiday charity gifts at our Union Hall in downtown Brooklyn.

Workers Celebrate as Global Contact Services Election Affirmed

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 -- Rank and file members working for Global Contact Services, a multinational company under contract to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates a call center for its Access-A-Ride service, cheered as the results of an National Labor Relations Board review of a union election were announced. The NLRB re-affirmed the vote, which had TWU Local 100 winning, with 331 out of 449 votes, the right to represent the call center employees. Local 100 President John Samuelsen called the victory a win for workers at GCS, who recently joined the 15 For All campaign. Most of the workers make less than $12 per hour. TWU Local 100 plans to change that.

Big Win in Boston as Bikeshare Members Join the TWU

Fighting back against a strong anti-Union campaign by the Jackson Lewis law firm and REXQ, rank and filers at Boston Bikeshare (Hubway) have chosen the TWU as their bargaining representative. The vote was 74% in favor of the TWU, in spite of intimidation. Pictured are Boston Bikeshare personnel, with TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen at left, and TWU Director of Education Nick Bedell, at right. Congratulations Hubway customers and workers! This is a step towards a more motivated and energized workforce with a voice in decisions affecting their lives.

We Join "Fight for 15" Coalition; Push Higher Wages for Members at Global Contact Services

Carrying signs that demanded $15 and a contract, TWU Local 100 members demonstrated near City Hall as part of the #FightFor15 coalition, represented here in New York by New York Communities for Change. The campaign is also known as #strikefastfood, because most of the organizing drive is coming from fast food workers at such restaurants as McDonald's and KFC. At Global Contact Services, which TWU Local 100 organized recently and won representation rights for in an NLRB election which is being contested by management, the majority of workers make less than $12 an hour -- far below what we consider a living wage in New York City. Let's use the power of the TWU to get these -- our newest members -- a better deal. The noontime rally will be followed by more actions -- a great opportunity for our members to become part of this growing movement. We have our own hashtag -- #stopGCSabuse.