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Annual Open Enrollment to Begin for Active Members

The annual Open Enrollment period for health benefits for active members at TA/OA/MTA Bus is upon us.

The MTA Business Service Center has mailed out Open Enrollment booklets and their teams, together with reps from Empire and UHC, will be visiting more than 40 locations throughout the system to answer questions from now through Nov 14, the day before Open Enrollment ends for active members.

The schedule of visits is here.

As well as visits to barns, yards, shops, depots and quarters, there will also be three system-wide events:
Tuesday, November 4 at the Union Hall, 10am-12 & 2-4pm
Friday, November 7 at 2 Broadway, 12-4pm
Friday, November 14 at 180 Livingston, 8:30am-5pm
If you have questions about your health coverage, this is your chance to get them answered.

Dental and vision benefits will not be covered in the BSC's Open Enrollment. These benefits are now administered by TWU Local 100. Active members who wish to change their dental coverage may do so through November 17. The forms for doing so are available here.

3,000 transit workers responded on 9/11

WTC Deadline Approaching for Linked Cancers

October 12, 2014 is the last day to register a claim for a WTC cancer which diagnosed on or before October 12, 2012, except for prostate cancer. You can find more information about the Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation Act here. This applies to everyone who lived and/or worked south of Canal Street from 9/11/01 through 5/30/02. The most common cancers linked by the National Institutes of Health and the WTCHP are cancers of the lungs, esophagus, kidneys, prostate, lymphoma, leukemia, and thyroid. Get checked out. You may be entitled to compensation for your illness and lost income.

Why We Need A Bill To Protect School Bus Drivers in Westchester

Right now, a school bus driver in Westchester can lose his job through no fault of his own -- and has no arbitration rights to gain reinstatement.

Brooklyn D.A. Thompson stands with President Samuelsen at Oct. 29, 2013 rally

Brooklyn District Attorney indicts suspect in slashing of TA Surface Operator

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson announced that a suspect, Alfredo Perez, has been indicted on multiple charges in the assault on TA Surface Operator John Browne of Gleason Depot.

Perez is accused of attacking Browne the night of September 13. Browne was awaiting mechanical assistance for his B35 bus when Perez allegedly slashed his face with a knife.

From D.A. Thompson's press release:

Kings County District Attorney Kenneth P. Thompson today announced that a 29-year old Bronx man has been indicted on assault and other charges for allegedly slashing the neck of a New York City Transit bus driver earlier this month.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant could have easily killed this innocent and hardworking bus driver who was simply waiting for his bus to be towed after it broke down. We will now vigorously prosecute this and any other violent and senseless attack on any Transit worker in Brooklyn.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Alfredo Perez, 29, of 1363 Franklin Avenue in the Bronx. He has been named in a six-count indictment in which he is charged with first-degree assault, first-degree attempted assault, two counts of second-degree assault, third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The indictment was filed yesterday in Brooklyn Supreme Court. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. The defendant is presently being held on $15,000 bail, which was set at his Criminal Court arraignment.

Pianist Peter Serkin Plays in the Series

Classical Music Only $10 With Your MTA ID

The Peoples' Symphony Concerts is offering MTA employees $10 tickets to 18 concerts in their 2014-2015 season which starts in October. Read their flyer here. Get acquainted with western art music (classical music) and see some of the classical world's greatest performers for a price you won't find anywhere else. These are artists who play some of the world's top venues, like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall -- these concerts are a chance to see them on small stages for a great price.

NJ Transit: Temporary MNR Passes Will be Accepted on Certain Lines

New Jersey Transit has issued an instruction to its staff honoring the new Metro North commuting passes at some of its stations. The MNR pass will be accepted for transportation on the Main-Bergen/Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines, to and/or from any Metro-North Station, for passage through the Secaucus Fare Gates, and for travel between Secaucus and New York. When you use the pass, you must also display your NYCT Photo ID.

People's Climate March Beats Expectations; TWU Credited with Organizing Support

An estimated 310,000 marchers dominated midtown Manhattan on Sunday to call on world governments to take action to reduce global warming. TWU Local 100 had played an important role in organizing the march by giving 350.org, the main sponsor, space at the Union Hall to train Peacekeepers who were present throughout the event wearing distinctive vests and armbands. Local 100 officials and rank and file also marched. Transit workers have a particular stake in climate change: Not only do rising sea levels threaten transit infrastructure, but the solutions to climate change should include more funding for mass transit to give people an alternative to gas-guzzling cars. TA Surface Vice President JP Patafio closed out the labor rally that preceded the march with a powerful speech in which he called upon corporate interests to take the environment into account or face shut-down by angry unions and citizens.

African-American Day Parade A Joyful Day

In what has become a signature event for TWU Local 100, hundreds of members marched through Harlem in the Annual African-American Day Parade. TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen and his wife, Lisa, joined the other top leadership of the Union and many rank and file members in the march, along with a large contingent of bikers on motorcycles who come out annually to share in the festivities. At the same time, other TWU members were marching in the People's Climate March through midtown Manhattan. "TWU was there in force, to celebrate black heritage. There was plenty of music, plenty of food, and plenty of good times with our brothers and sisters," said Administrative VP Angel Giboyeaux.

We Win at NYC Bike Share as Company Agrees on Voluntary Recognition of TWU Local 100

TWU Local 100 is now the exclusive bargaining representative of New York City bike share workers, after an agreement was signed Tuesday night. TWU becomes the first to unionize the growing bikeshare industry across the US, with plans to organize workers in other cities as well. TWU Local 100 President called bike share "uncharted territory" for unions, and said that organizing committees are forming to unionize additional bike share workers. TWU Local 100 views bike share workers as part of the urban transportation system, bringing mobility, healthy exercise, and environmental responsibility to the mix. Prior to the signing of the agreement, Local 100 had waged an organizing campaign among the 200-plus bike share workers in New York City, and a majority had signed union cards. The win by TWU Local 100 comes just days after another successful organizing drive brought 550 new members into the fold, who are employees of Global Contact Services which is a call center under contract to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Local 100 Hockey Team Forming

Telephone Equipment Maintainer Nick Gallo is organizing an ice hockey team for TWU Local 100, with the objective of playing other unions in the NYC area. Brother Gallo reports that the men's league is starting at the end of September, and everyone that's on the roster now will meet on the ice for the first time on September 27 to decide on where we stand to join the league. We're looking for Local 100 members who are hockey players to come out and join up! If you're interested, please contact Brother Gallo via email at local100icehockey@outlook.com. See you when the puck drops!