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Local 100 Signs Stipulation Guaranteeing No Loss of Pay for Bus Operators During COVID Schedule Changes

Local 100 President Tony Utano and the Vice Presidents of the three bus divisions have negotiated a stipulation with MaBSTOA, TA Surface and MTA Bus, that guarantees Bus Operators WILL NOT LOSE PAY due to schedule changes during the Covid 19 emergency.

The stipulation states that Bus Operators working Vacation Reliefs or the Extra list will be paid the greater of either Division Pay or the work assigned to them during the Covid emergency schedules.

The agreement also states that all other Bus Operators will get the greater of either their Winter 2020 pick pay or the pay resulting from their assignment during the COVID emergency. The stipulation is retroactive to the implementation of the pandemic schedules.

Local 100 President Utano said that the agreement "is a good win for all Bus Operators across the three divisions. Our Operators have been performing heroically during this pandemic, and it would be a travesty if workers lost pay due to no fault of their own."

Grand Avenue Bus Operator Christopher N. Howard Is Lost to Virus

Grand Avenue Depot has lost another union brother to the Coronavirus. Bus Operator Christopher Neil Howard, 52, died on May 3, 2020 after a battle with the deadly disease. He had nearly 22 years on the job. He is the second Grand Avenue Bus Operator to succumb to the virus, the first being Cesar Torres in early April. Friends from the Depot began posting their condolences on Facebook when his passing became known. One co-worker said: “Damn, when I came on the job in 2001, he was one of the first people to show me the ropes without having to ask. My deepest condolences to his family.”

PDM Sau Lee, 52, Dies of the Coronavirus

Power Distribution Maintainer Sau Lee, an easy going, hard-working member of Third Rail Operations, died of the Coronavirus on April 18, 2020. He had 21 years on the job, mostly at nights at Canal Street. He was only 52 years old.

MOW Mourns Electronic Equipment Maintainer Peter Voyt, 39

Electronic Equipment Maintainer Peter Voyt, who had six years of service with NYCT, passed away suddenly on April 15th, his sister Elena said. The cause of death has not been determined. Brother Voyt worked at the electronics shop on West 53rd Street and was a highly regarded member of the team.

Station Agent Robert Simon, 39, Dies of the Virus

Beloved Station Agent Robert Simon, a cherished member of his Washington Heights neighborhood, died of the Coronavirus on April 16, 2020. He was only 39 years old and had been on the job with Transit since 2014.

He worked at the 175th Street Station near his home in upper Manhattan. Robert was known to greet riders with a smile and music playing from his booth. He and his wife, Charlene, had just married in November 2019, completing a 7-year relationship of blending their two families. They had known each other since they were 14.

Important Transit Bulletins: Vital Info Regarding Overnight Subway Shutdown

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The New York City Transit Authority has published two BULLETINS with important information on rules and regulations for all employees working and/or traveling within the system during the subway shutdown hours of 0100-0500. They can be found here:

Bulletin 20-29: System Overnight Closures

Service Bulletin 67-30: Suspension of Overnight Passenger Service

Please review both bulletins so there is no misunderstanding on dealing with this unprecedented new procedure. Stay strong and stay safe.

Alexander Gigueredo, Waterway Bus Op, Is Taken by Virus

Alexander Gigueredo, a Bus Operator for New York Waterway since 2018, died of the Coronavirus in April. According to Division Chair Carlos Bernabel, Brother Gigueredo had worked until March 25, 2020, the day Waterway ceased all bus operations due to the virus regulations. “This is really sad. He was so young,” said Bernabel.

Many friends posted condolences on Facebook, including this one: “This is so, so sad. R.I.P. to the most genuine and humble guy that I had the pleasure to meet. Fly high sweet angel. My condolences to his family.”

Steve Falco and his wife, Jilliene

RTO Mourns Train Operator Steve Falco, 36

Train Operator Steve Falco, full of life and energy, and well on his way to a successful career with the NYCT, died April 26th at the age of 36. The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death.

Brother Falco worked midnights, and was a fixture on the 7 Line where co-workers said he was known for making people laugh. He loved cars and playing chess. He is survived by his wife, Jilliene, one daughter, three stepchildren, two brothers, a sister, and his parents.

RTO Mourns Train Operator Michael Thompson, 60, Falls to Coronavirus

Train Operator Michael Thompson, 60, of Lindenhurst, NY passed away from the coronavirus on April 17, 2020. He was hired by New York City Transit in 2013.

His wife Loretta recalled that this was his dream job, and how much he loved it. Michael was known for his wonderful sense of humor and for his favorite pastime, fishing. He was born and raised in Harlem, and in addition to his wife, is survived by four children and nine grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues both on and off the job.

Kenneth Wright, Caretaker at Gun Hill and Former Operator, Dies from COVID-19

Kenneth Wright, who worked as a Cleaner/Caretaker at the Gun Hill Depot in the Bronx and was a former Bus Operator out of Quill, died after contracting COVID-19.

Wright, 56, joined NYC Transit in 2011, after working two decades as a Corrections Officer. He was a Bus Operator out of Quill for several years before being reclassified due to a heart condition, Sukhy Singh, the Quill Chair, said.