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RTO Mourns Train Operator Reginald Holmes, 47, from Non COVID-19 Illness

Train Operator Reginald Holmes passed away at home on April 6 from heart-related ailments not related to COVID-19. He had been a Train Operator in the IRT Division for two years. His friend Train Operator Vice Chair Curtis Lemon recalls how they took a “Chicago stepping” dance class together and bonded.

“His smiles and chuckles will remain in the hearts of many of his family and friends,” Mr. Lemon said. “He will be missed.”

We Mourn Work Train Operator Santiago Tapia, 47; Passes from Heart Disease

On April 23rd RTO lost work train operator Santiago Tapia, at the age of 47. According to his wife Joanne, his death was not due to COVID-19, but rather heart disease. He had 6 years with NYCT. A private funeral took place on May 2. Brother Tapia leaves his wife, Joanne, and three children, 6, 13, and 22. He was born in Manhattan, raised in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, and resided in Brooklyn at the time of his passing.

His union Brothers and Sisters remember him as someone who lighted up a room when he came in. He was a talented visual artist who once did an internship at Marvel Comics, his wife said. She added that he loved to read, do crossword puzzles, and play along with the TV show Jeopardy! He was also athletic, enjoyed softball, fishing, and going to the beach. She said he was "a man who loved his children," and that he "wasn't an ordinary guy, he was always reaching higher. He was everything to me." His wife described their marriage as "a Superman and Wonder Woman duo."

RTO Vice President Eric Loegel said that Brother Tapia's passing "is a sad loss for the TWU family. Brother Tapia was a larger than life figure and a one of a kind personality. He will be greatly missed by his Brothers and Sisters, the work train unit, and everyone who knew him. May he rest in peace.

An obituary provided by the family can be read here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/brooklyn-ny/santiago-tapia-9152796

President Utano's Statement on Plans to Close the Subway From 1AM to 5AM for Intense Cleaning

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 -- Gov. Cuomo today announced plans to close the subway from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for intense cleaning and disinfecting of the system.

If the MTA and the police handle this correctly, this will ensure that our members on the overnight shift can clean the stations and trains without having to contend with the homeless or mentally disturbed. This is exactly the type of aggressive and dramatic action we wanted to better protect our members from contracting the virus from people camped out in the system.

The cleaning and disinfecting of buses also is being ramped up. These efforts will be good for the essential workers and our members. We will be closely monitoring this program.

-- Tony Utano, President, TWU Local 100

Stations Mourns CTA Denise Colbert, Lost to the Coronavirus

Denise Colbert, who had 20 years of service with MTA/NYCT, passed away at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx on April 10th. Her daughter Tawana said her mother had worked RDO's and “was generally at a different booth every day.” She said her mother was “always helpful, always willing to lend a hand.”

Tawana said her mother felt sick on March 26th and called it in. She was given a test for COVID-19 and tested positive. She was hospitalized soon after.

Apart from her daughter, Sister Colbert leaves two grandchildren, Ryan and Christopher. Daughter Tawana is a Teamster.

Union Mourns Tower Operator Phyllis Robinson-Ward, 68, Dies from Coronavirus

Phyllis Robinson, 68, of Brooklyn, NY, passed away April 8, 2020 in the ICU unit of Kings County Hospital. She had 30 years of service with MTA/NYCT, and most recently worked midnights at Rockaway Park. Services have not yet been held for her due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her only daughter, Francine, gave us this remembrance:

Phyllis was born the first of three children, to Fred Melvin Robinson and Clara Edmonia Robinson in Harlem, New York, on July 25, 1951. Phyllis graduated from Julia Richmond High School in 1969 and went on to receive a B.A. degree in Mathematics from Fordham University in 1977.

Transit Workers Eligible for State's COVID-19 Antibody Test

Starting immediately, transit workers are eligible for the State's new Covid 19 antibody testing campaign for essential workers. Testing is free of charge, voluntary and by appointment only, made on line.

Many workers have been exposed to the virus but don't even know it because they never displayed symptoms. This test will reveal whether that could be the case for you, and whether you may be immune in the future.

Testing for transit workers begins this week at MAC 1, located at 180 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY and will expand to additional sites over the following two weeks. Details on expanded sites will be forthcoming.

Please review this document closely. It outlines how to make an appointment, and how the testing will be conducted.

Again, the testing is voluntary, and is not for someone who is displaying symptoms. If you have symptoms, for immediate testing, you should go a Northwell Health Urgent Care Center.

Ramon Gutierrez, Kingsbridge Bus Operator, Loses Battle with Virus

Kingsbridge Bus Depot members and officers are mourning the passing to the Coronavirus of beloved Bus Operator Ramon Gutierrez, 62.

Brother Gutierrez was planning on retiring next year, according to friend and Kingsbridge Chief Line Steward 1 Felix “Flex” Olivo. “With his transit time and military time, Ramon would have been able to go out next year. He was looking forward to it.”

NY Waterway Bus Operator Reyna Joyasaca Dies of Virus

Bus Operator Reyna Joayasaca, an 18-year veteran at New York Waterway and a very involved member of Local 100, passed away of the Coronavirus last week. She had been in the hospital for several weeks prior to her death at 62.

Private Operators Division Chair Carlos Bernabel said that Sister Joyasaca had worked until the last of bus operations on March 25, 2020 when operations closed due to the virus restrictions. “She was always at the union meetings, contributing,” said Carlos. “This is very sad.”

A Tribute to Ben Schaeffer, Conductor and Division Vice Chair, 58.

Conductor Benjamin Schaeffer passed away at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn from COVID-19 on Tuesday, April 28th, Workers Memorial Day. As he fought for life on a ventilator, an appeal from TWU Local 100 brought many union brothers and friends to the hospital's blood center to donate plasma. Other unions also stepped up, with ATU 726 President Danny Cassella advising that a member of his local had also donated.

Rapid Transit Operations Vice President Eric Loegel wrote this remembrance of his difficult final days:

NYPD, MTA Begin Removing Homeless from Subways

April 29, 2020 — NYC police officers at ten stations removed the homeless from subway trains early Wednesday morning in a new joint initiative between the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The aggressive action follows years of advocacy by TWU Local 100 and the members for the city to more aggressively tackle the problem of the mentally ill and homeless camped out in the system. That advocacy, including a flurry of newspaper and television coverage, intensified during the COVID-19 crisis.