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Daily News: Utano calls for NYPD to Escort Homeless from Subways During Pandemic

APRIL 28 -- In a three-page cover feature story, the New York Daily News highlights the growing homeless problem on our subway system. Local 100 President Tony Utano calls for action on the crisis saying that "Mayor de Blasio has to direct the police to escort the mentally ill and the homeless out of the system. This is a life-and-death situation, not a quality-of-life issue. They are posing a real health hazard and a real danger to my members -- and to the essential workers who are supposed to be the only ones using the system in the first place." Read the full article here.

A Message from Tony Utano on Workers Memorial Day

President Tony Utano's message on Workers Memorial Day 2020

Quill Depot Mourns Cuong Luu, 56, of Coronavirus

Cuong Luu, a hardworking and generous family man, has passed from the coronavirus. The entire Quill Bus Depot, where Luu worked as a maintainer for 23 years, mourns along with his wife and two adult children.

“Luu was a very quiet guy, but if you ever had an issue or a problem on the job, he was the first one to come over and give you a hand,” Anthony Vultaggio, the Maintenance Vice Chair at Quill, said.

RTO Mourns N Train Conductor Frank Lee, 64

Heartbreaking losses continued in Rapid Transit Operations with the passing on April 16 of Conductor Frank Lee, who had 22 years of service. Brother Lee’s wife, Wai, said that Brother Lee had been sick for about a week before transit sent him home to his Bay Ridge residence on March 30 with a fever. “I isolated him, but things got worse,” she said. She called 9/11 and he was hospitalized at NYU Lutheran in Brooklyn, but never recovered.

Governor Announces A-Symptomatic Testing for Transit Workers

IB Image APRIL 25 — Transit workers can now get tested for COVID-19 even if they don’t have the symptoms, Gov. Cuomo said.

First responders, healthcare workers and essential workers, including transit workers, are now eligible under new state protocols, Cuomo said during his daily press conference Saturday. The state still lacks the capacity to do testing on demand for the general public but is opening it up to select groups of workers, he said.

Butera's Provides Lunch to 125 at LaGuardia Depot

IB Image Who ever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?

Thanks to Jackie Labarbera and her company, Butera’s Fine Foods and Restaurant, at least 125 workers at the LaGuardia Bus Depot dug in to eight trays of food provided by the eatery in appreciation for the work done day in and day out by transit workers.

According to Division Vice Chair Mike Capocci, “everyone was very appreciative and the food was excellent.” He added that the food was open to all, including the supervisors “but they paid for the refreshments” said Capocci with a chuckle.

So thank you Jackie, and Butera’s. You brought smiles to a lot of faces, to say nothing of full bellies. Volunteers serving the food were Bus Operators Andrew Zizzo and Makyny Hostos.

Sick Rule Stipulation Expires

Please be advised that the stipulation regarding the relaxation of certain sick rule requirements, that have been in effect since March 15, 2020, expires Saturday April 25, 2020. As a result, all rules regarding sick time and doctor’s lines revert back to the collective bargaining agreement between TWU Local 100 and the MTA.

Costco, Foodtown Relent; Offer Essential Access Priority to Transit Workers

TWU Local 100 members will get the same priority access as police, firefighters and medical personnel at Costco and Foodtown.

Costco corporate headquarters called Local 100 President Tony Utano this afternoon to say transit workers who show their Transit passes will be allowed to go to the front of any line to enter a Costco warehouse. The protest that Local 100 had called for Tuesday outside the Costco in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is called off, Utano said.

We Are Front Line Workers -- And We Matter

We are frontline workers -- and we matter. That's what this video produced by our members at the Michael J. Quill Depot in Manhattan says to all. We are New York and We Move New York!

Tuskegee Depot Mourns P&E Maintainer Julio Mejia

Julio Mejia, a Plant and Equipment Maintainer known for his generosity and sense of humor, passed away from COVID-19. Mejia, 58, who worked at the Tuskegee Depot, was hired by the MTA in 2003.

“My father was the most generous man in the world,” Tylik Mejia, one of Mejia’s two sons, said. “He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.” Mejia also had a nickname for everybody – and constantly was getting friends and family to laugh. “My pops was a jokester,” Tylik said. “He was always making jokes.”

Stanley Hayes, P & E Vice Chair for the Bronx, said Mejia started at the authority as a CM and later switched to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. “He was always helpful and friendly,” Hayes said. “He was well liked by his co-workers. He will be missed.”