Union Adds Gun Law Exception for Collecting Agents

 

SEPTEMBER 1 -- TWU Local 100 scored a victory for our Collecting Agents who were in jeopardy of being stripped of their weapons by New York State’s new gun law restricting gun possession in “sensitive zones” like our transit system. NYCT Collecting Agents accompany EMD personnel as they withdraw cash from Metrocard Vending Machines.

The new law – signed by Gov. Hochul last month in a reaction to a US Supreme Court ruling broadening gun rights – says that guns may not be carried in New York City subways by ordinary citizens. The legislators excepted armed security guards from the rule – but that left our Collecting Agents, who are not specifically named, out in the cold.

Stations Department VP Robert Kelley quickly realized that we had a problem with the bill Hochul signed. “The law didn’t include our Collecting Agents – they left them out,” he said. Kelley reached out to the Vice President of NYCT’s Department of Revenue, Mike Ellinas, and found that they were on the same page. They determined that if our Collecting Agents could be certified as armed security guards, they would be exempt from the no-carry rules.

The Union and Management worked together to get an exception for our Collecting Agents, giving them provisional certificates pending a course of training. “We were able to get them all certified,” Kelley says. “They’ll be able to continue their mission without interruption.”

In the photo: Stations VP Robert Kelley stands with some of our 300 Collecting Agents and VP of Revenue Ellinas