Italian Day 2022 Puts Focus on Unity

Italian Day 2022

Unity.

That was a major theme expressed Wednesday at the annual Italian Night celebration.

Co-host Sean Battaglia, MaBSTOA 1 Division Chair, drew parallels between being in a union and growing up in a tight-knit Italian family in Brooklyn.

“We can argue with each other, we can even fight with each other, but when push comes to shove, all we have is each other,” Battaglia said. “We need to stand together as one, not only against the MTA but also against anyone who is threatening any of our livelihoods.”

At least 250 members and retirees turned out for the celebration, which featured Italian music and, of course, food. President Tony Utano, Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis, Recording Secretary LaTonya Crisp, and Vice Presidents Rosconi, Gomez, Martin, Patafio , Yates and Kelley were at the dais. MOW Vice President John Chiarello was co-host.

 

Best Quotes of the Night:

President Utano: "“We have to stick together. The union is important. This is the only thing standing between rich and poor. That’s pretty much it. If the union is gone, you have two classes, you have the rich and the poor.”

Recording-Secretary LaTonya Crisp: “One of the things I love about my Local is that it is universal. It is multi-cultural. We celebrate one another. You look around you see Black, you see White, you see Asian, you see Hispanic. You see everyone. And that’s one of the things the union can do for you: knock down doors and barriers of racism. I don’t know any other place where you can go and everyone celebrates one another’s cultures."

Secretary-Treasurer Richard Davis: "We are culturally rich here at Local 100. This is the greatest country in the world with a lot of diversity and opportunity. But we must stand together and fight as one. That gives us the best shot at protecting the gains that our union secured through past battles. That gives us the best shot at improving our ability to take care of ourselves and our families. My vision is to strengthen our organization now, while building for the future, by connecting the next generation of leaders with our more experienced officers, the young and the old, so we can venture down the same path and face our challenges as one."

See photos from the evening by clicking on the flickr slide show above.