Members Pack Annual Mass Membership Meeting
New Local 100 President Tony Utano chaired his first union-wide mass membership meeting on Saturday, Dec. 9th at the New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge Hotel. We are presenting his "State of the Union" address here for those members who were not able to attend the meeting.
Utano welcomed back International President and former Local 100 President John Samuelsen, who said that “it feels good to be home” among Local 100 members. Samuelsen proclaimed to cheers, "Imagine that -- a Trackworker from Brooklyn is President of the national TWU.” Samuelsen pledged to bring “Local 100 style aggressive leadership” to the TWU of America.
Keynote Speaker Terrance Melvin, Secretary Treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO and President of the national Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) commended Local 100 members for the turnout at the meeting. “It’s good to see so many workers showing an interest in their union.” Melvin focused his remarks on the pending Supreme Court case, Janus v AFSCME, that will be heard in early 2018.
President Utano delivered his report to the membership in a 20-minute prerecorded video (above). Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips delivered a positive financial report, that included numbers on overall membership exceeded 42,000 dues payers. PAC director Michele Gilliam reported on the union’s political activities, including the stirring victory to defeat Prop 1, the New York State Constitutional Convention, on election day. Guest Mark Richard, a labor attorney from Miami with a long resume of representing TWU Locals nationwide, gave a presentation on the aforementioned Janus case.
The members in attendance were treated to a promotional video on the life of TWU founder Michael J. Quill. Director Macdara Vallely is working on a full-feature documentary that he hopes to distribute nationally. Members in attendance also viewed an emotional video about the union’s efforts in the revitalization of hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico.