President Davis Presides Over Jam-Packed Mass Membership Meeting; Talks About the Contract, Unity, and the Focus On Members

Screw the budget gaps!

Speaking at the jam-packed Mass Membership Meeting in Manhattan on Saturday, Local 100 President Richard Davis vowed the MTA won’t get off easy in upcoming contract negotiations by crying poverty - again.

“The MTA says they have massive budget gaps,” Davis said. “I say, screw their budget gaps! We worked through the pandemic! And that needs to be recognized!”

The negotiations could be among the most difficult ever. “We have to be united,” Davis said. “No divisions! One union, with one voice, and one fist!”

More than 1,500 members attended the gathering at the Sheraton Hotel near Times Square. In a strong sign of respect and support, Mayor Eric Adams made time in his busy schedule to attend and speak to the members. He is the first mayor to attend a Mass Membership Meeting. TWU International President John Samuelsen also was a guest speaker. He promised the International would back the Local one-hundred percent during negotiations, providing resources, expertise, and other assistance.

The over-arching theme was “Member Built, Member Strong, Member Driven.”

Member Built: TWU was organized by subway workers in the depths of the Great Depression when workers toiled 7 days a week for poverty wages – without overtime, healthcare, vacations, or pensions.

Member Strong: Local 100 has more than 42,000 members. We operate and maintain the largest transit system in North America. We also have members in the school bus, private bus, and tourism industries.

Member Driven: The top priority is the membership. The focus is on the membership.

“TWU is a great union, not just because of what we do, or our size, but because of who we are as individuals,” Davis said after introducing a video featuring “some of our outstanding members.” Click this link to watch the video.

Members featured in the video received certificates of appreciation, including Tonya Thompson, a Bronx Bus Operator and a cancer survivor. Thompson is a leading volunteer organizer and fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and research. “It felt amazing to be recognized by my Union for all the hard work I’ve put in over the years,” she said. “Simply a wonderful day."