Transit and Police Union Leaders to Meet

APRIL 17 -- TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello will meet with his counterpart at the police officers’ union to discuss how the two labor organizations can collaborate to improve safety for subway and bus workers.

Chiarello said Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry agreed to the meeting, which will take place next week. The top issue of discussion will be the ongoing assaults inflicted on Local 100 members, Chiarello said.

“I want to start a dialogue union-to-union so we can work collaboratively,” Chiarello said. “We certainly appreciate the presence and efforts of the police officers in the subway system and on the streets. It’s simply common sense that we try to establish a working relationship with their union leadership.”

PBA President Patrick Hendry said: “The safety challenges in the transit system are enormous. We have police officers and MTA employees getting assaulted in the subways almost every single day. Cops and transit workers know that these conditions won’t improve unless we have each other’s backs. I thank President Chiarello for reaffirming TWU Local 100’s solidarity with the PBA and its members. We look forward to meeting next week and working together to press NYPD and MTA management to address our shared safety concerns.”

A significant number of Local 100 members have spouses, children, and other family members in the NYPD, Chiarello noted.  Transit workers and officers share similar missions: ensuring members of the public reach their destinations safely, Chiarello said. Fostering a sense of solidarity between the two workforces could benefit both transit police and transit workers and make us stronger in our fight to improve safety for our members.