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Second Transit Family Burnt Out of Home at Allerton Fire

JANUARY 22 -- The early morning fire at 2910 Wallace Ave in the Allerton section of the Bronx has forced two transit families from their homes. Michelle Ramirez, head of our Women and Family Assistance Committee, is asking for prayers and help for Union sister Nicolet Seymour, who lived there with her family. She is a CTA with five years' service with New York City Transit. This is the same fire that burned out the home of Tower Operator Jewelene Scott-Fernandez.

Nicolet writes: On January 10th, 2025, the unexpected happened. A 5-alarm fire tore through our 6-story apartment building, completely taking with it the roof, the 6th & 5th floors. The remaining floors are flooded with extensive water damage, and quite a few ceilings have collapsed. The building has been deemed condemned. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. We are unable to return to the building to see if any items can be retrieved due to the ongoing investigation by FDNY, NYPD, & the building inspectors.

We left our home of several years with only the clothes on our backs & the shoes on our feet. My Dad, Mom, 2-year-old daughter, & our 2 dogs were also living there. Thank God we are all alive & safe. The American Red Cross has been helping us with a few items to get us started and has also placed us in a hotel temporarily.

We’re raising this money for essential needs for all of us: food, dog food, clothes, footwear, toys, and books for my daughter, and the list goes on and on. Anything you can give to help reach our goal would be tremendously appreciated. Thank you all for taking the time to read this & God bless you all.

You can help the family by donating to their Go Fund Me, which is here.

Final Arrangements for Track Worker Ricardo Louis, Died in the Line of Duty

Track Worker Ricardo Louis died early in the morning of January 8. He was only 44. He died at his tools on the L Train.
 
There will be a Viewing on Friday, January 24th, 2025, from 5PM to 8PM at the Roy L. Gilmore Funeral Home, 191-02 Linden Blvd in St. Albans, NY 11412. A Funeral Service will take place on the following day, Saturday, January 25th, at 9:30 Sharp at St. Joachim & Anne Catholic Church, 218-27 Hollis Avenue, in Queens Village, NY 11429.
 
All Members are invited to attend to show their respects. Flowers may be sent directly to the Funeral Home. The family requests that no photos or videos be taken to maintain a respectful and private space for the family and friends to grieve.

 

Safety Team Responds to Bus Crash Over Henry Hudson Parkway

JANUARY 17 -- TWU Local 100 MTA Bus Vice President Danny D'Amato, Division Chair Mike Capocci, Yonkers Depot Chair Marcus Soler and TWU Safety Team members Joseph DiPaola and Jamie Ayuso responded to a bus incident in Riverdale today involving a BXM1 which had impinged on the stone wall over the Henry Hudson Parkway at approximately 8:40 AM.

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Union Mourns Former Women's Committee Co-Chair Brander White, 76

JANUARY 16 -- Union members are mourning the passing of Bus Operator Brander White-Jenkins, 76. She passed away in retirement in hospice in South Carolina. She had 34 years of service with New York City Transit, beginning in 1985.

Brander was elected to the TWU Local 100 Executive Board in 2009. She served as co-Chair of the Womens and Family Assistance Committee along with Bus Operator Elizabeth Wilson. She was credited by then-President John Samuelsen with playing an important role in the organizing campaign at Global Paratransit, which succeeded in September of 2014, adding hundreds of new members to TWU Local 100.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: There will be a wake on Friday, January 24th, 2025  from 3PM to 7PM at Walker’s Mortuary Chapel of Peace at 3407 Old Pond Rd, Johns Island SC 29455. A Home Going Service will follow on Saturday, January 25th, 2025 at 11:00AM at the Bethlehem St James United Methodist Church at 1539 Main Rd, John’s Island SC. The famly asks that mourners wear pink as "a reminder of her gentle spirit and her unwavering compassion for others."

Live online viewing of the service will be available at the time of the service via website link.

Gleason Bus Operator & Family Burned Out of Her Home

A January 13th fire in Sunset Park consumed the home of Bus Operator Janai Lopez, a 5-year veteran of NYC Transit working at the Gleason Depot. Janai has been displaced from her home along with her four children and her 1 year-old Doberman pinscher. There are photos of the devastation in this post.

Michelle Ramirez of the Women's and Family Assistance Committee and Robert Martinez, Depot Chair and Gleason, are asking for your support.

A GoFundMe link is here:

We are also asking for women’s clothing, size S and Xs
Men’s clothing size S
Kids size 14 female

Donations can be brought to the Union Hall at 195 Montague Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 3rd floor, as well as to the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

 

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Tower Operator and Son Burned Out of Apartment; Asking for Support

JANUARY 15 -- A roaring fire in the Bronx destroyed all of the possessions of Tower Operator Jewelene Scott-Fernandez and her 19 year-old son, Shane, and his little sister. The January 10 early morning fire in Allerton engulfed her apartment building in flames, forcing everyone out into the cold. Shane has autism.

Our Women's and Family Assistance Committee is asking union members to help the family by providing clothing for Ms. Scott: large in tops, 10 in pants, 10 in shoes. For Shane, 2XL in tops, 11.5 in shoes. Shane also lost his favorite gaming system, a PS5,a nd his TV. Donations can be dropped off at the Union Hall, 195 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 3rd Floor.

Nathania Scott, who is our Tower Operator's daughter, has started a Go Fund Me, and you can find that link here.

Statement by Pres. Richard Davis on Gov. Hochul's new Subway Safety Initiatives

 
Governor Hochul’s announcement to put police officers on every overnight subway train is a win for common sense and safety. Transit workers have been saying for years: the system needs better protection—not just for the millions of riders but for the men and women who keep it moving 24/7.
 
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Our members face the realities of the subway system every single day. They’ve been threatened, harassed, and attacked, all while doing their jobs. This plan, which focuses on increasing police presence during the overnight hours, is the kind of action we’ve been demanding. It’s a step in the right direction.
 
But this is not the finish line. We need more than a six-month trial. We need sustained and serious investment in safety—not just in the overnight hours but across the system, all the time. TWU Local 100 will keep fighting to make sure that happens.
 
We’re glad to see Governor Hochul taking our concerns seriously. Now we need the MTA and all decision-makers to step up and meet the same standard of urgency. As we have heard countless politicians and state and city officials acknowledge: Transit Workers are the lifeblood of this city, and their safety is non-negotiable.
 
Richard Davis
President, TWU Local 100

Welcome New Members!

JANUARY 7 -- New York City Transit’s newest hires – and our newest members – were welcomed today at the Union Hall in downtown Brooklyn. Over 100 new union members about to go into the system include Traffic Checkers, Transit Property Protection Agents, Station Agents and CTA’s, Signal Helper Maintainers, and others.

They were welcomed into our Union family by Vice Presidents and Division officers, who explained the progress we have made over 90 years of struggle which have turned a job into a real career, and a mainstay for working class families. Our newest members also heard about the benefits that come with their new jobs and got a glimpse of union history in an opening video narrated by President Richard Davis.
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