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Statement from President Davis on the Death of Track Worker Ricardo Louis

JANUARY 8 -- A tragedy has struck the TWU family. At approximately 3:10 this morning, Track Worker Ricardo Louis, 44, collapsed on an L Train at Morgan Avenue while performing the duties of his job. Co-workers attempted to revive him and called 911.

EMS responded and took Brother Louis to Woodhull Hospital, but he could not be saved. Union reps responded to the scene and notified Brother Louis’s family, who met them at the hospital.

Transit work on the subway tracks is hazardous because of constant train traffic and because medical attention is not immediately available. TWU Local 100 has always fought for better working conditions and we will determine whether any avoidable hazard contributed to this tragic death.

On behalf of our membership of 44,000 transit workers, I convey deep condolences to the family of Brother Louis and offer them all the resources of the Union as they go forward at this difficult time.

Once we have details of the final arrangements for Brother Louis we will post them on our website.

 

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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New Union Leadership is Sworn In

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JANUARY 6, 2025 -- TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis stands with his newly-elected Executive Board at the Union Hall after the swearing-in ceremony. President Davis was first sworn in by Local 100 Legal Director Deirdre Feerick, then he in turn administered the oath of office to the Executive Board under the TWU Constitution. Officers serve for a term of three years beginning now. From left to right, the new top four leaders of the Union are Recording Secretary Shirley Martin, Secretary-Treasurer John V. Chiarello, President Richard Davis, and Administrative Vice President Carlos Bernabel. The Members of the Executive Board also include the Union's seven Vice Presidents.

 

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Safety Director Celeste Kirkland points to burned power panel with melted meter at the site of Dec 11 explosion
Safety Director Celeste Kirkland points to burned power panel with melted meter at the site of Dec 11 explosion

Union Raised Safety Concerns at Transformer Fire Site

DECEMBER 31 – Power to four Brooklyn subway lines went out for several hours on December 11th when an explosion tore through an underground substation in downtown Brooklyn. 3,500 passengers were stranded between stations as union members worked quickly to re-direct power from another substation and put the lines back in service.

Our disaster response crews were called to stop any further damage, to assess the damage, and to start repairs, said Safety Director Celeste Kirkland. But she said that management originally overlooked some safety protocols that should have been in place, forcing the Union to shut the job down several times. Management responded quickly to the demands of the Chairman and we resolved our complaints, resulting in a Safe Return to Work. Maintenance of Way Structure Division Chair Ken Bachoo and Power Division Chair Steve Higgins both stepped in to stop unsafe operations which included no survey for underground utility lines at the site. While some safety violations may seem minor, they represent an unacceptable hazard at a worksite such as an NYC Transit power substation.

Three weeks later, Kirkland said the cause of the explosion, which is still under investigation, could be traced to shortfalls in maintenance caused by lack of staffing. She said NYC transit is reviewing the status of similar transformers in the system.

The repair work was entirely done by Local 100 members, with no contractors on the job except Bay Crane to handle the heavy lifting. Maintenance of Way Structure Division removed three feet of concrete to allow crane operators to remove the damaged equipment. Safety reps on the scene included Chris Lake of TA Surface, William Bolar, Vice Chair of Line Equipment/Signals, Power Division Vice Chair Sacha Sapp, and Duvet Williams of LES.

 

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TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis
TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis

Davis Elected as Local 100 President; Members First Slate Comes Out on Top

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 12 – The 2024 election for top leadership at Transport Workers Union Local 100 has been decided, with most wins going to incumbent President Richard Davis and his Members First slate. Davis, 55, won by a vote of 6848. His rivals for the top spot, Evangeline Byars and Mike Cordero, received 2289 and 1855 votes respectively. These are unofficial numbers but we expect them to hold when the complete tallies are released tomorrow.

Also winning in the contest for the top four positions – President, Secretary-Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Administrative Vice President, were incumbent Secretary-Treasurer John Chiarello, Shirley Martin, formerly Vice President of the Car Equipment Department, who ran for Recording Secretary, and Carlos Bernabel, formerly Division Chair for Liberty Lines in Westchester, who ran for Administrative Vice President. Chiarello received 6941 votes, Martin received 6996 votes, and Bernabel received 6844 votes.

Vice Presidential contests were won by JP Patafio in TA Surface, Donald Yates in MaBSTOA, Richie Rocco in Maintenance of Way, Robert Kelley in Station, Matthew Ahern in Car Equipment, Danny D'Amato in Private Bus Lines, and Tramell Thompson in Rapid Transit Operations.

Under the TWU Constitution, the candidate who receives a plurality of the votes cast is declared elected. The newly-elected officers take their official positions on the first business day of the New Year.

The vote tally was conducted by the American Arbitration Association and was held at the Brooklyn Marriott, with observers allowed in from each competing ticket. 11,411 union members cast ballots in the election.

The complete vote count, including vote tallies for all contested positions, will be released as soon as it is officially verified by the AAA.

Richard Davis, a Bus Operator by trade, started with New York City  Transit in 1996, and worked his way up the ranks, beginning his career at the Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot in  Manhattan, where he became Chief Line Steward. Other promotions followed, leading to election as Vice President for MABSTOA where he served two terms. He was elevated to Secretary-Treasurer in May of 2022 and then to the Presidency of Local 100 in December of 2022 by the union’s Executive Board. He negotiated the current contract between TWU Local 100 and the MTA which took effect in May of 2023.

The second Caribbean-American after Roger Toussaint to win election to the Union’s top post, Davis came to the United States from Guyana as a child. His father worked for NYC Transit as a Bus Mechanic.

"This is a bright day for TWU Local 100 and I look forward to leading this great union into the future," he said.

Secretary-Treasurer John Chiarello, 57, a Signal Maintainer by trade, joined New York City Transit in 2001. He was previously Vice President of Maintenance of Way.

Newly-elected Recording Secretary Shirley Martin, 66, started with New York City Transit in 1991 as a Car Inspector. She was previously a Machinist in her native Jamaica.

Newly-elected Administrative Vice President Carlos Bernabel, 55, is a Bus Operator with Liberty Lines Transit in Westchester.

Veteran's Night Shows Appreciation of our Members' Military Service

Veterans Appreciation Night 2024

NOVEMBER 15 -- Our Annual Veteran's Day dinner was the last formal union event of the calendar year, featuring presentations by MC Dart Magana and a speech by President Richard Davis. We extended and invitation to all Local 100 veterans of the armed forces, and appreciate this opportunity to thank them for their service.

Indian Heritage Takes Center Stage in Elmont

Indian Day 2024

NOVEMBER 2 -- Transit Workers and their families of Indian heritage packed our 18th annual celebration in  Elmont, Queens. Enjoy the photos of the event, which capture the excitement.

Hispanic Celebration 2024 -- Photos from the Event

Hispanic Heritage Day 2024

OCTOBER 25 -- Hundreds of Union members had a great time at our annual Hispanic Celebration, held in Inwood on October 25th at Zona De Cuba. Here are the photos, to remember the event or if you didn't make it this year. See you next year!

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