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Statement from TWU Local 100

The union announced this week that Richard Davis has resigned from his position as President of TWU Local 100. In his resignation letter, Mr. Davis cited health reasons for his departure.

After consulting with our attorneys, the Union can now officially share the following information:

TWU International President John Samuelsen suspended Mr. Davis upon learning of accusations of alleged sexual misconduct. In connection with those allegations, the International Union filed internal charges against Mr. Davis.
Our public restraint regarding this matter stems from the potentially serious legal ramifications and privacy concerns for the accuser—rather than any conspiracy theories to conceal the truth from you.
It is important to know the elected leadership is in control of Local 100. We continue to operate autonomously and with the full support and partnership of our International, the Transport Workers Union of America.
Local 100’s Executive Committee, consisting of the top Officers and all Department Vice Presidents, has unanimously voted that John V. Chiarello, the elected Financial Secretary-Treasurer, will oversee the Local’s day-to-day affairs on an interim basis.
We are now moving forward and laser focused on upholding the great legacy of this proud Union, restoring confidence within our membership, and re-centering “fightback” as the leadership mantra of Local 100.
In accordance with our bylaws, our Executive Board will appoint a President at its next scheduled meeting in February.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.