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MTA Capital Program to Create 300 New Union Jobs; Millions in Savings for Transit

MARCH 24 -- TWU Local 100 and the International have secured hundreds of additional jobs for TWU members in the next capital plan.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has committed to hiring 300 additional NYC transit workers to help carry out the critically important state-of-good repair tasks listed in the 2025-2029 Capital Plan. This is a direct result of Local 100 and the International working hand-in-hand in Albany to get key members of the state Assembly and Senate to support our efforts to have more capital work assigned to the in-house TWU workforce.

Watch President Chiarello's address to Politicians in Albany on our YouTube Channel

“We successfully made the case that work done by TWU members is of higher quality, more cost-effective, and is completed more quickly than projects given to private contractors,” Local 100 President John Chiarello said.

The capital plan includes new and upgraded infrastructure with projects that include station rehabilitations, track replacement, and installation of new signals. “We fully support this capital plan and want to see it funded and implemented,” Chiarello. “It’s essential in order to have a safe and reliable system, and to avoid slipping backward to the bad old days of rampant break downs and delays.”

Speaking at an MTA committee meeting today, David Soliman, who heads the MTA's facilities group, noted that $6 Billion is currently budgeted for capital work within the 2025 to 2029 budget would go to in-house workers. He said in-house forces sometimes provide more “flexibility and technical expertise” that private contractors. Using in-house workers will generate millions of dollars of taxpayer savings, he said.

Unions Under Attack: Transportation Secretary Threatening MTA Funding

MARCH 24 – Federal DOT Secretary Sean Duffy is threatening federal funding for the MTA by imposing new conditions on the Authority, apparently holding it responsible for “violent crime, homelessness, and other threats to public safety.”

In a letter sent March 18 to MTA Chair Janno Lieber, Duffy demanded information about crime levels and money spent by the MTA to bring them down, to be delivered by the end of the month. The MTA responded that crime has been dropping in the system, with the MTA’s John McCarthy saying that “the good news is numbers are moving in the right direction… so far in 2025 there are fewer daily major crimes in transit than any non-pandemic year ever.”

TWU Local 100 President John V. Chiarello said, “For decades, federal transit funding has been an essential commitment to New York. It is not discretionary. It is not a bargaining chip. It is an obligation. These funds keep the system safe, keep service running, and ensure that the transit workers who power it have the resources they need.”

“Transportation Secretary Duffy is demanding additional safety data from the MTA, linking it to continued federal funding. This data is already provided through established reporting requirements. MTA leadership has failed to get ahead of the situation before it became a potential crisis. Transit workers and riders should not be caught in a tug of war between the MTA and the Feds. Janno needs to get off his high horse and ensure we are properly funded.”

When federal funding is disrupted, he said, “it doesn’t just delay projects—it forces the MTA to shift resources, cutting into operating funds, squeezing workers, and creating instability. Every time the MTA falls short in securing federal support, transit workers and riders pay the price.”

He called upon the federal government not to place new hurdles on the delivery of critically important federal dollars for mass transit, but stressed that the responsibility for protecting federal funding falls on MTA leadership.

“MTA CEO Janno Lieber has let the MTA become vulnerable to outside political maneuvering, allowing federal officials to question the agency’s finances and safety practices in ways that threaten stability,” he said. “New York City transit funding should never be a point of debate—it should be a guarantee.”

Union Opposing Pension Money Grab

MARCH 19 – TWU Local 100 has registered our strong opposition to a budgetary measure that would shift NYCERS pension costs into the future. The bill, designated #70043-04-5 in the Governor’s budget, would allow the City and the State to stop contributing to public employee pension systems including the New York City Employee Retirement System (NYCERS), refinancing this obligation to 2033.

Speaking to an audience of over 2,000 transit workers at the Union’s 2025 Lobby Day in Albany, President John V. Chiarello said, “they’re trying to underfund our pension and take a five-year pause in contributions. As I walked the halls in Albany, I told them, hell no – we’re not doing that. I’m a NYCERS Trustee. Our NYCERS pension is good. If you ever want to get Tier 6 changed, you can never underfund the pension, because that’s where the money comes from. Local 100 is against any underfunding of this pension.”

The legislation passed the Assembly earlier this month without apparent scrutiny, but that changed when Local 100 and other labor representatives on the board of the pension system got wind of it. Our activism has sidelined the money grab for now, but we must remain vigilant that this isn’t raised again in the future.

Unions Are Under Attack!

MARCH 17 -- Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp says Unions are under attack in America — and calls out all union members to get into the fight:

"There’s an old saying, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” which means when one of the group does well we can all expect a collective benefit. It’s then equally correct to assume that a falling tide lowers all boats. These latest attacks on Unions by Washington are specifically designed to weaken organized labor across the nation, from private Unions to public Unions -- to create a falling tide within the labor movement.

"In the case of public employees, like those employed by the MTA, the weakening of collective bargaining rights empowers management to disregard good faith bargaining. Case in point: the Trump administration decided to take away the collective bargaining rights of TSA agents who have a contract negotiated by the American Federation of Government Employees, all in retaliation for them standing up against nation-wide attacks on federal employees.

"Why attack Unions? Because when our tide rises, all labor rises. The CEOs and the billionaires want a cheap and expendable workforce that will work itself to death with no rights or protections. So when they come after one Union, they’re coming after all of us. An injury to one is truly an injury to all.

"Get ready to get in the fight. In the end, when the smoke clears, our solidarity will have us emerge stronger than ever."

Union Files Grievance for Affected Members in Congestion Pricing Zone

MARCH 14 -- TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello has sent a letter to MTA CEO Janno Lieber demanding reimbursement for union members who must report to work in the Congestion Relief Zone and pay a toll. The letter was accompanied by a formal grievance filed on behalf of union members who work in the congestion zone.

In the letter, President Chiarello tells Lieber that union members picked into jobs within the congestion zone when the project was on pause, not expecting to pay the $9 toll. That expectation was upended when the tolls went into effect. Therefore, these members should be made whole.

He told Lieber: "You neglected to consider thousands of your own employees who work in the relief zone -- many who work in locations that are not easily accessible by transit. You didn't think these workers were worthy of an exemption, even while going to and from their jobs." The City's largest Bus Depot, the Michael Quill Depot, is located on 11th Avenue at 40th Street, a substantial walk from the nearest subway stop.

You can read the letter and the grievance here.

Honoring Women Veterans during Women's History Month

On November 11, 2024, the New York State Women Veterans History Trail was unveiled, recognizing 10 extraordinary women whose service, leadership, and sacrifice helped shape our nation. Women are the fastest-growing demographic of veterans, yet their contributions have often gone unrecognized. This trail is a long-overdue tribute to their place in military history.

The Trail’s Inaugural Honorees:

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker – The first and only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, Dr. Walker was a Civil War surgeon, prisoner of war, and advocate for women’s rights.
Col. Eileen Collins – The first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission, logging over 6,751 hours in space and paving the way for women in aerospace.
Admiral Grace Hopper – A pioneering computer scientist and Navy rear admiral whose work revolutionized modern programming and technology.
Margaret Corbin – A Revolutionary War hero who took over her husband’s cannon at the Battle of Fort Washington and fought until she was severely wounded.
Dr. Olivia J. Hooker – The first Black woman to serve on active duty in the United States Coast Guard, a civil rights advocate, and a survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Harriet Tubman – Best known for the Underground Railroad, Tubman was also the first woman to lead an armed military operation in the U.S. Civil War.
Clara Barton – The “Angel of the Battlefield” who founded the American Red Cross, providing medical aid during the Civil War and beyond.
Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody – The first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general, breaking barriers in military leadership.
Capt. Elsie S. Ott – A World War II nurse and the first woman to receive the U.S. Air Medal for pioneering advancements in aeromedical evacuation.
Sr. Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent – A trailblazer in Naval Special Warfare and intelligence operations, making history before she was killed in action in Syria.
The United States Military Academy Class of 1980 (West Point) – The first class to admit women, changing the landscape of military leadership forever.

Women have served with courage and distinction in every era of our nation’s history. Their leadership and sacrifices deserve full recognition. Read more here.

#WomensHistoryMonth #Veterans #Trailblazers #NYSHonorsWomen

TWU Celebrates Women's History Month

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Us!

Join us on April 11th as we come together to honor the strength, resilience, and achievements of women worldwide.

Date: April 11th

Location: TWU Local 100 Union Hall

Time: 3rd Floor Celebration (5PM-8PM)

Click here to register now and secure your spot!

Let’s uplift, empower, and celebrate together!

Union Demands Full Investigation of Management Leak of Confidential Video

MARCH 7 -- TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello today fired off a letter to MTA CEO Janno Lieber, demanding a full investigation of how a confidential video of a union member was released and disseminated by management earlier this month. You can read the letter here.

TWU Supports Re-Introduction of the PRO Act

The Transport Workers Union of America strongly supports the introduction of the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which strengthens the collective bargaining rights of workers.

“It is time for Congress to step up and support workers,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “Republicans and Democrats alike talk a good game about supporting working people – signing onto the PRO Act and working to pass it into law shows which lawmakers will back up their words with action.”

The PRO Act is a significant legislative priority for the entire labor movement. The bill bans employer interference in union elections and would end mandatory anti-labor meetings during an organizing drive. It allows newly certified unions to seek binding arbitration and mediation when employers fail to negotiate a first contract in good faith. The bill eliminates so-called “right to work” laws and allow unions to collect dues that cover the cost of collective bargaining and administering a contract. And the PRO Act penalizes employers and corporate executives who violate workers’ rights.

The PRO Act was first introduced in 2019, and reintroduced in 2021, 2023, and 2025. The bill passed the House of Representatives in 2019 and 2021 and passed out of committee in the Senate in 2023. The PRO Act has bipartisan support, notably from President Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

TWU Local 100 Mourns the loss of Hazel Dukes

TWU Local 100 is mourning the loss of distinguished Black leader and trailblazer Hazel Dukes, who passed away this morning at the age of 92. Coming from Alabama to New York in 1955, she started school at Nassau Community College. She worked for President Lyndon Johnson's Head Start program in the 60's, becoming an outspoken leader. From 1989 to 1992, she served as the national President of the NAACP.