TWU Local 100 Endorses Eric Adams for Mayor of New York City

APRIL 29 -- TWU Local 100 overwhelmingly and enthusiastically endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for mayor today.

The Local 100 Executive Board voted overwhelmingly after hearing from eight leading candidates at the Union Hall in Brooklyn.

“Our members and officers have known Eric for a long time,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said. “He’s stood with us in many battles and has always been there for us. He’s earned this endorsement and richly deserves it.”

Working in the Heat

Working in hot environments is not safe. Your body builds up heat when you work and sweats to get rid of it. Too much heat can make you tired, hurt your job performance, and increase your chance of injury. When the temperature changes quickly, you need time for your body to get adjusted to the heat. Be extra careful early in the summer when hot spells begin.

You have a right to a safe & comfortable work environment:

Clean water provided through a fountain, cooler or bottled water at all locations
Cool Work areas and break rooms
Ventilation to bring in clean air and take out hot air
Make adequate water supplies part of your daily workplace inspection

Need relief? Follow up with supervision immediately:

Bus- Call console, request immediate medical assistance
RTO- command 212-712-4480
CED- call your Barn Chair or Local Union rep
MOW- control 212-712-4120

If needed, file a Safety Rule Dispute Resolution Form.

For Stations: To follow up with supervision, call your respective Field Office. If you are a CTA, you can also ask for a comfort by entering the booth to cool down. If you feel unwell, you must notify OSAC and inform them that you are going home. Doctor’s lines will be needed on your return. Field Office numbers are as follows: 125th Street: 212-712-3127 or 718-436-8421; 44th Street: 212-424-5407 or -5408; 7th Ave: 718-243-3903 or 243-3905; Parsons-Archer: 718-334-8106. OSAC is 347-694-6500. Sick Desk for CTA’s ext. 42.

Click here to download a printed version of this message. Print it out and post it in your workplace.

For Stations Department members, click here.

One good flyer deserves another.

London Calling! TWU Local 100 Glad to Help Out

London’s Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (the RMT) – our brothers in arms across the pond – found inspiration in our recent graphic campaign to slow trains and prevent subway fatalities. We sent them our graphics files and they went to work, repurposing our graphic image of a chalk outline on the roadbed and making it the centerpiece of their campaign to bring back laid off workers who ensure safety on the Bakerloo line. The line’s management cut staffing, forcing train operators to drive out of service trains into stations or “sidings” in yards without checking for passengers who didn’t get off in time. The RMT points to the case of a 12-year old boy who found himself alone in a yard walking the tracks. Now the public is getting the message that this unsafe practice should end and that they should let London Underground management know they need to bring back the laid-off staff. See the RMT’s flyer here.

Pre-Retirement Seminar/Webinar - Jan 17, 2025 08:30 AM

TWU Local 100 is committed to providing information to assist all members that are active, retired or are planning to retire. At this zoom webinar, you’ll be able to interact with the presenters with questions and answers about benefits. The Pre-Retirement is expected to have hundreds registering. Without any further delay, prepare your questions and join us for the best interactive webinar about your benefits as an active member or a retiree.

Date: Jan 17, 2025, 08:30 AM
Location: Virtual / In-Person (Union Hall - 195 Montague St. Brooklyn, NY)

To Join us for the Zoom Webinar from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Register for this event | Print Flyer

The right one to use

Important Update on Dental Coverage

We’re reaching out with an important update regarding your dental coverage. TWU Local 100 has transitioned to the TWU Local 100 Premier Preferred Dental Plan through EmblemHealth, effective October 15th. If you have received any HealthPlex cards in the mail, please discard them, as they are no longer valid.

Your new TWU Local 100 Premier Preferred Dental Plan card should have already arrived. If you have not received it, please contact EmblemHealth directly at: 866-234-8697 to request your card. For any additional questions, please reach out to: TWU Local 100 Member Services at 347-643-8060.

Thank you for your attention to this update. We’re glad to offer you expanded benefits with this new plan.

ABC Recognizes ENY Bus Operator

NOVEMBER 7 -- ABC News today recognizing the outstanding service of East New York Bus Operator Chad Tomlinson. Thanks, ABC, for helping us to raise the profile of transit workers!

Station VP Kelley outside Manh Criminal Court with assaulted S/A Noreen Mallory and union Brothers and Sisters

Judge Sentences Abdellahi to 2 Years in Assault on Station Agent; Deportation to Follow

OCTOBER 31 -- A Manhattan Criminal Court judge today sentenced Mohammed Abdellahi, 25, an illegal immigrant, to two years' prison time for assaulting Station Agent Noreen Mallory, 58, on February 14 of last year at the Wall Street 4/5 subway station. In an unprovoked attack, Abdellahi punched Mallory several times, including bruising Mallory's left eye, breaking her eye socket. He will be deported after the sentence is served.

In a victim impact statement before the Court, Mallory said that Abdellahi "presented himself in this courtroom as someone who does not speak English and is in need of an interpreter. However, while sitting on the subway station platform, as witnesses held him, until police arrived, after he brutally attacked me, he said in perfect English to me, and to the large crowd that gathered, "Look at her. A Black lady, an African lady. She's stupid."

"These comments showed me that, one, he can fully speak and understand English and two, he was motivated to assault me in part based on who I am. His intention was to hurt me on the morning on February 14, 2024, and he succeeded. I believe his attack was motivated by deep-seated anger, hate, and misogyny. I believe he committed both the felony assault and the hate crime, and I think he should serve the maximum sentence of seven years for assaulting an on-duty transit worker who was just doing their job."

Station VP Robert Kelley, speaking outside the courtroom, was in full agreement. "We understand that the perpetrator has been sentenced and that he is going to be deported, but we are still not happy because we needed the seven-year maximum to be imposed. Anyone that puts their hands on an MTA worker should be punished to the fullest extent of the law."

Union Anger Over Delays in Prosecuting Bus Assault

OCTOBER 16 -- Local 100 VP Donald Yates, representing Manhattan and Bronx Bus Operators and Maintainers, took the court system to task for delays in prosecuting Rashon Eagle, who brutally assaulted Bus Operator Moses Adams at the end of his M15 Bus run at South Ferry in February. Also speaking outside the courthouse, Bus Division Operator Chair Sean Battaglia said the Union looks forward to what the People are demanding as a penalty -- five years' incarceration and five years' supervised release once the trial, which will begin next January, concludes.

(l-r) MABSTOA Officer Monique Rondon, Labor Press CEO Neal Tepel, Pres. Richard Davis, Nancy Galvet, Mario Galvet, Harriette Goodridge-Seymour, Emblem Health CEO Karen Ignagni, and Local 100 Health Benefits Director Chris Lightbourne

Galvet, James Given "Hero of Labor" Award for Work at 9/11

OCTOBER 9 -- EEM Mario Galvet and Conductor Guilaine James were given "Hero of Labor" awards for their work during the 9/11 rescue and recovery effort 23 years ago. The awards event, sponsored by Labor Press and Emblem Health, took place at Emblem's offices at 55 Water Street in lower Manhattan. As an EEM, Galvet worked on restoring radio communications after the towers sent down. James was a CTA at the time, assigned to clean debris with a paper mask and a tyvek suit that ripped during the clean-up. James didn't attend the ceremony due to respiratory problems. She retired from NYCT in 2012.

In his remarks, Galvet said he was accepting the award "on behalf of the nearly 4,000 TWU Local 100 members who responded to Ground Zero. Our members were the largest presence at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the towers," he said. "It was only our heavy duty equipment -- hundreds of trucks, 40-ton cranes that were brought down by barge from the 207th Street Yard, generators, fuel trucks, hundreds if not thousands of oxy-acetylene tanks to do all the cutting, front loaders bought in to clean all the debris from the towers. It was our guys who cleared that so that all the rescue crews could come in."

The awards were presented by Emblem Health CEO Karen Ignagni and Labor Press CEO Neal Tepel.

ABC 7 Coverage on Brutal Assault of Train Operator Myran Pollack

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 -- Our member, Train Operator Myran Pollack, is now in stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery on Tuesday, October 8th and a second procedure the morning of October 9th. He was viciously stabbed while performing his job, bringing to light the urgent need for changes in TA policies. TWU Local 100 is demanding immediate changes and a meaningful role in shaping policies that will protect our members. This is a pivotal moment to take action, to reduce the chances of such tragedies happening again. Watch ABC’s full coverage and support our push for lasting change.

Union Fury as Career Criminal Gets Out on Bail

SEPTEMBER 27 -- Stations VP Robert Kelley reacted with anger in front of the Bronx Hall of Justice when the judge rejected the people's request for higher bail and instead let career criminal Alexander Wright go free after he posted $500 for a bail bond. He is facing assault charges in an attack on Cleaner Anthony Nelson in 2022.

"CTA Anthony Nelson is dealing with a lot of mental [anguish] today," Kelley said. "He is very disheartened that this man is free after what he's done to him." Wright broke Nelson's collarbone and nose and the Cleaner had to have multiple surgeries.

Wright has another court appearance on Monday, and if he doesn't appear, he will again be subject to arrest.

Union Holds 2nd Commemoration at 9/11 Museum

SEPTEMBER 18 -- Eight TWU Local 100 members who served at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks were presented with commemorative medals at a ceremony held within the National September 11th Memorial and Museum on September 18th. President Richard Davis presented the medals, which are given to transit workers who suffered severe illnesses or injuries from their service on the pile. Union leadership, along with 9/11 Museum President Elizabeth Hillman and Chief Curator Jan Ramirez, also presented for public viewing a showcase in the Museum's Foundation Hall, dedicated to transit worker artfacts used in the rescue and recovery effort, including a flashlight, work vest, hard hat, and ID card. Also on display at the Museum is a NY Times photograph from September 12th, showing a Track Worker on the pile manning a fire hose.

In his remarks at the awarding of the medals (one of which was given posthumously and accepted by the widow and children of deceased TEMM John Dunne), President Davis said, "This exhibit is not just a display of artifacts; it's testament to the bravery, sacrifice, and unwavering spirit of the men and women who stepped forward without hesitation."

Look for complete coverage of the event in the next edition of the Transport Workers Bulletin.

Refreshed Crew Quarters — Chambers Street

SEPTEMBER 20 -- At 8AM on Friday morning, Local 100 and management held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the newly expanded and updated crew quarters for Construction Flaggers at Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan. The renovated space includes locker rooms for both male and female workers, with the women’s restroom now featuring six stalls—a likely record for transit facilities, indicating the growing number of women in the workforce.

New Dental Benefits Now in Effect

OCTOBER 15 -- President Richard Davis announced that TWU Local 100 has reached an agreement with a new provider, EmblemHealth, to significantly improve our dental benefits. These enhanced benefits feature an expanded network of top-tier providers and specialists, including:

• 100% coverage for preventive, basic, and major services.
• One implant per year covered in full
• Bone grafting
• One fluoride treatment per child annually until age 26
• An expanded network for pediatric dental care
• Emergency bedside calls
• Temporary dentures prior to permanent ones.
• Higher annual maximums

The new policy includes 13,553 dentists in New York and New Jersey, and 415,000 + nationwide. This is the result of your union standing strong for you. You should have received your Emblem Health Premier Dental Plan card in the mail. If you have not recieved a card, and are represented by TWU Local 100 (OA/TA/MTA Bus, Liberty Lines) call 866-234-8697 for customer service.

Visit our Dental Page here.

Important Notice for Tier 6 Pension Members (2012-2022)

In 2021, TWU Local 100 raised serious concerns about the MTA’s pension calculations under the Tier 6 legislation, and our concerns were right on target. The MTA has confirmed that thousands of workers were overcharged for Tier VI contributions. As a result of our advocacy, the MTA is now refunding these wrongful deductions, with interest accrued through August 1, 2024.This correction affects approximately 8,000 Tier 6 employees from 2012-2022, who will receive the money that was incorrectly taken from them. However, despite our years of fighting for justice, several significant issues remain unresolved. The audit also revealed that some members may have been undercharged, and as a result were not paying into their pension.

To address this, the union secured payment options for any required repayments, ensuring that they are manageable. This prevents members from facing undue financial strain and ensures they retain their full pension benefits. Without our intervention, members could have been faced with paying interest on this money from day one until retirement, paying the amount in full, or even subject to loss of time counted toward retirement. We have filed a lawsuit against the MTA due to persistent problems with how they are calculating the amounts owed, the interest they promised to return , and the lack of effective dispute resolution methods.

Download a copy of this notification by clicking here