TWU New York/New Jersey State Conference

Apply for the Union Leadership Equity and Development (LEAD) Scholarship For more than 20 years, the New York State AFL-CIO and Cornell University have co-sponsored the Union Leadership Institute (ULI). Hundreds of prospective leaders from local unions throughout the state have gone through the program with many progressing to leadership positions within their respective...

April 28 is Workers’ Memorial Day, when we remember the brothers and sisters we’ve lost in the line of duty.

We honor the sacrifices they made and will hold them in our hearts forever.

Please join us for an event to commemorate our fallen members. Registration is open on our website.

Transport Workers Union (TWU) AFL-CIO New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Hudson-Bergen light-rail mechanics vote for TWU NJ Transit light-rail mechanics voted yesterday to join the Transport Workers Union of America. They work on the Hudson-Bergen light-rail system. NJ Transi

TWU Tech Newsletter: Waymo No Mo in NYC (For Now)

WAYMO PAUSED: New York City’s Department of Transportation declined to renew permits issued last year to Waymo for autonomous vehicle testing after they expired at the end of March, according to The City. The TWU called for NYC officials to stop autonomous testing in recent months.

“The Waymo-ization of NYC would be dangerous on many levels,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “Automated Waymos across the country have blocked first responders, endangered children entering and exiting school buses, and completely stopped functioning during a recent power outage in San Francisco. All of these problems would be exponentially magnified in New York City. Automated vehicles are not ready for prime time and Mayor Mamdani is standing up for working New Yorkers by denying Waymo’s ability to operate autonomously in NYC.

Waymo was previously operating eight autonomous vehicles with human safety drivers in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The permit expiration comes a month after Gov. Kathy Hochul walked back her earlier proposal to allow some autonomous vehicles to operate outside of New York City, a move that Samuelsen said is a “last-ditch attempt at saving face” with organized labor.

“The permit expiration is a victory for the TWU and for blue-collar New Yorkers, but Waymo has made it clear from their lobbying dollars and aggressive expansion plans they are not going anywhere,” said TWU Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate. “Unions must remain vigilant and keep fighting the job threats that autonomous vehicles pose.”

Read more here: https://www.twu.org/twu-tech-newsletter-waymo-no-mo-in-nyc-for-now/

A lack of funding to support the administrative functions of the Railroad Retirement Board has severely hampered the agency’s ability to operate. As an example of this, the waiting period for some RRB disability claims now extends beyond 400 days. The BLET National Division finds this unacceptable and is joining with allies to increase the funding and services the RRB provides.

BLET is working in the U.S. House of Representatives with Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Chris DeLuzio (D-PA), and Don Bacon (R-NE) to gather Congressional support for the $185 million in administrative funding that the RRB needs in FY2027 to effectively serve railroaders. The National Division reached out to other House members asking them to sign the letter that Congresswoman Titus is leading. This action resulted in 81 members of Congress lending their support. The letter can be read here (blet.link/4e7gO4N PDF).

The National Division has now turned its attention to the Senate and is working on a bipartisan basis with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) to gain similar support for RRB funding in that chamber.

Improved service and full-funding for the RRB is one place where labor and management see eye-to-eye. The BLET’s efforts have been augmented by joint outreach from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Association of American Railroads, and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. A letter from that labor-management coalition can be read here (blet.link/4dwkpcz PDF).

RRB’s administrative costs are funded entirely through payroll taxes paid by the rail industry and its workers. RRB is not funded by general fund revenue, but each year Congress limits the amount of funding the agency can use for administrative purposes. Essentially, Congress limits how RRB can spend its own money.

April is Autism Acceptance Month— formerly Autism Awareness Month. Tomorrow, let’s “light it up blue” by wearing blue shirts to show our participation. For the rest of April, let’s commit ourselves to working towards understanding the perspective of those on the autism spectrum.

Transport Workers Union (TWU) New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO