Published 15 Jan, 2016
TWU International Mourns Tragic Passing of Local 250-A Member Reynaldo Morante
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 16, 2016
CONTACT: Oriana Korin (202) 719-3834
Following this week’s news that TWU Local 250-A member and San Francisco cable car operator Reynaldo Morante succumbed to injuries suffered after being struck by a suspected drunken motorcyclist while on the job in June 2015, TWU International President Harry Lombardo issued the following statement:
 |
“We are all deeply saddened by the news of Brother Morante’s passing, and our thoughts and prayers remain with his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. He fought bravely for several months, and his dedication to the City of San Francisco, its residents and visitors, and his union, will remain his legacy, which we will honor every single day.”
(The Morate family has started a Go Fund Me campaign in order to help pay for Brother Morante’s funeral. TWU members are encouraged to donate.)
Brother Morante served as a San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority (SFMTA) operator for more than 20 years, becoming a cable car operator in 2014. The accident sparked a renewed call for stronger safety measures to protect transit operators along San Francisco’s busy cable car routes.
“We can’t wait for tragedy to strike before the Muni decides business as usual isn’t safe enough to protect our operators,” Lombardo continued. “An accident like this increases awareness temporarily, but we’re dealing with a lack of enforcement when it comes to the traffic laws that are designed to protect transit operators and the riding public. The reflective vests and ticketing programs are a good first step, but the city and the agency need a real plan to do more. Muni is one of the only revenue-generating departments in the whole city, and it’s time we all sit down and get serious about protecting its workers, who are providing essential city services just as other public employees around San Francisco do every day.”
According to an article earlier this week in the San Francisco Examiner, Muni has pledged to mount new signs on cable cars reading “Do Not Pass Cable Car,” and will launch a public awareness campaign, as well as develop what they call a “cable car collision reduction program” to identify new safety measures.