FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2023
Contact: Jonna Huseman, jhuseman@twu.org
The TWU Ramps Up Fight Against Metro-North Railroad
New Haven, CT — In the face of an intransigent NYS Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) is ramping up its contract campaign against America’s second-largest commuter railroad, Metro-North, warning that a strike is forthcoming absent a contract settlement.
In recent weeks, the TWU has taken out full-page ads in area newspapers and on local radio stations warning commuters at Metro-North that unless management comes to their senses, TWU members at Metro-North will shut down the railroad by engaging in strike action upon release by the NMB.
“During the entire pandemic, these workers have come to work every damn day, and fulfilled all of their obligations in expert fashion. And yet, these bosses at the MTA have lied to them, scammed them, and tried to ram an inferior contracts down their throats,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said.
Nearly 600 maintenance workers, car inspectors, and car cleaners represented by TWU Locals 2001 and 2055 have been without a contract since 2019. At issue is a proposal put on the table by bosses at Metro-North that would allow the agreement, including members’ pay, to be renegotiated at any time.
“We’ll go on strike and we’ll shut the railroad down before we settle for any of those terms,” Samuelsen said in a radio interview last week.
In addition to the full-court press ad campaign, the TWU is holding a series of shopgate meetings this week at its Metro-North facilities to educate and update members on the state of contract negotiations.
The workgroups are covered under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), and have the right to strike in New York. Under the legal process established by the RLA, the TWU is in mediation with Metro-North. Upon release from mediation, workers at Metro-North are fully prepared to strike to receive the dignified contract they deserve.