Workers Compensation And The Transit Authority

Workers compensation and the Transit Authority Brothers and Sisters; it's very unfortunate how this Agency treats its injured workers. Time after time when a member gets injured, there is a legitimate concern on timeliness of payments! In the Department of Buses the bureaucracy is as thick as the London Fog! Case in point, a member gets assaulted and follows all the proper procedures and fills out the proper injury on duty forms. Fills out the waiver and election form to use accrued vacation and or sick time for 20 days. Goes to compensation doctor brings paperwork back on Authority forms. Goes to Independent Medical Examiner Known as the (IME) and is approved for time off and therapy. Brings those forms back to the department. All these actions that are handled as far as the forms are concerned must be faxed to 130 Livingston Street the Line Safety Superintendent (LSO) sends over assault verification forms for those on that type of injury. But if 130 Livingston doesn't check the fax or somehow the fax is malfunctioning, you can expect a pay interruption which makes absolutely no sense, and can be detrimental to our families households! In the end this is all done on purpose as a deterrent to keep lost time accidents at a minimal! What I haven't mentioned, is the fight the TA will conjure up to deny your differential. Safety is the primary concern of everyone, if you hurt yourself no matter how minor report it and fill out an IOD report and let the reps deal with management on your behalf.

Unofficial EBoard Notes

Report of 4/29/13 Executive Board meeting Steve Downs, T/O This is NOT an official record of the meeting. It is based solely on my notes. President’s report Pres. Samuelsen opened his report by commenting on the death of Signal Maintainer Louis Moore and the bitter irony that it coincided with the anniversaries of the deaths on the tracks of Track Workers Daniel Boggs and Marvin Franklin. He emphasized that these incidents underlined the inherentt danger of our jobs and the importance of working carefully and safely. As reported at the March Executive Board meeting, the national TWU is exploring the possibility of an affiliation with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Samuelsen is the chair of a committee looking into the advisability of such an affiliation. The committee has met twice and heard presentations from within the TWU. In May, they will be meeting with representatives of the CWA. Their report is likely to be made over the summer. TWU President James Little recently told a meeting of the CWA that he expects the issue to be addressed at the TWU Convention in Sept. Speaking of the TWU Convention, the Executive Board will have a special meeting to discuss the Local’s goals at the convention and possible resolutions once the Convention Call is issued. Endorsements of candidates in races in NYC will be made at the May Board meeting. Bargaining on the TA/OA/MTA Bus contracts will resume once the new MTA Chair, Tom Prendergast, is confirmed by the State Senate. Judicial Panel The Local 100 By-laws require that a panel be appointed to hear charges brought by one member against another. Charges go to this panel only after they are reviewed by an attorney and the Board votes that they are proper charges. The panel members are: Tony Utano (Chair), Richard Davis (Vice-Chair), Chris Magwood (OA), Richard Holley (MoW), Janice Carter (RTO), Kevin Cadigan (Private Lines/MTA Bus), Johnnie Joyner (TA Surface), Markeith Woolford (Stations), Grigory Dunichev (CED) Bargaining for new contracts is taking place at Supertrans, White Plains Bus, Mile Square, and part of Royal Coach. The sign-up card that members who owe back dues can use to authorize the MTA to deduct double from their checks until their arrears are paid should be ready within a few weeks. Charges Three sets of charges were presented to the Executive Board and all were found not to meet the definition of a valid charge, so no hearings will be held. They were: Paul King charging David Francis and Maurice Jenkins; Kendra Hill against Derick Echevarria and Maurice Jenkins; and Wayne Bryan against John Day. A member from CED has claimed that he has not been granted his proper seniority. The Board ruled last year that his complaint against the officers in CED did not qualify as a proper charge. G Dunichev will make a report on the matter to the May Board meeting. Minutes of the February Board meeting were read and approved. -- Steve Downs Chair, T/O Division TWU Local 100