The MTA just doesn’t get it!

Instead of addressing and fixing the real issues that make the Maintenance Line Supervisor position so tough and undesirable, management continues to take the easy way out — repeatedly opening the job to the public — instead of making the necessary changes to make this demanding position attractive to the very mechanics who already know the job, the equipment, and the system.

The Maintenance Line Supervisor is the only supervisory title, in operations that Transit has consistently opened to the public. That fact alone should tell you everything you need to know.

If the position were structured properly — with reasonable hours, adequate support, clear authority, and real work-life balance — experienced mechanics would be lining up for the opportunity. Instead, the Authority keeps trying to fill the vacancy without fixing the vacancy’s cause.

You don’t solve a retention problem by lowering the bar.You solve it by raising the standard of how the job is treated.

But if your interested, go ahead and apply!

On Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11:00 AM, we will be welcoming George Alvarez, Assemblymember representing the 78th District in the Bronx, to our offices for a meet and greet with our officers and members.

Assemblymember Alvarez serves on several key committees in the New York State Assembly, most notably the Transportation Committee, Labor Committee, and Codes Committee — all of which directly impact our members and the work we do every day.

If you would like to meet Assemblymember Alvarez, please arrive at the office by 10:30 AM.

Kindly notify your Division Chairman if you plan on attending.

District 78

Whether you are Active or Retired, if you move, remember to call us @ (718) 601-7100 to let us know your new address so we can update our database.

The Leadership Team at the Transit Supervisors Organization – TWU Local 106 recognizes that the freedoms we enjoy as Americans were secured through the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of heroes like Eric Slover and Royce Williams, who were awarded the Medal of Honor last night.

Their bravery, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to this nation represent the very best of what it means to serve. Because of men like them, we are able to live, work, and raise our families in freedom — a freedom that should never be taken for granted.

On behalf of our entire organization, we extend our deepest respect and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.

Transit management has decided they can simply cancel the Regular Days Off (RDO’s) of MSII’s due to the recent snow storm — without offering alternative days off.

Simply put: that is a violation of our contract.

We understand that severe weather requires proper staffing. No one is arguing that the system shouldn’t be staffed during a storm. But canceling scheduled RDO’s outright — without rescheduling them — crosses the line.

MSII’s are not managers, and we will not allow management to treat them as such.

Under our agreement, MSII’s are entitled to two consecutive days off per week, except in emergencies. Even in an emergency, while days off may be separated, members are still entitled to two days off within that week. Canceling RDO’s entirely is not permitted.

This action will be grieved this week.

We will enforce the contract. Period.

Philip Valenti, President

Yesterday, February 20th, marked the first time that the Union and Management formally sat down to begin discussions on the MTA Bus contract. Although the contract expired on December 31, 2024, there was no practical reason to meet sooner due to several significant obstacles that had to be resolved first. With those issues now behind us, the Local 106 MTA Bus Negotiating Team determined that the timing was finally right to move forward.

As expected, the meeting was productive. Both sides engaged in meaningful dialogue and set the framework for continued discussions.

However, our most significant challenge remains the MTA Bus multiplier pension system. This pension structure is inferior to even the worst aspects of Tier 6 and continues to place our members at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, meaningful reform of the multiplier system will be extremely difficult unless Transport Workers Union Local 100 is able to secure the necessary pension improvements in their upcoming negotiations.

As you know, our MTA Bus pension is tied to Local 100 through prior agreements. Because of established pattern bargaining and previous arbitration decisions affirming our right to follow the Local 100 pattern, our ability to independently alter the pension structure — even through arbitration — would not likely succeed.

While we delayed the start of negotiations for strategic reasons, we are now aligned with the OA and Queens units in terms of timing. We are actively pushing to have all outstanding contracts concluded as soon as possible. As is often the case, we are currently awaiting management’s responses on several key demands before the next phase of negotiations can move forward.

We will continue to keep the membership informed as developments occur.

Local 106 Maintenance Chairman Antonio Serrano sounded the alarm on a serious safety issue at the MaBSTOA, Gun Hill Depot after in-service buses began appearing on AVM reports with dangerously low brake linings.

Tony is not only a veteran of the United States Military, he is also a seasoned Transit Maintenance Supervisor who has spent years in the field. When Antonio Serrano raises a safety concern, it is not speculation — it is based on experience, knowledge, and a deep understanding of bus maintenance operations. When Tony speaks, people should listen.

Yesterday at Gun Hill Depot was no different.

His concerns immediately drew the attention of the no-nonsense safety team from Transport Workers Union Local 100, who responded to the depot and ordered buses taken out of service to be inspected. Fernando Salomons, UTLO Vice President, was also on the scene. Management was send into a scramble to try and address the issue.

What was discovered is deeply troubling:

• Buses operating on the road with low brake linings
• Buses with defective brake sensors
• No corresponding work orders to track or ensure repairs

These are not minor paperwork oversights — these are critical safety issues involving equipment that carries thousands of New Yorkers every single day.

Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise to anyone who has worked in the Bus Division long enough. There is a culture of “smoke and mirrors” where buses that should never leave the depot are sent out anyway — all to make the division’s numbers look good to upper management.

But safety cannot be sacrificed for statistics.

Local 106 will continue to stand with those who refuse to compromise on safety. When our Maintenance Chairman sounds the alarm, it is because there is a real issue — and we will not ignore it.

Public safety, operator safety, and member protection will always come before optics.

This is just the first Depot on the list of many depots that will now undergo the same scrutiny and safety inspection.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the Transit Authority has long struggled to attract and retain qualified Line Supervisors (LS) in the Bus Maintenance Department, management has now made a difficult job nearly impossible.

Being a Line Supervisor today is like being a correction officer on Rikers Island. You report to work with no guarantee of when you will go home. If your relief does not show up, you are stuck. That means covering the next shift — and sometimes the one after that — resulting in 16 to 24 straight hours on duty.

At the same time, you are responsible for supervising anywhere from 15 to 30 employees, working in multiple locations throughout the property. You are accountable for everything.

But here’s the problem: management, in its “infinite wisdom,” has buried Line Supervisors in clerical work. Instead of being out on the floor — ensuring employees are where they are supposed to be and performing their duties — LS’s are trapped behind desks pushing paper.

Then comes the final insult.

Managers show up at all hours of the night and day looking for a “gotcha.” If they find an employee out of position or sleeping, they suspend or demote the Line Supervisor — the very same supervisor who has been overloaded, understaffed, and buried in paperwork.

They expect perfection while creating conditions that guarantee failure.

If you are considering becoming a Line Supervisor in New York City Transit, MaBSTOA, or MTA Bus, Department of Buses, understand this clearly:

Management will not protect you.
They will not support you.
They will throw you under the figurative bus if it serves their narrative.

They do not care if you are exhausted.
They do not care if you are supervising too many employees.
They do not care about the impossible workload they created.

If you are a Line Supervisor, protect yourself at all costs. Document everything. Follow policy to the letter. Do not take chances by sending buses into service that are not serviceable under Transit’s own rules.

Because when something goes wrong, they will not look at the system.
They will look at you.

Philip Valenti
President

I am proud to announce that the Free Legal Services Plan for our Local 106 members is officially in place and activated.

This benefit is available to all eligible members and is another example of our commitment to protecting you and your family both on and off the job.

See attachment below for more details regarding coverage, eligibility, and how to access the plan.

This is your union working for you.

Philip Valenti
President
TSO / TWU Local 106

Please call FK&M with any questions you may have about the plan.

YOU GET WHAT YOU VOTE FOR!

By  Brecca Stoll• Feb 17, 2026   DailyWire.com

Mamdani’s $127B Budget Plan Relies On Property Tax Increases And ‘Raiding’ Rainy Day Fund

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned that his preliminary budget would be a tax on working- and middle-class New Yorkers on Tuesday.

“Property taxes would be raised by 9.5%. This would effectively be a tax on working- and middle-class New Yorkers who have a median income of $122,000,” the mayor said.

Mamdani unveiled his preliminary budget proposal for 2027, outlining a plan to close a projected $5.4 billion deficit. Under state law, New York City must pass a balanced budget. To bridge the gap, Mamdani proposed a 9.5% increase in property taxes and “raiding” the city’s Rainy Day Fund and the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund. “The city would also take $980 million from its Rainy Day Fund and take $229 million from the Retiree Health Benefits Trust,” he said. Mamdani’s proposal would increase the city’s overall spending from former Mayor Eric Adams’ $115 billion budget to $127 billion. Mamdani described the property tax hike and reserve raid as a last resort, preferring to instead raise taxes on high-income earners and corporations, which would require approval from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who has promised New Yorkers she will not raise taxes in 2026. Without Hochul agreeing to raise taxes, Mamdani is left with raising property taxes as his administration’s primary lever.

“To rely on a property tax increase and a significant draw-down of reserves to close our gap would have dire consequences,” stated Mamdani’s Comptroller Mark Levine. “Our property tax system is profoundly unfair and inconsistent, and an across-the-board increase in this tax would be regressive. Drawing down reserves during a period of economic growth would leave us vulnerable to economic turbulence next year.”

Mamdani would not be the first mayor to draw from the reserves, as the city tapped the funds during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, however, the city would be tapping the funds “despite a strong economy and record revenues from Wall Street.” Mamdani attributed the budget shortfalls to former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration underfunding $7.54 billion in six key areas, including cash assistance, rental assistance, shelter, due process cases, judgement & claims, and the city subsidy structural deficit.

Since the 1970s, New York has been legally required to balance its budget when the state legislature passed the Financial Emergency Act for the City of New York in September of 1975, mandating a balanced budget. The legislation was passed to prevent New York City from defaulting on its debt and going bankrupt after a decade of the city covering daily operations with short-term loans.

Turning to reserves to meet Mamdani’s mandate could raise red flags with credit rating agencies. Using reserves to plug recurring deficits may signal structural imbalance, increasing the risk of a municipal bond downgrade. A downgrade would force the city to pay higher interest rates to borrow, ultimately driving up debt service costs and putting even more pressure on the budget the law requires to be balanced.

Costs may continue to rise for New York City. Watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission reports more than $7 billion of taxpayer money has been spent to house and care for undocumented immigrants in New York City.

Click the watchdog and reports links for more information.

ABC New York (WABC) reports the yearly budget for asylum seekers is larger than the budget for the city health department, the sanitation department, and the fire department.