UTLO was certified by the Public Employment Relations Board to represent certain Superintendents and Assistant General Superintendents at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Department of Buses on November 6, 2017, to represent Group Stations Superintendents at the New York City Transit Authority’s Stations Division on March 21, 2019 and to represent certain Deputy Superintendents and Superintendents at the remaining NYCT Subways Departments and in the Support Departments on June 11, 2019. These certifications were the culmination of an effort begun back in 2014 when the UTLO was founded by individuals dedicated to improving the on-the-job lives of transit employees in these titles. Since that time, dozens of these employees have directly benefited from the UTLO’s efforts on their behalf. Below is a running list of our accomplishments:

• Secured reversal of the Authority’s determination to extend a Supt’s probation based on 39 COVID-19 absences. Extension of probation rescinded.
• Secured Arbitrator’s reduction of penalty from termination to time served suspension with a six month demotion and successfully defended the Authority’s application to NY Supreme Court to vacate the arbitration award.
• Tuition Reimbursement – corrected policy modification that omitted UTLO members from tuition reimbursement program.
• Secured reimbursement of $1,900 for a member after underpayment of medical insurance opt-out benefit. Authority claimed the member was no longer entitled to the managerial rate because he was now represented by a union.
• 5 days suspension reduced to a one day, record only suspension.

• A two week suspension was reduced to a reprimand expungeable after six months.
• A 30 day suspension was reduced to a one day suspension.
• Secured reversal of decision to deny a member 12 days paid sick leave due to non-documentation by proving that documenting the illness would’ve been unfairly burdensome.
• Successfully secured an alternate reassignment for a member after an initial reassignment to a location where the TA was employing an hourly employee the member claimed threatened and stalked him during a prior incident.
• Successfully overturned BSC determination that a member was not eligible for dependent life insurance coverage on his 19 year old daughter who tragically passed away during May 2020.   This secured both basic and supplemental insurance, a total of $5,000.
• A 90 days suspension was reduced to 20 days.
• Successfully overturned MTA Bus’ refusal to grant lifetime retiree bus passes to certain MTA Bus UTLO members. Secured passes for three MTA members.
• Secured a union member 9/11 first responder status from NYCERS, 9/11 ongoing sick leave status per recent amendment to the General Municipal Law as well as back pay for days taken as sick leave but actually 9/11 related since 2001.
• Improper family leave paycheck deductions. TA withheld paid family leave deductions from UTLO members. Such deductions must be negotiated. UTLO notified TA and the deductions were corrected.
• Secured an agreement to hold a five day suspension in abeyance and dismissed and if the union member performs backlogged duties.
• Successfully secured election day voting leave for a union member after denial by her Manager.
• Successfully secured binding arbitration for Subways and Support Supts and Deputy Supts for the first time ever.
• Successfully advocated for a union member to be acknowledged for her actions in confronting an assailant and protecting subordinate employees.
• Secured contractual lump sum payment for a union member after Labor Relations initially determined him to be ineligible.
• Successfully advocated for a union member to be transferred after he claimed retaliation.
• Successfully advocated for removal of Step II hearing officer for in a discipline appeal where the officer was to be same individual that issued the Step I decision.
• Successfully advocated for a union member to be granted extensions to provide documentation to facilitate retirement in lieu of demotion.
• Successfully secured separation pay for a union member following several months of delay.
• Secured correction of comp. time shortage for a union member after several months of delay.
• Secured reduction of four union members’ five day suspensions to reinstructions.
• Reduced a 15 day suspension an adjournment pending dismissal for 3 months good behavior.
• Reduced a 10 day suspension reduced to warning.
• Reduced a termination to a warning with commitment to retire.
• Secured restoration with back pay for union members the following Monday after being held out of service on a Friday.
• Reduced a termination to a 30 day suspension (4 weeks forfeited vacation, 2 weeks served)(arbitration award).
• Reduced two terminations to retirements.
• Reduced a termination to a 30 days suspension while also settled J-COPE ethics charges without additional fine.
• Secured an eight week suspension held in abeyance and with reduction to a warning if no sustained charges within one year.
• Reduced three union members’ reinstructions to verbal counselings.
• Reduced a five day suspension to a reprimand.
• Reduced two union members’ five day suspensions to a warning.
• Reduced a termination from General Superintendent reduced to a demotion to Assistant General Superintendent.
• A member with two charges had a five day suspension reduced to a reprimand and a reprimand reduced to a reinstruction.
• Another member with two charges had a demotion reduced to 4 weeks suspension with a final warning and a dismissal reduced to a demotion.
• Reduced a two week suspension to a reprimand.
• Reduced a five day suspension to a one day, record only suspension (no lost pay).
• Reduced a two week suspension to a reprimand.
• Reduced a 20 day suspension to five.
• Reduced a five day suspension with a change of shift to a reinstruction with no shift change.
• Reduced a dismissal to a resignation.
• Secure a one day suspension held in abeyance.
• Prevented charges arising out of an EEO Investigation.
• Reduced a termination to demotion.
• Reduced a termination to a retirement without charges.
• Reduced a three week suspension to a two week suspension.
• Reduced a 30 day suspension to 10 day suspension.
• Reduced a 30 day suspension to 5 day suspension.
• Reduced a five day suspension to a reprimand.