Mario Bucceri joined the New York City Transit Authority during 1982 and worked his way through the ranks as Cleaner, Helper, Maintainer, Supervisor, Deputy Superintendent, Superintendent and Assistant General Superintendent, General Superintendent before assuming his current position as President of the United Transit Leadership Organization.

During his 30+ years as a NYCT manager, Mario Bucceri observed many disparities between managerial and represented supervisory titles and a fundamental failure by NYCT to provide the respect and dignity due to managers by virtue of their position in the corporate structure. Mario was determined that only a true labor union would enable managers to cure these disparities and to secure the respect, fair treatment, and fair compensation consistent with their role as managers in the largest transportation system in the world.

Mario along with an energetic and devoted group of his fellow managers in the various agencies under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority umbrella formed the United Transit Leadership Organization to serve as the labor union for MTA managers.  In spite of the MTA’s costly and time-consuming legal objections which required numerous hearings before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, UTLO was certified as the labor union for over 900 managerial employees including the MTA employees of the Department of Buses, the Departments of Subways and Support Services. This is an historical accomplishment constituting the first time that MTA managers have secured union representation and collective bargaining.

Wade T. Gibbs III joined the United States Air Force in August of 1985 and honorably served for 22 years of active-duty service before proudly joining the NYC Transit family in early 2013. Wade began his NYC Transit career as a Bus Maintenance Supervisor at MTA Bus Company. Later that year, he was promoted to Superintendent of Track, Department of Subways (DOS), and worked as a Track Construction Project Manager in the Division of Subways. In December of 2016, Wade moved to Subways Track Maintenance, where he was assigned as Track Maintenance Zone Manager and gained a broader perspective of subway operations and service delivery. Wade was then handpicked by Track Leadership to onboard Enterprise Asset Management.

Throughout his professional career, Wade has lead several member associations. During his military career, he served as President for the Air Force Sergeants Association, chapter 404 at Robins AFBGA, where he fought for legislative change for Active-duty military and Veteran benefits.  Wade also served as President of the Company Grade OfficersAssociation at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he continued to push for military benefits. 

Wade brings a breadth of experience and commitment to representing the interests of his colleagues. He is ready, willing, and able to continue the establishment and growth of the United Transportation Leadership Organization.

Hailing from the beaches of Jamaica, to the snowcapped mountains of the Hudson Valley, Cassius Pryce has worked for New York City Transit for over 30 years. He started his career as a bus operator at the Jamaica Bus Depot then moved to the Walnut Bus Depot in The Bronx. Later, he became part of the Underground Hound, roaming the middle of the train as a Conductor for several years. He was later promoted Train Operator. Six and half years later rising to the top of his class as a Train Service Supervisor, where he responded to train break downs and emergencies along the corridors of Sixth Avenue, Eighth Avenue and beyond. During the blackout of 2003, he assisted with evacuating customers off the trains from Rockefeller Center to 59th Street Columbus Circle.

When the nation was under attack during 9/11, he was again part of the underground crew ensuring that the trains were safely evacuated. He also worked as a Console Train Dispatcher (CTD) at the Rail Control Center (RCC) for several years before his promotion to manager in Rapid Transit Operation (RTO), now called Service Delivery.

In 2012 Cassius worked as a Schedule Manager in Operations Planning, where all of the timetables, work programs and schedules are created for the Subways and Buses. 

During that time Hurricane Sandy struck, he cleared customers from flooded stations. In 2016, Cassius returned to the nerve center of New York City Transit Rail Control Center where he is part of a team of dedicated employees that assist in all aspect of incident handling to provide safe, reliable and efficient services to NYCT customers. 

When the pandemic struck, many MTA employees were inflicted with COVID-19. After seeing some departments allowing employees to alternate work weeks, Cassius advocated the same for his department, the Rail Control Center and Field Management. Though most probably would be bored after working for the same company for so long, Cassius still has the same drive and passion as the first day he started.

Fernando Salomons began his career with the New York City Transit Authority in 1985. At this time, Fernando was assigned to Walnut Depot Bus Transportation as a Bus Operator, driving in the Bronx. Eight years later he moved into the Maintenance department where he took the opportunity to learn NYCT Maintenance Operations. Later, he took a promotion to Storeroom Supervisor, which lead to his present title of Superintendent of Supply Chain Operations. As a Manager, Fernando supports the inventory levels and maintains the Budgetary parameters for NYCT Facilities. During the COVID pandemic, Fernando played a key role in assisting the MTA with the Governors initiative of distributing COVID tests to NYC Nursing homes. During his time within NYCT, Fernando held several positions; allowing him to gain abroad depth of experience and knowledge of the operations throughout the organization. In 2014, Fernando was one of several managers to join efforts to organize the UTLO. Fernando believes managers should have a voice and be heard.

‍

UTLO’s primary legal counsel is Howard Wien of the law firm ISAACS DEVASIA CASTRO & WIEN LLP. 

Representing unions, their members and their affiliated fringe benefit funds, Mr. Wien has represented unions in major collective bargaining in the construction, transportation and law enforcement industries and has been labor’s advocate at the National Labor Relations Board, the National Mediation Board, the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, the New York City Board of Collective Bargaining, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights and in numerous employee disciplinary hearings and contract interpretation grievance arbitration.  Mr. Wien has litigated on behalf and in defense of labor unions in state and federal court at the trial and appellate levels in matters as diverse as disputes over interpretations of union by-laws to issues of Constitutional dimensions including free speech, search and seizure, substantive and procedural due process and equal protection and statutory claims under the Railway Labor Act, the Affordable Care Act, Title VII of the1964 Civil Rights Act, the Labor Management Relations Act and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, just to name a few. Mr. Wien is a former Commissioner of the Yonkers, New York Commission on Human Rights. He is also trained mediator and experienced arbitrator.

Mr. Wien is extremely pleased to represent the UTLO and to have been a part of the successful organizing of employees that conventional wisdom deemed impossible to unionize. 

ISAACS DEVASIA CASTRO & WIEN LLP

75 South Broadway

4th Floor

White Plains NY, 10601

Graduated Yeshiva University 1969.

BA in History.

BA in Hebrew Literature.

Special Ed for Neurological ImpairedChildren.

Columbia University-Teachers College.

Ordained in 1972 at Yeshivat Eretz Yisrael.

Chaplain-New York City Transit Police-1978.

Organized the Office of the Chaplain for theMetropolitan Transportation Authority-New York City Transit Authority in 1993and for the entire MTA in subsequent years, including its Police Department. 

Appointed Chief Chaplain-New York State FraternalOrder of Police in 2017.

United Transit Leadership Organization-VicePresident for Human Resources December 2019.

‍