New York City transit union leaders
demand state action to protect drivers
BY BEN VERDE
During the COVID-19 pandemic,
spitting is not just disgusting — it’s
potentially lethal.
Now, leaders of New York’s transit
unions are calling on state legislators to
increase the penalties for those who spit
on transit workers, saying the dangerous
incidents have become too frequent.
As it stands, spitting on a transit worker
is classifi ed as a violation, which only
results in a summons. Labor leaders are
pushing the state to amend the penal code
to up it to a misdemeanor, which can result
in jail time.
“It’s deplorable, it’s disgusting, and it
needs to stop,” said Transit Workers United
Local 100 President Tony Utano at a rally
outside City Hall Park on Feb. 12. “We
believe the way it may be deterred is to get
this bill passed.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed
budget includes a provision that would
increase penalties for spitting on, shoving,
or slapping a transit worker. Labor leaders
are calling on legislators to support it.
“We’re going to work until we get this
TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano spoke at a rally in lower Manhattan on Feb. 12.
bill signed, it’s very important to show
respect to the heroes,” Utano said.
TWU leaders say spitting incidents in the
subway are at roughly 200 a year, or about
4 a week. For transit workers who are spit
PHOTO BY BEN VERDE
on by unruly passengers, the incidents can
be traumatizing, with the threat of disease
during the pandemic adding an extra layer
of fear.
“I’m angry, I’m fearful. We can’t do
anything, we feel helpless in the situation
because we can’t fi ght back,” said subway
conductor Terence Towler, who was poked
in the eye while he stuck his head out of the
train. “I shouldn’t have to come to work
and fear for my life.”
It can also result in lost wages.
When Metro-North conductor Rob
Singh was spit on this past September, he
was tested for coronavirus and given HIV
medication and was told to stay home for
a month without pay to prevent infecting
any of his co-workers.
“We need better protection, and we need
to be respected,” Singh said. “It’s a traumatic
experience. It might sound simple,
but being spit on is not something to joke
about.”
Union leaders are also pushing for a
larger police presence on subways and
buses.
“We’ve got to get the old system back
where it used to be that police roamed the
subways, roamed the trains and walked
back and forth, get on those buses and walk
back and forth to show a presence,” Utano
said. “Just the presence alone may detour
some of these assaults and spits.”
Rent survey reveals continued restaurant suffering in NYC
BY MARK HALLUM
Restaurant owners across New York
City remain stuck in a kitchen
nightmare that has nothing to do
with the quality of their service.
A new survey from the New York City
Hospitality Alliance puts the state of the
eateries across the fi ve boroughs into new
dismal perspective, with 92% of respondents
could not make rent in December as restrictions
on indoor dining were clamped down.
Data collected by the Hospitality Alliance
shows that colder weather, and the
months-long exclusion of indoor dining,
had an impact on the fi nances of businesses
— with similar results being tracked at
80% in June, 83% in July, 87% in August
and 88% in October. The data was pulled
from a pool of 400 respondents.
No matter how the decline in business is
attributed, the alliance is begging state and
federal lawmakers to provide $25 billion
in federal relief and more indoor capacity
until the COVID-19 pandemic slows to
the point where restaurants and bars can
operate at regular capacity.
“We’re nearly a year into the public
health and economic crisis that has decimated
New York City’s restaurants, bars,
and nightlife venues,” said Andrew Rigie,
executive director of the NYC Hospitality
Alliance. “While the reopening of highly
regulated indoor dining is welcome news,
we need to safely increase occupancy to
50% as soon as possible, and we urgently
need robust and comprehensive fi nancial
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
relief from the federal government.”
For local eateries, keeping the lights
during the pandemic is more straining by
the day.
Monica Saxena, the owner of Aroqa in
Chelsea, said with lack of indoor dining as
well as fi nes imposed on her outdoor dining
setup, it fi nding the money to keep her
operations going has been a true hardship.
Saxena found that a truly open outdoor
kiosk left her business open to theft of
property such as heaters and lightbulbs.
Then the open gets ransacked by homeless
people using the space under the awning
as a restroom with the proprietor fi nding
vomit on occasion. In securing the setup
with a door and windows, she has been
fi ned by the state because it is too enclosed.
“It was impossible to be able to generate
money to pay rent… The authorities have
been coming in like there’s no tomorrow to
slap us on our wrists. We may have followed
everything, but they’ve found something to
stop you from generating revenue,” Saxena
said. “I built an outside dining area that is
open from the top, open from the bottom,
front windows which slide open.”
After receiving violations, Saxena said
even her attempts to defend her business
through legal recourse are a drain since
retaining a lawyer has cost her $2,500.
“Nobody wants to listen and you’re trying
to explain, ‘look, it’s open. There’s still
air circulation,” Saxena added. “‘Why do
you have windows instead of having nothing?’
‘So then have the homeless come in
and live there?’”
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4 February 18, 2021 Schneps Media