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5d ago

TWU and Advocates Sue MTA to Block Policy Allowing Unstaffed Subway Booths

Plaintiffs seek an injunction over a January rule they say took effect without required public hearings.

A new MTA rule would allow token booths to go unstaffed if a worker calls in sick or goes on vacation.
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Overview

  • Transport Workers Union Local 100 filed a Manhattan state-court lawsuit on March 13 challenging the MTA’s move to leave station booths unstaffed when assigned agents are out sick or on vacation.
  • The complaint alleges violations of New York’s Public Authorities Law for skipping mandated hearings and claims the change breaches the city Human Rights Law by removing in-person assistance for riders with disabilities.
  • Named plaintiffs include TWU Stations VP Robert Kelly, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and CIDNY executive director Sharon McLennon-Wier, representing a broader class of subway riders.
  • NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said public notice and hearings accompanied a prior agreement that shifted agents to customer-service roles outside booths and provided additional pay.
  • Union leaders call the closures a service cut that undermines safety and accessibility, with the dispute unfolding as TWU’s contract negotiations with the MTA approach and as staffed booths have fallen to roughly 400 from about 900 in 2001.