MTA workers call for increased staffing after violent incident
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has urged the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to deploy more personnel to help clear train cars at the end of their routes, like at relay sites such as Euclid Avenue.
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MTA workers and union members are calling for more staff to improve safety conditions following a recent stabbing of a train operator.
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has urged the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to deploy more personnel to help clear train cars at the end of their routes, like at relay sites such as Euclid Avenue.
The call for action came after Myran Pollack, a train operator, was stabbed multiple times by a passenger at the Crown Heights-Utica Avenue station in Brooklyn. Pollack was working alone at the time, performing the routine task of clearing the train, which requires operators to ensure that all passengers have exited before the train changes direction.
"All Mr. Pollack did was say 'last stop.' Now we try to avoid any conversation, and if we do speak to passengers, we do it from a distance," said Jesse Argueta, chair of the TWU’s conductor/tower division.
According to Argueta, train operators and conductors are frequently left to clear trains by themselves, which the union argues is much safer when done in pairs. Newer train models make the process easier, but older trains require workers to spend more time ensuring empty cars.
In response, the TWU held a rally last week, demanding that the MTA assign at least two workers to clear trains at the end of the line.
This week, according to Argueta, Euclid Avenue had more visible staff than usual.
"When I spoke to some staff, they said it used to be just one person clearing trains; now it's one or two, but today we had four or five workers," Argueta said.
An MTA spokesperson did not confirm if the agency plans to increase staffing for train clearing but said they deploy more resources when needed. The MTA has not addressed questions regarding the increased staff presence at Euclid Avenue last week.
