Leave given to man with stillborn son
MTA honchos have had a change of heart over a train operator who was denied parental leave to grieve the loss of his stillborn son.
Reinaldo Lopez, a threeyear transit veteran, was finally given two weeks off for family leave on Wednesday — nearly a month after his bosses ordered him back to work three days after his wife’s pregnancy ended in sorrow.
The reversal by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority came the same day the Daily News published a story on Lopez’s tragic situation.
MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said Lopez’s case was unique because the agency is still hammering out the details of family leave for employees represented by Transport Workers Union Local 100. The two sides ratified a new contract last month that established guarantees for family leave, but there is currently “a transition period,” he said.
“I think future cases are going to be handled in a different way,” said Foye. “I think everyone on our side was moved by our colleague’s situation.
“We’ll do the right thing.” Lopez, 33, told The News he was happy about the MTA’s decision — but was upset he had to come to the newspaper in order to get the agency to show some compassion.
“I’m upset that I had to take time out of what I had to do during my regular life to pursue this when it should just be a standard thing for them to go by,” said Lopez (inset). “I don’t care about the money. I’ll be rekindling with my wife, getting my mindset right.”
During an MTA board meeting Wednesday, Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen blasted the agency for its heartless decision to force Lopez back to work.
“This is the exact type of outrageous behavior that lends itself to the hatred that NYC Transit workers have for their own company,” Samuelsen said.