‘Relentless’ advocate
Transit union big who led aid effort for P.R. dies at 53
A top official at New York’s largest transit worker union died of lung cancer on Saturday after a prolonged battle with the disease.
Nelson Rivera, 53, administrative vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, was known by colleagues for his humanitarian work and longtime leadership.
Rivera led three different aid missions the union organized in 2017 and 2018 for areas of Puerto Rico devastated by Hurricane Maria.
He was diagnosed with stage four cancer in September 2018 and was told he had just a few months to live — but he carried on with his work at the union.
Last fall Rivera spearheaded a drive that collected dozens of images of filthy subway cars after Metropolitan Transportation Authority honchos cut more than 60 union cleaner jobs. He griped that the cuts left the remaining cleaners with dirtier work and straphangers with stinkier commutes.
“He had incredible empathy and compassion,” said Local 100 President Tony Utano. “There are literally hundreds of Local 100 members who today have a job because of Nelson’s relentless advocacy.”
Raised in Brooklyn, he started as a subway car maintainer in 1989. He was elected shop steward of the sprawling 207th St. train yard in upper Manhattan in 2000. He held various vice president positions at Local 100 since 2007.
“Management had tremendous respect for him,” said Shirley Martin, vice president of the car equipment division at Local 100.
A number of managers would tell me ‘Nelson keeps us in our place.’ I don’t know what I’m going to do without him,” Martin added.
Rivera is survived by his wife and three children.
His death comes as at least 123 other MTA employees have died from coronavirus over the last two months.