Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
MTA Creates Four New Positions For Pregnant Workers After Nightmare Miscarriage
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Nov 10, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
(Original subway photo via LaTur on Flickr)
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Nov 10, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After several months of negotiations between transit officials and TWU Local 100, the MTA has agreed to set aside more jobs for pregnant women who need lighter duties. The announcement comes after a pregnant transit worker lost her baby while giving birth prematurely during her shift at a Brooklyn rail yard this summer.
There will now be four announcer positions for expecting mothers who, for medical reasons, can no longer perform jobs that are more physically demanding.
“Pregnant women for the first time will have an opportunity for a real light-duty option that doesn’t include standing on their feet all day or doing physical labor,” TWU President Tony Utano wrote in a statement. “The agreement is an important first step to finally provide our union sisters, regardless of title, the opportunity to continue to work in jobs that will not threaten their health or the health of their babies.”
The four new positions are only for subway operators and conductors. Last year, the MTA said it received eight requests from pregnant women for lighter duties. The agency also noted that there are other positions available to pregnant women, which they can apply to through Human Resources.
The MTA and the union created a pregnancy task force to work on the issue after train conductor Jillian Williams’s miscarriage in the East New York rail yard. Williams never received an accommodation because she said she had difficulty figuring out how to apply for one.
The MTA would not comment on Williams’s miscarriage, citing a pending lawsuit.
“Ensuring we can open these dedicated announcer positions is another strong step for women in NYC Transit and will enable pregnant women who have a medical necessity the ability to remain in the workforce for a longer period of time,” Interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg wrote in a statement. “I’m proud to reach an agreement with TWU and make this a reality.”
The new positions will be available to the pregnant conductors and train operators for 60 days, after which they can request a 30 day extension. Employees still on probation are also eligible for these jobs. Williams, who waited until her sixth month of pregnancy before starting the process of seeking an accommodation, said she would have wanted lighter duties before that time, but was afraid to ask because she was still on her one-year probation.
“While it is encouraging to hear the MTA has made this announcement, the Administration has still failed to fully comply with the law by providing a transparent, interactive and lawful policy detailing a process by which all pregnant employees can obtain a reasonable accommodation,” said Williams’s attorney Retu Singla in a statement. In addition to Williams, Singla is representing several other MTA workers in a lawsuit against the MTA, claiming it failed to provide accommodations for them when they were pregnant.
In 2019 the TWU filed several lawsuits against the MTA over not providing bus drivers and subway operators with adequate accommodations when they were pregnant.
During contract negotiations in January, when the last union contract was ratified, the MTA agreed to create a committee to discuss setting aside positions for pregnant workers, but the committee never met until after Williams lost her baby.
Tagged
miscarriage
MTA
subway
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: It's been a while since it rained
Because it's dry, here are your early links: McCarren Park teens love the mayor, Long Island castle being auctioned off, an update on the 1 a.m. dining scene and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Woman found in shallow grave in Queens; her ex-boyfriend is in custody, NYPD says
The city medical examiner ruled Seraphina Pereira’s death a homicide on Monday.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Woman found in shallow grave in Queens; her ex-boyfriend is in custody, NYPD says
The city medical examiner ruled Seraphina Pereira’s death a homicide on Monday.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
By
Mike Hayes
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
By
Jon Campbell
Judge temporarily halts overnight construction at NYC’s Chinatown jail
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .