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Dear New Yorkers,

Back in 2020, the MTA created new “restricted-duty announcer” positions for expectant mothers who work as train operators or conductors, but are unable to spend shifts on trains.

But workers on MTA buses never got the same consideration. This week, six women will sue the MTA’s transit division in state court, accusing the agency of failing to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant bus operators.

According to court papers to be filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, pregnant bus operators who are at a stage of pregnancy in which they can no longer operate buses are being put in a position where they have to use their accumulated sick time, comp time and other time off in order to be paid.

“There are other jobs we could do inside the depot, such as flagging the buses or working a desk job, but they won’t allow us,” one of the women told THE CITY.  “We should be able to do something, because the bills don’t stop.”

The lawsuit comes as the MTA’s workforce, especially new hires, is increasingly female.

“They’re hiring more and more young women of child-bearing age,” said JP Patafio, a Transport Workers Union Local 100 vice president who represents Brooklyn bus drivers, “and they’re still stuck with a policy that essentially penalizes pregnancy.”

Read more about the lawsuit here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 3/10. Ugh. Periods of showers expected throughout the day today, with high temperatures barely reaching the lower 50s. When it's not raining it'll be cloudy and damp too, with an onshore wind. The vibes are dreary ...

Our Other Top Stories

A 400-bed migrant shelter in Gowanus was allowed to open with an outdated fire inspection, THE CITY has learned. The building's fire alarm system is not currently up to fire code — but officials granted the shelter a temporary certificate of occupancy with the understanding that the operator would hire round-the-clock fire watch guards. However, the company in charge of security at the site is being investigated elsewhere for billing the city for fire guards who were never there. THE CITY has obtained dozens of internal reports through a Freedom of Information Law request, which chronicle the most serious incidents from the city’s two main waiting rooms for adult migrants: St. Brigid’s in the East Village, and Bathgate in Claremont. Many of the documents detail fights or thefts that might have happened at any of the city’s hundreds of shelters. But around two dozen incidents point to unique issues with the ad-hoc, separate shelter system for migrants, in which people wait days or weeks with limited access to food and no showers.

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Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, April 18: Spring Wildflower Walk, an educational walk led by Urban Park Rangers that teaches botany basics, plus how to identify different species of flowers. Free from 3 to 4 p.m. at Seton Falls Park in The Bronx. Friday, April 19: Lost New York, an exhibition about places that once defined the city — from the original Penn Station to Keith Haring’s Pop Shop — brought to life by paintings, photographs, objects, lithographs, and community voices. The exhibition is ongoing through September 29 at the New York Historical Society. Tickets are pay-as-you-wish from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays.  Saturday, April 20: Family Day: Spring Fest, with musical performances and activities for families. Free (first come, first served) from 12 to 4 p.m. at Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing.

THE KICKER: The “hardest-working turnstile” in the New York City subway system, according to reporting by Curbed, is most likely No. 602 at Grand Central-42nd Street. And it’s been there so long, it even has a token return slot. (Remember those?)

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday.

Love,

THE CITY

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