by Mell P
John Chiarello’s story is quintessentially New York—a tale of working-class grit meeting unwavering principle. A lifelong Brooklyn native and graduate of Grady Vocational High School, Chiarello understood the value of hands-on work long before he walked through the doors of NYC Transit as a provisional Car Inspector in September 2001.
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The timing was significant. Starting his transit career in the shadow of 9/11, Chiarello witnessed firsthand how essential workers kept the city moving through its darkest hours. Perhaps it was this baptism by fire that sparked his immediate involvement in union leadership. Within just a year, by 2002, his coworkers had elected him to the Executive Board—a testament to the natural leadership that would define his career.
For over two decades, Chiarello climbed through virtually every position the union had to offer. From shop steward to chairman, from vice president to treasurer, he learned the union from the ground up. “I’ve held almost every position in the union,” he reflects with the wisdom of experience. This wasn’t just career advancement—it was an education in what it meant to fight for workers’ rights at every level.
The Reluctant Leader
In 2024, fate intervened in a way Chiarello hadn’t anticipated. After years serving as Secretary-Treasurer, the path to the presidency opened before him. “The funny thing was I wasn’t looking for the job,” he admits with characteristic humility, “but fate and God had a different plan.”
When he assumed the presidency of TWU Local 100 in 2025—leading the largest local of TWU International—Chiarello brought with him not just experience, but a deep understanding of what the job demanded. He had served directly under three presidents, learning from giants like John Samuelsen and Tony Utano. Yet even with this preparation, the weight of the title still catches him off guard.
“I still don’t fully feel like the actual title,” he confesses. “You know you’re so busy every day and I’m a humble guy. I don’t like awards. I’ll be honest with you. I’m not big on that stuff.” But his humility doesn’t diminish his commitment: “I know that I have to do—represent my union and that I will do no matter what.”
Fighting on Multiple Fronts
Under Chiarello’s leadership, TWU Local 100 has already notched significant victories. He secured a commitment from the MTA to hire 300 more maintenance workers—a crucial win in an era of staffing shortages. His partnership with the NYPD’s Benevolent Association to improve transit safety shows his understanding that worker protection requires building bridges, not just manning barricades.
The recognition came quickly. City & State magazine named him one of the 2025 Labor Power 100, acknowledging what union members already knew: Chiarello was a force to be reckoned with.
But the challenges facing Local 100 are as complex as the city it serves. The union represents workers across 12 bus industries, the yellow bus sector, all the subways, and most of the city’s public transit infrastructure. Each sector brings its own challenges, its own needs, its own fights.
“There’s an issue with hiring,” Chiarello observes, pointing to a generational shift that troubles him. “Not a lot of the younger generation seems to want to work with their hands. They all want to be influencers and on the Internet, and that’s not the reality of life.” It’s a frank assessment from someone who built his career with his hands and sees the dignity in blue-collar work that offers “good union class jobs that could be a great future.”
Building Tomorrow’s Union
Recognizing this generational challenge, Chiarello has thrown himself into training the next generation of union leaders. He understands that young workers “don’t want to hear from people like me—they want to hear from people their age.” So he’s investing in developing leaders who reflect the union’s changing demographics: Caribbean, Black and Brown workers, and a growing Bangladeshi community.
“I look forward to the next generation of immigrants,” he says with genuine enthusiasm, “because everybody who came to the United States was an immigrant, unless somehow you came on a Mayflower.” It’s this inclusive vision that drives his outreach efforts, even as he acknowledges the brutal reality: “It really pisses me off, the people that really [are] giving the immigrants [a hard time]. It’s horrible what’s going on in this country.”
The Political Battlefield
Chiarello doesn’t shy away from political realities. With a new presidential administration “not known to be union friendly,” he sees storm clouds gathering over federal funding for transit infrastructure. “It’s very contentious times,” he acknowledges, noting the divisions even within his own union membership.
But contentious times are when fighters shine brightest. “Based on what I’ve seen and my experience, we have to keep fighting as a union to make sure we get the best for members—whether it’s contracts, health insurance, or pensions—we need to fight and carry on the tradition of this great union family.”
The Heart of a Fighter
At his core, John Chiarello is driven by something deeper than titles or accolades. “As a true union advocate, I love helping people,” he says simply. “I don’t like when people are being harassed or disrespected, and I’ve been like this my entire life.”
This isn’t just rhetoric. Whether he’s standing in a courtroom supporting a stabbed worker, negotiating with the MTA for better staffing, or training the next generation of leaders, Chiarello embodies the fighting spirit of Local 100. “We’re the flagship union in New York City,” he declares with pride. “We’re a fighting union, and we’re gonna make sure we fight for every inch and never give up.”
For John Chiarello, the kid from Brooklyn who worked his way up from car inspector to union president, the fight isn’t just professional—it’s personal. Every member’s struggle is his struggle. Every victory, no matter how small, matters. And in a city that never sleeps, served by workers who never stop, John Chiarello stands ready to fight another day.
“Local 100 is a fighting union,” he repeats, as if it’s both a promise and a battle cry. And with John Chiarello at the helm—humble, determined, and unafraid—that fight continues, one member, one day, one victory at a time.
