The Metropolitan Transit System, along with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 465, and the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1309, announced today two memorial funds to help the families of the victims of Tuesday’s fatal workplace violence.
Donations can be made to the following memorials by sending checks or money orders payable to the funds. Checks should be sent to the Metropolitan Transit System, c/o Memorial Funds, 1255 Imperial Avenue, Suite 1000, San Diego, CA 92101.
Ben N. Mwangi Memorial Fund. Mwagi is survived by his wife Mary and his two children, aged 10 and 17.
Michael Stevenson Memorial Fund. Stevenson is survived by his wife Jeri.
“We are doing all that we can to help the families involved in this tragic incident,” said Paul
Jablonski, chief executive officer of MTS. “With the organized unions support, I think these memorial funds can go a long way to help the Mwangi and Stevenson families. And we will continue to do all that we can to help support them and help them recover from this tragedy.”
Michael Stevenson was a member of the IBEW, which represents over 600 workers in MTS bus and trolley divisions.
“We want to do all that we can to support the families involved,” said John Hunter, president of the IBEW. “This joint effort to form memorial funds for the Stevenson and Mwangi families furthers the spirit of cooperation among MTS and its workers.”
Although none of the victims was a part of the ATU, that union also joined in the effort to raise money for the families.
“We are all part of the MTS family,” said Steve Alcove, president of the ATU, which represents more than 500 MTS bus operators. “We will always support the members of the IBEW and their families. It is important that we all come together at times like these.”
Ben Mwangi, was a Maintenance Foreman. Mr. Mwangi worked for MTS since 2007. He was previously a Maintenance Supervisor at National City Transit, which also operated MTS services. Mr. Mwangi was 37 years old.
Michael Stevenson, 55 had worked with MTS for 31 years. He was a Mechanic for the MTS bus division.
