Curtis Tate became an International Administrative Vice President in 2017, after a long and active history with the TWU.
Tate has been an active TWU Member in Local 100 since joining the New York City Transit Authority in 1986. He began his career as a Car Cleaner in the Car Maintenance Department. In 1988, he was promoted to Train Operator in the Rapid Transit Division.
Through his activism and constant battles to defend the safety and rights of his coworkers, Tate rose through the ranks of Local 100. He has held positions including Shop Steward, Safety Rep, Vice Chair, Acting Chairman and Vice President. Tate was appointed to the International Executive Board in 2008. In 2009, he was appointed Acting President of Local 100, then elected as an International Vice President in 2009. Tate was the Transit, Universities, Utilities and Services Director from 2017 until 2021, when he retired from the position. He still leads the TWU International Campaign Unit.
Tate has studied labor relations at Cornell University, the Murphy Institute at CUNY, Rutgers University as well as the George Meany National Labor College. He believes at the end of the day, it’s about representing the members, practicing good trade unionism, and fighting for all workers’ rights. Tate fights for every worker to have a seat at the table – across genders, age, and any other identity.