Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips Retired at 60, Gets Send Off to Barbados

After 11 years as TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer, Earl Phillips, the second highest posi After 11 years as TWU Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer, the second highest position in the Union, Earl Phillips, retired in May 2022. He was warmly congratulated on his tenure by President Tony Utano and other Union leaders and staff at a small reception in his honor. International President John Samuelsen also attended the event. Brother Phillips, 60, was born in Barbados and came to America in 1987 to join his mother and sisters in America. He started an auto-repair business in Brooklyn and was hired by NYCT as a Chassis Maintainer in 1993, working out of East New York Bus Depot in Brooklyn as well as Gun Hill and Kingsbridge Depots in the Bronx. Witnessing work situations that compromised worker safety, he became active with the Union and became a Field Safety Representative in 2002. In 2009, he was named Director of Safety and Health. In February of 2011, the Union’s Executive Board elevated him to Secretary-Treasurer. He has been serving as Secretary-Treasurer ever since, winning office in four consecutive union elections, expertly managing the Union’s finances, and overseeing a steady increase in the membership rolls. At the same time, he has also been serving as TWU Local 100 Safety Director, managing the Union’s team of field safety reps. Earl is also an elected International Vice President of the Transport Workers Union of America and has earned numerous honors and awards for labor advocacy, Caribbean-American community service, and charitable work. On Sunday, July 10, the Barbados Consul General for NY, Hon. Mackie Holder and the Barbados Support Group hosted a retirement sendoff for Phillips with a Soiree at The Palace on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn. The very wellattended event included family, friends, colleagues, and several high-profile electeds such as Mayor Eric Adams, State Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James and newly-elected Assemblymember Monique ChandlerWaterman. Retirement wishes came from a close friend in Barbados, his former Executive assistant, Helen Mahoney, and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley, who hinted she had plans for him. Phillips shared that his plans were “to cut grass” and wondered what the Prime Minister and Consul General had planned for him. Phillips received gifts and a citation from the Consul General for his immeasurable contributions to the Barbados Diaspora. He left for his home island the next day with warm wishes and wonderful memories.

Caribbean American Weekly salutes Caribbean star Earl Phillips and wishes him and his beautiful wife the very best as he beginshis retirement!l

Editorial credit: PP/IQInc

It’s Now Dr. Usain Bolt as UK University Awards the Fastest Man Alive an Honorary Doctorate

BY STEPHANIE KORNEY JAMAICANS.COM

Jamaican Olympic champion sprinter and the “fastest man alive” Usain Bolt has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Brunel University in London. Bolt is familiar with Brunel University as he trained there several times during his career, including preparations for the 2012 London Olympics where he won three gold medals. He said that he has only fond memories of the time he spent training at Brunel and that the university helped him to “conquer the world.” Bolt thanked the university for the honorary degree and said he appreciated it. He went on to tell graduates at the university’s Indoor Athletics Center in Uxbridge that “hard work does pay off” and advised them to remember that the path to success is not easy and to expect “ups and downs.” “You will fail,” he warned, but added that they should use any failure as an opportunity to learn and to try again. He said that he never knew when he started out as a young man that he would “be this great.” Bolt also told graduates to never give up their dreams, “always work hard, dedicate yourself, and remember, anything is possible.”l

Monkeypox/ continued from page 17 Health Regulations that guide global public health responses to emerging threats. Under these regulations, the WHO has the authority to declare a “public health emergency of international concern” – commonly shortened to the acronym PHEIC – when an infectious disease is spreading internationally and might “potentially require a coordinated international response.” The goal is to detect and respond to potential global health crises and prevent them from becoming pandemics. An expert panel convened by the World Health Organization on June 23 determined that monkeypox was a “multicountry outbreak” but did not meet the criteria to be a public health emergency of international concern. The panel will meet again on July 21 to examine the distribution and frequency of new case reports. If the rate of new cases continues to increase and there is evidence of transmission within more diverse populations, monkeypox may be declared a public health emergency. But even if monkeypox is declared to be a public health emergency of international concern, it is not going to become a devastating pandemic like COVID19.l

CONVERSATIONS Regional Manufacturing of Vaccines to Bolster Pandemic Preparedness in the Americas

Washington DC: As Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 drive a new wave of COVID19 infections across the Americas, and cases of monkeypox continue to rise, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne has called on countries to work together to meet the growing demand for vaccines, medicines, and other health equipment in the region. The emergence of Omicron sublineages is “yet another reminder that the virus keeps evolving every time it is transmitted, and that we must remain vigilant,” the Director said during a media briefing today. “Manufacturing capacity will continue to be sorely needed in our Region to help deal with COVID-19 and other pathogens. There are likely to be outbreaks of other diseases that will require us to rapidly develop and deploy new vaccines, diagnostics, and drugs to fight them,” she added. Dr. Etienne highlighted that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the region struggled to meet the growing demand for drugs, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment, with many countries relying on imports to protect their populations. When COVID-19 vaccines were first rolled out COVID-19 vaccines, countries also scrambled “to secure supplies.” “We must be better prepared for the future,” the Director said, announcing a three-step plan to work with countries and international donors to bolster regional capacity to manufacture vaccines and medical tools. The first phase will focus on efforts to strengthen research and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in the area of mRNA vaccine development. The Regional Platform to Advance Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccines and other Health Technologies, launched last year, aims to train and support local companies in utilizing mRNA vaccine technology. So far, Sinergium Biotech from Argentina and the Institute of Immunobiology Bio-Manguinhos from Brazil are participating in this initiative. The second phase focuses on developing a strong regional regulatory system to ensure that new medical tools are safe and effective. For the third phase, PAHO is working with regional and international partners to create a shared roadmap to improve the production of health technology in the Americas, including partnerships with the European Union to strengthen the region’s capacity for medical product development. “All these efforts combined have the potential to transform how our region develops and manufactures health products, especially highly sophisticated tools such as vaccines,” the Director said. However, Dr. Etienne also warned that improving manufacturing capacity alone “is not sufficient to guarantee access,” and that PAHO’s pooled procurement mechanisms such as the Revolving Fund will be key to ensuring that vaccines and other health technologies are available to everyone in the region. The Revolving Fund shows the “impact we can have when we leverage our history of solidarity and collaboration,” the Director said. With this same spirit, we can build up our region’s medical production capacity to “save and protect even more lives.” Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the region, countries reported approximately 1.6 million cases and 4800 deaths last week — a 0.9% and 3.5% decrease respectively. Central America reported an increase in cases — by 54.9%, and South America reported a 2% increase. In the Caribbean, cases fell by 5.2%, and in North America, cases fell by 4.5%l

GREEN CARD SLAVERY?

Don’t put up with ABUSE anymore! Whether married or not, whether your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Green Card Holder, we can get a Green Card for you and your children PLUS a divorce. Call 855-768-8845 now for a consultation!

The lawyer you hire, does make a difference!