John Samuelsen serves as international president of the Transport Workers Union and president of the 39,000-member Transport Workers Union Local 100.
First hired as a track worker by MTA New York City Transit in 1993, Samuelsen was quickly appointed to the position of shop steward as he fought vigorously for workers’ rights. From 2001 to 2006 he served as chair of the Track Safety Committee and chair of the Track Division. From 2002 to 2005 he worked as acting vice president of Local 100's Maintenance of Way Department—7,100 workers providing essential services to NYC Transit’s Track, Infrastructure, and Electrical (Power/Signals) divisions. During those years, he also served as lead negotiator for all safety-related issues in contractual bargaining between the MTA and Local 100.
In 2004, Samuelsen authored the Comprehensive Track Safety Bill, subsequently passed by both houses of the New York State Legislature. He was elected president of Local 100 in December 2009.
Samuelsen was born, raised, and still resides in Brooklyn, New York.