Recommended by: Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Division (SMART)
Committee assignments: LIRR/MNR, Finance, CPOC, B&T, Safety
Additional information: Nonvoting member
Vincent Tessitore, Jr. is the vice general chairman of the Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Union's Transportation Divisions (SMART) and local chairman, delegate of Local 645 (also known as UTU) on the Long Island Rail Road. He ran for union office originally in 2005 and has held various positions since, winning elections by acclamation.
Tessitore was hired as an assistant conductor on the LIRR in 1994. He qualified and was promoted to conductor in 1998 and later was named training specialist in the Human Resources department, where he was responsible for the training of more than 700 transportation department employees in the areas of operating rules, emergency preparedness, security awareness, fare collection, and the physical characteristics of LIRR property.
In 2005 he returned to the Transportation Department as a conductor and began his career with the United Transportation Union, now merged as SMART.
Tessitore has been a member of the FRA’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) conductor certification and hours of service working group. He has been a strong advocate for rail safety throughout the industry representing frontline employees, maintenance of way and maintenance of equipment workers.