NYC’s Five District Attorneys Back Union Push To Raise Penalties For Spitting On Transit Workers arrow MTA officers distribute masks in October 2020 Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit The Transport Workers Union Local 100 is pushing the state to increase the penalties for spitting on transit workers. The union is calling on legislators to pass a proposal to increase the crime from a violation to a misdemeanor, which could be punished with up to a year in prison. This comes as transit workers report an uptick in assaults while on the job, and ongoing fears of catching the coronavirus at work.