In Transit - July/August 2016 by Amalgamated Transit Union

O F F I C I A L J O U R N A L O F T H E A M A LG A M AT E D T R A N S I T U N I O N | A F L- C I O/C LC

JULY / AUGUST 2016

An ATU Life Cut Short

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS LAWRENCE J. HANLEY International President JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR. International Executive Vice President OSCAR OWENS International Secretary-Treasurer

INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS LARRY R. KINNEAR

Ashburn, ON – lkinnear@atu.org

RICHARD M. MURPHY

Newburyport, MA – rmurphy@atu.org

BOB M. HYKAWAY

Calgary, AB – bhykaway@atu.org

JANIS M. BORCHARDT

Madison, WI – jborchardt@atu.org

PAUL BOWEN

Canton, MI – pbowen@atu.org

KENNETH R. KIRK Lancaster, TX – kkirk@atu.org GARY RAUEN Clayton, NC – grauen@atu.org MARCELLUS BARNES Flossmore, IL – mbarnes@atu.org RAY RIVERA Lilburn, GA – rrivera@atu.org YVETTE TRUJILLO Thornton, CO – ytrujillo@atu.org GARY JOHNSON, SR. Cleveland, OH – gjohnson@atu.org ROBIN WEST Halifax, NS – rwest@atu.org JOHN COSTA Kenilworth, NJ – jcosta@atu.org CHUCK WATSON Syracuse, NY – cwatson@atu.org CLAUDIA HUDSON Oakland, CA – chudson@atu.org BRUCE HAMILTON New York, NY – bhamilton@atu.org MICHELLE SOMMERS Brooklyn Park, MN – msommers@atu.org JIM LINDSAY Santa Clarita, CA – jlindsay@atu.org

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

NEWSBRIEFS In Transit May/June correction: Hamilton is not Edmonton In what might be a sign of early dementia, your In Transit editor misidentified the location of Local 107-Hamilton, ON, as Edmonton, AB, in an article in the May/June issue about Hamilton passing a new bylaw that makes bad behavior on buses illegal. We apologize to both Locals, and resolve to locate each on its proper side of the country in the future.

Memphis Local, transit allies join to stop bus cuts The negative impact of bus service cuts on the people who depend on public transit was exposed by ATU Local 713, the Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU), and riders at a packed public town hall meeting. “Instead of catching one bus to get from point A to point B, riders must catch two to three buses,” said one attendee. “With upcoming proposals to cut even more bus service, riders may have to use three to four buses.” The Local and MBRU have already won increased funding for buses which resulted in a $7.5 million increase in MATA’s budget this fiscal year and will continue to fight for more to stop these cuts.

A “thank you” to transit drivers goes a long way   On a recent visit to Vancouver, BC, Winnipeg Free Press columnist John Longhurst was riding a bus and was struck at how often riders said “thank you” to their drivers. A friend told him he experienced the same thing. Then in the wake of a recent incident of a Winnipeg bus passenger spitting in the face of a bus driver, Longhurst decided to pursue a story. While researching his column, Longhurst came across a comment about expressing gratitude on a website devoted to Vancouver buses: “I just think it makes their day a bit better and less stressful. It’s always nice to have someone be appreciative of what you do not because it is your job or part of your job duties.” In his column he wrote “saying thanks won’t stop the abuse (of bus drivers). But it might be a way to make their days a little less stressful and anxious, not to mention injecting a little humanity into what is an otherwise impersonal and rote encounter.” We couldn’t agree more.

DENNIS ANTONELLIS

Spokane, WA – dantonellis@atu.org

STEPHAN MACDOUGALL

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS

ANTHONY GARLAND

International President Jim La Sala, ret. International President Warren George, ret.

Boston, MA – smacdougall@atu.org Washington, DC – agarland@atu.org

ANTONETTE BRYANT

Oakland, CA – abryant@atu.org

SESIL RUBAIN New Carrollton, MD – srubain@atu.org EMANUELE (MANNY) SFORZA Toronto, ON – msforza@atu.org

ATU CANADA PAUL THORP

Brampton, ON – president@atucanada.ca

International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret. International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret. Subscription: USA and Canada, $5 a year. Single copy: 50 cents. All others: $10 a year. Published bimonthly by the Amalgamated Transit Union, Editor: Shawn Perry, Designer: Paul A. Fitzgerald. Editorial Office: 10000 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20903. Tel: 1-301-431-7100 . Please send all requests for address changes to the ATU Registry Dept. ISSN: 0019-3291. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40033361.RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: APC Postal Logistics, LLC, PO Box 503, RPO, West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6.

CONTENT

J U LY/A U G

2016 Vol. 125, No. 4

14 Hamilton Local, ATU Canada produce video on nonviolent crisis intervention 15 International President’s Message: A big union meeting 16 International Executive Vice President’s Message: A ‘tip of the hat’

OUR MISSION: TRAINING THE FOCUS IN THE FIELD AND AT TOMMY DOUGLAS CONFERENCE CENTER

17 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message: Donald Trump shows his true colors 18 Uber, Lyft explore replacing public transit 20 Milwaukee driver traumatized by shooting not getting workers’ comp 21 DC Local rallies for dedicated funding for Metro 22 Legislative Report: Comparing the GOP and Democratic Platforms

ATU PENNSYLVANIA FIGHTING FOR COMMONWEALTH’S TRANSIT WORKERS

23 ATU announces Luther Hall Scholarship winners 24 2016-2017 Scholarship Competition in Memory of Retired International Vice Presidents Arthur Burke and Angus MacFarlane

2 International Officers & General Executive Board

25 ATU’s secret scheme to help members achieve retirement security

News Briefs

Longest tenured Providence fin sec retiring

3 Index Page

26 DC transit cop arrested on terrorist charges

6 Our Mission: ATU member action gets the goods

8 Our Mission: ATU fighting privatization, RTW

27 ATU Heroes: Local heroes make us ‘Proud to be ATU’

9 Our Mission: ATU fighting for paratransit members and riders

28 Translations (Spanish)

10 Our Mission: ATU protecting members’ free speech rights

Toronto transit agencies leave workers in the dark about terror threat

31 In Memoriam 32 ATU COPE - The Voice of Transit Workers

11 Our Mission: ATU fighting for OTR members 12 Our Mission: ATU making headway on safety 13 Our Mission: ATU combats driver, rider assault epidemic

IN TRANSIT

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OUR MISSION

Training the focus in the field and at Tommy Douglas Conference Center FULFILLING THE MANDATE TO TRAIN

At ATU’s 57th International Convention in San Diego, CA, international leadership was given a mandate by the Convention’s delegates: train as many ATU members as possible to prepare the Union for the rapidly-changing landscape we face at the bargaining table, in securing transportation funding, and in protecting our rights as union members. Nearly three years later, the result of that mandate is a state-of-the-art training facility and conference center, and over 200 Locals and thousands of ATU officers and members that have been trained. Immediately after the 57th Convention, the International implemented a multi-pronged strategy geared towards reaching as many Locals and as many members as possible. The International partnered with union media and organizing collective, Labor Notes, to develop curricula and materials designed to cover a wide range of topics and identify the top instructors for each respective class. After conducting a survey of all Locals to identify the classes that were most sought-after, training began in earnest.

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New trainings begin Just a few short months later ATU had conducted dozens of trainings in the field for numerous Locals throughout the United States and Canada. The trainings that covered topics requested by the Locals participating in the training lasted anywhere from a half-day to three full days. “We recognized that not all Locals have the financial means or the sheer numbers to attend training in DC or Maryland,” noted International President Larry Hanley, “so the idea was to bring the trainings to the Locals. No Local was too big, or too small to be trained in the field. If the Local could turn out people to train, we would come train them.” Concurrently, the International broadened and expanded training programs in Maryland and Washington, DC, home to ATU international headquarters. This included the creation of a multitude of new training classes to meet the Union’s changing needs, including, among

groups, including the Coalition of Labor Union Women, U.S. Labor Against the War, Labor Heritage Foundation, APWU, AFSCME, IATSE, Maryland/DC AFL-CIO and the national AFL-CIO.

Just the beginning

others, collective bargaining training, which prepared bargaining team members for contract bargaining and contract campaigns; public engagement training, which readied local union officers to deal with the media and provided instruction on working on labor campaigns with the general public; and Joint Industry Council training, which focused on the new realities of bargaining and campaigning against large, deep-pocketed multinational employers.

Since the conclusion of the 57th Convention, the numbers are staggering: ATU has conducted over 170 trainings at home and across the continent for over 220 Locals, reaching nearly 6,000 members. At least 44 unique training courses have been held in 38 states and six Canadian provinces, taught by dozens of the labor movement’s top instructors. And yet, this is just the beginning. “When we purchased the campus, the Labor College had served as the preeminent training facility for organized labor for decades,” states Hanley, “and our goal is to continue that legacy by expanding our training program here at the center to reach as many members as possible, so that our great Union continues to progress and flourish.” Given the progress made over the past three years, it seems a sure bet that progress will continue. v

Tommy Douglas Center The true turning point in ATU’s mission to train as many members as possible, however, came after the summer-2014 acquisition of the former National Labor College. The 47-acre campus, complete with rooming accommodations and tens of thousands of square feet of meeting space provided new possibilities for training ATU members. “[The purchase] represents a new beginning in terms of our capacity to train not only our leaders and members, but also those who work every day to improve the life of our society,” said Hanley at the time of the purchase. By fall of 2015, the newly renovated and newly named Tommy Douglas Conference Center was open for business. Training began immediately, with Locals from across North America flocking to Silver Spring, MD, to attend newly designed courses including advanced arbitration skills, Friedrichs preparation, a re-designed Joint Industry Council course, pension trustee training, and numerous other additions to the course catalog. Demand proved so intense that multiple iterations of each course were added to the already jam-packed calendar to accommodate the requests of all Locals. During that same time, the Douglas Center has hosted dozens of trainings for outside labor and progressive IN TRANSIT

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OUR MISSION

ATU member action gets the goods The source of our power as a union is not in how many pictures we have with politicians, t-shirts we have collected from rallies, or awards we’ve received from our employers. The source of the Union’s power lies in us – the members. How often do we volunteer our time to fight for justice on the job? How committed are we to growing the ranks, bargaining better contracts, and building working class coalitions with riders, unions, congregations, and community groups? Over the past year, we have seen members build and use their power like never before. With the assistance of the ATU’s Field Mobilization Department, local officers and members have launched dozens of contract and community campaigns.

In Washington, DC, where the second busiest transit system in the U.S. has fallen into dangerous disrepair, Local 689 teamed up with the Washington Interfaith Network to mobilize hundreds of members and riders. They’re demanding dedicated funding, an end to talk of privatization, and the development of a real safety culture in management.

picketed at their garage, testified before the DC Council, exposed a cover-up of a maintenance audit that showed 95% of buses were unsafe, and more. In the end, they won a nearly 30% wage increase, tripled First Transit’s contribution to their 401k, and secured unprecedented safety language in a collective bargaining agreement.

Victory for the history books

Next door in Maryland, hundreds of MetroAccess paratransit workers represented by both Locals 689 and 1764 teamed up with disability advocates to demand an end to the third-class treatment of riders and drivers. Proving that union power is infectious, Local 1764 sisters and brothers in Fairfax County, VA, and on the campus of the National Institutes of Health have initiated their own campaigns.

Meanwhile, DC Circulator operators represented by Local 1764 won a victory for the history books. They

In Baltimore, MD, Local 1300 has drafted its own plan to improve bus and rail transit in a city. Now, they are

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

building a broad labor-community coalition and winning endorsements from city officials. Soon, they’ll be taking their campaign to Annapolis to demand the state invest in their ideas. In the heart of the American Midwest, Local 847 in St. Joseph, MO, signed a new contract and immediately began planning a rider organizing campaign to strengthen their hand next time around. Two hours away in Lincoln, NE, Local 1293 members, retirees, and riders under the banner of Citizens for Improved Transit made history by persuading the city council to endorse and fund improvements to the city’s bus service.

Canadian Activism Further north in Saskatoon, SK, Local 615 refused to wear their uniforms for a week to protest the city’s regressive contract proposals while Local 583 members in Calgary, AB, took a stand against the city’s right-wing attempts to privatize outside worker jobs. Across the country, ATU Canada members launched campaigns against an epidemic of driver assaults and mobilized hundreds of members to support pro-worker candidates in the 2015 federal elections. In Memphis, TN, Local 713 members have teamed up with the Memphis Bus Riders Union, hosting community forums and began direct organizing to demand that the local agency stop cutting, and instead, start expanding service to neighborhoods that need it most. In Grand Rapids, MI, and Alexandria, LA, Locals 836 and 981 found themselves fighting intense free speech battles. Even as their employers tried to ban transit workers from leafleting riders or sent police to intimidate community and labor activists, ATU activists stood strong, ultimately winning legal and moral victories that will shape our work for years to come. After a decade of refusing to settle a fair contract, wages in Buffalo, NY, had slid so low that the local transit agency couldn’t hire enough drivers to put buses on the road. Once Local 1342 members began educating riders about the connection between low wages and rolling service cuts, the tide began to turn. Between escalating workplace action and rider organizing, the Local has succeeded in forcing the first serious bargaining sessions in years. While there is no magic recipe, Locals like these are proving that member mobilization, rider organizing, and strategic campaigns are essential ingredients for jump starting your Local Union or winning justice on the job! v

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OUR MISSION

ATU fighting privatization, RTW Two of the biggest threats to ATU members and working families in general have always been privatization and right-to-work (RTW) laws. These menaces were thought to be limited to the United States until the last several years when – like the camel’s nose under the tent – they’ve been making inroads in Canadian legislatures. Anti-Labor forces in both countries are always coming up with new ways to undermine unions. In the United States ATU joined forces with pro-Labor coalitions to fight state bills that would all but eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees in Wisconsin and Ohio. While our efforts did not succeed in Wisconsin, we won big in Ohio.

RTW The Koch brothers have been successful in pushing RTW in state legislatures through organizations such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Their efforts, however, have only been successful, so far, in three states, Indiana, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, since 2012. ATU continues to fight attempts to pass RTW laws everywhere else. There are other ways in which anti-union groups are trying to eliminate unions. U.S. Labor dodged a bullet this winter when Supreme Court justices voted 4-4 on an appeal of a lower court’s rejection of Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association – a suit could have eventually led to RTW becoming the law of the land. The tie vote means that the lower court’s rejection of Friedrichs stands. But, union opponents are expected to return to the high court with new challenges after a justice is confirmed by the Senate to replace the late Antonin Scalia.

New training program That’s why ATU has developed a new training program on how to run an effective Local Union in an RTW state or province, based on the best practices of Locals like 732-Atlanta, GA, which has done it successfully for many years.

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ATU also fights privatization wherever it is proposed and fights for members where cities contract their employment out to multinational transit providers. The Union has been successful in negotiating increases in wages and benefits from these employers who make the mistake of believing they can simply ignore union contracts.

P3s The latest wrinkle in the privatization challenge is the emergence of “public-private partnerships” (P3s), particularly in Canada, in which governments seek to partner with private companies to build and operate transit systems. Governments see an opportunity to reduce costs with P3 arrangements at the cost of lower wages and benefits for non-union employees. ATU is watching the new Liberal government in Ottawa, and the provinces for plans to funnel new federal transit investment through these P3 schemes. Collective bargaining rights have been trimmed in Canada with laws that declare certain properties such as the Toronto Transit Commission to be “essential services” whose workers cannot strike. ATU will continue to lobby the Canadian government to roll back the essential services designation in Toronto and elsewhere. v

OUR MISSION

ATU fighting for paratransit members and riders But the Union hasn’t stopped there. In February, over 100 Washington, DC, area transit riders with disabilities, MetroAccess paratransit workers, and faith leaders held a contentious gathering to tell Prince George’s County, MD, Executive Rushern Baker abut the struggles they face relying on a crumbling paratransit service, and enduring dangerous working conditions.

Transit agencies in the United States have been required to provide public transit for persons with disabilities (paratransit) since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. There is no equivalent federal law in Canada, which has left the responsibility for requiring the provision of paratransit to the provinces. Most Canadian municipalities and provinces, therefore, do provide paratransit for persons with disabilities, just as in America. And, just as in America, too many Canadian paratransit operations deliver unreliable service to their passengers.

“WMATA wanted to cut costs, so they privatized MetroAccess. But how do you think that private company cuts costs? By lowering my wages,” says MetroAccess driver Genoa Greene.” We need to make changes as far as the drivers, clients, the dispatchers, it needs to be a better service.”

Bringing paratransit service in-house Private paratransit providers have had such a poor record that ATU with its local coalitions has been able to persuade some cities to bring them back in-house. Just last March, ATU HandyDART drivers and their riders called for Vancouver, BC’s TransLink paratransit operation to be brought back in-house in the wake of many user complaints made about the contractor providing the service.

Stepchild Unfortunately, paratransit service is often treated like the poor stepchild at our properties. The higher cost per trip of paratransit, has led agencies to contract this work out to private companies who do the job on the cheap, often jeopardizing the safety of riders. Of course, these companies take these savings out of the pockets of their employees who they pay as little as possible. That’s where ATU comes in. In city after city the Union helps form coalitions of drivers, riders, clergy and community advocates to expose the low wages and poor treatment of paratransit workers and agitate for reliable service for passengers. Last October, for instance, after years of generating pubic pressure on the Washington (DC) Metropolitan Transit Authority, ATU negotiated a first contract with wage and benefit improvements for the employees of Metro Access.

Ride-hailing paratransit? The latest scheme transit agencies have come up with to lower paratransit costs is to contract out the service for persons with disabilities to app-based ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft. The Union has been outspoken against local proposals to transport our most vulnerable passengers with untrained drivers operating vehicles that are inadequate for the task, and has published a new paper, Abandoning Paratransit to Save It, to support the fight against this potentially dangerous trend. With baby-boomers now advancing into their retirement years, the demand for paratransit service is expected to grow over the next decade. ATU will be fighting to expand the service and to improve the wages and benefits of its drivers. v IN TRANSIT

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OUR MISSION

ATU protecting members’ free speech rights From Chicago, IL; to Alexandria, LA; to Niagara Falls, ON; to Grand Rapids, MI; a disturbing trend is taking place in which cities and transit agencies are attempting to retaliate against criticism and advocacy by ATU Locals with false claims that their workers are legally prohibited from saying anything negative about them in public. “This is flat out censorship and it’s unlawful,” says International President Larry Hanley, who says the Union has taken legal action when necessary. “These agencies and cities know no bounds in their scare tactics to muzzle workers or anyone who speaks out against them.”

meetings with management where her bosses were being verbally abusive toward her. She filed an unfair labour practice complaint after enduring “appalling treatment” over the past two years, which has been seen as an attempt to undermine and silence Gilbert and the union in violation of their collective bargaining agreement. Fortunately, the issue was resolved after more meetings with management, but that’s not often the result in the cases of intimidation and censorship.

Chicago, Grand Rapids Alexandria, VA Many of the stories of censorship of workers have been profiled in previous editions of In Transit including an instance in Alexandria, LA, where bus service has been slashed leaving many residents stranded. Local 981 had planned a public town hall with city residents in hopes of creating an open conversation about the importance of funding bus service in the city. The Local had invited Alexandria City Council members to attend. However, City Attorney Charles Johnson contacted Local 981 President Darnice Briggs accusing him of violating Civil Service Rules and threatening to discipline him and other workers for insubordination if they held the town hall. The union’s legal counsel sent a letter threatening legal action against the city for violating workers’ First Amendment Rights after reviewing the Civil Service Rules and finding no restrictions for prohibiting public employees from holding “public discussion with stakeholders and community members about an important issue like funding for public transportation.”

Niagara Falls, ON It’s not much different in Canada. Local 1582-Niagara Falls, ON, President Margaret Gilbert was issued a fiveday suspension and barred from the property for recording

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ATU has taken legal action in other incidents and the courts have repeatedly confirmed and protected the rights of public transit workers to engage in public political speech. ATU secured a temporary restraining order against the Chicago Transit Authority protecting workers’ rights to distribute flyers in CTA breakrooms in support of mayoral candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia who was challenging Mayor Rahm Emmanuel in a primary runoff. And, a federal court in Grand Rapids, MI, granted two preliminary injunctions against the transit agency, the Rapid, ordering it not to prohibit or interfere with the free speech rights of workers and the students supporting the workers. “ATU will not be silent and subject to this intimidation,” Hanley says. “We will continue to expose the truth as long as it takes to protect our livelihoods and those of our riders and our communities.” v

OUR MISSION

ATU fighting for OTR members DRIVER FATIGUE LEADING TO FATAL CRASHES There was a time when taking a bus across our two countries was a relatively stress-free experience. As one over-theroad company (OTR) said in its advertisements: “Leave the driving to us!” But that was before Ronald Reagan deregulated the interstate bus business. Today, it’s estimated that there are over 3,000 small U.S. OTR companies operating in the U.S., and that there will be even more as Canadian provinces jump on the transportation deregulation bandwagon as well.

The report reveals that the National Transportation Safety Board estimates that 36 percent of motorcoach crash fatalities over the past decade have been due to driver fatigue, and that it is the number one cause of fatal accidents, far above road conditions (two percent) or inattention (six percent).

Most, if not all of these ‘mom-and-pop” companies operate a small number of motor coaches, which are often in a state of disrepair. Like, their counterparts in the paratransit industry they fight unionization, and pay their drivers so poorly that they most take second and third jobs just to make ends meet.

OTR overtime exemption Making matters worse, the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) exempts the interstate bus industry from the requirement to pay overtime wages to its drivers. Because it costs them no more per hour to have a driver work overtime, OTR employers would actually lose money if they hired more drivers to work 40 hours per week. In short, current federal law provides no incentive for employers to reduce overtime, and little reason for drivers not to moonlight to pay the bills.

“Hundreds of intercity bus companies – usually tiny operations that have only a few buses – get away with paying their bus drivers criminally low wages,” says International President Larry Hanley. “As a result, bus drivers are being forced to work 100 hours a week or more, often balancing two or three jobs, just to make a living. The unsuspecting customers get on these buses and disaster can strike.”

That leads to trouble when OTR employers push already fatigued operators to work overtime causing fatal bus accidents across our nations.

Subsequently, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, introduced the Driver Fatigue Prevention Act in the U.S. Congress that would amend the FSLA to require OTR employers to pay overtime wages like most employers are required to do in the U.S. A similar bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-CA.

Sudden Death Overtime

ATU has testified numerous times before Congress and other official forums in support of this legislation, and will continue to do so until the law is changed. v

In response to this crisis, the Union published Sudden Death Overtime, which laid out the facts about the effects of driver fatigue on our roads, and called for revocation of the OTR overtime exemption in the FSLA. IN TRANSIT

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OUR MISSION

ATU making headway on safety FTA TO STUDY ASSAULT, BLIND SPOTS, BATHROOM BREAKS, ERGONOMICS Being on the frontlines transporting the public every day, ATU members confront safety, quality-of-life and workplace issues that the Union has taken on in critical campaigns to ensure our members’ safety and dignity. ATU was successful in getting language included in the FAST Act, the U.S. legislation that will fund public transit from 2015 to 2020 that requires that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) study transit safety in the areas of assault, driver visibility, and bathroom access. On August 15, that was put into motion when FTA announced that it would make $7 million available for research in transit worker protection, collision avoidance, and mitigation.

Finding solutions This large effort takes into consideration ATU’s use-analysis of our members’ problems. It looks for solutions such as security barriers and shield designs, and prioritizes full-scale revenue service demonstrations to prove their worth. New accident avoidance technologies are mentioned along with the need for them to not increase driver workload or distraction.

Blind spot reduction Blind spot reduction is another target of the FTA’s announcement, with mention of changing bus structures, creating a prototype for bus driver feedback, and analysis of ergonomics and vision improvements. The ATU has produced a video highlighting this very dangerous bus design problem and solutions to address it. In addition, ATU continues weighing in on the issue, as this leads to the improvements long sought by our members.

is a continuing problem for ATU members. ATU has made some headway on this issue as the Transportation Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), part of the National Academies of Science, just selected bathroom access in transit as a study project. The work will examine driver health, public safety, and the significant ergonomic impacts on agencies and healthcare from failing to provide this basic human right. Having this independent analysis will greatly assist in the fight for bathroom access and preservation of our dignity and health. ATU has also proposed that ATC RP study bus seats, steering, pedals, and other controls. A screening panel just gave the proposal extremely high marks and it will likely move to final acceptance in October. This would dovetail with the recent completion of our previous proposal to examine the driver’s workstation.

Targeting mismanagement

Bathroom breaks

These projects and additional efforts to measure the human and budgetary costs of mismanaging those who actually deliver the service all shine a bright light on the antiquated practices and culture of transit, demanding more competent management, better compensation and reasonable working conditions.

From Portland, OR, to Mississauga, ON, to Washington, DC, to Seattle, WA adequate bathroom breaks and facilities

The studies will also help ATU promote action on these issues in Canada. v

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OUR MISSION

ATU combats driver, rider assault epidemic UNION CALLS FOR GREATER PROTECTION Thanks to the efforts of the International, local officers and members, ATU was able to secure language in the recently passed FAST Act that requires the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to issue new rules to address the issue. That process is now underway, and ATU is providing input.

From Winnipeg, MB, to Washington, DC, to Phoenix, AZ, to Toronto, ON, assaults on ATU members and their passengers have become an epidemic. Not a week goes by that bus operators aren’t punched, knifed, cursed, spit on, shot, and worse. In the past eight years, there has been a dramatic increase in the level and intensity of senseless attacks on transit workers. A bus driver is assaulted every three days in America. Statistics show that about 40% of Canadian operators will be physically assaulted on the job sometime during their career. The Canadian Urban Transit Association says than on average, one operator is bodily attacked every single day. The impact is clear: Broken eye sockets. Puncture wounds. Loss of body functions. And while broken bones heal with time, emotional scars linger. After brutal attacks transit workers are constantly looking over their shoulder, and many cannot return to work. For victims of sexual assault life is never the same again. Assaults on transit operators also endanger passengers and motorists who share the roadways.

In Canada, ATU was successful in getting legislation passed to increase penalties against those who attack transit workers. In British Columbia after years of brutal attacks and Locals drawing attention to the problem, BC Premiere Christy Clark announced a new transit investment that will put security cameras on every bus in the province.

And that’s not all ATU has produced a series of videos highlighting the devastating impact these attacks have on our members’ lives, and solutions to combat the violence. You can watch these videos, share them on social media, and find out how to take action to stop transit assaults at http://www.atu.org/action/assaults-on-transit-workers. One cannot help but notice that the acceleration in the number of driver assaults began with the onset of the Great Recession and the subsequent frustration people feel who have been abandoned at the bottom of our dysfunctional economies. ATU’s efforts to end the intractable poverty that has taken hold of too many in our countries is an integral part of its campaign to end violence on transit. Unfortunately, attacks on transit workers will keep coming, but ATU will continue to work ceaselessly to force transit agencies provide adequate protections for transit workers and passengers. v

Successes The International has been pushing agencies and elected officials to provide greater protection for bus drivers and riders. The Union has also called for bus shields to protect drivers where Locals want them, more transit police, and stiffer sentences for convicted assailants. IN TRANSIT

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Hamilton Local, ATU Canada produce video on nonviolent crisis intervention In response to the epidemic of assaults against transit operators, Local 107-Hamilton, ON, and ATU Canada have joined to produce a video demonstrating nonviolent strategies drivers can use to protect themselves and defuse crisis situations.

Three stages The video features driver and marshal arts instructor Aaron Marsh, 107, and Transit Inspector June Yamashita, 107, who break down any crisis situation into three stages: precrisis, crisis, and post-crisis – with an emphasis on trying to avoid a crisis, and moving to the post-crisis stage as quickly as possible. Surprisingly, Marsh begins his instruction by talking about the importance of always wearing a seatbelt. He explains that rather than hindering drivers from defending themselves, seatbelts help to prevent drivers from being dragged out of their seats, and serve to restrain a driver if he is tempted to get out of his seat – thus relinquishing control of the vehicle.

Get the doors open Marsh then moves on to the importance of getting the bus doors open as quickly as possible. Opening the

doors engages the brakes, allows passengers to escape, and provides an assailant with the option of leaving the bus. The focus of the pre-crisis stage is identifying a passenger who may cause trouble and using verbal and attitudinal strategies to move the situation to a post-crisis stage. Drivers can also prepare to defend themselves physically at this stage should violence ensue. The video demonstrates a simple posture and movement that any operator can take to deflect and repel a physical attack, and create space between a driver and an assailant. Marsh says that drivers can use that space to try to persuade their attackers to stop and/or leave the bus through the already open door.

Moves based on technique, not strength He says this is also the moment when drivers can press any available alarm button, and call out to passengers to call 911. Marsh emphasizes that anyone can learn these moves that are based on technique rather than strength. The video, which elaborates far more on these topics, can be viewed on the ATU Canada website (http:// www.atucanada.ca/) or YouTube at: https://youtu.be/h_ CyNMNOuJE. v

June Yamashita, 107-Hamilton, ON, deflects and repels an “assault” by Marshal Arts Instructor Aaron Marsh, 107, in a video on nonviolent crisis intervention produced by the Local and ATU Canada.

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

Instructor Aaron Marsh emphasizes that any operator can learn these movements that are based on technique rather then strength.

LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

A big union meeting

In November 1979, I attended my first ATU union meeting. The smoke-filled room of bus drivers and mechanics in Local 726 were there for a tough discussion about their lives. That was how we saw it. We worked all month, paid our dues and met to have serious discussions about our union, our contract, our employer and our future. It was a room full of characters – tough guys, funny guys, a weird guy or two – some who cared only about overtime, some about time off. Some were sticklers for procedure, some just there for a good conversation with co-workers. People did not hold back. They told you how they really felt – often in a less than subtle way. Some leaders impressed me who were really concerned about the members. We all however, had the common bond we just called “726”. We were proud of it.

You direct your Local and the International At each of more than 250 Local Unions we hold those meetings each month in which members have the right and the power to determine the policies that shape the actions of every Local. At your meetings and through your leaders, presidents, executive officers and executive boards, you direct the action of your Local. Through the delegates you elect and send to the Convention, you direct the entire International Union.

the leaders who run ATU. It’s a big week-long union meeting. There is less smoke than in days gone by, but a room full of transit workers from all parts of Canada and the United States always provides us with wisdom, and often entertainment. We bring our values, our concerns, our hopes and fears, and our various personalities. So in early October we will convene in Canada and decide the plans for ATU for the next three years. It will be a continuation of our heritage. It will be a meeting of about 700 delegates, each chosen democratically by their members to have their say in the future of our labor movement. Through work in committees and on the floor of the Convention they will write the script for the future of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

Work of Union is work of the members What a great honor it is for me to preside at this weeklong union meeting. As I bring down the gavel I will think back to a union hall in Staten Island where it began for me, remembering that the work of this Union is the work of the bus mechanics, drivers, train operators, station agents, clerical workers, and all the men and women who are the ATU. We know we owe it to you to work hard, and we will strive to continue to make you proud of the entire ATU. v

Every three years… Every three years we hold a Convention, this time in Toronto, ON, to decide the policies, our Laws and to elect IN TRANSIT

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JAVIER PEREZ, JR., INTERNATIONAL EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT

A ‘tip of the hat’ What are the two most important days in your life? When asked, most people quickly respond the day they were born and the day they die. Certainly, our journey in this world begins on the day we are born.

Picking and picking on our leaders

“Abraham Harold Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was an American psychologist who was best known for creating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in “selfactualization.” His theory is based on the premise that the basic need that all humans seek to fulfill first is the need for food water and warmth”.

Some of our local union leaders have memberships large enough that they are able to take full time leave from their transit job to represent their members. Many more work full time at their transit property and then toil endless hours doing the union job. All will work many more hours than they will ever be paid for.

Humans found caves to get out of the elements – often close to water. Humans learned to hunt for food. Next came the need for safety, then a sense of belonging.

What gets you up in the morning? More recent studies expand on the Maslow’s theories. Author Richard Lieder tells a story of his trip to Africa where he was visiting a hunter-gatherer tribe. The 80-year-old head of the tribe asked him what are the two most important days in your life? He responded Birth and Death. The tribal leader smiled and said no. It’s the day you were born and the day you find your purpose in life.

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Retired International President James La Sala, emeritus, often said we pick leaders and then pick on them – how true.

All do so because in serving their fellow brothers and sisters they find purpose and meaning. You, and our members, know who you are. And we express a heartfelt “thank you” and a “tip of the hat” to each of you this Labor Day. v

Please visit www.atu.org for more information and the latest ATU news.

OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER

Donald Trump shows his true colors Well, Donald Trump finally showed his true colors. Despite his awkward attempts to appeal to AfricanAmerican voters with his tired, old Republican “Democrats are using you” rhetoric; despite his vague expression of regret in case you were offended by any of his long list of offensive remarks; he’s shown himself to be the same old Donald with the hiring of Breitbart website editor and white supremacist Steve Bannon. This guy’s opinions are so repugnant that I hesitate to mention them in this magazine. But, I will do so because the stakes are so high in this election that I believe that anyone considering voting for Mr. Trump should know the kind of person he’s chosen as the CEO of his campaign. Here are just a few recent Breitbart headlines: • “Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage” • “Bill Kristol: Republican spoiler, renegade Jew prepares third party effort” • “There’s no hiring bias against women in tech, they just suck at interviews” I could go on and on, but even these headlines pale in comparison with the tweets posted by Breitbart Homepage Editor, Katie McHugh, on her personal account: • “British settlers built the USA. ‘Slaves’ built the country much as cows ‘built’ McDonald’s” • “Immigration is rape culture. Immigration is terror, forever, until you’re conquered. Close the borders and expel the invaders.”

ideas. Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant ideas – all key tenets making up an emerging racist ideology known as the ‘Alt-Right.’” We’re told these are the people who have been feeding Trump all of the nasty lies he tries to foist on the public; these are the people he feels most comfortable with. And so I urge anyone who is attracted to the phony, populist, pro-middle class rhetoric of Donald Trump to think carefully about the information above.

‘Dog whistles’ And I urge those who dismiss the clever “dog whistles” Bannon and Trump will offer up this Fall as too outrageous for anyone to take seriously, to consider that Breitbart is one of the most successful and popular political sites on the web. If that doesn’t provide you with the motivation to work to defeat Donald Trump in this election, nothing will. I know you’re tired of hearing it – but this time it’s really true: This is the most important election of our lifetime. Please help your Local or political organization make sure Donald Trump does not become the next president of the United States. v

Please visit www.atu.org for more information and the latest ATU news.

In April, the highly respected Southern Poverty Law Center reported that under the direction of Steve Bannon Breitbart “has undergone a noticeable shift toward embracing ideas on the extremist fringe of the conservative right. Racist IN TRANSIT

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Uber, Lyft explore replacing public transit Uber and Lyft, the new app-based ride hailing companies are continuing to move into areas traditionally occupied by public transit.

Adie Tomer, a fellow at Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, believes, “If they can provide better outcomes for your population and do it at either the same cost if not lower, that’s a win-win for society. This could start spiraling very fast.”

Pitfalls ahead? But there are potential pitfalls waiting ahead. Joshua Brustein, writing in Bloomberg Technology, asks, “What happens to people without smartphones? How do Uber and Lyft serve disabled riders? What happens if the cities come to rely on the apps, only to have the private companies decide the partnerships are no longer a sensible business venture for them? And do public governments want to encourage the replacement of public sector jobs with the contract work that defines the sharing economy?” Uber has already contracted with Pinellas Park, FL, and Lyft with Centennial, CO, to, basically, become part of those city’s public transportation systems. In Pinellas Park, a suburb of Tampa, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is using Uber to replace van service that was cut due to voters’ rejection of a 2014 transit funding referendum. In Centennial, a suburb of Denver, the city will pay Lyft for rides to and from a regional rail stop from an area that had been covered by shuttle buses.

Bus services Companies like Bridj are already offering public bus service in Kansas City, MO, and private bus service in Washington, DC, and, Boston, MA. In Kansas City, the transit authority has staffed short Bridj busses made locally by Ford, with KCTA ATU drivers to ferry passengers between bus stops and their personal origination and destination points. Bridj is paid a service fee for the use of their app that accepts ride requests and directs drivers on continually changing routes. So far app-based transit has operated on a pretty small scale where it runs in urban areas, but observers wonder if that is just “the beginning of a larger movement.”

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

That last question is of paramount importance to ATU members who not only provide essential transportation for millions of people each day, but serve as extensions of the cities’ outreach to visitors, persons with disabilities, seniors, youth, and the poor. Matthew George, Bridj’s chief executive, believes private, on-demand bus lines will be more cost-effective than ridehailing services using smaller vehicles because they carry more people. Bridj’s CEO also criticizes app-based car services’ inconsistent record of cooperation with local governments. Unlike those companies, he says, Bridj’s drivers in Kansas City are all [ATU] union members. “On the one end of the spectrum,” he says, “you have the very traditional mode that we’ve done for 100 years, and on the other one, you have this “Ayn Randian” free market free-for-all that doesn’t have basic protections in place for the people who are most vulnerable. We’ve shown that there’s something in the middle.” v

ATU Pennsylvania fighting for commonwealth’s transit workers SERVICE COUNCIL HONORS LATE MECHANIC’S MEMORY WITH CAMPAIGN FOR SAFETY BILL

More than a year and half ago Jake Schwab, 568-Erie, PA, was tragically killed in a garage when an engine he was working on exploded in his face. The 27-year veteran Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA) mechanic was working with the wrong tools on an unfamiliar bus from another agency in a garage that workers said had no safety culture.

Safety bill introduced In response to his death, the Jake Schwab Worker’s Safety Bill was introduced in the state legislature with strong backing from labor and transit advocates. The bill would extend safety protections equivalent to those of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to the state’s public employees not currently covered by OSHA. The legislators never passed the bill. Their inaction speaks volumes about the disregard and lack of concern they have for workers and their safety, and has provided additional motivation for Pennsylvania’s Locals to join together in a stronger, unified voice to pass this bill, and pursue other issues.

To better arm our Pennsylvania members in their fight to protect the rights of transit workers, the International has established “ATU Pennsylvania” – a new joint service council (JSC). ATU Pennsylvania will provide assistance and training for Locals in matters related to contract bargaining, administration, organizing, legislation, politics, education and training, rider engagement, and any other challenges that come up. To ramp up the council, ATU Pennsylvania representatives have been meeting with Locals across the state to discuss the key concerns of transit workers, and discover how the newly formed organization can best help them achieve their goals.

Honoring Jake’s memory “Across Pennsylvania, ATU members like our late brother Jake Schwab work hard every day to provide Pennsylvanians a safe reliable way to work, school, the doctor and other daily tasks,” says International President Larry Hanley. “ATU Pennsylvania will fight for transit workers to ensure their safety in the workplace and rights on the job. This is the least we can do to honor the memory of Jake Schwab.” v

Privatization threat In addition, another threat has emerged. Transit agencies across the commonwealth are contemplating merging to create, larger, regional transit systems. This regionalization could have serious implications for Pennsylvania Locals’ wage and benefit packages and seniority rules, and lead to the privatization of systems that have long been publically operated. IN TRANSIT

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Milwaukee driver, traumatized by shooting, not getting workers’ comp In what has become a distressingly common problem in America, a Milwaukee, WI, driver who witnessed the police shooting of a belligerent passenger, has not received the workers’ compensation payments that would allow her to get the treatment she needs to return to work.

She flagged down police officers on patrol in the area. One of the officers came onto the bus and asked the man to leave.

‘I can’t sleep’ “He started fighting that lady,” Kim says, “He was throwing that lady on the ground and beating up on her. She had to shoot him. From that point on – I can’t sleep,” Kim says. The alleged assailant was shot in the back, but survived. Kim says she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She is on paid leave, but her workers’ compensation is not being paid.

‘I’m not me anymore’ “I`m not me anymore. I just want to go back to being me,” says the driver who wants to be identified only by her first name – “Kim”. “I had this guy who was on the bus,” Kim says, who became angry – calling her names. “I started getting scared. He was a big guy. I didn`t know what he was up to.”

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

The problem is made worse by the growing practice of contracting out the administration of workers’ compensation to outside companies whose main objective is to reduce costs, rather than to help people through the period of their rehabilitation. Local 998–Milwaukee, WI, says other drivers have had the same problem too. Another operator named Robert pleads, “Just allow me to get the help that I need. Please allow me. Don’t make it difficult for me.” The transit agency says workers’ compensation issues are determined by the employees’ doctor, and a county-run firm. v

DC Local rallies for dedicated funding for Metro the right parts, we make it work. If we don’t have enough manpower, we make it work.” There were more than two-dozen elected officials and allied organizations present, including WMATA Board Chair Jack Evans. Evans says he’s been meeting with members of the region’s congressional delegation to try to get them on board, though getting Congress to increase funding may be an uphill battle. Local President Jackie Jeter, 689–Washington, DC, center, at a rally in support of Metro workers in the city.

“Fix it! Fund It! Now!” was the rallying cry of more than 700 Local 689 members and their allies in the standing room only rally at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, DC. A recent shutdown due to a derailment on Metrorail’s Orange and Silver Lines dramatically underlined the need for dedicated funding that was the focus of the already-planned rally organized by the Local.

Advocates for dedicated funding are hopeful regional policymakers will approve a tax plan to support the system, but it hasn’t been politically viable in the past. Already this year, leaders in the Virginia General Assembly, which is controlled by Republicans, said the idea was a non-starter. However, Evans says the need for dedicated funding is urgent and getting the funding is finally feasible now that Metro is quite literally starting to fall apart. The hope is that Maryland, DC and Virginia are listening more closely to Metro’s financial woes and will pitch in to keep the trains running. “We can fix Metro but we can only fix it together,” says Evans. “Workers, riders, and the entire region.” v

‘It’s not fair to us’ “They talk about us in a bad light, and everyone I know in the track department feels that it’s not fair to us,” said Marlow Franklin, 689. “We would like for the politicians and WMATA to appreciate what we’re doing.” It was stories like Franklin’s that made the case for dedicated funding, a priority that Local 689 is calling on the region’s leaders to adopt in their unified agenda. Local 689 has held face-to-face conversations with more than 2,000 members about what’s needed to fix Metro, which led to the creation of the union’s unified agenda. In addition to dedicated funding, Local 689 is calling for Metro to prioritize safety for both workers and commuters over revenue, invest in training, protect pensions, and reject efforts to privatize parts of the system.

‘We make it work’ “If buses are crowded, we make it work,” says Local President Jackie Jeter. “If we don’t have the right tools and IN TRANSIT

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LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

GOP PLATFORM

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

‘We propose to phase out the federal transit program’

We will update, expand roads, bridges, public transit

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump gives the “thumbs up” sign to his supporters from his limousine. – photo from Impulse Today

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton rides the subway in New York City.

That’s what the Republican Party plans to do if Donald Trump (above) is elected president. The GOP platform would place full responsibility for public transportation on cash-strapped state and local governments. The likely result would be accelerated privatization, if not outright elimination of public transit in many parts of the country.

That (above) is the transit policy that the Democratic Party will pursue if Hillary Clinton is elected president. The party platform states “We will put Americans to work updating and expanding our roads, bridges, public transit, airports, and passenger and freight rail lines…

Federal abandonment of transit would lead to massive layoffs of transit workers, and greatly diminish the mobility of millions. It would intensify traffic congestion, increase pollution, and lead to unemployment of those who would have no way to work.

“Democrats will also create an independent, national infrastructure bank that will support critical infrastructure improvements… “Furthermore, Democrats will fight to ensure resources and programs are adequately targeted to provide economic development, job training, and critical infrastructure investment in areas of the greatest need…

Anti-Labor planks Republicans also plan to repeal the Davis–Bacon Act that requires the payment of local prevailing (union) wages on federally funded public projects, to remove roadblocks to public-private partnerships (privatization), and to oppose any increase in the federal gas tax. The platform states, “We support the right of states to enact right-to-work laws and call for a national law to protect the ‘economic liberty’ of the modern workforce.”

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

Just wages “No one who works full time should have to raise a family in poverty. We believe that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour and have the right to form or join a union and will work in every way we can – in Congress and the federal government, in states and with the private sector – to reach this goal… “Democrats believe so-called ‘right-to-work’ laws are wrong for workers – such as teachers and other public employees who serve our communities every day – and wrong for America.

ATU announces Luther Hall Scholarship winners The following students beginning post-secondary education in the 2015-2016 academic year won ATU scholarships awarded in memory of retired International Vice President Luther “Luke” E. Hall, who passed away April 28, 2014. Hall served ATU as an international vice president from 1986, until his retirement in 2002. Short descriptions and excerpts from their winning essays are given below:

JULIA CASEY

CRYSTAL CHUNG

Julia Casey, granddaughter of William J. Casey, 589-Boston, MA, is a member of the National Honor Society, who served as vice president of the Medford High School Marching and Concert Bands. She participated with the high school drama club, wrote for the school newspaper, and played freshman softball. She plans to pursue a degree program in Biomedical Engineering.

Crystal Chung, daughter of Eric Chung, 1574-San Mateo, CA, is a member of her high school honor society, was a brigade commander of the Junior ROTC. Her activities included Galileo Dragonboat, Lowell Science Research, JROTC Academic Bowl, and the UC Berkeley Bioengineering Competition. She is planning to pursue a degree program in Biology, Bioengineering, and Pharmacy.

Unions have not only raised wages for all American workers, but they have aligned themselves with national social justice movements… The Civil Rights Act of 1964 benefitted from strong union support and was an important milestone in the fight for equal rights within the United States.

Work conditions and welfare have improved immensely, thanks to the persistence and dedication of union workers, who all banded together as one entity to achieve a single goal of fair treatment of workers.

KELLY PARMETER Kelly A. Parmeter, daughter of Stephen E. Parmeter, 1145-Binghamton. NY, is a member of the National Honor Society, whose activities included Varsity Cross Country and Softball, Science Olympiad, Sign Language Club, Mock Trial, “Envirathon’, and Jazz Band. She was an intern at a local equestrian center and plans to pursue a degree in Equine Science. Economic markets are amoral, they don’t care about what is right and wrong, they care about the dollars and cents… Organized labor has allowed people to effectively counteract this, and fight for what is fair… whether you are a union member or not, organized labor has led to more equal treatment for everyone.

SHAWNA KRUEGER Shawna Krueger, daughter of Kurt Krueger, 1576-Lynnwood, WA, is a member of the National Honor Society, whose activities include Cross Country, Track and Field, Senate, the Spanish and Young Life clubs, Future Business Leaders of America, and the Exchange Student Program. She plans to pursue a degree program in Public Administration, Law. Unions look out for the little guy when no one else seems to be watching. With capitalism comes great freedom, but with this freedom comes responsibility. Organized labor saves the working class, the consumers, and environment from being exploited.

SHOBIE LUNG Shobie Lung, daughter of Freddie Lung, 279-Ottawa, ON, was a member of the Student Council, whose activities included Senior Concert Band, Knight Lights, Love is Louder, Best Buddies, and the Cancer Club Society. She volunteers as a piano accompanist at her church, and served as a translator at a Chinese language school summer camp. She plans to pursue a degree program in Biomedical Science. History itself has proven that labour groups in Canada are beneficial, in more ways than one. Not only do they ensure that union members are treated with equality in their respective workplaces, but in doing so assist in the welfare of the families of union members.

SARAH MATHIAS Sarah Mathias, granddaughter of Robert O. Mathias, 85-Pittsburgh, PA, is a member of the National Honor and National English Honor Societies, who played Lacrosse, was a member of the Student Ambassador, Environmental, and Rebels for Life clubs, and served as a eucharistic minister at her school. She plans to pursue a degree program in Actuarial Mathematics. One of [my great grandfathers] was actually a union organizer at the Pittsburgh Railways [which became today’s] Port Authority of Allegheny County. My other paternal great grandfather was a machinist [who] told stories of how uncertain your job was before the union… The union changed all that. IN TRANSIT

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The Amalgamated Transit Union 2016-2017 Scholarship Competition In Memory of Retired International Vice Presidents Arthur Burke and Angus MacFarlane

Arthur Burke

Angus MacFarlane

Retired International Vice President Arthur Burke, 92, passed away January 27, 2015. Brother Burke fought with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Europe in WWII. He was wounded in Italy, but returned to his regiment. He found work as a Grey Coach Lines driver, after his discharge in 1945, and served in several elected positions with Local 113-Toronto, ON. He was appointed IVP in 1971, and was elected and reelected to that position until his retirement in 1983. His always cheerful and supportive presence will be missed.

Retired International Vice President Angus MacFarlane, 76, passed away October 19, 2013. He was first employed in the transit industry as an operator in 1959, after service in the Canadian armed forces. He served Local 113-Toronto, ON, as shop steward from 1964 to 1966, became an executive board member in 1967, and was elected business agent in 1977. MacFarlane became an international representative and, then, international vice president in 1983. He retired in 1992.

CUT HERE

The Official 2017 Scholarship Application Form

RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31, 2017 TO: ATU SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION, 10000 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVENUE, SILVER SPRING, MD 20903 Please Print or Type

Name of Applicant:

(First)

(Middle)

(Last)

High School Address:

Address: Name of Principal: List in order of preference, the accredited colleges, technical or vocational institutions to which you are applying for admission (no abbreviations):

Phone Number: Name of Sponsoring ATU Member:

ATU Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Local Union Number: Relationship of ATU member to applicant:

2. 3. (Self, Child, Stepchild)

High School:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief the above information is true and correct.

Month & Year of Graduation:

Applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Signature Date

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

ATU’s secret scheme to help members achieve retirement security Is there anyone who wouldn’t like to have a healthy, happy and secure retirement? If you’re like most workers, you worry that you won’t have enough to live on, once you retire. Social Security and many modest retirement plans just won’t be enough. After a lifetime of work you shouldn’t have to choose between paying the electric bill and buying your medicine. And you don’t want to burden your children or relatives with supporting you after you stop working. ATU knows this and has a secret plan to help you achieve your retirement goals.

The ‘secret’ ATU International has a 401k program offered through participating Local contracts that can help you achieve a financially secure retirement. Since the program’s inception in 2001, participants have amassed more than $120 million in the plan. Participation has risen to over than 8,000 members, so far this year. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s not really a secret, but it might as well be to our members with a 401k option in their

contract, who haven’t enrolled in program – leaving more than $4.8 million in employer-provided matching contributions on the table! Don’t allow the ATU 401k plan to remain a secret. Check with your Local to see if the 401k program is offered through your contract, and don’t miss out on maximizing your retirement earnings if you are already a participant. Local leaders can also join the ATU 401k retirement program by contacting the office of International President Larry Hanley. v

Longest tenured Providence fin sec retiring Congratulations to Local 618-Providence, RI, Financial Secretary Kevin Millea for his many years of service and dedication to his Local. Over his 35 years as a member Brother Millea has earned the respect and admiration of all Local 618’s members. During his ATU career he also served as vice president and financial secretary of the ATU New England Joint Conference and was a skilled negotiator on health care and retirement. “Kevin will be dearly missed by all and we wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement,” says the Local. v IN TRANSIT

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DC transit cop arrested on terrorist charges Young had committed the crime of attempting to support a terrorist organization and arrested him. This marks the first time a U.S. law enforcement officer has been accused of trying to aid a terrorist group. Young sent codes for mobile messaging cards to an undercover federal agent in the belief that they would be used by Islamic State fighters overseas to communicate.

For seven years, while Nicholas Young patrolled the Washington DC area’s Metro system as a transit police officer, other law enforcement agents were watching him. In those years, authorities say, he threatened FBI agents, gave advice to suspected terrorists and mused about joining the Islamic State. Federal agents finally concluded that

He came under surveillance in 2010 because Metro Transit Police had alerted the FBI to unspecified “concerns.” According to authorities, Young has been with the transit police since 2003. “Obviously, the allegations in this case are profoundly disturbing. They’re disturbing to me, and they’re disturbing to everyone who wears the uniform,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. v

Toronto transit agencies leave workers in the dark about terror threat Toronto transit agencies, GO Transit and the TTC, were warned of a possible terrorist threat against public transit before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confronted and killed the suspect in the plot. However, TTC workers, who are on the frontlines of the transit system, who did not receive an alert, called on TTC internal communications to be improved to ensure this does not happen again. This threat and the tragic terrorist bombing on the Brussels Metro serve as reminders that the war on terror is not over and how vulnerable mass transit systems are. Transit stations are big open spaces that are difficult to secure. ATU has reminded operators and workers to always be attentive and watchful for anything of a suspicious nature on our systems. The Toronto suspect, who had been under a court order not to associate with any terrorist organization, was shot and killed during a police operation. Investigators say he had

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

planned an imminent attack on a major Canadian urban centre. RCMP had released a video that it received from U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation purporting to show the Regina-born driver wearing a balaclava and vowing to bring terrorist violence to Canadian soil. v

LOCAL HEROES MAKE US ‘PROUD TO BE ATU’ Denver driver a hero till the end Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and fellow members of Local 1001-Denver, CO, bus operator Willy Quinonez who died on the job from a heart attack while driving his bus, but had the presence of mind to pull over before causing an accident. Brother Quinonez was driving on one of Denver’s main highways during rush hour when he called dispatch to tell them he was having chest pains. Even in serious medical distress, he managed to pull the bus over to the curb without causing any accidents. When paramedics arrived, they could not revive him. The news report said that it was a “miracle no other vehicles were involved in the crash.” ATU mourns his death and are proud to recognize his last heroic act.

TTC operators help people in distress all the time The public has “no idea” that helping riders in distress is a daily part of the job say Toronto bus drivers. Local 113-Toronto, ON, bus driver Dan Annis says that he and other operators “go through stuff that the public never hears about. A lot of people think the TTC is heartless, but we go out of our way to help a lot of people.” In May, Annis was driving his route early in the morning when a young girl in obvious distress approached. She told Annis that she had been assaulted and had her backpack and cellphone taken. He asked her how he could help. Annis ended up letting the girl stay on the bus and gave her a transfer so she could make her way home. We salute Annis and all our members for everything they do.

ATU hero in Rhode Island with a simple act of kindness Sometimes even a small act of kindness can make a big difference, and that was the case with an ATU Rhode Island bus driver who is being hailed as a hero. Ed Mello, 618-Providence, RI, was driving his usual route when he noticed a woman walking across a bridge. He offered the woman a “courtesy lift” as he always does to pedestrians approaching the bridge because it’s safer. When he stopped he noticed the woman was crying, shaking and seemed distraught. She mentioned to him about possibly wanting to jump off the bridge but Mello, aided by a passenger, convinced her to get on the bus. Once she was safely on the bus, he called Rhode Island Transit Authority (RIPTA) dispatch, which then notified local police. RIPTA commended Mello for his actions and we agree.

Toronto driver goes above and beyond to ensure students’ safety Recently, more than 100 American students visiting Toronto, ON, were being dropped off by a TTC bus driver at a basketball tournament at 6 pm when their concerned driver, Heather Sanford, asked how the students planned to get back. The students said the same way they got there – a TTC bus. The Local 113 member told the students her last stop at that location would be before the end of tournament. So Sanford called her supervisor and asked if it would be OK for her to work late and shuttle the kids back. The supervisor said yes. We applaud Sanford for going above and beyond for these students. IN TRANSIT

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Una gran reunión sindical En noviembre de 1979, asistí a mi primera reunión del sindicato ATU. La habitación estaba llena de humo de conductores de autobuses y mecánicos de Local 726 que estaban allí para una discusión dura sobre sus vidas. Así fue como lo vimos. Habíamos trabajado todo el mes, pagado nuestras cuotas y estábamos reunidos para tener serias discusiones acerca de nuestro sindicato, nuestro contrato, nuestro empleador y nuestro futuro. Era una habitación llena de personajes: tipos duros, tipos divertidos, un tipo raro o dos. Algunos sólo se preocupaban de las horas extras, algunos sobre el tiempo libre. Algunos eran muy rigurosos sobre el procedimiento, otros estaban allí simplemente para una buena conversación con los compañeros de trabajo. La gente no se contuvo. Decían lo que realmente sentían, a menudo de una manera poco sutil. Algunos líderes me impresionaron por estar realmente preocupados por los miembros. Todos, sin embargo, teníamos el lazo común que llamamos “726”. Estábamos orgullosos de ello.

Así que a principios de octubre nos reuniremos en Canadá y trazaremos los planes para el ATU para los próximos tres años. Será una continuación de nuestro patrimonio. Será una reunión con cerca de 700 delegados, cada uno elegido democráticamente por sus miembros para dar su opinión sobre el futuro de nuestro movimiento obrero. A través del trabajo en las comisiones y en el lugar de la Convención escribirán el guión para el futuro del Sindicato de Transporte Unido (ATU). El trabajo del Sindicato es el trabajo de sus miembros Qué gran honor es para mí presidir esta reunión del sindicato de una semana de duración. Mientras golpeo mi mazo mis pensamientos retornarán al salón sindical en Staten Island donde comenzó para mí, recordando que el trabajo de este Sindicato es el trabajo de los mecánicos de autobuses, conductores, operadores de trenes, agentes de estaciones, empleados de oficina, y todos los hombres y mujeres que forman el ATU. Sabemos que le debemos a usted el trabajar duro, y haremos todo lo posible para continuar haciendo que usted se sienta orgulloso de todo el ATU. v

Usted dirige su Local y el Internacional Estas reuniones las tenemos cada mes en cada uno de los más de 250 Sindicatos Locales y en ellas los miembros tienen el derecho y el poder de determinar las políticas que dan forma a las acciones de cada Local. En sus reuniones y a través de sus líderes, presidentes, ejecutivos y consejos de administración, usted dirige la acción de su Local. A través de los delegados que usted elige y envía a la Convención, dirige todo el Sindicato Internacional.

Cada tres años… Cada tres años llevamos a cabo una Convención, esta vez en Toronto, ON, para decidir las políticas, nuestras Leyes y elegir a los líderes que dirigen ATU. Es una gran reunión del sindicato de una semana de duración. Hay menos humo allí que en los días pasados, pero una habitación llena de trabajadores del transporte público de todas partes de Canadá y Estados Unidos siempre nos ofrece sabiduría, y con frecuencia entretenimiento. Traemos nuestros valores, nuestras preocupaciones, nuestras esperanzas y temores y nuestras diferentes personalidades.

July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

Donald Trump muestra su verdadera cara Bueno, Donald Trump finalmente mostró su verdadera cara. A pesar de su torpe intento de atraer a los votantes afroamericanos con su cansada y anticuada retórica republicana de “los demócratas les están utilizando”; a pesar de su vaga expresión de arrepentimiento en el caso de que usted se haya ofendido por cualquiera de su larga lista de comentarios ofensivos; él mismo ha demostrado ser el mismo viejo Donald al contratar al editor del sitio web Breitbart y supremacista blanco Steve Bannon. Las opiniones de este individuo son tan repugnantes que vacilo al mencionarlas en esta revista. Pero, lo haré así porque las apuestas son tan altas en esta elección que creo que cualquiera que esté considerando votar por el Sr. Trump debe saber el tipo de persona que ha elegido como CEO de su campaña. Aquí puede ver algunos de los titulares recientes de Breitbart: “Álcela con orgullo: La bandera de la Confederación proclama una gloriosa herencia”

“Bill Kristol: Republicano sin posibilidades, judío renegado prepara una ofensiva de tercer partido” “No hay discriminación en la contratación de mujeres en el campo de la tecnología, solo son un desastre en las entrevistas” Podría seguir y seguir, pero incluso estos titulares palidecen en comparación con los tweets publicados por la Editora Web de Breitbart, Katie McHugh, en su cuenta personal: “Los colonos ingleses construyeron los EEUU. Los ‘esclavos’ construyeron el país tanto como las vacas ‘construyeron’ McDonald’s” “La inmigración es la cultura de la violación. La inmigración es terror, para siempre, hasta que estemos conquistados. Cierre las fronteras y expulse a los invasores”. En abril, el muy respetado Southern Poverty Law Center informó que bajo la dirección de Steve Bannon, Breitbart “ha experimentado un cambio notable hacia abrazar las ideas del sector extremista de la derecha conservadora. Ideas racistas. Ideas anti-musulmanes y anti-inmigrantes, todos principios fundamentales que constituyen una ideología racista emergente conocida como la ‘Alt-Derecha’”. Se nos dice que estas son las personas que alimentan a Trump con todas las mentiras desagradables que intenta imponer a la opinión pública; estas son las personas con las que se siente más cómodo. Y por ello insto a cualquier persona que se siente atraída por la retórica falsa, populista y pro clase media de Donald Trump a pensar cuidadosamente sobre la información anterior.

‘Discursos en código’ E insto a quienes se despreocupan de los ingeniosos “discursos en código” que Bannon y Trump ofrecerán este otoño por ser demasiado escandalosos para que alguien los tome en serio, a que consideren que Breitbart es uno de los sitios políticos más exitosos y populares en la web. Si eso no le proporciona la motivación para trabajar para derrotar a Donald Trump en estas elecciones, nada lo hará. Sé que está cansado de oírlo, pero esta vez es realmente cierto: Esta es la elección más importante de nuestras vidas. Por favor, ayude a su organización local o política a asegurarse de que Donald Trump no se convierta en el próximo presidente de los Estados Unidos. v Por favor visite www.atu.org para más información y las últimas noticias sobre ATU.

ATU Pensilvania luchando por los trabajadores del transporte público de la Commonwealth EL CONSEJO DE SERVICIO HONRA LA MEMORIA TARDÍA DEL MECÁNICO CON UNA CAMPAÑA A FAVOR DE UNA PROPUESTA DE LEY SOBRE SEGURIDAD Hace más de un año y medio Jake Schwab, 568-Erie, Pensilvania, murió trágicamente en un garaje cuando el motor en el que trabajaba le explotó en la cara. El mecánico de 27 años de trayectoria de la Autoridad de Transporte Público Metropolitano de Erie (EMTA) trabajaba con las herramientas equivocadas en un bus no familiar de otra agencia en un garaje que según los trabajadores no tenía ninguna cultura de seguridad. Introducción de la propuesta de ley sobre Seguridad En respuesta a su muerte, se introdujo en la legislatura del estado la Propuesta de Ley de Seguridad de los Trabajadores Jake Schwab con un fuerte respaldo de defensores de los trabajadores y del transporte público. El proyecto de ley extendería las protecciones de seguridad de forma equivalente a las de la Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional a los empleados públicos del estado no cubiertos actualmente por la OSHA. Los legisladores nunca aprobaron el proyecto de ley. Su inacción dice mucho de su desconocimiento y falta de preocupación hacia los trabajadores y su seguridad, y ha proporcionado una motivación adicional para que los ciudadanos de Pensilvania se unan alzando una voz más fuerte y unificada para aprobar este proyecto de ley, y discutir asimismo otras cuestiones. Amenaza de privatización Además, otra amenaza ha surgido. Las agencias de transporte público a lo largo de la Commonwealth están contemplando la fusión para crear sistemas de transporte públicos regionales más grandes. Esta regionalización podría tener graves consecuencias para los salarios, los paquetes de beneficios y las normas de antigüedad de los locales de Pensilvania, y conducir a la privatización de sistemas que durante mucho tiempo han sido operados de forma pública. IN TRANSIT

| www.atu.org

Para armar mejor a nuestros miembros de Pensilvania en su lucha para proteger los derechos de los trabajadores del transporte público, la Internacional ha establecido “ATU Pensilvania”, un nuevo consejo de servicio conjunto (joint service council, JSC). ATU Pensilvania proporcionará asistencia y formación para los locales en asuntos relacionados con negociación de contratos, administración, organización, legislación, política, educación y formación, vinculación de cláusulas, y cualesquiera otros retos que se presenten. Para dar comienzo al consejo, representantes de ATU Pensilvania se han reunido con los locales en todo el estado para discutir las principales preocupaciones de los trabajadores del transporte público, y descubrir la mejor manera en que la organización recién formada puede ayudarles a alcanzar sus objetivos.

Honrando la memoria de Jake “Por toda Pensilvania, miembros de ATU como nuestro hermano tardío Jake Schwab trabajan duro cada día para proporcionar a los ciudadanos de Pensilvania un camino seguro al trabajo, la escuela, el médico y otras tareas diarias”, dice el Presidente Internacional Larry Hanley. “ATU Pensilvania luchará por los trabajadores del transporte público para asegurar su seguridad en el entorno de trabajo y sus derechos laborales. Es lo mínimo que podemos hacer para honrar la memoria de Jake Schwab”. v

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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT

In Memoriam Death Benefits Awarded May 1, 2016 - June 30, 2016 1- MEMBERS AT LARGE LEONARD W ARNOLD STANLEY V CHASTEEN JR JOHN HENRY DAVIS SUBBY L FORSEE JOHNIE R HAMILTON JR RICKY D MANSFIELD CHARLES M MOXON EDWARD P ODOM WILBURN W POLK 22- WORCESTER, MA VILJO O NUMMINEN 26- DETROIT, MI BEN F AGNEW 85- PITTSBURGH, PA HOMER EDWARD BITTNER TALTON M BOND RICHARD D DUFFY JEFFREY M MAROVIC LEON B MATTHYS RAYMOND R MISKIEWICZ ROBERT R ROHE HOWARD J SIMEONE LEON S SMITH JOHN L WRIGHT 113- TORONTO, ON ANTHONY JOSEPH ABELA GASPARE DINOTO BURTON ASA DOWNER MICHAEL GATT JOSEPH MARQUES WALTER O MARROQUIN LESLIE CHARLES SMALE CHARLES L ZAMMIT 134- VANCOUVER, BC KENNETH GORDON BERGER 192- OAKLAND, CA JOCELYN D DREW-HARRIS JUDITH A GARCIA HOWARD D JOHNSON 241- CHICAGO, IL JOHN E ALLEN ETHEL ANDERSON LOUIS BERRY DONALD L BRAZIER KEVIN E BROWN JAVIER DELAROSA DWAYNE HAMPTON JOSE NARANJO BRENDA J NEELY MARTHA PACE EDWARD O REED 265- SAN JOSE, CA ALFONSO DE GUIA CARMEN B MONTOYA PAUL J RASCON ALVIN W REESE GEORGE A SUAREZ NORMAN TOWNSEND 268- CLEVELAND, OH TOMMIE L ANDERSON MARCIA A ERJAVEC LOUIS WILLIAMS CLARENCE YARBROUGH 281- NEW HAVEN, CT PRESTON LITTLE 282- ROCHESTER, NY JOHNNY R CRITTENDEN THOMAS L LILL

443- STAMFORD, CT PATRICIA MC QUILLIAN 448- SPRINGFIELD, MA LINDA MULVANEY 569- EDMONTON, AB MEL E BROWER GEORGE SAUL GEORGE H SCHMIDT NICHOLAS SVECLA 587- SEATTLE, WA ODESSA L HONORABLE DEWEY A PARSONS 589- BOSTON, MA CHARLES F CRUMADY ANTRANIG V HAMPARIAN JOHN J MAHER LAWRENCE E MARKS SAMUEL T PAYNE HILTON R PLEASANT ROBERT M SHEA DANIEL T SULLIVAN 591- HULL, QC JEAN-CLAUDE LEFEBVRE CAROL ROY 618- PROVIDENCE, RI WILLIAM R BAGLEY NORMAN S GILBERT GARY P SMITH 627- CINCINNATI, OH LEONARD J RUMP 628- COVINGTON, KY EDSEL E FOLEY JR 689- WASHINGTON, DC DONALD S ALLEN SAMUEL BRINKLEY MARILYN E BUCHANAN EDWARD B BUNDY JR JOHN E CAMPBELL WALTER CLARK JR BARBARA C COATLEY DEREK D DOVE JANICE GOLETTE THUYET V HO KENNETH HOWARD PRINTISS JAMES JOHN FRANCIS KNOTT WALTER LASECKI M FREDERICK PROFFITT FRANK ANTHONY SPADARO CLYDE A SPENCER JESSE J STATEN ROGER R STEPHENSON JR WILLIE A WOODARD

757- PORTLAND, OR TERRY E BERGLAND RAYMOND L FUNK MICHAEL C HARVEY ERIC D JOSEFSON MICHAEL L MATHENY WILFRED W WIMMER

1220- RICHMOND, VA MACK N TAYLOR 1249- SPRINGFIELD, IL LEONARD CHASE 1277- LOS ANGELES, CA JOHN A CARLSON MICHAEL RAY GREER RAND C HODGES JOSEPH ROST FRED G ZIMMERLE

788- ST. LOUIS, MO PHILLIP S BOLDIN DOUGLAS EDWARDS JOHN W HRDINA ANTWON JONES CLAUDE RIDDICK JOSEPH TAYLOR WILLIAM G WIESLER

1300- BALTIMORE, MD STERLING ADDISON NAPOLEON SYKES

822- PATERSON, NJ SERGE F RIVIERE 824- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ WILBUR GUERIN BENNIE S LA SALA 825- ORADELL, NJ MITCHELL L JONES 880- CAMDEN, NJ DOMINIC F KOVACH FRANCIS X MC CANN

1309- SAN DIEGO, CA MARY R BOYLAND GWEN HIGHTOWER ORVILLE R VASHAW RICHARD A YOUHILL 1321- ALBANY & TROY, NY ARKADIY S FEYGIN JAMES H FRENCH JR EDWARD B MOORE 1333- ROCKFORD, IL DANNY SARTINO

956- ALLENTOWN, PA HOWARD R HUMMEL 966- THUNDER BAY, ON ROY L ROBERTS 998- MILWAUKEE, WI GILBERT R ARROYO DENNIS R KIRBY ROBERT A KOLARICH JOSEPH L MASON HOSEA RUSS GORDON M STENSTRUP 1001- DENVER, CO CYNTHIA ELAINE KLUG RODNEY E MILLER GREGORY D MURTHA 1005- MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MN GLENN J FERGUSON ROGER F KELLENE 1037- NEW BEDFORD, MA STEPHEN M EUSEBIO 1070- INDIANAPOLIS, IN JAY P RICHARDSON

1342- BUFFALO, NY THOMAS A LASKOWSKI ROY M LEAMON CHESTER OLIWA LEE SCHALLMO WILLIAM E SHETLER 1374- CALGARY, AB BLAINE C BORLEY CHARLES GILBERT COWAN IRIS KARPYK THOMAS F KOSIANCIC GEORGE B WEATHERILL 1384- BREMERTON, WA ROBBIE J HUMPHREY 1415- TORONTO, ON ELLEN R JOBE ROBYN MC ARTHUR WALTER K SCHAEFER EDWARD A TURNER LEN VLAMING 1447- LOUISVILLE, KY JAMES DRIGGERS

697- TOLEDO, OH CHARLES L LAMPKOWSKI

1160- MONROE, LA DELORES BROWN

1505- WINNIPEG, MB HARRY COHEN HENRIEUS J GROOTHEDDE DANIEL G NADORYK LORNE P PROULX ZENONS STAFECKIS GERALD TREPANIER

725- BIRMINGHAM, AL ROBERT E ADAMS J E WHITE

1179- NEW YORK, NY WILLIE BETHEA

1512- SPRINGFIELD, MA JAMES BREYARE

1181- NEW YORK, NY NULLO BERTI MARION CELI ILRICK LOUIS JEAN V MARTIN JOSE PEDRAZA BARBARA SABELLICO VINCENT SCHEMBARI

1575- SAN RAFAEL, CA ROBERT E REYFF

732- ATLANTA, GA MARY H JONES 741- LONDON, ON TERENCE T ARNOLD BRIAN R COOK JOHN J DIGSBY PHILIP R PALMER GRAHAM MATTHEWS SCASE BENNIE TIEKSTRA

1119- WILKES-BARRE, PA FRANCIS GROGAN

1576- LYNNWOOD, WA MANUEL L NUVAL 1587- TORONTO, ON STEPHEN TRESTRAIL

1189- GUELPH, ON PAUL BOUCHER

IN TRANSIT

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THE VOICE OF TRANSIT WORKERS As the largest transit worker Political Action Committee (PAC) in the US, ATU-COPE is the voice of transit workers, school bus employees and over-the-road bus workers at all levels of government. Since by law, union dues cannot be used to fund political campaigns, voluntary member contributions to ATU-COPE are used to help elect pro-labor, pro-transit candidates for local, state and federal office and keep politicians accountable to the interests of our members. Like all aspects of our Union, ATU-COPE is nothing without our members. To provide a strong political voice for transit workers, we need your help! Contributing to ATU-COPE is easy: If your local has a checkoff provision in its contract, contact your Local for a Checkoff Authorization Card to voluntarily authorize your employer to deduct an amount you specify from your pay each month for ATU-COPE. Contributions can also be made directly by check, payable to ATU-COPE and sent to: ATU-COPE 10000 New Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD 2090