In Transit - July/August 2011 by Amalgamated Transit Union

2 0 1 1

J U L /AU G

www.atu.org

OPEN SEASON ON OPERATORS COMBATING THE DRIVER ASSAULT EPIDEMIC INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Legislative Report: Throwing Families Under the Bus Canadians Lead The Way: Set New Ridership Record in 2010 ATU Report Calls for Congress to Extend Overtime Protection to OTR Drivers

CAUGHT ON VIDEO: FARE EVADER ASSAULTS ATU MEMBER

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

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS LAWRENCE J. HANLEY International President ROBERT H. BAKER International Executive Vice President OSCAR OWENS International Secretary-Treasurer

INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS RODNEY RICHMOND New Orleans, LA – rrichmond@atu.org LARRY R. KINNEAR Ashburn, ON – lkinnear@atu.org JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR. Kansas City, MO – jperez@atu.org RICHARD M. MURPHY Newburyport, MA – rmurphy@atu.org BOB M. HYKAWAY Calgary, AB – bhykaway@atu.org CHARLES COOK Petaluma, CA – ccook@atu.org WILLIAM G. McLEAN Reno, NV – wmclean@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 SALAZAR Thornton, CO – ysalazar@atu.org GARY JOHNSON, SR. Cleveland, OH – gjohnson@atu.org ROBIN WEST Rexdale, ON – rwest@atu.org JOHN COSTA Kenilworth, NJ – jcosta@atu.org CHUCK WATSON Syracuse, NY – cwatson@atu.org

NEWSBRIEFS A U.S. court and a Canadian arbitration panel issued rulings in July on disputes that go all the way back to 2008, and 2009: Victorious local ‘not popping the champagne.’ Washington, DC members won a major victory, July 22, when the U.S. District Court ruled Metro must honor an arbitrator’s 2009 ruling awarding a 9% wage increase to its ATU employees (3% per year in 2009, 2010, and 2011). The ruling stems from Metro’s request for a judicial review of the arbitrator’s 2009 award which, they said, did not take into account the budget difficulties governments were experiencing at the time in violation of the city’s interest arbitration standards. The court took a long time to issue a decision considering Metro’s request seemed a lot like suing the power company because you can’t afford the electric bill. Metro hasn’t decided whether or not it will appeal the ruling. “I’m not popping the champagne,” responded DC Local 689 President Jackie Jeter. Was that strike necessary? On July 25, an arbitration panel issued its final ruling on a 53-day ATU strike that took place in Ottawa, ON, during the bitterly cold winter of 2008. The panel’s report revealed that during negotiations Local 279 offered to give OC Transpo the control it wanted over scheduling in exchange for wage guarantees that the city refused to pay. The union’s representative on the board, Joe Herbert, wrote that the contract is now so much like the offer the union made during bargaining in 2008, that the strike could likely have been avoided. “Indeed it may well be that had my board colleagues’ considerable labour relations expertise been engaged by the parties in 2008, the work stoppage might have been averted entirely,” he concluded.

Stability vs. COLAs? Three years ago Tampa, FL did away with multi-year contracts with its city employees. Now, the city’s unions are back at the negotiating table asking for three-year contracts again. Mike Young, a member of Local 1464’s negotiating team says many union members would do without cost-of-living increases in exchange for the stability of a three-year contract. Even though Tampa faces $34.5 million budget deficit, city officials say they will balance next year’s budget without laying-off workers, raising property taxes or diminishing services. Will their next project be walking on water?

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ANTHONY WITHINGTON

Sebastopol, CA – awithington@atu.org

DENNIS ANTONELLIS

Spokane, WA – dantonellis@atu.org

KAREN MILLER-LEWIS Memphis, TN – kmiller@atu.org CLAUDIA HUDSON Oakland, CA – chudson@atu.org STEPHAN MACDOUGALL Boston, MA – smacdougall@atu.org

CANADIAN COUNCIL STAN DERA

Rexdale, ON - director@atucanada.ca

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS International President Jim La Sala, ret. International President Warren George, ret. International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret. International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret. International Secretary-Treasurer Ray Wallace, 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: 5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016-4139. Tel: 1-202-537-1645. Please send all requests for address changes to the ATU Registry Dept. ISSN: 0019-3291, USPS: 260-280. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40033361. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: B&M Mailing Service Limited, 35 Van Kirk Drive, Unit 15, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1A5, E-MAIL-BMCOMM@PATHCOM.COM

J U L /A U G

2011

www.atu.org

International Officers & General Executive Board

NEWS Briefs

Index Page

International President’s Message: Unpatriots

International Executive Vice President’s Message: Class Warfare?

International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message: Let Freedom Ring

Legislative Report: Throwing Working Families Under the Bus

ATU Marches with British Public Service Workers at Pension Protest

Canadians Lead the Way: Set New Ridership Record in 2010

L’Achalandage du Transport Collectif a Franchi une Nouvelle Étape Importante en 2010

Canadian Agenda: Canadian Council Elects New Interim Officers, Plans to Push Anti-Assault Bill

Open Season on Operators: Combating the Driver Assault Epidemic

Bregg Attacker Jailed Indefinitely, Declared ‘Dangerous Offender’

Get on the Bus: Transit Union Looks to Ally with Riders

Nova Scotia Requires Drivers to Yield Buses Right of Way

ATU Report Calls for Congress to Extend Overtime Protection to OTR Drivers

Strategic Campaigns Update

Believe It or Not! Everyone in Massachusetts Cities Agrees with ATU: ‘We Need More Service’

Wisconsin’s ‘Walker 6’ Face Recall Elections

ATU Family Members Awarded Union Plus Scholarships

Deadly Deal: House Democrats Oppose Deadly Trade Deal

Colombian Union Leaders Murdered as US Pursues Trade Pact

Translations (French & Spanish)

In Memoriam

100 Years Ago: Local 569’s 100th Anniversary

ATU Launches New, User Friendly Website!

Vol. 120, No. 4

Throwing Working Families Under the Bus

Canadians Lead The Way: Set New Ridership Record

Open Season on Operators

Everyone in Massachusetts Cities Agrees with ATU

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Unpatriots O

n July 4, millions of Americans celebrated U.S. independence with fireworks, bands, and parades. On July 1, millions of Canadians celebrated Canada Day in much the same way. In both countries there were many speeches extolling the values we share. Unfortunately, the elite in America do not share our values. They only value greed. There is no patriotism left on Wall Street and I’m searching for it in Washington, DC.

Mediators of an Angry Society

There is a phony fight between the Republicans and Democrats in DC about the “debt ceiling.” It is cover to build public fear that will allow them to make a “grand bargain.”

We continue to train your local officers to build community coalitions and become stronger leaders every day.

The only guarantee in the bargain is that average Americans will be left out, shortchanged and screwed. Lawmakers will agree that “common ground” is vital. But common ground that cuts medicare, wages, pensions and social security is common in only one way; the rich will get richer and the poor poorer. Politicians call for “shared sacrifice.” But who will do the sharing? Billionaire Warren Buffet, one of the worlds richest people has said, “There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” He was right and the war is accelerating and becoming more visible every day. In Michigan we are responding by organizing ATU members to fight to restore the collective bargaining rights stolen by the legislature. In Ohio we helped gather 1.2 million signatures to repeal the anti-labor law there. In Wisconsin we are organizing to recall politicians. The string of recent over-the-road fatalities prove it is wrong to deny bus drivers time-and-a-half after 40 hours – a basic right extended to 85% of U.S. workers since the 1930s. Passing legislation requiring interstate operators to pay overtime is another major goal in our ongoing effort to get fair pay and a good night’s sleep for our members before they drive a bus.

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Transit workers are the front line mediators of an angry society. Bus driver assaults have risen since service has been cut and fares increased. We are joining with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) in building a cross border effort to bring attention to this plague of assaults, and to fight to protect our members.

The values that built the North American middle class need to be restored to the public debate. Please reach out to your local officers and tell them you are ready to fight back.

New Website, Email Service Launched This month we rolled out a new communications department with a strategy to make outreach to our members and the public more effective. We launched a new more user-friendly website at www.atu.org, and we’re harnessing the power of social media. We’ll be sending out regular emails to update you on the latest ATU news and information. Simply email your name and local union number to communications@atu.org. Of course, you can unsubscribe at any time, and your email will not be shared with anyone. As an added incentive, for a limited time, we will hold random drawings from the email list. You could win valuable ATU merchandise and other prizes. Check out atu.org for details.

BOB BAKER, INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Class Warfare?

onservative pundits are fond of criticizing those of us who stand up for working families by calling it “class warfare.” Somehow this is supposed to inspire fear in the hearts of people who earn good incomes, and shame in those who don’t. Well, I have a confession to make. In both our countries we are indeed engaged in class warfare, but it’s not the kind of war that the rich and powerful want you to think it is. This is no socialist uprising. It’s hardly even a movement. No, this is a war declared by the richest one percent against the other 99. It is a war in which Wall Street and the big banks hoard their money after we bailed them out to avoid an economic meltdown. It is a war in which people are made to feel selfish if they think they should be able to make a decent living if they work hard and play by the rules. It is a war in which the few things people could count on – social security, the Canadian Pension Plan, medicare, and medicaid – are called “unsustainable.” And this, they say, is a war we’re waging against them? No, this is a war in which we’re just trying to hang on to what we’ve got.

Why haven’t jobs bounced back since the Great Recession? Why is it that when people do go back to work they must take jobs earning less? Why is it that health care, pensions, vacations, sick days, safety precautions, fair treatment on the job, etc. have all dramatically declined in the last decade? In short, why are working people being robbed of everything they fought and died for over the last 150 years?

No Choice But to Fight Back We have no choice but to fight back with all legal means at our disposal. And, ultimately we must use our most potent weapon – the ballot box. That’s all it takes. It is the simplest yet, often, the most difficult task to get people engaged in the political process in their own self interest. None of us can afford to be conscientious objectors in this war. Please join the ATU and get active in the campaign to defend your livelihood and your rights.

Together we can succeed.

Together we will succeed.

Taxes Kill Jobs? This is a war in which conservative legislators demand sacrifice after sacrifice from regular folks, but refuse even to close tax loopholes for the rich. Doing anything else, they say, will kill jobs. Well, I’ve got a question for them. We’ve had these lowered tax rates for the rich in the U.S. since the beginning of the George W. Bush administration, and what have we gotten for it?

In Solidarity,

Bob Baker

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER

Let Freedom Ring

t’s August in Washington. And these warm days in the nation’s capital turn my thoughts back to that sweltering day – August 27, 1963 – when Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., led thousands to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech. That speech is now so ingrained in our collective consciousness that I’d venture to say almost everyone in the U.S. and Canada knows about that moment in history. Few, however, remember the role that organized labor played in bringing that day to fruition; particularly the role played by A. Philip Randolph, the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, who championed the civil rights movement long before most Americans knew it existed.

March Movement Began in 1941 In fact, Randolph founded the “March on Washington Movement” on January 25, 1941, in order to pressure President Roosevelt into eliminating racial discrimination in government employment and the defense industry. Randolph called off the 1941 demonstration after the president created the Fair Employment Practices Committee to do just that. But Randolph kept the movement alive to keep the pressure up. On July 28, 1948, President Truman abolished segregation in the armed forces as a result of Randolph’s tireless efforts.

Union Experience Invaluable The idea for what became the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” started to gain traction again as the civil rights movement attracted more attention.

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Randolph’s experience as a union organizer proved invaluable to the campaign to bring a massive, yet peaceful throng of black and white Americans to Washington, DC, to seek justice for African-Americans. Along with civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, Randolph created a platform for Dr. King to deliver one of the most famous speeches in American history. The march has become a foundation stone of the civil rights movement. Passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 is often attributed to the success of the March on Washington.

Victories Won by Coalitions It is good to remember that the labor movement has been an integral part of the civil rights movement, particularly now that unions are under siege. If Tea Party legislators can take away the rights of working people, one has to wonder, whose rights are next? History shows that important legislative victories were achieved by coalitions of labor, civil rights, and other groups. Our success in holding on to the rights and benefits we have inherited may depend on our determination to stand together with those who see that they have as much at stake in our battle as we do in theirs.

LEGISLATIVE

REPORT

Throwing Workin g Families Under t he Bus J

ust when the so-called “experts” told us that the transit cuts would slow down, more have been made or are being contemplated all over the U.S. including 150 layoffs in Tacoma, WA (Local 758); 200 buses being idled in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (Local 1005); and a 50% cut in service in Columbia, SC (Local 610), among others.

Salt in the Wound And just how did the Republican-controlled U.S. House Transportation Committee respond to the historic transit crisis when it recently unveiled its new six-year federal surface transportation bill? By proposing to cut transportation programs by 30% and encouraging privatization. The misguided bill calls for slashing public transportation at a time when Americans need it most – to avoid sky-high gas prices on their way to work. But House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica, R-FL, says we have to do more with less. And while the details of the proposal have yet to be released, Republicans have indicated that they have no intention of changing federal law to allow even a portion of transit funding to preserve service, saying that federal money should be used to build, not operate, transit systems.

The negative reaction from across the transit sector – both Labor and management – has been overwhelming. “Transit is already on the ropes,” said International President Larry Hanley. “The Mica proposal would be the knockout punch that puts millions more people on the unemployment line.” Hanley went on to say that “slashing federal transportation spending by a third will cause transit systems to shift what little local operations funding they have to rehabilitate aging vehicles and equipment, triggering the elimination of essential bus routes across the country.” This was confirmed in Cleveland (Local 268), where the Regional Transit Authority announced that if the Mica bill became law, it could potentially lose about $15 million a year, resulting in layoffs next summer of 75 to 100 employees. The loss of workers would mean a 7.5% cut in bus routes and rail service. That would be on top of a 23% service cut since 2001. Fares have risen three times since the start of 2006.

House Republicans to Working People: Drop Dead The Republican transit bill would also cause cash-strapped transit systems to further put off new equipment purchases

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

and deferred maintenance, causing significant safety issues. “People will be boarding 20-year old buses held together with spit and glue, and transfer to subway, light rail, and commuter rail systems running on ancient tracks, rusty nuts and bolts, and 20th century signal equipment. Americans want and deserve reliable, safe, affordable public transportation.” On July 8, the House Republicans told working people to drop dead. The GOP approach shows not just callous disregard but no regard for the people who lost and will lose family members because of underfunded, unsafe, and antiquated transit systems. For them and for those who have lost, cannot find, or get to a job, Mica, who knows better, offers no help and no hope. This must change.

Lack of Leadership The ATU supports President Obama’s outline for the reauthorization of the transportation bill, which calls for nearly doubling the size of the federal transit program in FY 2012. The proposal recognizes the public transportation crisis and the role that transit can play in getting people back to work. But, of course, it is up to Congress to finance the proposal. That is why now more than ever we need to move aggressively to build coalitions with our riders to pressure Congress (and the Administration) to finance the bill. No other investment in equipment, infrastructure and

operations offers more promise and a greater guarantee to get America back to work. Our riders, our families and our communities deserve no less. Simply put: Our country’s economic future is “riding on the bus.” But Republicans and Democrats in Washington – who rarely agree on anything these days – are nearly united in their opposition to raising taxes for transportation. Lawmakers of both parties are simply afraid to raise the gas tax which funds highway and transit programs, even though when it comes to public transit, people are more than willing to tax themselves. More than 70% of local transportation ballot measures during the last decade have passed. But members of Congress are far more concerned about preserving their own jobs than creating new ones. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer, D-CA, has acknowledged that unless Congress passes a new transportation bill, 630,000 private sector jobs in highways and transit will be lost in 2012. Yet even the Democratic-controlled Senate is working on a proposal that will only support transportation programs at current funding levels (no new taxes). With the August Congressional recess upon us, and the 2012 campaign season rapidly approaching, there is no expectation that the legislative logjam will break anytime soon. Meanwhile, the transit crisis continues.

ATU Marches with British Public Service Workers at Pension Protest In top picture from left, National Greyhound Local President Bruce Hamilton joins UK’s Unite public worker union General Secretary Diana Holland, Toronto, ON Local 113 Executive Board Member Ian MacKay, Unison public service union General Secretary David Prentiss, and Toronto Local 113 President Bob Kinnear (second from right) in protesting proposals to cut back on public worker pensions in a massive demonstration on June 30, in Southampton, UK.

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Canadians Lead The Way: Set New Ridership Record in 2010 TORONTO, ON (July 25, 2011): Public transit ridership across Canada hit an all-time high in 2010 with 1.9 billion trips taken, a 4.1 % increase from the previous year, according to the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).

CUTA Chair John King. “Sustaining this rate of ridership growth, however, requires ongoing support for expanding transit capacity and service levels through investment in infrastructure and operations.”

“This new ridership record clearly demonstrates the popularity of public transit among Canadians, as well as highlights the importance of establishing the success that can be achieved when you provide regular, reliable funding for safe, efficient public transportation,” stated ATU International President Larry Hanley.

Infrastructure Needs

“The increase in transit ridership in 2010 represents an addition of well over 75 million more passenger trips from 2009, roughly the equivalent of the total ridership of the Edmonton Transit System,” says CUTA President & CEO Michael Roschlau. “The increases were spread across the country in communities large and small, with many of Canada’s smaller communities showing remarkable growth, with averages exceeding 5%.” “This growth in transit ridership shows that Canadians are looking for alternatives to high gas prices and traffic concerns, and public transit can represent a real option to reduce reliance on single occupancy vehicles,” says

CUTA’s most recent national infrastructure survey reported a $53.5 billion need for public transit capital investment for the period 2010-2014, which includes all communities, only 67% of which is fundable under existing programs. Indeed, related CUTA research has concluded that the economic return on investment in Canadian transit infrastructure exceeds 2:1 – a benefit that exceeds $10 billion annually. “This record ridership in communities of all sizes is proof of the need for sustainable long term funding, Roschlau noted”. For more information, visit www.cutaactu.ca

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

L’Achalandage du Transport Collectif a Franchi une Nouvelle Étape Importante en 2010 TORONTO, ON (le 25 juillet 2011): L’achalandage des réseaux de transport collectif au Canada a connu une très forte croissance en 2010. En effet, le nombre d’usagers a augmenté de 4,1 % à l’échelle nationale par rapport à l’année précédente. Comme l’a indiqué aujourd’hui l’Association canadienne du transport urbain (ACTU), le nombre de déplacements, qui s’élève à 1,9 milliard, a atteint un sommet sans précédent au cours de 2010.

« Ce nouveau registre du nombre de passagers démontre clairement la popularité du transport en commun parmi les canadiens et il souligne l’importance d’établir un financement régulier et fiable pour un service de transport publique sûr et efficace », déclara le président international, Larry Hanley. «La hausse du nombre d’usagers du transport collectif en 2010 représente 75 millions de déplacements supplémentaires par rapport à 2009, ce qui équivaut environ au nombre d’usagers de l’ensemble d’Edmonton Transit System », affirme Michael Roschlau, présidentdirecteur général de l’ACTU. « Les hausses se sont étendues à l’ensemble du pays, dans les petites comme dans les grandes collectivités. De nombreuses petites collectivités canadiennes ont d’ailleurs connu une croissance remarquable, atteignant des moyennes de plus de 5 %.» «Cette hausse du nombre d’usagers du transport collectif montre que la population canadienne essaie de trouver des solutions de rechange aux automobiles en raison de l’augmentation des prix du carburant et de la congestion routière. Le transport collectif peut d’ailleurs constituer une véritable option pour réduire l’utilisation des véhicules à passager unique », déclare John King, président de l’ACTU. « Cependant, pour que l’achalandage continue de croître, il faut constamment soutenir l’expansion de la capacité des réseaux de transport et des niveaux de services en investissant dans l’infrastructure et l’exploitation.» La toute dernière enquête réalisée par l’ACTU concernant l’infrastructure nationale a révélé qu’il faudrait investir 53,5 milliards de dollars dans le transport collectif pour la période de 2010 à 2014, et ce, dans les collectivités de partout au pays. Cette enquête a aussi révélé que seulement 67 % de cet investissement peut être financé par les programmes actuels. D’ailleurs, l’ACTU a effectué une recherche à ce sujet qui lui a permis de conclure que la proportion du rendement économique du capital investi dans l’infrastructure de transport collectif du Canada est supérieure à 2:1, ce qui représente des profits de plus de 10 milliards de dollars par année. «Comme la demande pour les services de transport collectif continue de croître, il sera essentiel d’établir un cadre stratégique canadien en matière de transport collectif qui reflète les intérêts de tous les ordres de gouvernement, afin de répondre aux besoins de la population canadienne », conclut M. Roschlau. « Le record d’achalandage qui a été observé dans les collectivités de toutes tailles prouve qu’un financement durable et à long terme est nécessaire.» L’ACTU est une association nationale représentant des réseaux de transport collectif, des fournisseurs de l’industrie, des organismes gouvernementaux, des particuliers et des organismes connexes partout au Canada. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements sur l’Association, veuillez consulter le www.cutaactu.ca.

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Canadian Agenda Canadian Council Elects New Interim Officers, Plans to Push Anti-Assault Bill

he ATU Canadian Council held its annual conference July 6 – 9, hosted by Local 588-Regina, SK. The Regina members were celebrating the local’s 100th anniversary, and were great hosts for the gathering. The conference started unofficially on July 6, with delegates concentrating on the Council’s bylaws, the restructuring and future of the Council, and how the Council should adapt to the political changes facing transit workers. A roundtable discussion was held on these issues toward the goal of formulating a plan for the future. The conference officially began with opening ceremonies on July 7. Local 588 President Mike Ehmann welcomed delegates and guests and introduced Regina City Councillor Fred Clipsham who greeted participants on behalf of the city’s mayor. After another welcome from Regina Transit Manager Kim Onrait, Saskatchewan Federation of Labour President Larry Hubich spoke, predicting that the federal government’s “essential service” assault on transit workers will accelerate. Canadian transit workers lose the right to strike when a legislature designates their agency an “essential service.” He urged conference-goers to vote for candidates who share their pro-labour ideologies.

Hanley: ‘We Need to Involve Our Members’ International President Larry Hanley spoke about the political situation in the U.S. where employee rights are

being eroded by ultraconservative politicians who blame workers for the fiscal mess we’re in. Hanley asserted that ATU needs to change its culture. “We need to do more than just negotiate contracts and file grievances” he said. “We need to involve our members. We need to mobilize groups in various cities. We need to fight the multinational companies that are trying to break unions and build relationships with unions in other countries to stop the multinationals from destroying our rights.” Social justice is important, Hanley declared, and we need to reach out and work together to preserve the middle-class. Brother Hanley informed the conference that the International will strive to better communicate and use social media to the ATU’s advantage. Locals can do things to get the message out to their members and the community, he said. The Union will assist in any way possible. International Executive Vice President Bob Baker also spoke to the assembly. He pointed out that Canada is strong with good wages and benefits, and that we earn our contracts. The ATU sets the standard in this country, he said. Brother Baker also stated the International is committed to Canada and will assist us in building our future together.

Election Results The Council held interim elections for the following positions:

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

Assault Bill to be Reintroduced

CANADIAN DIRECTOR: Stan Dera - Elected

MP Brent Rathgeber, Edmonton/St. Albert, AB, addressed the conference. The member of Parliament tabled (introduced) his first private members’ bill – C–637 - An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Public Transit Operators) on March 10.

VICE CHAIR: Felix Gendron, 591-Hull, QC: Elected

The proposed legislation, also known as Bregg’s Bill, is named in honour of Tom Bregg, an Edmonton, AB Local 569 transit operator who was viciously attacked while performing his duties in December 2009.

SECRETARY TO THE BOARD: Jeannie Garbett, 508-Halifax-NS, Elected EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER-EAST# 1 Budh Dhillon, 107-Hamilton, ON: Elected EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER-EAST #2 Ian Laird, local 1415-Toronto, ON: Acclaimed

Unfortunately, the bill died on the order paper when Parliament was dissolved for an election this spring. However, Rathgeber will reintroduce the bill and put all his time and effort into making sure Bregg’s Bill becomes Bregg’s Law.

ALTERNATE BOARD MEMBER-EAST # 1 Andrew Cleary, 1189-Guelph: Acclaimed

Bernie Morton, ATU lobbyist and vice president of Sussex Strategy Group, reported what has been accomplished on Bregg’s Bill so far, and what needs to be done when Parliament resumes in the fall.

ALTERNATE BOARD MEMBER-EAST # 2 Gino Paolino, 279-Ottawa, ON: Acclaimed

Bregg who attended as a guest of the Council, has been working on the legislative campaign to make sure what happened to him does not happen to anyone else.

ALTERNATE BOARD MEMBER-WEST # 2 Tim Johnston, 1724-Vancouver, BC: Elected

Canadian Director Stan Dera applauded Bregg’s courage and thanked him for the help he has provided and for lending his name to the legislation.

201 1 ATU EASTER N

CANAM CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 13 – 18, 2011 The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach 100 South Ocean Boulevard, Manalapan, FL 33462 Toll-Free Hotel Reservations: 1-888-856-4273 Quote: “ATU Can-Am Conference” for Group Rate ($169/Night) Cut-Off Date for Hotel Reservations: August 14, 2011 Registration Deadline: August 30, 2011 All Delegates/Guests: Please Plan to arrive on Tuesday, September 13, and Depart on Sunday September 18 12

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

OPEN SEASON ON OPERATORS COMBATING THE DRIVER ASSAULT EPIDEMIC

When he was ready to work again, he returned to Edmonton (AB) Transit, which arguably inflicted more lasting damage than his assailant did a year-and-a-half ago. This attack was just one incident in a growing epidemic of violence against transit operators. In New York City there were more than 236 assaults on bus drivers in 2009. Washington, DC’s Metro reported a 10 percent rise in attacks on bus drivers in the past year.

Bus driver Tom Bregg is one tough biker dude. He was attacked more viciously than any ATU member in memory. An irate passenger punched and stomped his face into a bloody mess, inflicting multiple facial and brain injuries. Rendered unconscious, he flatlined twice, lost the sight in one eye, and was put into a coma to help his brain heal. His injuries were so severe that Bregg had to learn how to talk again as he adjusted to how the broken bones mended in his face. He was released from the hospital after several months and is still rehabilitating.

According to ATU Canadian Director Stan Dera, 40% of Canadian drivers are assaulted on duty during the course of their careers. Toronto, ON Local 113 President Bob Kinnear says 700-800 of his members are assaulted every year.

Still Standing and Biking Yet Tom Bregg is still standing. In fact, he just finished riding one of his three motorcycles to Alaska and back. Not that he had any specific reason to go there. When bikers get ready to ride, he explains, they pick a direction – not a destination. Bregg did make an exception, however, when he rode to the July meeting of the Canadian Council Conference

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

in Regina, SK. He was invited because of his support for legislation bearing his name (“Bregg’s Bill”) which would revise the federal criminal code by requiring higher federal penalties for persons convicted of assaulting transit workers (see Canadian Agenda, page 12). The proposed bill is similar to legislation the ATU convinced the U.S. Congress to pass in 2002.

‘A Step Down’

practiced at their thievery (see video on atu.org). He was pulled off the bus and pummeled by the three felons who made their escape and are still at large. Because he had a one-week vacation break scheduled in the middle of his suspension, the managers showed how “kind” they could be by reducing his suspension to 25 days, which cost him $5,000. The agency even denied him worker’s compensation – a decision he is now appealing.

“When the city discovered I wasn’t dead,” Bregg relates, they put him on worker’s compensation. But, since 30% of his earnings came from overtime, and worker’s comp came to 90% of his base pay, Bregg’s post-attack income only amounted to two-thirds of what he made before the attack. When he was ready to go back to work the transit agency gave him a job, he says, “waving flags at trains” at outdoor stations. But, because Bregg’s battered face was now unusually sensitive to the cold, he couldn’t possibly do that job. On May 11, Bregg’s worker’s compensation was terminated and he was offered a made-up job “shadowing” a dispatcher, again, at two-thirds of his former income. That job might have held promise had his employers not made it abundantly clear that he would never become an actual dispatcher because the job would be a marginal promotion and the property has a policy of never giving a promotion to an employee who’s received worker’s compensation. “I was stunned,” Bregg said. The policy meant that the only jobs available to him were “a step down.” Those who assault ATU members, some of them recidivists, rarely get serious prison time; many get suspended sentences or community service – picking up trash along the bus route where they carried out their savagery.

Suspended for Preventing a Robbery One driver, Donald Woodson, 998-Milwaukee, WI, who was beaten while protecting the transit agency’s property – bus transfers – was rewarded by the agency’s managers with a 30-day suspension for allegedly initiating a confrontation with passengers who seemed

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Woodson, however, lost more than money. “Psychologically,” he says, “I don’t do the job like I used to. I don’t do the job with confidence. I do it with fear.” Canadian and American jurisdictions all have different rules about what drivers should do with fare evaders. In some cities, they are supposed to ask for the fare and, if refused, to call supervisors for instructions. In other places, the driver is penalized if he does not challenge the fare – setting up a confrontation in which the driver is a sitting duck. Drivers from Local 726-Staten Island, NY, say that on some heavily-trafficked routes, half the passengers aren’t paying and drivers are told not to challenge them.

Solutions? The violence against transit workers has not stopped in the United States, even though there’s been a federal law like the one proposed in Canada on the books for almost a decade. In addition many states have passed similar laws that are rarely enforced. That suggests that something must be done in addition to legislation. Laws have to be enforced. And effective enforcement costs money. It is unlikely that any city in North America

will pay to hire transit police to patrol every bus that rolls through a bad neighborhood. ATU is building alliances to work with other unions and industry groups to fight for protective devices for drivers. Some cities have installed shields between the driver and alighting passengers. But, problems often crop up with shields that are retrofitted onto existing motor coaches. Drivers, also, are not always comfortable with shields.

Bregg Attacker Jailed Indefinitely, Declared ‘Dangerous Offender’

Radios and surveillance cameras are becoming commonplace on urban fleets, as are GPS locators. Some argue that there should be a driver’s side escape door. However, that would be of little use if transit agencies don’t change their policies prohibiting drivers from leaving their bus while on duty. Others are teaching their drivers something called verbal judo to psychologically disarm an angry passenger. That however, might not be helpful with a mentally disturbed person. Many drivers say that nothing can completely protect them in a job in which strangers are invited into their workplace on purpose.

Best Protection? Respect. One driver in Washington, DC, may have explained the problem when he said that the best protection drivers used to have was the position of respect they once held in the community, but that attitude has eroded in many places in Canada and the United States. In an economy which forces people out of the middle class and pushes the poor deeper into poverty, the uniformed bus driver may be viewed as an agent of the “haves” demanding even more than they’ve already taken from the “have-nots” in exchange for a ride. Does this suggest that nothing can be done short of changing the economy or culture of our nations? In our next issue In Transit will explore the joint work being done by ATU and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to find solutions to this growing problem.

Edmonton Transit driver Tom Bregg speaks to reporters in Ottawa about a private member’s bill that bears his name. (CBC)

As In Transit went to press it was reported that the man who viciously attacked Tom Bregg, 569-Edmonton, AB, (see adjacent article) was declared a “dangerous offender” on July 25. The designation by an Alberta provincial court sends the criminal to jail for an indefinite period of time. The assailant who now becomes a ward of Corrections Canada will remain in prison until it is determined that he is no longer a risk to the public. He can appeal the decision. The court’s ruling is the most severe punishment given for assaulting a bus driver since the recent wave of violence began.

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

Get on the Bus: Transit Union Looks to Ally with Riders

ore than 100 transit activists met in Washington, DC in mid-March for the Amalgamated Transit Union’s “boot camp,” learning how to build coalitions between transit workers and transit riders. Responding to the near-universal threat of budget cuts and privatization of transit systems, International President Larry Hanley wrote, “We want to create a very ambitious plan that stretches people’s imaginations. We have the best story in town. We have to stop just saying it to each other, and say it to those outside our circle.” Hanley, elected last fall, has called transit “the greenest job you’re going to find” and has long advocated alliances with the riding public to improve service, save jobs, and ensure a future for public transit. More than 3,000 transit workers have been laid off in the current recession. This was the ATU’s second gathering of the sort since October. The international is giving incentives to locals who begin working with the community by matching the political action funds that locals devote to this work.

Responding to the near-universal threat of budget cuts and privatization, transit workers and riders are learning how to work together, like these Toronto activists. Photo: Local 113-Toronto, ON.

Those who watched the video on the ATU website and answered a few questions were eligible for a prize, a monthly transit pass. By the end of the mayoral race, privatization was off the table and none of the candidates were speaking for it.

Atlanta Begins to Organize Successful Model An anti-privatization struggle in Toronto, ON, last fall was held up as a successful model. A budget crisis was happening in the midst of a mayoral race. Three of the four candidates were proposing some version of privatization of the transit system. Local 113 launched a Public Transit Coalition campaign that involved 12,000 individual members and diverse organizations such as the Chinese Canadian National Council, Federation of Metro Tenants, Canadian Federation of Students, and Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. The coalition put on an internet and media campaign that included an 18-minute film with an anti-privatization message, shown on the buses. Because advertising is allowed on the buses, management could not object to the union’s access to riders.

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Atlanta was represented at the DC meeting by its local president, the members of the Clayton County Transit Riders Union, the Atlanta Public Sector Alliance, and Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment. Atlanta’s transit system (MARTA) is trapped in a downward spiral of service cuts and fare increases. Because of state legislators’ racism toward Atlanta, MARTA is the largest transit system in the country that receives no operating help from the state. Last year MARTA made the deepest cuts in its history, eliminating 40 bus routes, increasing wait times for trains, and closing bathrooms in 29 stations. The workforce was cut by 14 percent, with 300 laid off. In particular, disabled riders have had big problems with the system, including accessibility to buses and trains, broken-down equipment such as elevators not working, poor communication, and no accountability. Because

of poor planning on management’s part, operators are given unrealistic schedules, resulting in late pick-ups and operator stress. Bringing the lessons of the DC meeting home, Atlanta transit activists strategized at the April meeting of Concerned Transit Riders for Equal Access. The meeting was made up of disability rights activists, ATU members, the Atlanta Public Sector Alliance, and a teacher representing Metro Atlantans for Public Schools. Riders and workers began engaging each other. Both sides targeted the problems caused by MARTA management that result in poor service and low morale. “They are trying to make us do more work with less people,” said ATU executive board member Mark Fitzgerald. “Insurance costs are doubled. People’s job security is threatened,” said Shop Steward David Roseboro, adding that MARTA Mobility – which provides service to the disabled – has the highest turnover of any department.

alliance advocates a “human rights” approach to building a movement, holding government institutions accountable for protecting and fulfilling basic human rights – such as mobility – and promoting reallocation of resources and progressive taxation to address the crisis. As the Toronto Public Transit Coalition puts it, “All governments have a responsibility to fund public transit adequately to ensure a high level of service and affordable fares.” A committee of riders and workers will widen their reach by flyering in MARTA workplaces, on buses, and at retirement apartments where many disability rights activists live. These public sector workers are intent on building power by uniting with the people they serve.

— Paul McLennan, retired bus mechanic and member of Local 732-Atlanta, GA, republished by permission from LaborNotes which can be found at: http://www.labornotes.org/

Human Rights Approach The Atlanta Public Sector Alliance outlined how global economic problems are driving cuts at the local level. The

Nova Scotia Requires Drivers to Yield Buses Right of Way

ova Scotia is taking steps to improve transit efficiency and safety with legislation that was advocated by the Canadian Council. The new law which went into effect May 1 requires drivers to yield the right of way to transit buses signaling their intention to re-enter the traffic stream. “Currently, buses must rely on the courtesy of drivers to re-enter traffic. This legislation will provide clarity for all drivers while helping to reduce schedule delays,” explained Bill Estabrooks, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. “This legislation will make life better for all road users by improving public transit efficiency and safety.” Fines for failing to yield to a transit bus range from $167 - $340, including court costs.

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

ATU Report Calls for Congress to Extend Overtime Protection to OTR Drivers

n response to the deadly crashes that continue to plague the over-the-road (OTR) bus industry, International President Larry Hanley has issued a clarion call for reform of the employment practices of interstate operators.

House. While the bill makes some long-overdue and important changes to regulations in the industry, it does not include a specific proposal to address driver fatigue.

Hanley is calling on Congress to include an amendment The report, Sudden Death Overtime, targets driver to the bill that would ensure that the overtime provisions fatigue as the single largest cause of in the Fair Labor Standards Act these fatal bus crashes. Hanley has (FLSA) are applied to bus drivers also renewed his call for Congress for these companies. Currently Lawmaker Asks DOT to Review to address driver fatigue as part intercity bus drivers are exempt Interstate Overtime Exemption of bus safety legislation currently from these provisions and many are Rep. John L. Lewis, D-GA, wrote to under consideration in Washington. forced to work second jobs during Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, their so-called “rest period” just to “Hundreds of intercity bus July 20, asking that the DOT review the make ends meet. Under the ATU’s companies – usually tiny operations Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) exemption proposed reforms, drivers would get that have only a few buses – get which prevents transit workers from paid fairly for the work they put in away with paying their bus drivers receiving fair overtime pay. above 40 hours per week, making criminally low wages,” asserts View the letter at www.atu.org. them less inclined to work other Hanley, “As a result, bus drivers jobs while pushing their bodies to are being forced to work 100 hours the limit. a week or more, often balancing two or three jobs, just to “At the end of the day, technical fixes like seatbelts and make a living. The unsuspecting customers get on these driver training – while incredibly important – won’t prevent buses and disaster can strike.” crashes so long as drivers aren’t stopped from getting behind The National Transportation Safety Board estimates the wheel on zero sleep,” said Hanley. that 36% of motorcoach crash fatalities over the “For decades FLSA has covered 85 percent of American past decade have been due to driver fatigue. It is the number workers,” said Hanley. “Extending these protections to one cause of fatal accidents. intercity bus drivers is not only the right thing to do; it’s Congress has introduced The Motorcoach Enhanced the safe thing to do for our riders. Until the issue of driver Safety Act of 2011, led in the Senate by Senator Sherrod fatigue is addressed, no legislation to improve intercity bus Brown, D-OH, and by Rep. John Lewis, D-GA, in the safety will be complete, or effective.”

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

STRATEGIC CAMPAIGNS UPDATE From the ATU Strategic Campaigns Department AUSTIN, TX Local 1091 members are reaching out to strengthen alliances with passengers, community organizations, and fellow labor unions.

Local 1005 is organizing to have hundreds of members and community allies attend public hearings throughout August. They had previously collected 15,000 postcards to support transit funding, and will continue to activate this broad base of riders as the fight escalates.

COVINGTON, KY

MADISON, WI

Local 628 reached out to develop partnerships with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, JWJ, Sierra Club and university students in order to fight right-to-work efforts, and to build a pro-public transit campaign.

An “ATU Day” was a huge success. Not only did 10 Local 519 members show up and work, but ATU members from Wausau, Eau Claire and Minneapolis came and contributed to our recall effort.

DETROIT, MI

“It never ceases to amaze me how ATU members are always willing to fight the good fight wherever and whenever it needs to be fought. I have witnessed the willingness of Midwest ATU members to aid each other in their time of need over and over again!” said Local 519 President Dale Anderson. “This is truly what democracy looks like, and what being an ATU member is all about.”

ATU Locals 26 and 1564 are fighting Michigan Public Act 4, the “Emergency Manager Act”, with good oldfashioned member-to member organizing. The law gives the governor “sole discretion” to appoint an emergency manager for any city, village or school district in the state. “EMs,” once in place, can sell off public property and shred all municipal contracts, including union contracts. They can dismiss all elected officials, charge the local budget with hefty salaries for themselves and anyone they choose to hire, and even dissolve the local government entirely. Michigan ATU locals held an emergency meeting in Lansing to discuss the legislation and 44 other anti-worker bills introduced in the GOP-controlled legislature. The locals have also instigated at least 500 calls from ATU members to their state representatives. An early August rally is planned in Detroit to draw more attention to the anti-democratic law.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN Local 1005 is gearing up for a massive fight to save jobs, preserve service, and avoid a 25% fare increase following a two-week government shutdown, in which the Republican legislature refused to accept Democratic Governor Dayton’s proposal to increase taxes on the top 1% of the population. A budget which inflicts deep cuts on spending is going into affect.

WASHINGTON, DC Local 689 bus operators in Washington DC’s Metro system have had enough. After three assaults on bus operators in a single week and little response from Metro officials they decided to take matters into their own hands. Led by shop stewards and member activists who were part of an internal mobilization team, they got the word out to all bus operators encouraging them to do a thorough safety check before heading out of the garage in the morning. The result? Thousands of calls into central communications as bus drivers performed what is a routine check of their safety equipment and radios. The influx of calls created an overload and nearly shut down central command. Operators got Metro’s attention: safety is no joke. Officials quickly called for a meeting with union leadership to re-visit prior demands for a better designed bus safety shield along with increased transit police surveillance of the bus system.

The impact on public transportation is devastating, with a likely $109 million dollars slashed from the state budget

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

BELIEVE IT OR NOT! Everyone in Massachusetts Cities Agrees with ATU: ‘We Need More Service’ enthusiasm of the passengers who are signing petitions for the added service. The Labor Extension Program at the University of Massachusetts hired a part-time organizer to ride buses and spend time at the transit centers in the two cities to engage passengers and explain the value of more service. She is gathering signatures for postcards in favor of the increased service.

Massachusetts bus riders an ATU members unite for night and Sunday service.

n the state where revolution was fomented by idealistic, fearless citizens, members of the ATU and their passengers are fighting back against the injustice of not receiving their fair share of bus service in return for the taxes they pay every work week. Massachusetts Local Presidents Gary Pires, 1037New Bedford; and Eric Carvalho, 174-Fall River, have energized their members and reached out to residents of their cities in a demand to bring back Sunday and night transit service. Working with community groups, senior citizens, people with disabilities, religious groups, and other union leaders, the presidents believe their efforts will pay off soon.

Both Mayors Favor Increased Service “Both mayors are with us,” said Carvalho. At a community meeting in Fall River on July 17, Mayor Will Flanagan showed his support by stating added service is a “moral issue.” During an interview with the ATU (see video at atu. org) New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang said he was behind the effort. The two mayors control the board of the local transit agency so if they want it done, it will happen. Carvalho said he and his members are energized by the

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

A 25-year veteran of driving in Fall River, the organizer remembers 12 years ago when there was Sunday service. “You couldn’t get a seat they were so crowded,” she said. Another long-time ATU member quoted a former member of the transit agency who said “When you don’t have night and Sunday service, you are closing the city down.”

Passengers Say No Need for Debate Passengers say there should be no more debate on how much the additional service will cost, than there would be for fire, police, sanitation, or ambulance service. Adding transit service, both union leaders agree, would generate additional sales tax revenue for the cities from business owners who will have more customers, which, in turn, will create new jobs, increased employment tax revenue, and reduced traffic congestion as people leave their cars at home. ATU Field Mobilizer Casey Stanton met with Local Presidents Richard O’Flaherty, 547-Brockton and Chuck Ryan, 1548-Plymouth to begin forming a community/union coalition for improved service in their communities. Pires, who organized the meeting, said “Big things are happening in Massachusetts and the ATU is leading the way.”

Wisconsin’s ‘Walker 6’ Face Recall Elections T

his summer Wisconsinites have the chance to reclaim their state and restore democracy to Wisconsin. Six GOP Senators blindly followed an unpopular agenda set by Republican Governor Scott Walker and the Koch brothers to strip Wisconsin workers of their unions and their workplace rights.

All six Wisconsin State AFL-CIO-endorsed candidates made it through the primary for an August 9 election date – and now with Sen. Dave Hansen’s victory, the people of Wisconsin are seven for seven!

“The Walker 6” ignored their constituents. They pushed through a corporate-backed agenda to hurt the middle class. Now, due to historic grassroots activism the Walker 6 face recall elections. It is up to the people of Wisconsin to vote the Walker 6 out of office and protect the members of the “Fabulous 14” who stood up for everyday Wisconsinites when the line was drawn in the sand.

The next two dates that are important are: Tuesday, August 9: The general election in the Republican districts: the day to take back Wisconsin. Wisconsin ATU members are urged to vote GOP senators who stood with Scott Walker to attack Wisconsin workers and communities out of office. Tuesday, August 16: The general election in the two Democratic districts. Vote to protect those who stood up for working families.

Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Endorsed candidates: • • • • • • • • •

Fred Clark - Senate District 14 Dave Hansen - Senate District 30 Jim Holperin - Senate District 12 Jessica King - Senate District 18 Shelly Moore - Senate District 10 Nancy Nusbaum - Senate District 2 Sandy Pasch - Senate District 8 Jennifer Shilling - Senate District 32 Bob Wirch - Senate District 22

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

ATU Family Members Awarded Union Plus Scholarships “During a time when the labor movement is under attack, helping union members and their children achieve their educational goals is critical. This year’s scholarship recipients appreciate that their unions provide family-sustaining benefits, a voice in the workplace and a path to achieve the American Dream,”

— Leslie Tolf, President, Union Privilege

Union Plus has awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 130 students representing 43 unions, including three children of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) members, in the 2011 Union Plus Scholarship Program: Hanna Choi of Portland, OR, whose father Yoo-sik Choi is a member of Local 757 and whose mother also is a union member, has been awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Jean Choi of Portland, OR, who is also the daughter of Yoo-sik Choi of Local 757 and whose mother also is a union member, has been awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Amber Simpson of Chicago, IL, whose father Tevell Simpson is a member of Local 241, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.

MEET THE 2011 ATU HONOREES HANNA CHOI

JEAN CHOI

AMBER SIMPSON

Now at Harvard pursuing a degree in musicology. Hanna is an exceptional student with wide-ranging interests. She is a graphic designer, a violinist, a drummer and a member of the Harvard Pan-African Dance and Music Ensemble. Last year, she traveled to Alabama to help rebuild a church that had been burned in a racial hate crime. Her goal is to work with young people, imparting to others the lessons of service, compassion and social justice that she learned when she was young. “Without the support of my parents and their unions, I would not be where I am now,” she says. Hanna’s mother, Soon Choi, is a member of AFT.

A high achiever like her sister Hanna, but she also is very much her own person. An accomplished cellist, she also enjoys piano and golf. A member of the National Honor Society, Jean cites the program’s four pillars of scholarship, leadership, service and character as being principles she emulates in her own life. As an example of leadership, Jean founded a quartet which has performed in churches and at fundraisers at no charge. With a father in ATU and a mother in AFT, Jean says, “There is no doubt that our parents’ unions played a big part in my growth thus far.”

A college student who plans to pursue graduate degrees in medicine and public health. “I am committed to addressing the health disparities existing in under-represented groups and under-developed communities in the U.S.,” she says. Her career goal is to investigate, research and treat ailments affecting vulnerable and diverse populations. Amber knows that one important public health issue is access to health insurance, and she is grateful for the strong union health benefits she grew up with. Unions’ strong advocacy for workers and quality care, she says, “continues to motivate me to join a union someday.”

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

House Democrats Oppose Deadly Trade Deal

f you think it’s rough being a worker in post-New Deal America, you can take some solace in that you are not being murdered by government-backed terrorists in Colombia*.

Naturally, House Republicans are standing in the school house door again. They have banded together to block any attempts by organized labor and Democrats to give workers a fair deal on the job, provided the workers aren’t killed first.

The Obama Administration, ignoring a promise made by President Clinton when he signed the NAFTA deal, is backing away from protecting the rights of workers in that country as it tries to get the House to pass a new free trade treaty. In July, activists staged a protest outside the White House and carried mock coffins to highlight the murders of trade unionists in Colombia.

The Democrats claim that the Obama deal has an “action plan” to include protection for workers, but there is no enforcement mechanism, making it a toothless tiger. They also say that Obama has caved into the Republicans by not insisting that his action plan have more bite to it.

Luckily for Colombian - and all worker - some Democrats aren’t going along for the ride. House Democrats John Larson, CT, Sandy Levin, MI, Jim McDermott, WA, and George Miller, CA, are standing up for workers, who face harsh conditions and physical intimidation imposed by their Colombian employers and have vowed to block the treaty unless it is changed to conform with promises made during the NAFTA debates.

At the heart of the dispute is Obama’s contention that his “labor action plan” keeps U.S. laws intact and there is no need for any new language in the proposed treaty. McDermott replies “I don’t know how anyone could vote for the Colombia free trade agreement implementing legislation unless it includes a meaningful reference to the action plan related to labor.” *For more information go to: www.atu.org

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

Colombian Union Leaders Murdered as US Pursues Trade Pact T

he next time you stop by a vending machine, hankering for a Coca-Cola product, you might want to keep walking, get a few sips from the water fountain and send the money to ATU-COPE PLUS to protect your job, pension and health benefits. It’s not a tough boycott, really, and it might help the leaders of Colombian trade unions who are subjected to terrorist sadism sponsored by, among others, Coke-The Real Thing. One of the most infamous murders occurred a few weeks before Christmas in 1996, when a far-right para-miliitary gang assassinated Isídro Segundo Gil, the union’s chief negotiator with Coke. Of course, Coke denied involvement and they would never lie.

In April of this year, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka said: “In the past 25 years, more than 2,850 trade unionists have been murdered in Colombia. Last year alone, 51 trade unionists were murdered. Six trade unionists have been murdered so far this year, including two in the second week of July.” In newspaper ads, the AFL-CIO has been reminding American and Congressional leaders, as well as President Obama, that the trade agreement with Colombia would reward the terror tactics employers inflict on their workers through hired goon squads.

Unfair Trading Environment Don’t take out word for it. Recently, more than 400 NGO’s from Colombia and the U.S. sent a letter to congressional leaders demanding that they block the agreement. “The agreement fails to recognize the serious labor, human rights, Afro-Colombian, indigenous and environmental concerns,” according to the group.

Two days after Coca Cola bottling worker and union officer Isidro Segundo Gil was murdered at his workplace, paramilitaries entered the plant and told employees they had three choices: resign from the union, leave Carepa, or be killed. According to eyewitnesses, the workers were then led into the manager’s office to sign union resignation forms prepared by the company. Photo from In These Times.

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

The signatories said the treaty would “create an unfair trading environment for the people of the United States and Colombia.” The group also stressed that “Labor rights in Colombia were subject to serious scrutiny long before the debate over the FTA began. Colombia continues to be the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists.”

ANTIPATRIOTES Le 4 juillet, des millions d’Américains ont célébré l’Indépendance du pays avec des feux d’artifices, des groupes de musique, des parades, des discours louant les valeurs que nous partageons. Mais l’élite américaine ne partage pas nos valeurs. Elle valorise uniquement l’avidité. Il ne reste plus de patriotisme à Wall Street et je le cherche à Washington D.C. Une fausse guerre est menée entre Républicains et Démocrates à Washington au sujet du « plafond de la dette ». C’est une couverture pour instaurer une peur publique qui leur permettra de faire un « grand marchandage ». La seule garantie dans ce marchandage est que les américains moyens seront laissés de côté, lésés et dupés. Ils seront d’accord sur le fait que « des bases communes » sont vitales. Mais toute base commune qui occasionne des réductions de l’assurance-maladie, des salaires, des pensions de retraite et de la sécurité sociale est commune dans seulement une direction; les riches s’enrichiront et les pauvres s’appauvriront. En diminuant les impôts des très riches et en augmentant les tarifs pour les autobus et les trains, ils vont parler de « sacrifice partagé ». Qui partagera? Au Michigan, nous aidons chaque membre de l’UTA à combattre pour le droit de négocier − droit qui a été retiré par la législation cette année. En Ohio, nous avons aidé à recueillir 1,2 millions de signatures pour abroger la loi antisyndicale de l’état. Au Wisconsin, nous organisons nos membres pour demander le retour des politiciens. LANCEMENT DU NOUVEAU SITE INTERNET DE L’UTA Ce mois-ci, nous avons lancé un nouveau département de la communication avec une stratégie pour rendre notre action sociale envers nos membres et le public plus efficace. Nous avons lancé un nouveau site Internet plus convivial à l’adresse www.atu.org où de nouvelles informations, outils et options multimédia sont constamment introduits. Nous exploitons les possibilités de Facebook, Twitter et d’autres sites de réseaux sociaux. DES NORMES DE TRAVAIL ÉQUITABLE POUR LES CONDUCTEURS D’AUTOBUS Des normes de travail équitable pour les conducteurs d’autobus seront un but important dans l’effort actuel d’obtenir des salaires équitables et une bonne nuit de sommeil avant de conduire un autobus. La récente série d’accidents mortels sur la route prouve bien que c’est une erreur que de refuser le droit des chauffeurs d’autobus au taux majoré de moitié après 40 heures − une droit fondamental américain appliqué à 80 % des travailleurs américains depuis les années 1930. MÉDIATEURS D’UNE SOCIÉTÉ EN COLÈRE Les employés des transports en commun sont les médiateurs de première ligne d’une société en colère et nous constatons une augmentation des agressions contre les conducteurs d’autobus dans une situation de diminutions des services et d’augmentation des tarifs. Nous nous unissons

au syndicat des travailleurs du transport (TWU) pour l’élaboration d’un effort transfrontalier pour attirer l’attention sur l’épidémie d’agressions et lutter pour l’introduction de dispositifs de protection pour nos membres. Nous continuons à travailler dans toutes les communautés où nous avons des membres. Et nous continuons à former vos dirigeants et vis délégués syndicaux pour les préparer à être des dirigeants plus forts chaque jour. Nous avons besoin de membres partout pour s’unir et nous aider à mener la lutte pour redonner au débat public les valeurs qui on créé la classe moyenne de l’Amérique du Nord. Veuillez contacter vos dirigeants syndicaux locaux et dites-leur que vous êtes prêt à vous défendre. Utilisez quotidiennement le site Internet du syndicat international qui est un instrument permettant d’unir nos membres. TENEZ- VOUS AU COURANT AVEC LES COURRIELS DE L’UTA Mettre à jour les communications de l’UTA avec nos membres est une de mes plus hautes priorités. Par conséquent, en supplément à In Transit, nous enverrons régulièrement des courriels à nos membres. Pour un abonnement gratuit, envoyez-nous simplement par courriel votre nom, adresse et numéro de téléphone à communications@atu.org. Nous vous ajouterons à la liste d’envoi de l’UTA pour que vous puissiez recevoir des messages de ma part, ainsi que les informations et les nouvelles les plus récentes de l’UTA. Bien entendu, vous pouvez résilier votre abonnement à tout moment et nous ne partagerons votre adresse courriel avec personne. Comme encouragement supplémentaire, pour un temps limité, nous allons procéder à une sélection aléatoire dans la liste d’envoi. Vous pourrez gagner de la marchandise de l’UTA ou d’autres prix de valeur. Consultez le site atu.org pour plus de détails. Et, comme toujours, lisez également les pages de cette revue pour partager l’expérience commune des employés des transports en commun partout, dans notre effort de nous unir et de combattre pour nos familles et nos communautés.

NO PATRIOTAS El 4 de julio millones de norteamericanos celebraron la independencia del país con fuegos artificiales, bandas, desfiles y discursos exaltando los valores que compartimos. Pero la elite de Norteamérica no comparte nuestros valores. Ellos sólo valoran la codicia. Ya no queda nada de patriotismo en Wall Street y estoy buscando a ver si queda algo en Washington DC. Hay una falsa lucha entre Republicanos y Demócratas en Washington acerca del “tope del endeudamiento”. Es una máscara para fomentar el miedo público que después les permitirá hacer un “gran negocio”. La única garantía en el negocio es que los norteamericanos comunes serán excluidos,

defraudados y engañados. Ellos van a coincidir en que era vital llegar a un “terreno común”. Pero cualquier terreno común que recorte medicare, salarios, pensiones y seguridad social generalmente se da en una sola dirección: los ricos se harán más ricos y los pobres se harán más pobres. Cuando rebajen los impuestos para los super ricos y suban las tarifas de autobuses y trenes, hablarán de “sacrificios compartidos”. ¿Quién hará el sacrificio? En Michigan estamos instruyendo a cada miembro de ATU para que luche por su derecho de negociar: un derecho arrebatado este año por la legislación. En Ohio ayudamos a reunir 1.2 millones de firmas para rechazar la ley contra el trabajo. En Winsconsin estamos organizando a nuestros miembros para que destituyan a los políticos. LANZAMIENTO DEL NUEVO SITIO DE ATU Este mes inaguramos un nuevo departamento de comunicaciones con una estrategia para que la llegada a nuestros miembros y al público sea más efectiva. Lanzamos un sitio web más fácil de usar, www.atu.org en donde constantemente se agrega nueva información, nuevas herramientas y funciones de multimedios. Estamos manejando el poder de Facebook, Twitter y de otros sitios de redes sociales. ESTÁNDARES DE TRABAJO JUSTOS PARA CONDUCTORES DE AUTOBUSES Los estándares de trabajo justos para conductores de autobuses será un objetivo importante en el esfuerzo continuo de obtener un sueldo justo y una noche de descanso antes de conducir un autobús. La seguidilla de accidentes ocurridos recientemente en las carreteras ha demostrado el punto de que está mal negar a los conductores de autobuses un sobretiempo de descanso luego de 40 horas, un derecho básico de los norteamericanos en vigencia desde 1930 para el 85% de los trabajadores norteamericanos. MEDIADORES DE UNA SOCIEDAD INDIGNADA Los trabajadores del tránsito son los mediadores de primera línea de una sociedad indignada y estamos registrando un aumento de los asaltos a conductores de autobuses al mismo tiempo que se reduce el servicio y las tarifas aumentan. Nos sumamos al mayor sindicato de trabajadores del transporte del país –Transport Workers Union (TWU)- para afianzar un esfuerzo transfornterizo que llame la atención acerca de la plaga de asaltos y luche por la obtención de dispositivos de protección para nuestros miembros. Seguimos trabajando en las comunidades en donde tengamos miembros. Y seguimos entrenando a sus representantes sindicales y administradores locales para prepararlos a fin de que cada día sean líderes más fuertes. Necesitamos que los miembros de todos lados se reúnan y nos ayuden a luchar para restablecer en el debate público los valores que construyeron la clase media de los norteamericanos. Por favor póngase en contacto con sus representantes locales y dígales que está listo para dar la lucha. Utilice todos los días el sitio web del

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

Sindicato Internacional como una herramienta para unir a nuestros miembros. MANTÉNGASE ACTUALIZADO CON EL CORREO ELECTRÓNICO DE ATU Una de nuestras principales prioridades es mantener una comunicación actualizada de ATU para con nuestros miembros. Además de nuestra revista In Transit, enviaremos correos electrónicos regularmente a nuestros miembros. Suscríbase gratis con solo enviar su nombre, dirección y número telefónico por correo electrónico a communications@atu.org. Lo incluiremos en la lista de correo electrónico de ATU para que reciba mensajes de mi parte, como así también las últimas novedades e información de ATU. Naturalmente, usted podrá cancelar su suscripción cuando lo desee y no divulgaremos su dirección de correo electrónico. Como incentivo adicional, vamos a premiar al azar a los miembros de la lista de correo electrónico, haciendo sorteos donde usted puede ganar valiosos productos de ATU y otros premios. Para más detalles, visite atu.org Y como siempre, también vea las páginas de esta revista para compartir la experiencia común a los trabajadores del tránsito de todos lados mientras unimos fuerzas y luchamos por nuestras familias y comunidades.

LA LUTTE DES CLASSES? Les experts conservateurs aiment critiquer ceux d’entre nous qui défendent les familles de travailleurs, en surnommant cela « la lutte des classes ». Pour une raison ou pour une autre, cela est supposé inspirer la peur dans les cœurs des gens qui gagnent de bons revenus, et faire honte à ce qui ne gagnent pas de tels revenus.

Eh bien, je dois faire un aveu. En effet, dans nos deux pays, nous sommes engagés dans une lutte des classes, mais il ne s’agit pas du type de guerre que les riches et les puissants veulent nous faire à croire. Ceci n’est pas une révolte socialiste. Il est difficile même de la qualifier de mouvement. Non, ceci est une guerre déclarée par le un pour cent représentant les plus fortunés aux 99 autres. C’est une guerre dans laquelle Wall Street et les grandes banques accumulent leur argent après que nous les aillons tiré d’affaire afin d’éviter un effondrement économique. C’est une guerre dans laquelle on fait sentir aux gens qu’ils sont égoïstes s’ils pensent pouvoir vivre décemment en travaillant dur et en suivant les règles. C’est une guerre dans laquelle le peu de choses sur lesquelles les gens peuvent compter − la sécurité sociale, le régime de pension canadien, le régime d’assurance-maladie et Medicai (l’assurancemédicament) − sont dit « non viables ». Et cela, prétendent-ils, est une guerre que nous menons contre eux? Non, ceci est une guerre dans laquelle nous essayons simplement de nous accrocher à ce que nous avons.

vacances, les congés de maladie, les précautions de sécurité, l’égalité au travail, etc., ont-ils tous dramatiquement diminués au cours de la dernière décennie? Bref, pourquoi les travailleurs ont-ils été privés de tout ce pour quoi ils ont combattu et sont morts pendant les dernières 150 années? PAS D’AUTRE CHOIX QUE DE RIPOSTER Nous n’avons pas d’autre choix que de riposter par tous les moyens légaux à notre disposition. Et en dernier recours, nous devons utiliser notre arme la plus puissante − l’urne électorale. C’est tout ce qu’il faut. C’est la chose la plus simple mais, souvent, la tâche la plus difficile que d’amener les gens à participer au processus politique et ce, dans leur propre intérêt. Aucun d’entre nous ne peut se permettre d’être un objecteur de conscience dans cette guerre. Je vous en prie, rejoignez l’UTA et devenez actifs dans la campagne de défense de votre subsistance et de vos droits. ENSEMBLE, NOUS POUVONS RÉUSSIR, ET ENSEMBLE, NOUS ALLONS RÉUSSIR?

LES TAXES TUENT LES EMPLOIS? C’est une guerre dans laquelle les législateurs conservateurs demandent sacrifice après sacrifice aux gens ordinaires, mais refusent même de fermer les échappatoires fiscaux des riches. Faire quoi que ce soit d’autre, disent-ils, tuera des emplois.

En solidarité, Robert H. Baker

Eh bien, j’ai une question pour eux. Nous avions des taux d’imposition bas pour les riches aux É.-U. depuis le début de l’administration de George W. Bush et qu’a-t-on obtenu pour cela?

¿LUCHA DE CLASES?

Pourquoi les emplois ne se sont-ils pas rétablis depuis la grande récession? Pourquoi les gens qui retournent sur le marché du travail doiventils accepter des emplois à moindre salaire? Pourquoi l’assurance-maladie, les pensions, les

A los expertos conservadores les gusta criticar a aquellos de nosotros que defendemos a las familias trabajadoras llamándolo una “lucha de clases”. Esto se supone que de alguna manera infunde miedo en los corazones de las personas que tienen buenos ingresos y vergüenza en aquellos que no.

Embassy Suites 250 Gateway Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080 (800) Embassy / (650) 589-3400 Registration Deadline: August 1, 2011 Room Reservation Deadline: August 7, 2011 Room block is under: ATU Latino Caucus ($125/Night) For members & associate members: $100.00 Late registration $125.00 *All prices are in US currency only

For more information: Latino Caucus Recording Secretary: Corina DeLaTorre at (916) 955-0078 Latino Caucus Treasurer: David Benavides at (210) 924-9718 or visit www.atulc.org

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

Bueno, tengo que confesar algo. En nuestros dos países estamos sumergidos en una lucha de clases, pero no en el tipo de lucha que los ricos y poderosos quieren hacerle creer a usted. Esto no es una sublevación de los socialistas. Apenas siquiera es un movimiento. No, esta es una lucha declarada por el uno por ciento de los ricos en contra del 99 por ciento restante. Es una lucha en donde Wall Street y los grandes bancos amontonan su dinero después de que nosotros los rescatamos para evitar una crisis económica. Es una lucha en donde a la gente se la hace sentir culpable si piensa que debe tener una vida digna si se trabaja duro y se actúa según las reglas. Es una lucha en donde las pocas cosas con que las personas pueden contar -Seguridad Social, el Plan de Pensiones de Canadá, Medicare y Medicaid- son llamadas “insostenibles”. ¿Y, según ellos, esto es una lucha que estamos librando en contra de ellos? No, esto es una lucha en la que estamos tratando de aferrarnos a lo que nos queda. ¿LOS IMPUESTOS LIQUIDAN LOS EMPLEOS? Esta es una lucha en dónde los legisladores conservadores exigen a los trabajadores comunes sacrificio tras sacrificio, pero se niegan incluso a cerrar los resquicios de la ley tributaria para los ricos. Según ellos, si se hace algo más, se liquidarán los empleos. Bueno, tengo una pregunta para ellos. Hemos tenido estas tasas de impuestos rebajadas para los ricos en EE.UU. desde el comienzo de la administración de George W. Bush, ¿y qué hemos obtenido a cambio? ¿Por qué no se han recuperado esos empleos desde la Gran Recesión? ¿Entonces por qué las personas que vuelven a trabajar deben aceptar empleos donde ganan menos? ¿Por qué en la última década se ha reducido considerablemente el cuidado de la salud, las pensiones, las vacaciones, las licencias por enfermedad, las precauciones de seguridad, el trato justo en el trabajo, etc.? En resumen, ¿por qué a las personas trabajadoras se les quita todo por lo que han dado su vida desde hace 150 años? NO HAY MÁS OPCIÓN QUE LUCHAR No nos queda ninguna otra opción más que luchar con todos los medios legales que disponemos. Y finalmente debemos utilizar nuestra arma más poderosa: la urna electoral. Eso es todo. Es la manera más simple, pero a su vez la más difícil de involucrar a las personas en el proceso político en pro de sus propios intereses. Ninguno de nosotros puede darse el lujo de ser objetores de conciencia en esta lucha. Por favor únase a ATU y participe en esta campaña para defender su sustento y sus derechos. ¡JUNTOS PODEMOS LOGRARLO Y JUNTOS LO LOGRAREMOS! Con solidaridad, Robert H. Baker

QUE LA LIBERTÉ RETENTISSE

DEJEN RESONAR LA LIBERTAD

C’est le mois d’août à Washington. Et ces journées chaudes dans la capitale nationale me font penser à la journée étouffante du 27 août 1963, lorsque le révérend Martin Luther King, Jr. mena des milliers de personnes aux marches du monument à la mémoire de Lincoln pour prononcer son fameux discours : « I Have a Dream ». Ce discours est maintenant tellement enraciné dans notre conscience collective que je m’aventurerai à dire que presque tous aux É.-U. et au Canada connaissent ce moment historique.

Es agosto en Washington. Y estos cálidos días en la capital de la nación me hacen pensar en aquel sofocante día -el 27 de agosto de 1963cuando el Reverendo Martin Luther King Jr. condujo a miles hacia los escalones del Lincoln Memorial para pronunciar su discurso “Yo tengo un sueño”. Ese discurso está tan arraigado en nuestra conciencia colectiva que me atrevo a decir que todos en EE.UU. y en Canadá conocen aquel momento de la historia.

Toutefois, peu sont ceux qui se rappellent le rôle joué par le mouvement syndical pour mener à bien ce jour; particulièrement le rôle joué par A. Philip Randolph, le fondateur de la fraternité des porteurs de wagons-dortoirs, qui défendait le mouvement de droits civils bien avant que la plupart des américains ne sachent qu’il existait. En réalité, Randolph fonda le mouvement « marcher sur Washington » le 25 janvier 1941, afin d’exercer des pressions sur le président Roosevelt pour l’amener à éliminer la discrimination raciale au sein des emplois gouvernementaux et dans l’industrie de la défense. Randolph annula la démonstration de 1941 après que le président eût créé le comité pour les justes méthodes d’emploi, qui visait exactement le résultat souhaité. Mais Randolph garda le mouvement vivant afin de maintenir la pression. Le 28 juillet 1948, le président Truman abolit la ségrégation dans les forces armées en résultat des efforts inlassables de Randolph. L’idée de ce qui devint « Marcher sur Washington pour des emplois et pour la liberté » commença de nouveau à prendre de la vitesse lorsque le mouvement de défense des droits civils attira plus d’attention. L’expérience de Randolph en tant qu’organisateur syndical s’avéra d’un apport inestimable pour la campagne de rassemblement à Washington D.C. d’une foule massive, bien que pacifique, d’américains blancs et noirs, afin de demander justice pour les afro-américains. Conjointement avec le leader du mouvement de défense des droits civils, Bayard Rustin, Randolph créa une plateforme pour le discours de Dr. King, un des discours les plus fameux dans l’histoire américaine. La marche est devenue une pierre angulaire du mouvement de défense des droits civils. L’adoption de la loi sur les droits civils (la « Civil Rights Act ») de 1964 est souvent attribuée au succès de la Marche sur Washington. Il est bien de se rappeler que le mouvement des travailleurs a fait partie intégrante du mouvement de défense des droits civils, particulièrement maintenant que les syndicats sont assiégés. Si les législateurs « jouant à la dînette »peuvent révoquer les droits des travailleurs, on peut se poser la question de savoir à qui les droits seront les suivants à être révoqués? L’histoire démontre que les victoires législatives importantes sont accomplies par des coalitions de groupes de défense des droits des travailleurs, des droits civils et d’autres groupes. Notre succès pour préserver les droits et avantages dont nous avons hérités pourrait bien dépendre de notre détermination à se tenir ensemble avec ceux qui voient qu’ils ont autant en jeu dans notre lutte que nous dans la leur.

Sin embargo, unos pocos recuerdan el papel que jugó la sindicación para que ese día pudiese cumplirse; particularmente el papel desempeñado por A. Philip Randolph, el fundador de la Hermandad de Maleteros de Coches Cama (Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters), quién defendió el movimiento de los derechos civiles mucho antes de que la mayoría de los norteamericanos supieran que existían. De hecho, el 25 de enero de 1941, Randolph fundó el “Movimiento Marcha sobre Washington (“March on Washington Movement”), con el fin de presionar al Presidente Roosevelt para que eliminara la discriminación racial en los puestos gubernamentales y en la industria de defensa. Randolph suspendió la demostración de 1941 luego de que el presidente creara el Comité de Prácticas Justas en el Empleo (FEPC) para hacer precisamente eso. Pero Randolph mantuvo el movimiento con vida para mantener la presión. El 28 de julio de 1948, el Presidente Truman abolió la segregación en las fuerzas armadas como resultado de los incesantes esfuerzos de Randolph. La idea por la que se convirtió en la “Marcha sobre Washington por los Empleos y la Libertad” empezó a cobrar impulso nuevamente a medida que el movimiento por los derechos civiles comenzó a llamar más la atención. La experiencia de Randolph como organizador sindical demostró ser invaluable en la tarea de conducir una multitud masiva, aunque pacífica, de norteamericanos blancos y de color hacia Washington DC, para buscar justicia para los afroamericanos. Randolph creó una plataforma, junto al líder de los derechos humanos Bayard Rustin, para que el Dr. King pronunciase uno de los discursos más famosos de la historia norteamericana. La marcha se ha convertido en uno de los cimientos del movimiento por los derechos civiles. La promulgación de la trascendental Ley de los Derechos Civiles de 1964 a menudo se atribuye al éxito de la Marcha sobre Washington. Es bueno recordar que el movimiento sindical ha sido una parte integral del movimiento por los derechos civiles, especialmente ahora que los sindicatos son asediados. Si los legisladores del Tea Party pueden quitar los derechos de los trabajadores, uno tiene que preguntarse, ¿con los derechos de quiénes van a seguir después? La historia muestra que las victorias legislativas importantes se lograron mediante coaliciones de agrupaciones sindicales, de derechos civiles y otros grupos. Nuestro éxito en defender los derechos y beneficios que hemos heredado depende de nuestra determinación de enfrentarnos juntos a aquellos que ven que tienen tanto en juego en nuestra batalla como nosotros en la de ellos.

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

Rapport du Congrès du Conseil Canadien Le Conseil élit ses nouveaux dirigeants intérimaires; il projette promouvoir le projet de loi anti-agression Le Conseil Canadien de l’UTA a tenu son congrès annuel du 6 au 9 juillet, accueilli par la section locale 588 de Regina, SK. Les membres de Regina célébraient le centième anniversaire de la section, et ils ont été d’excellents hôtes pour la réunion. Le congrès a commencé officieusement le 6 juillet, avec des délégués travaillant sur les règlements administratifs du Conseil, sur la restructuration et l’avenir du Conseil, et sur la manière dont le Conseil devrait s’adapter aux changements politiques auxquels les travailleurs des transports en commun doivent faire face. Une table ronde a été tenue sur ces questions dans le but de formuler un plan pour l’avenir. Le congrès a commencé officiellement par des cérémonies d’ouverture le 7 juillet. Le président de la section 588, Mike Ehmann, a souhaité la bienvenue aux délégués et aux invités et a présenté le conseiller municipal de Regina, Fred Clipsham, qui a salué les participants au nom du maire de la ville. Après quelques mots de bienvenue de la part de Kim Onrait, directeur de la société des transports en commun de Regina, le président de la fédération des travailleurs de Saskatchewan, Larry Hubich, a parlé, prévoyant que l’agression du « service essentiel » du gouvernement fédéral sur les travailleurs des transports en commun

July/August 2011

| IN TRANSIT

va s’accélérer. Les travailleurs des transports canadiens perdent le droit de grève le jour où une législature décide que leur société représente un « service essentiel ». Il a exhorté les amateurs de congrès à voter pour les candidats qui partagent leurs idéologies pro-travailliste.

Hanley : « Nous devons faire participer nos membres » Le président international Larry Hanley a parlé de la situation politique aux États-Unis où les droits des employés sont érodés par les hommes politiques ultraconservateurs qui tiennent les travailleurs pour responsables du désordre fiscal dans lequel nous nous trouvons. Hanley a affirmé que l’UTA doit changer sa culture. « Nous devons faire plus que juste négocier des contrats et formuler des griefs » dit-il. « Nous devons faire participer nos membres. Nous devons mobiliser des groupes dans différentes villes. Nous devons combattre les multinationales qui essayent de briser les syndicats et nous devons établir des rapports avec les syndicats d’autres pays pour arrêter les multinationales de détruire nos droits. » La justice sociale est importante, a déclaré Hanley, et nous devons entrer en contact les uns avec les autres et travailler ensemble pour protéger la classe moyenne.

Notre collègue Hanley a informé le congrès que l’International va s’efforcer d’avoir une meilleure communication et d’utiliser les médias sociaux à l’avantage de l’UTA. Les sections locales peuvent faire beaucoup de choses pour faire passer le message à leurs membres et à la communauté, a-t-il expliqué. L’Union aidera de toutes les façons possibles. Le vice-président exécutif international, Bob Baker, a également parlé à l’assemblée. Il a précisé que le Canada est un pays solide avec de bons salaires et avantages sociaux, et que nous méritons nos contrats. L’UTA fixe la norme dans ce pays, a-t-il dit. Notre collègue Baker a également déclaré que l’International est dévoué au Canada et va nous aider à construire notre futur ensemble.

Résultats des élections DIRECTEUR CANADIEN: Stan Dera - élu VICE-PRÉSIDENT: Felix Gendron, section 591, Hull, QC : élu SECRÉTAIRE DU CONSEIL: Jeannie Garbett, section 508, Halifax, NS : élue MEMBRE EXÉCUTIF DU CONSEIL – EST N° 1 Budh Dhillon, section 107, Hamilton, ON : élu

Le projet de loi anti-agression sera remis en discussion Le député Brent Rathgeber, Edmonton/St. Albert, AB, s’est adressé aux congressistes. Le député a déposé (présenté) son premier projet de loi de membres privés - C-637 - Une loi pour modifier le Code criminel (opérateurs de transport public) le 10 mars. La législation proposée, également connue sous le nom de projet de loi de Bregg, est nommée en l’honneur de Tom Bregg, un opérateur de transport public de la section 569 d’Edmonton, AB, qui a été brutalement attaqué en décembre 2009 quand il était de service. Malheureusement, le projet de loi est mort au Feuilleton quand le parlement a été dissous pour une élection ce printemps. Cependant, Rathgeber va remettre en discussion le projet de loi et consacrer tout son temps et ses efforts pour s’assurer que le projet de loi de Bregg devienne la loi de Bregg. Bernie Morton, lobbyiste de l’UTA et vice-président du groupe de stratégie , a expliqué ce qui avait été obtenu sur le projet de loi de Bregg jusqu’à présent, et ce qui doit être fait quand le parlement reprendra en automne. Bregg, qui a assisté au congrès en tant qu’invité du Conseil, a travaillé à la campagne législative pour s’assurer que ce qui lui est arrivé n’arrive à personne d’autre. Le directeur canadien Stan Dera a applaudi le courage de Bregg et l’a remercié pour son aide et pour avoir prêté son nom à la législation.

MEMBRE EXÉCUTIF DU CONSEIL - EST N° 2 Ian Laird, section 1415, Toronto, ON : acclamé MEMBRE SUPPLÉANT DU CONSEIL - EST N° 1 Andrew Cleary, section 1189, Guelph : acclamé MEMBRE SUPPLÉANT DU CONSEIL - EST N° 2 Gino Paolino, section 279, Ottawa, ON : acclamé MEMBRE SUPPLÉANT DU CONSEIL - OUEST N° 2 Tim Johnston, section 1724, Vancouver, BC : élu

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

In Memoriam Death Benefits Awarded May 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011 1- MEMBERS AT LARGE KENNETH E BOSACKER HOWARD BURRESS 19- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO ROBERT L MATHIS 26- DETROIT, MI DELINA VASQUEZ 85- PITTSBURGH, PA ROBERT K CARR THEODORE HARAME WALTER G HICE JR ROBERT J KATCHMAR SALVATORE F MAGNELLI BRIAN M MC HALE LAWRENCE L SAVAGE RONALD E THEVENIN 89- NEW CASTLE, PA JAMES E HAMILTON 103- WHEELING, WV JOHN L SHEETS 107- HAMILTON, ON ELIZABETH L LEGGETT STEVEN M WALSH 113- TORONTO, ON TRAYKO ANTIC DANNY CALIA EUGENE S CHEVERIE BRIAN CHURM SHEILA COOK RUSSELL COTTENDEN PATRICK J CURRAN PHILIP CHARLES DAVIS GIOVANNI FALCITELLI BARRY GLADISH RONALD HEATHFIELD MALCOLM HENNON WILFRED J HOAG THOMAS A KAVANAUGH THOMAS BRUCE KEMP NORMAN V LUCK JOHN EDWARD MC GREGOR JAMES R PARKINSON BRUNO PISANI GIUSEPPE ROMASCO JOHN RUSSELL FRED W STOCK THOMAS J STOODLEY JAMES SWAILES JOHN JAMES VALK KENNETH R WIEDERHOLD ROBERT J WILSON JOHN EDWARD YOUNG

MARY R HALL THOMAS A HALL JAMES N HARRIS THOMAS F JOHNSON ULYSSES JONES ROCCO J LABON ALFONZA LUCIOUS GRATEN D MC FADYEN HECTOR MERCADO RANDOLPH G ROBINSON ANTHONY A ZAZZARA 256- SACRAMENTO, CA JOHN T MILLER PERCY SANDERS JR FRED UMLOR JANIS WEINRUB RODNEY ALLEN WEIST 265- SAN JOSE, CA LEO C CADOTTE IDA RODRIGUEZ RONALD A SAMFELD 268- CLEVELAND, OH WILLA M ROBERTS 279- OTTAWA, ON MIKE C DERRICK JAMES G LADAS MAURICE LECLERC MICHEL E LECLERC 281- NEW HAVEN, CT CRUZ SANTIAGO 308- CHICAGO, IL NELSON ANDERSON CURTIS BAUGH JOHN L DANIELS LAWRENCE DIXON MARIO MECCIA RESIDEE SANDERS AUSTUS L SCOTT 313- ROCK ISLAND, IL CLAYTON J THORNTON 398- BOISE, ID JERRI LYNNE WEBB 416- PEORIA, IL EDDY A SMITH 425- HARTFORD, CT WILLIAM C DAVIS 583- CALGARY, AB SOCRATES SALAZAR KAREN A SUDDARD

192- OAKLAND, CA PHYLLIS C FEHR HUEY L HAMPTON JAMES O HUPPERT VERNIA DENICE JAMES EDWARD H JOHNSON RONALD E KRAMLICH

587- SEATTLE, WA BOBBIE CUNNINGHAM RONALD R GIBSON DOUGLAS V KING KULDEEP K MAHIL JOEL L MATAUTIA

241- CHICAGO, IL JOSEPH T CATALANO

589- BOSTON, MA GEORGE P ADAMS

July/August 2011

RICHARD J BURCHILL JR JOSEPH M BURKE PATRICK J CALLAGHAN RICHARD J CESAREO JOHN A HANEFFANT THOMAS E JOYCE MARINO MAGNO PHILIP V MINGOLELLI JAMES E MURRAY PAUL B O’CONNOR LINDA A RICCI CHARLES J SHEA THOMAS L SULLIVAN BRUCE E SWEETSER JOHN W TIESO 618- PROVIDENCE, RI ERNEST A BOULEY 689- WASHINGTON, DC HENRY E COGDELL GEORGE M ERNST ALFRED L JOHNSON SAMUEL L JONES EARL C MARTIN RALPH J MC DANIEL JR RUSSELL M SLAUGHTER JOSEPH DAYE TAYLOR JESSE WALKER KEVIN C WHITLEY 694- SAN ANTONIO, TX JULIAN G ALEJOS FERNANDO P ZUNIGA 704- LITTLE ROCK, AR DEBORAH J WILKERSON 713- MEMPHIS, TN FREDDIE Z CLEVELAND J D MORGAN JACK F PETTIT BILLY RHINES 725- BIRMINGHAM, AL J C WRIGHT

NOBLE D HERBST 819- NEWARK, NJ OSCAR JONES JR SIMON LEGGETT 822- PATERSON, NJ LINDA L CHARITY ROBERT SUDOL 824- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ GIRARD A FISHER JEAN PFEIFFER 825- ORADELL, NJ WILLIAM F LUCAS PETER SANTORO 842- WILMINGTON, DE MARY A WORDSWORTH 880- CAMDEN, NJ ROBERT KILLE JOHN OEHLERT 993- OKLAHOMA CITY, OK JERALYN M BENNETT GEORGE W NOKES 996- SOUTH BEND, IN LEROY CHAMBLISS 998- MILWAUKEE, WI KENNETH E KLEMSTEIN EDMUND E LITKOWIEC ELROY C MENGERT 1001- DENVER, CO PHIL O DURAN ROBERT LEE LONES 1005- MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MN FLOYD C ANDERSON KENNETH R BROOKS JOHN L PARENT

732- ATLANTA, GA RONENE ANDREWS DORIS J BURKS J H DAVIS TYRONNE ROCHON

1070- INDIANAPOLIS, IN JOHN ECKELS

741- LONDON, ON JOSEPH F BARATTA RONNIE CHARLES GILLET RICHARD ROSS MARTIN DOUGLAS C WISEMAN

1177- NORFOLK, VA THURSTON WALDO EATMON ELSTON HINES ARTHUR T PERSON GREGORY RANKIN EMILIO ROSADO

757- PORTLAND, OR EDWARD CARL BECKER TOMMIE L BOYD VICTOR M KUSS LOIS EDITH WILSON 779- SIOUX CITY, IA ARTHUR S HILL 788- ST. LOUIS, MO SYLVESTER DENNIS

| IN TRANSIT

1145- BINGHAMTON, NY FRANCES D WHEELER

1179- NEW YORK, NY DOMINICK CARECCIA VICTOR H RUVOLO 1181- NEW YORK, NY JOSEPH E AGOSTA CHARLES L BYRD VINCENZO COLLETTI ROCCO S GIANATIEMPO DANIEL J O’KEEFE

MORRIS SENDER HERIBERTO VEGA JENNIE ZITZ 1197- JACKSONVILLE, FL MARION MYERS 1220- RICHMOND, VA HENRY E HALEY IRA LEE MATHEWS 1229- ST JOHN, NB GRANT R TODD 1249- SPRINGFIELD, IL MICHAEL L COLLINS SR 1277- LOS ANGELES, CA RICHARD L FREEMAN ROBERTO A GUTIERREZ CHRISTOPHER HARRIS WILLIAM E PRYOR HENRY LEE RHODES 1321- ALBANY & TROY, NY KATHLEEN S SCHULTZ 1342- BUFFALO, NY GEORGE BARTHA GWENDOLYN LEWIS 1395- PENSACOLA, FL SHELDON BARFIELD 1415- TORONTO, ON DOMENICO DELGRECO 1447- LOUISVILLE, KY DELBERT A WILSON 1464- TAMPA, FL JOHN KENNY 1505- WINNIPEG, MB ARTHUR WIEBE 1572- MISSISSAUGA, ON ALAN R HOPPER 1574- SAN MATEO, CA STEVE DIMMER JR 1575- SAN RAFAEL, CA THOMAS G WHITE 1700- CHICAGO, IL E WILLIAM CONSALVI MARVIN GRAY EYLER CLIFFORD FREDERICK JOE F WOOTEN

100 YEARS AGO IN THE MOTORMAN & CONDUCTOR

The June 1912 Motorman and Conductor published this picture of a plaque commemorating the organizing of Local 569-Edmonton, AB on August 22, 1911. The distinguished gentleman at center is A.H. Elliott, the first president of the local. International President Larry Hanley presented a copy of this plaque to Local 569 in August to commemorate the localâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100th anniversary. Today the Edmonton local is lead by Local President Stuart Litwinowich.

IN TRANSIT

| July/August 2011

Amalgamated Transit Union

AFL-CIO/CLC 5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20016 www.atu.org

STAY CONNECTED

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

ATU LAUNCHES NEW, USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE! We’ve launched a new and improved Union website. The new site contains all the news and information on developments at the ATU which members have relied on for years, as well as exciting new multimedia features in an attractive, user-friendly format. We encourage members to submit their own pictures, videos, and news items for www. atu.org, and In Transit. This website is about you - the ATU member. We hope you will enjoy it, tell your co-workers about it, and come back to visit again and again. Check it out!