In Transit - May/June 2012

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M AY/J U N E

www.atu.org

Rosa Parks was ‘IN’ are you? (see page 3)

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

NEWSBRIEFS DAYTON, OH: Local 1385 members employed by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority rejected a tentative contract agreement in May. The settlement lost by six votes.

“It’s nothing we can’t resolve,” says International Vice President and Local 1385 Trustee Gary Johnson.

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

WEST PALM BEACH, FL: Local 1577 has asked Palm Beach County to investigate whether county officials showed preferential treatment when considering the renewal of a contract with one of three paratransit operators. Local President Dwight Mattingly said Metro Mobility Management Group failed to disclose its litigation history and lacked letters of recommendation when it sought to renewal.

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

CHICAGO, IL: Chicago Transit Authority President Forrest Claypool says, thanks to savings the CTA has made in other areas it will no longer have to cut 1,000 Local 241 and Local 308 jobs. Claypool said in November that the massive job cuts would be necessary if ATU refused to give up what he called “antiquated work rules.” Local 308 President Bob Kelly said the announcement was “good news in the short term,” but warned that a long-term deal still has to be negotiated.

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ANTHONY WITHINGTON

Sebastopol, CA – awithington@atu.org

DENNIS ANTONELLIS Spokane, WA – dantonellis@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.

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.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40033361.RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:APC Postal Logistics, LLC, PO Box 503, RPO, West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6.

LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Proof We Can Win Even In Tough Times T

he results of the June 5th recall election in Wisconsin may have surprised you already.

Polls indicate that working people – including union members - voted to keep Republican Scott Walker as governor. But his anti-worker policies will be in check, now, because one Republican Senator was successfully recalled – giving Democrats majority control of the state senate.

campaign in full swing, fighting for better service. The local has started a Facebook page (Save Our Bus Saint John) and is building a community-based campaign.

They recognize the value of reaching out through social and other media.

Big Surprise

Thanks for the compliments about my last column, in which I discussed the courage of Rosa Parks in her fight for transit equality. When she was asked why she didn’t just take a seat in the back of the bus, she said she could not betray “the martyr,” her reference to Emmett Till, the 14-year-old found dead in the Tallahatchie River a few moths before. I want to remind you that Rosa Parks was NOT paid “lost time” for her efforts that day in Montgomery. She challenged power because she believed in equality.

A bigger surprise you might not know about is covered on page 18 of this magazine. That is the story of the little town of Weston, a 16,000-person village in the shadow of Wausau, WI. The town had lost its’ small transit system to budget cuts last January.

While a majority of Weston’s voters chose to keep Governor Walker in office, a coalition effort ATU helped lead convinced a majority of those same voters to restore the town’s transit system.

I encourage you to read the story about Weston because it is living proof that we can win and expand transit when we work with the riders, even in tough times. In city after city our members are working with transit passengers in campaigns to fight to save and expand their transit service.

The story about Baton Rouge and the successful community effort there, and Charleston, SC, Pensacola, FL, Providence, RI, and Pittsburgh, PA, where ongoing struggles all involve ATU members reaching out beyond their local union to lead citywide efforts is a sign that we know how to turn around a bad situation.

Local 1182 President Tom McGraw in Saint John, NB, has a passenger and community organizing

This is the work of the Union and it cannot be done without you volunteering your time to help. Your Union is under attack. There is simply not enough money to pay staff to fight the onslaught of anti union-activity.

Rosa Parks was “IN”. Are you?

COVER: On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to obey bus driver James F. Blake’s order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. Parks’ act of defiance and the Montgomery Bus Boycott became important symbols of the modern Civil Rights Movement. She organized and collaborated with civil rights leaders, including Edgar Nixon, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a new minister in town who gained national prominence in the civil rights movement.

IN TRANSIT

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M AY/J U N E

www.atu.org

2012 Vol. 121, No. 3

2 International Officers & General Executive Board NEWS Briefs 3 International President’s Message: Proof We Can Win - Even In Tough Times 4 Index Page

AMERICANS FOR TRANSIT

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5 International Executive Vice President’s Message: What Difference Does It Make?

6 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message: Not All Good News for the GOP in Wisconsin 8 House Republicans Give Up On Their Transit Bill 9 ATU, Coalition Win First-Ever Transit Tax Vote in Baton Rouge No Transit Tax Ballot in Denver This Year 10 Charleston, SC Local Negotiates While CARTA Considers Cuts Devastating Cuts Planned for Pittsburgh’s Port Authority Pensacola Local “Satisfied” with First Transit - For Now

I’M IN - VOLUNTEERS ARE THE ESSENTIAL ENGINE OF LOCAL, NATIONAL SUCCESS

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11 Hamilton Members Go to Arbitration - For More Drivers!

Lynx Creating Tiered Wage System in Orlando Members Protest Dirty Work Environment, Rip RIPTA CEO 15 Workers Haven’t Benefited From Productivity Growth in 4 Decades 18 Weston Voters Restore Transit Even As Walker Survives Recall 19 Can Detroit Bus Riders Survive Another Round of Cuts?

Palm Springs Members Want Same Raise As Management 20 Public Transit Riders Pay For Wall Street Windfall

IP VISITS WEST COAST LOCALS

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21 Book Review: Shock Doctrine Proves Reliable Guide to Corporate Greed Today 23 ATU, MADD Team Up to Fight Drunk Driving International Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Ray Wallace Dies 24 ATU, Praises DOT Curbside Crackdown, Urges Overtime for OTR Drivers State Bill Would Regulate NYC OTR Curbside Operators 25 100 Years Ago: Boston Carmen Fight for ATU Recognition 26 Yuma Transit Workers to Bargain for First Contract After Voting ATU Austin Local Will Oppose Two-Tiered Wage System 27 Translations (French & Spanish) 30 In Memoriam 32 Are You Too Busy?

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ABOVE & BEYOND: ARLENE WIRES IN ACTION

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BOB BAKER, INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

What difference does it make?

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ou will find several stories in this In Transit about ATU members who have volunteered their time to causes that benefit their fellow local members and others. This being an election year in the United States, a lot of that volunteer work has been and will be political in nature. My hope is that their stories will inspire you to contribute some of your time to support pro-Labor and pro-transit candidates in either the U.S. or Canada.

Forgive me if you’ve heard this before, but I feel compelled to repeat it as often as I can between now and November: The stakes in the U.S. national elections could not be higher.

That’s why we need you.

You might be thinking something like, “I work really hard all day at a very stressful job. Then, when I get home I take care of the kids, or the grandkids, or my parents, or all three! I’ve got the PTA, the Little League, the soccer team, the church group – you name it – I’m obligated to be there. On the weekend I’ve got to work in the yard, help the kids with their homework, straighten the closet, or whatever. I’m tired, and you’re asking me to drive downtown to a rally, knock on strangers’ doors, or make phone calls during the only free time I have? Really?”

And my answer is: “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking you to do.”

Look, I know how hard you work and how demanding taking care of your family can be. My wife and I have lived those same demands all our lives. So you know I don’t make this request lightly.

Biggest reason for success: getting started You may be thinking, “C’mon, Bob, you don’t need me.

Does it really make that much difference whether or not

I show up?”

I’m sure you already know the answer to that question.

You make a big difference just by being there.

Ask yourself, “What if Samuel Gomers thought it wouldn’t make any difference whether or not he founded the AFL-CIO? What about labor activists like Mother Jones; Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; ATU founder W.D. Mahon, or the late New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton?”

None of these knew whether or not their work would be successful when they started out, but one of the biggest reasons their work was successful was that they simply started.

We need you Now we don’t expect you to sacrifice the time you must give to your family, but for their sake we hope that you will become an ATU labor leader this fall. The fate of American labor unions depends greatly on how many people volunteer to counteract the mountains of cash pouring into anti-union candidate coffers for this election. And all indications are that those same moneyed interests intend to do the same in Canada.

So, let me repeat what I said before: WE REALLY NEED YOU! Please contact your local union and offer your services today.

In Solidarity,

Bob Baker IN TRANSIT

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OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER

Not all good news for the GOP in Wisconsin

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he victory of Republican Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin’s June 5 gubernatorial recall election will certainly be spun by political pundits as a great victory for anti-union forces, as well as the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party. And while we certainly regret that we were not successful in recalling Governor Walker, the governor’s single-digit margin of victory also brings some good news for Democrats and labor advocates.

can’t compete in the global economy, yet they don’t specify which regulations those might be.

If, as some have suggested, the election was a warm-up for U.S. national elections in the fall, the Republicans have a lot to worry about. The governor managed to retain his office by a single-digit margin while reenergizing the labor movement in the United States.

There was a time during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when none of these safeguards existed.

Walker’s outrageous attack on his own state government employees has crystallized the public’s perception of the Republican Party as it seeks to wrest back the presidency, and control of both houses of congress. People see that the GOP, now a whollyowned subsidiary of ALEC and the 1%, seeks to suck as much money as possible out of the middle class by destroying unions, and cutting the taxes of the rich.

These are questions we should all be asking as we evaluate the candidates this fall.

Are sweatshops the GOP vision of our future?

They may say that they are interested in prosperity for everyone, yet there is nothing in any proposal they’ve made that can possibly accomplish that. Their continual mantra that reducing taxes for the rich will create good jobs has been disproven by the very history of the years those tax cuts have been in place.

They contend that the Obama administration has shackled business with regulations so onerous that they

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Would it be regulations that keep workers safe on the job?

Would it be regulations that require businesses to pay minimum wage, and overtime to employees?

Would it be regulations that safeguard the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the things we buy?

Are sweatshops the Republican vision of our future?

Time to get to work Finally, if Wisconsin’s close election results actually prefigure what could happen in November, then the Republican Party will have to admit that the outcome of the election will be far from certain.

And we, who truly represent the interests of the vast majority of Americans, have shown that the labor movement can mount an incredible grass-roots campaign that is capable of coming close to removing a governor from office.

Now, it’s time for us to get to work to win in November.

AMERICANS for TRANSIT ATU and Good Jobs First create new group to boost rider organizing

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lthough record numbers of Americans are relying on public transportation, transit systems facing budget shortfalls continue to cut service and raise fares. ATU has been working hard to build coalitions with riders and transit advocates to fight for public transportation in communities across the country.

“We know from the 95 cities represented at the boot camps that there is tremendous good will toward the ATU and tremendous desire to organize riders,” says ATU International President Hanley. “The ATU and Americans for Transit will work together to help community groups get stronger and smarter on transit.”

To take it a step further the ATU has joined with Good Jobs First to establish “Americans for Transit” to combine the organizing power of the labor movement with community organizers in cities across the country.

Andrew Austin, longtime field director at the Transportation Choices Coalition in Washington state has been named executive director of Americans for Transit.“Andrew has terrific experience working with Labor, business, community and environmental groups and in cities large and small,” says LeRoy. “ATU has planted the seed and now we are going to grow this movement.”

Born out of transit ‘boot camps’ Good Jobs First’s Greg LeRoy, who worked with ATU to found Americans for Transit, says the new organization aims to create, strengthen and unite grassroots groups of riders like those who attended the ATU/Good Jobs First “boot camps.”

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House Republicans Give Up On Their Transit Bill But Will They Accept the Senate’s Package?

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nable to pass their own transportation measure despite a 25-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, House GOP leadership in May bowed to pressure from unions, transit advocates, environmentalists, and others, abandoning what observers called the worst transportation bill in United States history.

The House bill (H.R. 7), which would have gutted transit funding and caused systems to privatize huge pieces of fixed route bus service, was opposed by the House Democratic Caucus as well as Republicans in transit-dependent states such as New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. Without their support, the bill died.

House GOP leadership decided to instead pass a short term extension of current law along with a few energyrelated items and immediately began working with the Democratic-controlled Senate in an effort to work out a final bill based almost exclusively on the Senate’s transportation legislation (MAP-21).

The Senate bill is strongly supported by ATU, as it includes funding that would allow most transit systems to put service back on the streets, slow down fare increases, and hire back laid-off workers. Such provisions, which would allow for transit operating assistance, have been pushed by ATU members across the country in coalitions with transit riders since the beginning of 2011. In addition, the bill maintains dedicated revenue for transit and does not contain any privatization incentives.

The question now is whether House GOP leadership will go along with MAP-21 or continue to stand in the way of a long-overdue bill to provide relief to struggling transit systems and riders. It is a race against

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the calendar, as Congress is scheduled to take a monthlong recess in August, and there is little expectation that any legislation, especially a major package such as the transportation bill, will pass in the fall with lawmakers looking ahead to the November elections.

President Obama says his administration has prioritized “long-term investments in transportation infrastructure that will keep America safe and ensure we can compete and succeed in the global economy.”

“I call upon all Americans to recognize the importance of our nation’s transportation infrastructure and to acknowledge the contributions of those who build, operate, and maintain it,” he said.

No transit tax ballot in Denver this year

ATU, coalition win first-ever transit tax vote in Baton Rouge

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ransit riders can look forward to better service in the capital of Louisiana thanks to Local 1546 and a coalition that, with help from the International, convinced voters to approve the first-ever tax increase to improve the Capital Area Transit System (CATS). On April 22, Baton Rouge and nearby Baker parish approved a $10.6-mill property tax which will generate an additional $17 million annually, bringing CATS’ yearly budget to $30 million.

“We really campaigned hard during the last week,” said Local President Larry Patin, “and used our personal phone for a phone bank.”

“We had 60 volunteers,” he continued, “who went from precinct to precinct asking people if they had voted.This is the first time in Baton Rouge history we’ll have a dedicated source of transit funding.We won by 4,000 votes.”

ommuters in Denver’s northwest metropolitan area may have to wait longer than expected to have a Fastracks link to downtown because the Regional Transportation District (RTD) has decided not to ask voters for a tax increase this November. In contrast to Baton Rouge, all 12 RTD Board members believe this is not a good time to ask for a tax hike.

The Board will look for alternative sources to pay for a hybrid rail/bus rapid transit connection between Denver and Longmont, CO. One board member suggests that the RTD pursue public/private partnerships as a source of funding.

It’s possible that many current area residents will not live long enough to take the BRT or train downtown, because without additional funding, the line might not be completed before 2042.

Vote shows how much can be accomplished International President Larry Hanley congratulated the local on the successful effort, saying, “This demonstrates just how much can be accomplished when our members work with like-minded local organizations.”

The vote was the culmination of a six-month campaign by the local and organizations like “Together Baton Rouge,” a faith-based organization.

Together Baton Rouge leader Dianne Hanley (no relation) said the group presented information to thousands of people across the parish helping them understand the need for the bus reforms.

“If people are informed, they can never be misled,” Hanley stated.

“When people are educated, they make good decisions.”

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Charleston, SC, local negotiates while CARTA considers cuts

Devastating cuts planned for Pittsburgh’s Port Authority

Riders on at least two routes will have to wait longer to board their buses in Charleston, SC, as a result of a decision by the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) Board to consolidate two routes. Some board members are also calling for a five percent budget cut and a 10-cent fare increase in order to help pay down they agency’s $6 million debt.

A high-stakes game of “chicken” is being played out in Pennsylvania, threatening the mobility of Pittsburghers who rely on buses to get to and from work, school and other daily tasks. The governor and the legislature are refusing to bail the Port Authority of Allegheny County out of a $64 million budget deficit unless the members of Local 85 make “adequate” concessions in their current contract negotiations with the transit agency. Port Authority plans to cut service by 35% if nothing is done by September 2.

All this is going on against the backdrop of negotiations between Local 610 and Veolia, the contract manager of the CARTA system.The local voted to authorize a strike, if necessary, but negotiations have continued. Local President Herman Smith explained the reasons for the local’s action saying, “Employees were being called in to attend meetings without full compensation, getting inadequate sick-leave days, working under unsanitary conditions, and being forced to work overtime.”

Under the austerity budget 46 routes would be eliminated, one operating division would close, 500-600 jobs would be eliminated, and paratransit service would be cut for the first time. Dramatic “before and after” illustrations showing the depth of the cuts that would be made in Pittsburgh can be found online at: http://www. thetransportpolitic.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/05/Before.png, and http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/ wp-content/uploads/2012/05/After. png.

“I really don’t want to strike,” Smith said, “but if it comes to that, it comes to that. I’m tired of watching the drivers suffer.”

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Pensacola local ‘satisfied’ with First Transit – for now For a while it looked like Local 1395-Pensacola, FL, might have as rocky a relationship with new Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) contractor, First Transit, as they did with the old. But Local 1395 President Michael Lowery now says he’s “satisfied with [the contractor’s] response” to grievances the local filed with the Scottish multinational. “We’ll see if this relationship gets better during the labor contract renewal,” he adds.

An initial set of grievances accused First Transit of eliminating health, dental, vision and life insurance benefits for part-time drivers after initially agreeing to provide them. Later the local complained that ECAT ran some service on Memorial Day – a day they usually have off – without negotiating with the union, and without considering seniority.

The company responded by agreeing to provide the benefits through June 30 – two weeks after the beginning of contract negotiations. Further, the company says it will pay its top senior bus and trolley operators eight hours’ holiday pay for violating their seniority rights.

The foreign contractor took over management of the bus system in April after the County Commission opted not to renew its contract with French-based Veolia Transportation, which was the object of many grievances. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m encouraged,” Lowery said.

“But the response is satisfactory.”.

Hamilton members go to arbitration – for more drivers!

Lynx creating tiered wage system in Orlando

Members protest dirty work environment, Rip RIPTA CEO

Hamilton, ON transit patrons may be able to look forward to finding a seat on a city bus sometime soon if Local 107 is successful in a unique and creative grievance it has brought for arbitration between its members and the Hamilton Street Railway.

The arbitration hearing is scheduled for September 7.

Lynx in Orlando, FL, is taking advantage of the fact that its employees have been working without a contract for three years to buy smaller buses and hire operators to drive them at reduced wages. “They are taking work away from our drivers in the bargaining unit,” says Local 1596 President Norm Audet.

Transit agencies are cutting costs everywhere in the U.S. and Canada – and it’s beginning to show – but not in a good way. In Providence, RI, members of Local 618 are fed up with the filthy conditions at the Kennedy Plaza transit hub.

At issue is the agency’s stubborn refusal to hire a sufficient number of drivers to provide adequate bus service in the area. As a consequence, drivers say, passengers often take their frustration out on drivers who, of course, have no control over the situation.

And so, Local President Budh Dhillon says the city has not hired enough drivers to meet their contract’s overtime and scheduling provisions.

The arbitrator’s decision will hinge on their contract’s reference to the city’s “obligations to the public.”

Dhillon argues that Hamilton has failed to meet those obligations.

Lynx’s ATU operators earn from $14.00 to $19.81 per hour. The new drivers will start at $10.21 per hour and max out at $13.87 per hour after three years of service.This is often referred to as a “tiered” wage system.

The company suspended all seniority-based raises, and all wages have been frozen since 2008.

Audet says Lynx appears to be creating a second class of lowerpaid employees who will take routes previously handled by ATU operators driving larger buses.

Lynx and the local are currently engaged in nonbinding arbitration.

They brought their complaints to a meeting of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) at which they displayed poster-sized photos of the messy conditions at the state’s central bus hub. The RIPTA employees told the board that the decision to eliminate two of three full-time maintenance workers at the hub, and to limit that person’s work to just four hours a day just “doesn’t work.”

“They don’t have the manpower to keep it clean,” says 26-year RIPTA veteran Frank Plutzner, who also charges that RIPTA buses aren’t cleaned regularly, and that routine repairs are being neglected. Local President Paul Harrington is more direct, declaring that the current RIPTA CEO “continues to steer our system into the ground.”

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VOLUNTEERS ARE THE ESSENTIAL ENGINE OF LOCAL, NATIONAL SUCCESS

rush hour, keeping the picket line moving during a strike, door-knocking and phone banking during an election campaign, participating at union meetings – you ask them and they’re there.

Collectively, they forge themselves into an engine of progress essential to the success of a local union, and the international union as well.

Didn’t get the memo

Bus Operator Lawrence Cole

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ight now, as you read this article, your Union is working for you. Your local officers and shop stewards are making sure your management abides by your contract. Your international officers are hard at work advancing your interests all over Canada and the United States, as well. They perform the daily work of the Union.

But when your local leaders need to get something done they most often turn to a cadre of persons in your union who they know they can count on to help out any way they can.

Unpaid, and unheralded, these ATU volunteers can be found at rallies and demonstrations, leafleting during

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Bus operator Glenda Akins, 192-Oakland, CA, is one such volunteer. According to Local 192 President Yvonne Williams, “Glenda Akins is a go getter from the word go! …If you ask her to be anywhere, she’ll say, “I’m waiting for you what’s taking you so long.”

ATU volunteers all seem to share an energetic, cheerful, and optimistic outlook on life that refuses to give in to cynicism about what can be accomplished. They don’t just believe, they know they can make a difference.

Take paratransit driver Mark Beeching, 1724-Vancouver, BC, for instance. “Seven years ago,” says Local 1724 President Timothy Johnson, “his employer was about to lose their service contract due to a budgeting error. Mark with the help of co-workers, seniors and the disability community convinced our transit authority to reconsider moving the contract to another provider.”

Consider also Nathaniel Arnold, also from Local 192, who Williams says “is an advocate for Labor and a community activist who is passionately involved in the political process. His involvement with transportation advocacy groups has helped increase local funding allocations to protect bus service in the county.”

He explains, “We can embrace our diversity, find strength in it and prosper together, or we can focus on our differences and try to restrict access and limit prosperity for us all with the 1% getting richer and the rest of us fighting for what’s left.”

These are people who don’t seem to have gotten the memo telling them that one person can’t make a difference. They forge ahead anyway – and win!

Knowledge of labor history motivates volunteers

Why volunteer?

What motivates these people?

Bus operator Michael Barnes (pictured right), 689Washington, DC, has spoken in support of transit and Labor at public hearings, picketed in support of striking members in Richmond, VA, and served as a delegate at the 2010 International Convention. He derives motivation from his knowledge of the sacrifices of those who have come before him.

“It’s my duty,” he says, “Union people who came before me built the middle class. A lot of people died to make it possible for me to be employed at a good job.”

Vancouver’s Beeching takes that conviction a step further saying, “It is not my duty to help those I work with, it is my privilege.”

Similarly, Akins relates, “I volunteer for the local because I know what it’s like to struggle making minimum wage and no health coverage; and for me to get out and fight along with my other union members to get the job done is a pleasure.”

A sense of history pervades much of the discussion of volunteerism.

Bus operator Lawrence Cole, 689-Washington, DC, among other things, volunteers his time as a sergeantat-arms at the local’s union hall. He traveled to Ohio recently to knock on doors in the successful effort to defeat anti-union Bill 5, and has attended all of the recent labor marches in Washington, DC. He volunteers, he says, “Because I need to. It’s a must.”

Cole knows that union members who came before him opened the doors to his employment.

And he wants to “keep the doors open for those who come behind me. I want people to be able to say that Lawrence Cole stood for something, that he made a difference.”

Beeching characterizes the volunteers’ spirit well saying, “It is my honor to work for and with the dedicated people that provide our service.”

Volunteering can help create the coalitions necessary for progressive ideas to get a hearing.

Oakland’s Arnold volunteers his time in order to establish relationships with community based organizations, politicians, clergy and other allies that will help his local get a fair and equitable contract. Arnold believes that the local’s power comes from the public so they need to show them they care about what is important to them.

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Barnes says, “People don’t know the history of unions.

They don’t know that it’s a movement. We take our job and the union for granted, but you’ve got to look at what it took for the union to get here, and what it takes to stay here.”

Sources of accurate information One of the surprising roles of volunteers seems to be simply passing on accurate information.

Bus operator Denita Tyler, 689-Washington, DC, “lets people know what their rights are; that we fight for the little guy.”

Tyler regularly participates in rallies and protests, does paperwork at the union hall, and helps out “wherever I’m needed.” She says she volunteers, “to help people see justice done.”

participated in marches in Washington, and tries to make it to every union meeting. He became a believer in the labor movement after moving to a union job from a non-union company in the South.

“The Union is us, not just the people we put in office, and there are things that need to be done.”

“I see a lot of people who are here just for the job, just for a paycheck,” he says, “until they need the union to back them up.”

Having worked for a non-union company, Brooks understands that non-union operations can “do anything they want. But here with the union, there are steps and procedures.”

Bus Operator Aaron Brooks

Bus Operator Denita Tyler

Tyler thinks a lot of people “don’t realize they can make a difference… I tell people if they want to see a change and make a difference they need to be involved.”

Several volunteers who spoke to In Transit agreed that some employees don’t understand that their local negotiates a new contract for them every three years.

“You hear people complain,” Tyler says, “but they don’t know that we can negotiate change.”

‘The Union is us’ Bus operator Aaron Brooks, 689-Washington, DC, has

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ATU needs you!

ATU needs more volunteers like those described above.

With U.S. presidential and congressional elections just months away, International President Larry Hanley has begun a campaign to recruit unprecedented numbers of ATU members to volunteer their time to support labor and transit-friendly candidates. But this campaign is about more than just the upcoming election, it’s about fighting for the rights and dignity of our members, the labor movement and working families for today and for tomorrow.

Will you be one of those volunteers? Find out more information at www.atu.org, or call your local union today.

Workers haven’t benefited from productivity growth in 4 decades “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”

Remember that quote?

The White Rabbit says it to Alice in the classic 1865 story, Alice in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll.

The peripatetic hare may have been more prescient than anyone realized, as he could just as well be describing the circumstances of most American workers almost 150 years later.

In this magazine you’ll find stories of several ATU members who have volunteered to help their local and the International fight for economic justice.

Now it’s your turn.

Like the rabbit, most Americans have been falling behind economically even though they are working harder and producing more than ever before.

ARE YOU IN? Will you join our campaign to elect pro-transit and pro-Labor candidates to office? Will you help to build a stronger ATU and labor movement across North America?

The vast majority of workers have not benefited from productivity growth in the United States since the mid-1970s, a new Economic Policy Institute (EPI) paper finds.

The greatest divergence between the growth of productivity and a typical worker’s compensation has occurred in the period since 2000.

In contrast, from 1948 to 1973, workers did benefit as their pay grew in tandem with productivity, resulting in higher living standards across the board.

In The Wedges between Productivity and Median Compensation Growth, EPI President Lawrence Mishel identifies three “wedges” (below) that have stood between growth and the experience of American workers since 1973 and especially in the past decade. He also explains that the divergence of pay and productivity is largely responsible for the growth in income inequality in the U.S. • The share of income that is wage income for workers has decreased as, correspondingly, the share for unearned income (dividends, interest, profits) accruing to wealth holders has increased.

• The compensation of the median worker has grown much more slowly than compensation for the highest-paid workers.

• Workers have suffered worsening terms of trade, meaning the price growth of things workers buy has grown more quickly than the price growth of things workers produce.

We would like to recognize those of you who will step up and help us win in November in the U.S., and beyond in Canada.

We’re asking all ATU volunteers to clip out the “I’m In” sign on page 16 of this magazine and take a picture or video of yourself holding the sign in front of you and share them on the ATU facebook page at: facebook.com/ATUInternational.

Those of you posting video should simply say “I’m from Local [number] in [city], [state] and I’m in!,” or “We’re from…” and “…We’re in!” if the video is of a group. In addition to being posted on facebook, we’ll use these pictures and videos in ATU publications and videos.

We thank you in advance for participating in this campaign. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

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CUT HERE

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Hanley Vists West Coast Local 1277 President Neil Silver, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and ATU International President Larry Hanley.

International President Larry Hanley recently concluded a string of visits with west coast locals. Hanley discussed the latest developments in national issues of concern to ATU members, and learned much about what is important to them.

ATU International President Larry Hanley makes a point at a Local 1575, San Rafael, CA meeting. From left, Financial Secretary Mary Fuller and President Ray Messier

ATU International President Larry Hanley with Local 256 officers in Sacramento, CA.

Seattle Local 587’s 100th Anniversary is celebrated with former Local Presidents Lance Norton, Barry Samet and David Linvelle.

Membership meeting at Local 1225 in San Francisco, CA.

ATU International President Larry Hanley with officers of Local 1555 - Oakland, CA meet with BART management.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa meets with Local 1277 President Neil Silver and ATU Director of Government Affairs Jeff Rosenberg.

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Weston voters restore transit even as Walker survives recall

demonstrates the effectiveness of ATU coalition building even in communities that may not be sympathetic to Labor. Our members really went the distance on this campaign volunteering countless hours and resources.

We’re very proud of their successful work in Weston and throughout all of Wisconsin.”

Senate victory Wisconsin Democrats did have something to celebrate with the election of John Lehman to the state senate giving the party a one-seat majority in that body.

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isconsin state employees’ fight for justice will continue in the wake of Republican Governor Scott Walker’s 7% escape from recall in an election held June 5. But the election was not all bad news for ATU members, as citizens of Weston Village, WI, overwhelmingly approved a measure that will require the village to provide public transportation at least five days per week beginning January 1, 2013.

The vote overturns a decision by the village board ending funding for the Metro Ride service driven by members of Local 1168. Led by ATU and a coalition of transit advocates, nearly 64 percent of Weston voters cast ballots in favor of public transportation while 36 percent said no.

ATU coalition wins among Walker supporters The coalition, called the “Everyone Has a Place in Weston Committee”, spent the days leading up to the election going door-to-door throughout the village. It succeeded even though a majority in Weston voted to retain Walker in office. In fact, Walker won in Weston by 60.4% - 39.6% – roughly the same as the margin of victory for the transit referendum.

International President Larry Hanley commented on the victory, saying, “The Weston transit referendum

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The presumptive Democratic senate majority leader, Mark Miller, declared, “Starting today, senate Democrats will be a strong check on Scott Walker’s power. If Walker tries to pass extreme policies that bust unions, hurt women, or attack middle-class families, we will have one word for him: ‘No.’ We will demand laws that benefit the middle class and start repairing our state.”

A state divided The recall was notable for the unprecedented amounts of out-of-state money anti-union supporters poured into Walker’s war chest. The governor’s 8 to 1 cash advantage allowed him to dominate state media outlets with campaign advertising.

But all of that money couldn’t stop 46% from voting to remove the governor from office, leaving the electorate bitterly divided.

Statewide, ABC News exit polls revealed that while 51% of voters said they have a favorable view of public worker unions, 52% said they approved of Governor Walker’s handling of the state worker collective bargaining dispute issue that provoked the recall election. One third of the voters were from union households that preferred Walker’s Democratic challenger, Tom Barrett, by a margin of 62% - 38%.

Can Detroit bus riders survive another round of cuts?

“Why don’t they turn the lights off and just call it a day?”

T

hat’s (below, left) how Local President Henry Gaffney, 26-Detroit, MI, reacted to news in April that Mayor Dave Bing is proposing to cut another $12 million from Motown’s bus subsidy. With Detroit bus riders already left out in the cold, the new cuts would further reduce the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) budget to $43 million for 2012-2013 – almost half of the $83 million the system received just a few years ago.

The city has been forced to make these cuts under the terms of an agreement it made with Michigan to avoid a government takeover under the provisions of the state’s newly revised “emergency manager” law. The mayor’s office insists that while transportation is still a core service the city must provide, no city agency, with the exception of the police and fire departments, will be spared in their plan to lay off 2,500 more city employees.

Palm Springs members want same raise as management ATU’s Local 1277 members working for Sunline Transit in Palm Springs, CA, are still trying to negotiate an agreement with the agency after five hours of negotiations with a mediator failed to produce significant results. The members have been working without a contract since 2009, and have already voted to authorize their officers to take the local on strike.

“Doing everything they need to do, like bringing in scabs and putting them in hotels, would cost more than to accept this deal,” he said.

But, according to Local 1277 Financial Secretary/ B.A. Jim Lindsay, Sunline would save money by adopting a union plan rather than forcing the local out on strike.

“We don’t have a problem with the 2% if the sacrifice is shared,” Lindsay says. “It’s a problem if they give [administrators] 3%, and [they make] a whole hell of a lot more than we do.”

Lindsay says Local 1277 wants the contract to stipulate that if SunLine’s 80 administrative employees get more than a 2% raise, management will match that for their union workers.

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Public transit riders pay for Wall Street windfall Major financial institutions rake in $529 million from toxic interest rate swap deals, while service is cut, fares increased

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ashington, DC – Transit riders are being forced to bear the costs of solving transit agencies’ budget problems, while the big banks on Wall Street are gouging those same agencies and the governments that fund them for $529 million each year through toxic interest rate swap deals. This is the startling conclusion made in Off the Rails – How Wall Street is Bankrupting Our Public Transit Agencies with Toxic Swap Deals, a report released by the coalition ReFund Transit.

The report shows how the big Wall Street financial institutions that taxpayers bailed out with low interest loans are now profiting from interest rate swaps made before the Great Recession that have ended up draining agencies of public funds desperately needed to keep mass transit rolling in the United States.

“The report presents a troubling picture of how the 1% continues to have its way with the American public,” says International President Larry Hanley. “The banks caused this problem and they should come to the table to renegotiate new deals that free up precious resources for our local transit agencies and governments.”

Consquently, the big banks are holding transit agencies to their agreements to pay their loans back at interest rates much higher than what they typically charge today and pay the transit bond holders at the much lower variable interest rate as well.

The report examines the impact of these toxic swap deals at 12 major transit agencies in Baton Rouge, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose, and Washington, DC.

New York In New York, for instance, the report explains: “As of August 2011, the MTA had lost $658 million on these swap deals since they first went into effect. These payments contributed to the drag on the MTA’s budget that in 2010 led it to lay off more than 1,000 MTA workers in New York City and eliminate 749 other positions.

Los Angeles How did this happen?

According to Off the Rails, transit agencies pay for longterm projects by borrowing money. They typically do this by issuing bonds that have to be paid back over time with interest.

Prior to 2008, when governments and transit agencies issued variable-rate bonds, banks offered them a deal.

The banks said that if the governments and agencies would pay them a steady, fixed interest rate, the banks would take care of the variable-rate payment to the bondholders. These would be considered safe deals in a normal economy, creating certainty in the amount of future interest payments owed by the public bodies. But after Wall Street crashed the economy in 2008, variable interest rates plummeted to near-zero.

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In Los Angeles, the report says: “L.A. Metro’s most recent service cuts were geared to save the agency $23 million annually. That is only slightly more than the $19.6 million the transit authority is paying Wall Street banks annually on its toxic swap deals.”

Off the Rails also provides ample evidence about how these deals hurt the poor, seniors, persons with disabilities, and racial minorities more severely than other groups.

The report concludes: “We need to make banks renegotiate these toxic interest rate swap deals to save taxpayers and riders more than half a billion dollars annually. This would be a first and important step in renegotiating our state and local governments’ relationship with Wall Street and getting our economy back on track.”

The full report can be found at: www.refundtransit.org

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Book Review SHOCK DOCTRINE PROVES RELIABLE GUIDE TO CORPORATE GREED TODAY The Shock Doctrine, the Rise of Disaster Capitalism, a 2007 bestseller

by Canadian Naomi Klein should be required reading in every high school in the United States and Canada. But that will never happen because a book such as this that exposes how American corporations use subterfuge to create new international markets would be labeled socialist propaganda.

And that’s sad because so many who would condemn the book are also victims of the corporatist agenda it describes.The exhaustive 720-page work shows how shocking events such as severe recessions, government defaults on loans, or even tsunamis leave a nation susceptible to corporate predators who promise that radical changes in the country’s economy will make things better again.

Tax cuts for the rich, service cuts for the rest These changes usually involve big tax cuts for the rich, drastic cuts in social services, and the privatization of state-owned operations by U.S. corporations. In the process tremendous suffering is visited upon the citizenry who lose the economic support the government

had provided, as well as the ability to earn a living wage from work which is now controlled by foreign interests.

All of this has lead to a dramatic transfer of wealth from the world’s poor and middle class to multinational corporations. The big banks, Wall Street, corporations and their advocates in our national and state legislatures are the latest to play this game in the U.S. and Canada. The Shock Doctrine provides readers with an essential tool in understanding their playbook.

Hope in the Occupy Movement In recent interviews Klein has described the similarities between what happened during the Great Recession and the events she describes in her book. But she finds great hope in the Occupy Movement that erupted on Wall Street last fall and spread throughout the world.

The Shock Doctrine is a long book, but it’s well worth the read for anyone who wants to understand how the 1% continues to exploit national disasters and impoverish millions as they pile up ever more wealth for themselves.

THE SHOCK DOCTRINE, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism | Naomi Klein | $10.88| Paperback | 720 pages | ISBN10: 0312427999 | ISBN13: 978-0312427993 | 24 June 2008 | Picador – A Metropolitan Book – Henry Holt & Co.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THE TROUBLE WITH BILLIONAIRES The glittering lives of billionaires may be seen as a harmless source of entertainment by the mass media, but Toronto authors Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks argue that the power they wield is anything but harmless.

In The Trouble with Billionaires they show that the financial elite not only threaten everyone’s economic and social wellbeing but also upset the very functioning of democracy.

THE TROUBLE WITH BILLIONAIRES | Linda McQuaig, Neil Brooks | $20.00| Paperback | 304 pages | ISBN 9780143174547 | 06 Sep 2011 | Penguin Canada

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‘I love the ATU and I love what we stand for, especially the idea of standing up for my fellow workers.’

— Arlene Wires

A ‘huge asset’ Arlene perator

Bus O

Wires

A

s a mother of five, Pensacola, FL, bus driver, and member of Local 1395, Arlene Wires is used to juggling a very busy life. When Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) transit workers decided to go on strike to protest ECAT contractor Veolia proposing massive service cuts, she knew they could be in for a long fight.

While family comes first for Arlene, she wanted to volunteer all the time she could to this critical fight because her family’s future was at stake. Arlene and her husband juggled their schedules to allow her to work for the union on her days off and at night after her work.

Arlene found time to volunteer 20 to 25 hours each week. On her off days she sometimes worked 16 hours a day on the campaign. She played a critical role on a petition campaign and helped build coalitions with Pensacola transit riders and Occupy Pensacola.

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Local 1395 President Mike Lowery called Arlene a ‘huge asset” to the success of getting Veolia removed as the contractor for ECAT. “Arlene went above and beyond as an ATU volunteer,” said Lowery. “She drove her own vehicle around Pensacola to local businesses to spearhead the campaign that got more than 5,000 signed petitions against Veolia.”

COPE volunteer Arlene continues to volunteer 15 to 20 hours each week for the local. She has assisted in ATU-COPE and COPE-Plus drives.

When asked what motivates Arlene to volunteer so much time for the local, she spoke about her family. “Since the strike I understand that one person can actually make a difference. I now understand how the Union benefits my family and my future,” said Arlene.

“I love the ATU and I love what we stand for, especially the idea of standing up for my fellow workers.”

ATU, MADD team up to fight drunk driving Mother, bus driver, and Local 1700 executive board member Sandra Frye delivers a powerful message against drunk driving in a public service announcement (PSA) released in May

by ATU and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD): “I love the open road. But I never forget that a drowsy or careless driver could be right around the next corner.”

In the PSA, Frye, a 17-year veteran Greyhound driver, says, “Drunk driving is the deadliest of all. As a mom

and a bus driver I have a message for you. If you drink – don’t drive.”

“Roadway safety is a one of ATU’s central goals, and that commitment isn’t limited just to our bus drivers,” says ATU International President Larry Hanley. “Drunk driving is a terrible and preventable crime, which is why we felt it so important to partner with MADD to produce this important public service announcement.”

The PSA, available in both English and Spanish, can be viewed at the ATU website. The Spanish version features bus driver Sindy Vasquez, also a member of Local 1700.

INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER EMERITUS RAY WALLACE DIES Ray Wallace, international secretary-treasurer emeritus of the Amalgamated Transit Union, 88, passed away on May 23, in Nashville, TN. The General Executive Board conferred the title “emeritus” on Wallace upon his retirement in 1989, having served the Union for 35 years.

Upon hearing the news, International President Larry Hanley reflected on Wallace’s legacy saying, “Ray is one of the people who nurtured me as a local officer and I’m sure that many other officers and members shared my experience with him. His contributions to the ATU were great and he was held in the highest regard throughout the ATU.” Born and raised in McNairy County, TN, Wallace entered the U.S. Army in 1943, and served in the 953rd field artillery battery, serving in the Invasion of France and the Battle of the Bulge, and returned in December

1945. The future international officer joined Local 713-Memphis, TN, in 1946 after finding employment as a bus driver. He married Brownie Weatherington in 1949.

Wallace was elected recording secretary of the local in 1953, served as local president from 1956-1959, and local secretary-treasurer from 1960-1965.

Wallace worked as a special organizer before his first election as an international vice president in 1965. He served as a member of the General Executive Board for two years before he was appointed and then elected international secretary-treasurer in 1976.

“We will all remember Ray for his warmth, his intelligence and good sense.” said International President Hanley. “He made the ATU proud and his passing is a loss we all share with his family.”

Wallace is survived by his wife, Brownie Weatherington Wallace of Nashville.

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ATU praises DOT curbside crackdown, urges overtime for OTR drivers

State bill would regulate NYC OTR curbside operators

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astern U.S. over-the-road (OTR) curbside operators may finally be getting the attention they deserve after a string deadly accidents last year. New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced the introduction of legislation in April that “will bring order to that chaos [created by curbside operators] by allowing the city of New York to regulate this industry.”

ATU applauded the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s recent shutdown of 26 unsafe interstate bus operators. However, the Union is urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to endorse the Driver Fatigue Prevention Act (S. 1977), legislation introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, which would extend the overtime protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act to over-the-road (OTR) drivers.

Requiring all interstate motor carriers to pay overtime to their employees is the only truly effective way to combat the single largest cause of fatal intercity bus accidents – driver fatigue.

“While the new DOT’s more rigorous regulatory regime for this industry is critically important – any serious proposal to clean up the discount bus industry unequivocally has to include an effective solution for driver fatigue,” says International President Larry Hanley. “Hundreds of intercity bus companies get away with paying their bus drivers criminally low wages, forcing drivers to work 100 hours a week or more, often balancing two or three jobs, just to make a living.”

The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that 36% of motorcoach crash fatalities over the past decade have been due to driver fatigue. It is the number one cause of fatal accidents, far above road conditions (2%) or inattention (6%).

“In the intercity bus industry, the lack of guaranteed overtime pay after a 40-hour work week is a dangerous exception to the rule,” warns Hanley. “Extending these protections to intercity bus drivers is not only the right thing to do; it’s the safe thing to do for our riders.”

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Because the federal government regulates interstate bus travel, the New York state bill would cover only where these over-the-road carriers can pick up and drop off passengers – not safety issues directly.

“This legislation is an important first step in eliminating the chaos that has reigned at the curbside and will allow us to better manage our streets,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, the city’s transportation commissioner.

100 YEARS AGO IN IN TRANSIT

100 Years Ago: Boston Carmen fight for ATU recognition

I

t has been said that Boston is the birthplace of American transportation. And Boston’s transportation history does, indeed, go all the way back to before the American Revolution. In 1630, the Massachusetts colonial legislature established what is believed to be the first chartered transportation service in America from Chelsea to Boston.

Horse-drawn stagecoach service between Boston and Cambridge started in 1793, and in the 1820’s the horse-drawn omnibus began operation in Boston. A remarkable innovation occurred in 1856, when Boston’s horse-cars began to be pulled along parallel rails.Those rails were later electrified, leading to Boston’s first electric streetcar line in 1889 Trolley and bus service followed in the 1900s.

Early strikes While Boston was progressive in establishing public transportation, transit workers were treated just as poorly here as non-union transit workers were treated everywhere else.This led to an unsuccessful strike in 1897, but, also to a later momentous strike that won recognition for the Boston Carmen’s Union.

Few strikes of the period were more dramatic than the strike of the 3,800 Boston Elevated Street Railway employees in 1912. On June 7, that year, after months of fruitless attempts to meet with management, and the discharge of 39 union organizers, the men of the newly formed Local 589 voted to go on strike.

During the following hours, scab-run cars were stoned and trolleys were disconnected and tied down. Police clashed with the Carmen in Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, Charlestown, and Somerville.

The Carmen were assisted by ATU General Executive Board Member Fred Fay who helped organize the strike. ATU’s first international president, W.D. Mahon, lent his authority arriving in Boston just hours after the walkout began.

Glaring persecution Fay described the grim situation of the Boston strikers saying, “Never before have I witnessed such glaring persecution of union men… Law abiding men, guilty of no other crime than holding membership in a trade union, have been beaten up by the police while walking along the streets peacefully.”

But the tide began to turn on June 23, when 50,000 trade unionists and sympathizers demonstrated in support of the “L” strikers at the Boston Common in what was said to be “the greatest gathering ever witnessed on the historic old parade ground.”

On July 28, with help from the governor and Mayor John F. (“Honey Fitz”) Fitzgerald, the grandfather of future president John F. Kennedy, the strike ended with a settlement recognizing the union.

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Yuma Transit workers to bargain for first contract after voting ATU Local President Bob Bean, 1433Phoenix, AZ, is looking forward to starting negotiations for a first contract for the 23 Yuma County Transit workers who voted unanimously to join ATU. Bean will be negotiating with First Transit, which manages the county transit agency.

Bean applauded the workers’ vote adding, “We are very happy that Local 1433 will be taking a role in bringing workplace justice to these transit professionals. Our goal will be for a smooth transition, and to get to work right away. We have already sent out a request to bargain and we hope to get these workers a contract as soon as possible.”

Austin local will oppose two-tiered wage system If the Capital Metro board in Austin, TX, thought they would solve all of their problems by turning over management of their StarTran transit system to two contractors, they were mistaken. Controversy has now arisen months before the August 19 takeover of the fixed-route and paratransit service by McDonald Transit, and MV Transportation, respectively.

The hiring of the two contractors concluded a two-year process of planning and reorganizing the once-ailing Austin bus system. Relative labor peace between the agency and the local seemed possible after Cap Metro assured Local 1091 that it would require any contractor it hired to retain all current employees at the same wages with similar benefits.

‘It’s all about busting the unions’ But hopes for an improvement in the stormy relationship between the local and the agency were dashed when Cap Metro CEO Linda Watson told reporters that the new contractors would save money by establishing a lower wage and benefit tier for employees hired after August 19.

Upon hearing the news, Local 1091 President Jay Wyatt responded, “It sounds like Cap Metro is dictating to the contractor what to negotiate with us. We never talked about that. That’s interfering with negotiations. That’s illegal. No, no, no, that’s them interfering.”

The only bargaining issue the agency is allowed to influence, Wyatt says, is pensions, and they’re already trying to push the local out of its defined benefit pension and into a 401c3-type retirement plan.

“It’s all about busting the unions.” Wyatt continued, “I guarantee they’ll make us have to negotiate two contracts with two different contractors,” Wyatt says. “They’re breaking up the unity, making us have different contracts, and pushing a two-tiered system.”

It looks like the struggle for economic justice for transit workers in Austin will continue for some time.

For more information on our scholars and excerpts from their essays go to: www.atu.org.

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Esta comprobado que podemos ganar..... incluso en tiempos difíciles Posiblemente los resultados de las elecciones por revocación de mandato del 5 de junio en Wisconsin, ya los hayan dejado sorprendidos. Las encuestas indican que la clase trabajadora, entre ellos los miembros del sindicato, votaron a favor de mantener al republicano Scott Walker como gobernador. Sin embargo, sus políticas en contra de los trabajadores ahora estarán bajo escrutinio, porque el mandato de un senador republicano fue revocado con éxito; lo que les da a los demócratas el control mayoritario del senado estatal.

Gran Sorpresa En la página 18 de esta revista se le da cobertura a una sorpresa aún mayor, que quizás usted desconozca. Esa es la historia de la pequeña ciudad de Weston, un pueblo de 16.000 personas a la sombra de Wausau, WI. La ciudad había perdido su pequeño sistema de transporte en enero pasado debido a los recortes presupuestarios.

Sin embargo, el esfuerzo de coalición que el Sindicato Unido del Transporte (ATU, por sus siglas en inglés) ayudó a liderar logró convencer a los mismos votantes que votaron por Walker de que votaran por el restablecimiento del sistema de transporte de la ciudad.

Les animo a leer la historia de Weston, ya que es la prueba viviente de que podemos ganar y ampliar el transporte cuando trabajamos con los usuarios, incluso en tiempos difíciles. En todas y cada una de las ciudades nuestros miembros están desarrollando campañas con los pasajeros para luchar por salvar y expandir su servicio de transporte público.

La historia acerca de Baton Rouge y el éxito de los esfuerzos de dicha comunidad, y de Charleston, Carolina del Sur, Pensacola, Florida, Providence, Rhode Island y Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, donde la participación de los miembros del ATU en la incesante lucha trasciende su sindicato local para liderar los esfuerzos en toda la ciudad, lo que es una muestra de que sabemos cómo darle un giro a una situación difícil.

El presidente del Local 1182, Tom McGraw en Saint John, Nebraska, tiene en plena marcha una campaña de organización con los pasajeros y la comunidad para lograr un mejor servicio. El local ha abierto una página en Facebook (Save Our Bus Saint John) y está desarrollando una campaña comunitaria. Ellos reconocen el valor de llegar al público través de las redes sociales y otros medios de comunicación.

Este es el trabajo del sindicato que no puede llevarse a cabo sin que usted done su tiempo para colaborar. Su sindicato está bajo ataque. Sencillamente no hay dinero suficiente con que pagarle al personal para combatir el ataque de las actividades antisindicalistas.

Gracias por los elogios que recibí por mi última columna, en la que me referí a la valentía de Rosa Parks en su lucha por la igualdad en el sector del transporte.

Cuando se le preguntó por qué no solo fue y tomó asiento en la parte trasera del autobús, dijo que no podía traicionar “al mártir”, refiriéndose a Emmett Till, de 14 años de edad, quien fue encontrado muerto en Río Tallahatchie unos meses atrás. Quiero recordarles que a Rosa Parks NUNCA se le pagó por el «tiempo perdido» por sus esfuerzos ese día en Montgomery. Ella desafió al poder, porque creía en la igualdad. Rosa Parks se INVOLUCRÓ. ¿Y usted?

¿Qué diferencia hace usted?

Encontrará varias historias en este In Transit sobre miembros de ATU que han ofrecido su tiempo como voluntarios a causas que benefician a sus colegas locales y a otros. Puesto que este es un año de elecciones en los Estados Unidos, mucho de este trabajo voluntario ha sido y será de naturaleza política. Mi esperanza es que sus historias lo inspiren a ofrecer parte de su tiempo para apoyar a los candidatos en favor de los sindicatos de Trabajo y del Tránsito en los Estados Unidos o en Canadá.

Discúlpeme si ya ha oído esto antes, pero me siento obligado a repetirlo tanto como pueda desde ahora hasta noviembre: hay muchísimo en juego en las elecciones nacionales de EE. UU.

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Ese es el motivo por el cual lo necesitamos.

Es posible que esté pensando algo como: “Trabajo muy duro todo el día en un trabajo muy estresante. Luego, cuando llego a casa, cuido a los niños, los nietos, mis padres ¡o a todos! Asisto a la reunión de padres, la Pequeña Liga, el equipo de fútbol, el grupo de la iglesia –lo que sea–. Y tengo la obligación de estar allí. Los fines de semana, tengo que ocuparme del jardín, ayudar a los niños con su tarea, ordenar el armario, entre otras cosas.

Estoy cansado y ahora ustedes me piden que maneje hasta el centro de la ciudad para asistir a una reunión política, golpee la puerta de extraños o haga llamadas telefónicas en el único tiempo libre que tengo? ¿Me están hablando en serio?”

en gran medida de cuánta gente se ofrezca como voluntaria para contrarrestar las enormes sumas de dinero que se colocan en las arcas de los candidatos antisindicalistas en esta elección. Y todo indica que esos mismos intereses financieros intentan hacer lo mismo en Canadá.

Así que permítame repetir lo que dije antes: ¡REALMENTE LO NECESITAMOS! Comuníquese con su sindicato y ofrezca sus servicios hoy.

Solidariamente.

Bob Baker

Y mi respuesta es: “Sí, eso es exactamente lo que le estoy pidiendo que haga”.

Soy consciente de lo mucho que trabaja y de lo demandante que es la vida familiar. Mi esposa y yo hemos vivido con esas demandas todas nuestras vidas. Así que sabe que no hago este pedido a la ligera.

La mayor razón para el éxito: comenzar Puede que esté pensando: “Vamos, Bob, no me necesitas. ¿Hace realmente la diferencia si asisto o no?”

Estoy seguro de que ya conoce la respuesta. Su sola presencia hace la diferencia.

Pregúntese :“¿Qué hubiera pasado si Samuel Gomers hubiera pensado que fundar la AFL-CIO no haría ninguna diferencia? ¿Qué hay de los activistas laborales como la madre Jones; el líder de los Derechos Civiles, el Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; el fundador de ATU, W.D. Mahon, o el último líder del Nuevo Partido Democrático, Jack Layton?”

Cuando comenzaron, ninguno de ellos tenía la certeza de que su trabajo sería exitoso, pero una de las razones más importantes por las cuales su trabajo fue exitoso fue justamente que empezaron.

Lo necesitamos No esperamos que sacrifique su vida familiar; pero por el bien de su familia, esperamos que se convierta en un líder laboral de ATU este otoño. El destino de los sindicatos de trabajo de Estados Unidos depende

28

May/June 2012 | IN TRANSIT

No todas buenas noticias para los Republicanos en Wisconsin La victoria del gobernador republicano Scott Walker en la elección de revocatoria gubernamental del 5 de junio de Wisconsin será ciertamente presentada por los entendidos políticos como una gran victoria para las fuerzas contrarias a los sindicatos, así como para el ala del Tea Party del Partido Republicano. Y a pesar de que realmente lamentamos no haber tenido éxito en la revocatoria del gobernador Walker, el margen de victoria de un solo dígito del gobernador también es una buena noticia para los demócratas y los defensores del partido laborista.

Y si, como algunos han sugerido, la elección fue un calentamiento para las elecciones nacionales de EE.UU. en el otoño, los Republicanos tienen mucho de qué preocuparse. El gobernador pudo retener su puesto por un margen de un solo dígito y se ha dado nueva energía al movimiento laborista en los Estados Unidos.

El ataque escandaloso de Walker a sus propios empleados estatales ha revelado que el objetivo real del Partido Republicano, ahora una subsidiaria propiedad de ALEC y el 1%, es hacer que sus benefactores absorban la mayor cantidad de dinero posible de la clase media mediante la destrucción de los sindicatos y la reducción de impuestos para los ricos.

¿Son las empresas explotadoras el lugar de trabajo de los republicanos del futuro?

Pueden decir que les interesa la prosperidad de todos, pero nada de lo establecido en sus propuestas conduce a ello. Su mantra de que la reducción impositiva para los ricos creará buenos puestos de trabajos ha sido desmentida por la propia historia de los años en que se implementaron esas reducciones.

Argumentan que la administración de Obama ha puesto un grillete a las empresas con normas tan onerosas que les impiden competir en la economía global; sin embargo, no especifican cuáles son esas normas. ¿Son las normas que mantienen la seguridad de los trabajadores en sus puestos de trabajo?¿Son las normas que exigen que las empresas paguen un salario mínimo y horas extras a los empleados? ¿Son las normas que intentan preservar el aire que respiramos, el agua que bebemos o las cosas que compramos?

A fines del siglo diecinueve y a principios del veinte, hubo una época en la cual ninguna de estas medidas

de seguridad existían en Estados Unidos. ¿Son las empresas explotadoras y las colas para alimentos la visión republicana de nuestro futuro?

Este otoño, estas son las preguntas que deberíamos hacernos al evaluar a los candidatos.

Pongámonos a trabajar Finalmente, si los resultados casi parejos de la elección de Wisconsin realmente anticipan lo que puede pasar en noviembre, entonces debemos admitir que el resultado de la elección está muy lejos de ser seguro.

Y aquellos de nosotros que realmente representamos los intereses de la amplia mayoría de los estadounidenses, hemos demostrado que el Partido del Trabajo puede montar una campaña increíble de base que es capaz de sacar a un gobernador de su función: algo que pasa muy raramente en los Estados Unidos.

Ahora es momento de que nos pongamos a trabajar para ganar en noviembre.

Helping ATU Locals Harness the Power of the Internet for FREE ATU is launching a new service, TransitWeb, to set up a free state-of-the-art website for local unions. This new innovative program includes: EASE OF USE User-friendly rich features, varied design template options, and ease of use for updates and changes.

FRESH CONTENT Easily update your website with fresh content, photos and even videos.

SUPPORT Free training to learn how to easily update and maintain your website.

NO COST TransitWeb is a FREE program for all local unions, the full cost is covered by ATU International.

FLEXIBILITY TransitWeb has been developed for ATU local unions. We’ll help you make your website fit your needs.

To get your website up and running today contact: communications@atu.org.

IN TRANSIT

| May/June 2012

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In Memoriam Death Benefits Awarded March 1, 2011 - April 31, 2012 1- MEMBERS AT LARGE GEORGE BOUILLE WILLIAM D EGBERT CLAUDE BURNS GARRETT CONARD L HILL RICHARD L HILL RALPH C JOHNSON DONIS B LEAS NORMAN G LUCAS ROBERT R REHM ALBERT P SINOPOLI SYLVESTER SLAUGHTER BETTY MAE WELBORN LEONARD R WILLIAMS 19- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO NATHANIEL REED 22- WORCESTER, MA PATRICK J HORGAN WILLIAM A KENNEDY 85- PITTSBURGH, PA DENNIS J ANDRASCIK GEORGE C BONURA JEAN M DERING LYNN S GAMBLIN HOWARD D GOLDMAN RICHARD H HESS JOHN OLIVER HUNTER BRUCE R KLEIN LOUIS E KURNECK ALBERT L LANG ROBERT J MARTIN JR EDWARD JOHN ONEILL WINIFRED ROBERTS JOSEPH WM SLACK EDWARD SLEPSKI DOROTHY URQUHART EDWARD C VOGEL REUBEN MILLER WATSON JAMES A WOOD 103- WHEELING, WV MICHAEL E BULICK 107- HAMILTON, ON MELVIN JAMES CONNELLY 192- OAKLAND, CA RICKEY W JIMERSON CAROL K MC CRAY JAMES WILLIAM PRATT RAYMOND A ROBINSON RONALD C ZERANQUE 241- CHICAGO, IL EDDIE L BAINES BOBBY T BRADLEY DAVID BROWN JR EDWARD W BURNITZ ROBERT L BYRD ROLANDO ESPINDOLA LEON C GARY WALTER HAMPTON ANDREW HENDRIX JR GERALD F HOGAN HAYWOOD JACKSON IRVING LEWIN MICHAEL S LEWIS WILLIAM MONROE TOMMY L OWENS

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JORGE J PEREZ SHARONDA SULLIVAN UDORA WASHINGTON GEORGE E WEILAND JAMES E WILSON 256- SACRAMENTO, CA CHARLES A TAYLOR 265- SAN JOSE, CA BOBBY R BRUMFIELD JACK D COLE THOMAS J MC CORMICK JR JOHN D OWENS FRANCIS WASHINGTON 279- OTTAWA, ON DOUGLAS F BYRNE ANDRE R GOSSELIN RUSSELL LACHAPELLE WILFRED A OUELLETTE 281- NEW HAVEN, CT JOHN GAMON THOMAS W GIBBONS EDWARD C SCHULTZ 282- ROCHESTER, NY PAUL EBERLIN 308- CHICAGO, IL ROBERT R BRUNO GARY P DIVERS VENETIA E HELM

628- COVINGTON, KY DAVID L HILL GEORGE C LE CRONE

998- MILWAUKEE, WI THEODORE F AMBROCH GERALD W WITZ

689- WASHINGTON, DC NORMAN E ABNEY LEON W ADAMS CHARLES RAY ALLEN CALEB F BALLARD HENRY A BEYER SR DIETMAR T BIRKL CARLTON S BOVELL HOWARD CURTIS BOWMAN GILMORE R CLARK RALPH E COOK RALPH OWEN COSTLEY WILLIAM C KEYES JOHN JOSEPH KRUNOSKY AARON R LOCKHART OSCAR H MARTINEZ FRANCIS W NELSON CHARLES E WOLFORD

1001- DENVER, CO CLEO LEWIS CROCKER

691- SPRINGFIELD, MO J W BUCKLEY

1168- WAUSAU, WI PAUL D SPATZ

694- SAN ANTONIO, TX ANTONIO C MARQUEZ

1177- NORFOLK, VA CLAUDE E CAMPBELL

714- PORTLAND, ME SETH H SWEETSIR

1181- NEW YORK, NY ROSE M ADAMS JESSIE L ALLEN RONALD ANTOINE RALPH BATTAGLIA BERNADETTE BENANTE ROSE BEVILACQUA ANN CARUSO JOSEPH CASSIDY MICHAEL S CERICOLA FRANK J COMEFORO RITA DE SALVO JOSEPH DELLICURTI DEBORAH J EDWARDS EDITH GAMBY ROSE A GRILLO JAMES MACCHIO ARTHUR J MATTOR RALPH PALLADINO LAURA A POLIZZE NATALIE T SALVIETTI ROSALINDA SALZILLO SALVATORE SORCE ISABELL TILLMAN MARIE VICTOR CHARLES D WENDELLE

726- STATEN ISLAND, NY TILMON ANDERSON

313- ROCK ISLAND, IL ALVIN G HARTY

732- ATLANTA, GA LAWRENCE L SIMMONS

425- HARTFORD, CT SALVATORE CATANIA CARL LITTMAN

757- PORTLAND, OR DALE D ARLT LILLIAN L FLOWERS HERBERT L KELLEY THELMA EHLERS WIGHT

441- DES MOINES, IA TERRY A GRIMM 569- EDMONTON, AB HENRY J LEMAY 583- CALGARY, AB KENNETH B MC CARTNEY KAMALLUDDIN NOORI GORDON S POFFENROTH ROLF ROHDE KENNETH B WALLACE 587- SEATTLE, WA JOSEPH GLEN GEORGE M GREEN JEFFREY A LINDSTEDT 589- BOSTON, MA RALPH A DENEHY FRANK A NAZZARO JOHN SULLIVAN ALFONSO F TERINO FRANCIS E WALSH 615- SASKATOON, SK NORMAN LESLIE CLARK 627- CINCINNATI, OH WESLEY R BLALOCK RAYMOND CARTER

788- ST. LOUIS, MO BELLE E COY ROY L DAVIS JOSEPH V HABERBERGER GLEN A HEARIN ROBERT T REYNOLDS JAMES P WEBER 819- NEWARK, NJ STANLEY GOLONKA RAYMOND IRVING LANGER MINNIE MITCHELL 820- UNION CITY, NJ DONALD R WITHERS 824- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ WILLIAM L ARBOGAST JOSEPH H EISELE 825- ORADELL, NJ STANLEY KLASS STANLEY KLASS 880- CAMDEN, NJ WILLIAM C MANNERY GREGORY P STEVENS SR

May/June 2012 | IN TRANSIT

1005- MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MN ALBERT J BITTNER RICHARD F BORK ROBERT W BRUCE HUMBERTO CHAVEZ CHARLES J ELVECROG KAREN C KRECH RICHARD F TRETTIN

1277- LOS ANGELES, CA CHARLES E BLACK FLOYD HOCKLESS LEON MARCELIN JR 1287- KANSAS CITY, MO JOHN D LOWRY CECIL E WAITE 1300- BALTIMORE, MD HARRY J ROSE 1321- ALBANY & TROY, NY OSCAR HASSELL WILLIAM MC ADOO LEON M WOODBECK

1015- SPOKANE, WA NEBIYU BUSHU

1324- SAVANNAH, GA EDDIE SCRIVEN

1037- NEW BEDFORD, MA STEPHEN S HOWLAND

1342- BUFFALO, NY BRIAN G CHAPMAN JR CARLTON L PFOHL DAVID L PITTMAN JOHN J SEILER GARY E WITT 1395- PENSACOLA, FL JERRY MILAM 1496- WILLIAMSPORT, PA GARY C PAULHAMUS 1505- WINNIPEG, MB HARRY ELLIOTT RICHARD J SPENCER HANK VAN DRUNEN CORNELIUS VANDEGRAAF 1548- PLYMOUTH, MA ALAN M CENTEIO 1564- DETROIT, MI ERIK BILBREY 1575- SAN RAFAEL, CA MICHAEL H FULLER RICHARD KEITH 1577- WEST PALM BEACH, FL LUCARNE DESTIN 1596- ORLANDO, FL CLYDE G SMITH JR

1225- SAN FRANCISCO, CA RONALD W LARSEN

1700- CHICAGO, IL WIRT D CARTE CHARLES F FLANAGAN RONALD A JORDAN MICHAEL TOMKO WILLIE T WILSON

1235- NASHVILLE, TN ROBERT C MORTON

1724- VANCOUVER, BC ROBERT BEAUNE

1241- LANCASTER, PA ROBERT CLARK JR

1733- VERNON HILLS, IL WILLIAM W BORNHUETTER JOAN M GANSER PATRICIA A KIPLE

1197- JACKSONVILLE, FL CHARLES BORDEAUX

1256- EL PASO, TX JOSE B CISNEROS

Loews New Orleans Hotel 300 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 (866) 211-6411 / (504) 595-3300 Registration Deadline: August 1, 2012 Room Reservation Deadline: August 9, 2012 Room block is under: ATU Latino Caucus ($139/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

STAY CONNECTED

For the latest ATU News and Action Alerts please check out the ATU’s social media network facebook.com/ATUInternational

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IN TRANSIT

| May/June 2012

31

Amalgamated Transit Union

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

STAY CONNECTED

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Are you too busy? hey, man. are you going to the union meeting?

are you coming to the rally?

sorry, too busy.

Honey, aren’t you going to leaflet with your union members today?

you want to join us for lunch?

sorry, too busy.

sorry, too busy.

sorry, too busy.