FTA Roundtable on the Federal Mask Requirement for Public Transportation

International President John Costa joined with Acting FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, TWU International President John Samuelsen, APTA, the TSA, and heads of transit agencies for a zoom roundtable on the new CDC mask mandate. IP Costa discussed the challenges and solutions for transit workers, including enforcement of the mask mandate, creating a safe environment on public transit for workers and riders, and other issues.

“After nearly a year of advocating for and urging a mask mandate under the previous administration that was rebuffed time and time again, we are very thankful for President Biden’s quick and decisive action to require masks on public transportation,” said Costa. “The urgent need and importance of a mask mandate hits very close to home for transit workers.”

President Costa went on to tell the story of Local 26-Detroit, MI, Brother Jason Hargrove who went onto Facebook Live in March 2020 after a passenger openly coughed without covering her mouth. He died eleven days later. Since then, the ATU has lost more than 150 members, with more than 4,600 becoming infected. A baseball bat assault on a bus driver over mask enforcement

Costa also talked about the problems of mask enforcement by transit workers, bringing stories of violent attacks by riders over wearing masks. “We had a baseball bat assault on a bus driver in California, a two-by-four attack in Texas, and a bone-breaking sucker punch in New York,” recalled Costa. “Last May, a St. Louis man boarded a bus without a mask. After the female driver informed him that he could only ride the bus with a face covering on, the man fired a 9 mm pistol at the driver.” v