International President Costa brings the house down at TWU Convention

Pledging solidarity and power as fellow transit workers, ATU International President John Costa delivered a passionate speech that brought the house down at the Transport Workers Union’s (TWU) 26th Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas, NV.

Costa, who walked up to the sound of New Jerseyborn Bruce Springsteen, was introduced by TWU International President John Samuelsen, calling Costa a longtime friend and colleague who he has worked with to fight on behalf of transit workers and the entire labor movement.

“For John to get elected President of the International ATU while I’m President of the TWU can only be a massive benefit for organized labor in the transportation industry,” said Samuelsen.

Expressing what an honor it was to be there, Costa told the TWU delegates and guests about working his way from the New Jersey light rail division right out of high school at the age of 18 to becoming International President of the ATU. “I believe if you’re going to run a union, you can’t run it from the office. You have to be out there with the members,” Costa said to a round of applause. We ‘Held the Line’ and Won

Costa went on to talk about the many victories the two unions have achieved by standing together. “When the pandemic first hit, we vowed to take aggressive action if our members were not protected on the job. We ‘Held the Line’ and Won protections to keep our members safe,” Costa told the packed room.

“When our members were laid off, and service was being shut down because our transit systems cried poor. We ‘Held the Line’ and Won federal COVID relief funding to keep our members employed, our transit systems and airlines running, and hazard pay for our members,” he continued. “We had an important election last November that was critical to our future. We ‘Held the Line’ and Won by electing the most pro-worker President since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House and a proworker majority in the Senate.”

In closing, Costa brought the crowd to their feet after passionately proclaiming that he’s tired of companies calling workers “heroes” at the bargaining table, then turning around and making cuts. “We saved this economy, and you wanna make cuts? F@€% YOU,” he said to a roaring standing ovation. v