U.S. Labor Secretary visits Local 732-Atlanta, GA for town hall on protecting voters’ rights

At the ATU Local 732 union hall in Atlanta, GA, U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joined ATU International President John Costa, International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Kirk, Local 732 President Britt Dunams, Local 732 members, the Georgia Labor Movement, and activists for a spirited town hall on the importance of voters’ rights, civic engagement, and democratic rights.

The event began with Costa leading the crowd as the ATU anthem “Don’t Play With My Money” from the successful Cinder Bed Road Local 689-Washington, DC, strike played on the loudspeakers. Costa then introduced Sec. Walsh as a union card-carrying friend of the ATU and talked about the fight against voter suppression, voter protection legislation pending in Congress, and the efforts of Locals 732 and 1324-Savannah, GA, to mobilize our members in the Georgia Senate runoff election victory last January.

Sec. Walsh told the crowd, “Elections have consequences,” and the impact they have on working families, public transit, and labor unions. He praised ATU members for their bravery on the frontlines of the pandemic and thanked the ATU in Georgia for helping to secure a majority in the Senate with the runoff election wins last January.

Sec. Walsh also took questions from attendees on voting rights, the PRO Act, protecting transit workers on the job, and other issues. When asked the question “what can we do?” Sec. Walsh responded, “vote, vote, and call your elected officials.” v