ATU calls on Governments in U.S. and Canada to prioritize transit workers as essential in vaccine distribution

International President John Costa wrote letters to every U.S. governor and Premier – with ATU Canada President John Di Nino – to request that frontline transit workers be prioritized in the first rounds of the COVID-19 vaccines. After hundreds of frontline transit workers – including more than 100 ATU members - have died and thousands more have been infected from COVID-19, Costa urged the elected officials to provide early vaccine access to ATU members.

The letters go on to outline the effect the virus has had on transit and school bus workers. Because transit workers are exposed to large crowds of transit-dependent riders at close range, often without protective equipment, they are at greater risk of contracting the virus.

Similarly, school bus workers have been exposed to the virus, with school starting back up in certain areas. Because of the high risk of infection, many school bus drivers are fearful of returning to work, causing route cancellations due to the time it takes to train new drivers.

“The least we can do is to recognize the sacrifices that these workers and their families have made during this health crisis by providing them with early access to the coronavirus vaccines and to make it available to them,” Costa wrote. “It is the right thing to do for the workers and it’s in the best interest of the millions of people -- big and small --- who rely on their services.”

Costa also told the elected officials that the ATU and members can play a critical role in logistics for the administration of the vaccines by transporting people to medical facilities as well as transporting medical personnel, equipment, and the vaccines to the population at large.