in transit - september / october

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www.atu.org

OCCUPYTOGETHER

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION | AFL-CIO/CLC

IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 3

LAWRENCE J. HANLEYInternational President

ROBERT H. BAKER International Executive Vice President

OSCAR OWENSInternational Secretary-Treasurer

INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTSRODNEY RICHMOND

New Orleans, LA [email protected]

LARRY R. KINNEARAshburn, ON [email protected]

JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR.Kansas City, MO [email protected]

RICHARD M. MURPHYNewburyport, MA [email protected]

BOB M. HYKAWAYCalgary, AB [email protected]

CHARLES COOKPetaluma, CA [email protected]

WILLIAM G. McLEANReno, NV [email protected]

JANIS M. BORCHARDTMadison, WI [email protected]

PAUL BOWENCanton, MI [email protected]

KENNETH R. KIRK Lancaster, TX [email protected]

GARY RAUENClayton, NC [email protected]

MARCELLUS BARNESFlossmore, IL [email protected]

RAY RIVERA Lilburn, GA [email protected]

YVETTE SALAZAR Thornton, CO [email protected]

GARY JOHNSON, SR. Cleveland, OH [email protected]

ROBIN WEST Rexdale, ON [email protected]

JOHN COSTA Kenilworth, NJ [email protected]

CHUCK WATSON Syracuse, NY [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVESANTHONY WITHINGTON

Sebastopol, CA [email protected]

DENNIS ANTONELLIS Spokane, WA [email protected]

CLAUDIA HUDSON Oakland, CA [email protected]

STEPHAN MACDOUGALL Boston, MA [email protected]

CANADIAN COUNCILSTAN DERA

Rexdale, ON - [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

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, USPS: 260-280. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40033361. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: B&M Mailing Service Limited, 35 Van Kirk Drive, Unit 15, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1A5, [email protected]

NEWSBRIEFS

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUSInternational President Jim La Sala, ret.

International President Warren George, ret.

International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret. International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret.

International Secretary-Treasurer Ray Wallace, ret.

DOL rules new Austin transit provider must honor workers collective bargaining rights. The U.S. Department of

Labor agreed to release federal grants to Capital Metro over objections from Local 1091. However, federal regulators affirmed the locals stance that Cap Metro must uphold current (Section 13(c)) collective bargaining rights as it transitions from in-house bus operations to outside contractors. ATU local officers explain that Capital Metro will do the right thing and hire all employees, and honor existing contract terms The Statesman

Agreement in San Mateo, CA. Local 1574 After months of fruitless negotiations, an agreement was imposed on Local 1574 and the San Mateo County (CA) Transit District (SamTrans) last month, through the process of binding arbitration. The new three-year contract mandates wage freezes and employee contributions to the health and pension plans that will result in a net loss of income to SamTrans workers. The outcome led the locals officers to suspect that SamTrans had planned to get what they wanted through arbitration all along, rather than negotiating in good faith.

Strong unions = strong middle class. New census data released shows a correlation between unions and a strong

middle class. In 1968, the share of income going to the nations middle class was 53.2%, when 28% of all workers were members of unions. Since then, union membership has steadily declined alongside the share of income going to the middle class, with income gains going to the wealthy. Center for American Progress Action Fund


2011SEPT/OCT

Vol. 120, No. 5

2 International Officers & General Executive Board

NEWS Briefs

3 Index Page

4 International Presidents Message: Occupy Yourself!

5 International Executive Vice Presidents Message: Be Ready - Dont Get Left at the Starting Gate

6 International Secretary-Treasurers Message: Civilization in the Balance

9 Hanley to DOT Motorcoach Summit: Deregulation Has Compromised Safety

12 President Obama: Invest in Transit, Tax the Rich

13 New State Legislative Homepage Unveiled

14 Court Holds Palm Beach in Contempt in ATU NLRB Decision: Orders Penalties for Refusing to Comply with Judgement

16 Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Attacks Bathroom Breaks

17 Canadian Agenda: Violence against Transit Employees - Only Zero Tolerance Will Do

18 DC Members Picket Paratransit Provider: Local Protests MV Transportations Dangerous, New 13-Hour Schedule

19 Failing to Invest in Transportation Will Cause Job Losses, Shrink Household Incomes

20 ATU Fighting for Labor in Michigan

TransitWeb: Helping ATU Locals Harness the Power of the Internet for FREE

21 Turning Up the Heat on Veolia in Pensacola and Phoenix

23 1 In 6 Americans Reported Below Poverty Line in 2010

24 Washington, DC Metro Divas Perform at Kennedy Center

25 The Amalgamated Transit Union 2011-2012 Scholarship Competition in Memory of Gary Maurer

26 Six Outstanding Students Awarded ATU Scholarships

27 Translations (French & Spanish)

30 In Memoriam

31 25 Years Ago: Washington State Locals Campaign Keeps Buses Rolling

32 ATU Activists Learn to Fight Back at U.S. Eastern Regional Conference

7 ATU JOINS THE OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTS

10 DONT X OUT PUBLIC TRANSIT

15 BATHROOM BREAKS

22 Jim Crow Poll Tax Revisited

www.atu.org

4 September/October 2011 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 5

LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

Occupy Yourself!

Bus drivers, mechanics, train operators and track workers across our two countries have been under siege for the last few years. Its been a struggle for longer than that, but as the economy declined, working people became the target.

In September, we reflected on the tenth anniversary of the murder of 3,000 people in my hometown. I was president of Local 726-Staten Island, NY, in 2001 and my members had to abandon buses under theWorldTrade Centerafter the attack.

Members of our New York local unions courageously evacuated both school children and adults. TWU members held trains in theCortlandt Streetstation under the towers to evacuate victims even as the buildings fell on them.

Friends of mine gave their lives saving New Yorkers that day. Among them was Firefighter Mike Boyle, the son of Firefighters Union President Jimmy Boyle. Both were my friends. Mike was 37 years old when he died in Tower 1. He was off duty when the alarm rang but made it intoManhattanright on time to give his life doing the job of a public sector worker.

Who Could Have Guessed?

Who could have guessed that on the tenth anniversary of their deaths, we would be in drawn out battles all over the U.S. and Canada with spineless politicians who have made firefighters, cops, teachers and bus drivers enemies of the people? But they have!

And beginning this September youngAmericans, joined by young adults from all over the world started camping out a block from Ground Zero to tell the bankers and brokers that the realpeople the 99% can see through the thick political smoke created by them the 1%.

Cornerstones of ATU 2011 Training

Throughout 2011 ATU has been running classes for

our local union leaders first, explaining the growing gap between the rich and poor. Second, we have emphasized that we cannot solve the problems we face without broad coalitions.

Since 1973, workers on average in theU.S.have not gotten any real (after inflation) wage increases. In that time the compensation for the CEOs and others at the top has skyrocketed.

Pensions of workers have been wiped out by greedy corporations. Greyhound is but one example. And we have told that story well in our trainings-especially the fact that the richest 1% control more wealth and pay less taxes than ever.

Who Caused the Recession?

What is so important about the Occupy Wall Street movement is that young people clearly understand who caused this recession and that it was not us. The many conflicts you as members are in will not be fully resolved at any bargaining table.

Behind every tough negotiation today are the bankers and financial manipulators who have crashed the world economy and decimated the middle class. They want us to pay for their Wall Street gambling with lower wages, fewer pensions and less health care.

The generation now coming of age, our children, have been cheated out of their futures. This must be reversed and the young people who are occupying Wall Street and everywhere else understand why.

Together with them we must figure out how? I urge every member to get involved and find an Occupy event in your area athttp://www.meetup.com/occupytogether/. Lets get busy occupying ourselves.


BOB BAKER, INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Be Ready Dont Get Left at the Starting Gate

As I sit in my office and look at all the requests for assistance by local unions in so many states and provinces, it is very clear to me that we cannot afford to be unprepared for what is coming our way in the United States and Canada. We are facing the most brutal enemies I have seen in my whole career as a labor leader.

We have just had crucial elections in the province of Ontario. In Toronto and now other areas we are being targeted as essential services which is a politicians way of destroying our collective bargaining rights by taking away our right to strike.

Just Be Glad Youve Got a Job

They will make the playing field so unlevel that we will be constantly fighting an uphill battle, just trying to hang on to what we have worked for all our lives. Management will be freed from the requirement to negotiate with their employees. They will mandate new rules and legislate new laws, and tell our members, Just be glad youve got a job.

In the United States and especially in Ohio right now, the governor had legislation passed in the middle of the night, using sneaky and almost illegal tactics to take away collective bargaining rights for all public employees. All the unions came together and got over 1.4 million signatures from 44 counties in Ohio to put the law on hold and place the measure on the November ballot. Now we have to defeat the law to keep our collective bargaining rights in Ohio.

This is an all out assault on organized labor in both countries and, indeed, all over Europe, and if they win we will lose everything. Our local officers are well aware of these terrible tactics and are working diligently to fight off these vicious attacks, but they cannot do it alone.

Dont Get Left at the Starting Gate!

This involves YOU and your family! Your officers need you, your family and your friends to do all you can. Make calls, pass out leaflets, visit work sites, talk to neighbors and passengers about supporting working families simply because it is the right thing to do.

These are not political issues, if you lose your collective bargaining rights Democrats, Republicans, and Independents will lose their bargaining rights in the United States. Conservatives, New Democrats and Liberals will lose their rights in Canada. It doesnt matter what your party affiliation is, EVERYONE will be affected.

Obviously, we literally cannot afford to be left at the starting gate. The enemies of organized labor are counting on you not paying attention. We have to act now because the attacks are happening now!

At the International Union we know that our members will fight the good fight, and you can rest assured we will be there with you every step of the way.

In Solidarity,

Bob Baker


OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER

Civilization in the Balance

The U.S. Census Bureau reported in September that the number of Americans living below the poverty line last year increased to its highest level in over 10 years. Fully one-in-six U.S. citizens now dont earn enough to take care of their basic needs.

It will come as no surprise that many of the nations poor are the newly unemployed who have fallen out of the middle class, but many underpaid and underemployed people can be counted among the poor as well. Many work part time because thats the only work they can find. Others work fulltime, and still others work two or more jobs just to get by.

On average, the working poor work longer and harder than the middle and upper classes, but see very little improvement in their lives. They scratch out a meager existence, struggling daily to find food, a couch to crash on, or a clinic for healthcare.

Invisible

They are largely invisible to us, yet their discount labor makes it possible for us to afford many things we take for granted. They subsidize our restaurant meals, nursing home care, even interstate bus trips, and more.

Those of us who have good jobs would like to pretend this has no effect on us. But we know thats not true.

Every time an employer pays someone less than whats fair it exerts just a bit more downward pressure on the wages we earn.

Every time someone is worked to the limits of human endurance without benefit of healthcare, it becomes that much more likely that well work longer hours and have less healthcare ourselves.

Every time human dignity is compromised we are all just that much more demeaned.

If civilizations are judged by how they treat the most vulnerable members of society, then it is not an exaggeration to say that Americans stand at a crossroads in the history of the republic.

History will be the judge.


ATU JOINS THE OCCUPY WALL STREET, HANLEY URGES MEMBERS TO JOIN

LOCAL OCCUPY PROTESTS

99%STRONG

A new progressive grassroots movement, Occupy Wall Street, protesting the plundering of our economies by the richest one percent of their citizens, has been gaining momentum and headlines across the continent. International President Larry Hanley joined thousands of mostly young protesters at a massive rally in New York City, October 5, where Occupy Wall Street took root.

National Greyhound Local President Bruce Hamilton, 1700; Local President Angelo Tanzi, 726-Staten Island, NY; Local President Michael Cordiello, 1181-New York, NY; and many other ATU members also participated in the protest which brought together a diverse crowd demanding that the richest one percent stop robbing the wealth of the dwindling middle class.

ATU was among the earliest national unions to endorse the Occupy movement. This issue of the growing gap between the rich and the poor and the importance of building coalitions to win this fight have been the cornerstone of ATUs trainings this year.

As the Occupy movement continues to ramp up, ATU locals in the U.S. and Canada will participate in similar Occupy activities across their countries. International

President Hanley is urging all ATU members to support and join any Occupy protests in their area.

The Occupation of Wall Street

In a live interview on MSNBCs Ed Show during the October 5 Wall Street protest, Hanley asserted, I think that [young people have] come here and theyve stood up, and that theyre ready to sacrifice and be out here tells us that they know just how deep the problems are in America and they understand that the rich have made it happen.

In the same interview, when asked what union involvement would mean to the Occupy movement, Hamilton countered, unions have always been in the fight. And were extremely happy to see that young people and others have come together and started this action.

Our Members Are Suffering

Hanley summed up the feelings of many in the Union, explaining, Our members are suffering all over the U.S.

8 September/October 2011 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 9IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 9

and Canada because the jobs they have are being stripped away. Their wages are being cut; their pensions are being taken away. Our members are struggling everyday and working hard, and these are their children. These are our children who are out here saying America must change. America must take care of its people.

See the entire Ed Show interview at: http://on.msnbc.com/qYXUI9

More Occupy Protests Expected in US and Canada

ATU locals as well as the International Union have been providing support to the movement through donations of food and other supplies, physically engaging in protests, and getting the message out to the public.

The New York occupation began in late September and has spread to cities and communities across the United States. On October 6, citizens demonstrated in an Occupy Freedom Plaza protest at that memorial in Washington, DC. Other Occupy protests have emerged in financial districts and Federal Reserve buildings in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, OR. Demonstrations are also expected in Baltimore, New Jersey and Canada.

The ATU applauds the Occupy activists across the U.S. for their courage and strength to expose the greed and corruption on Wall Street as the rest of America struggles to survive,Hanley said. These young people are speaking for the vast majority of Americans who are frustrated by the bankers and brokers who have profited on the backs of hard working people. Our union has been in the trenches of this battle for many years and we will be joining forces with this movement in this important fight.

99%

The actions advocated by the U.S. protestors are many and varied, but all are rallying on behalf of the 99% of Americans who have experienced decreases in their jobs, wages, and benefits, while the top one percent has stockpiled unprecedented wealth.

Under current tax law the wealthiest Americans pay less than the middle class. President Obama proposed changing that law in his deficit reduction proposal by including the

Buffett Rule, that would require wealthy citizens to pay at least the same percentage of their income in taxes as middle class citizens do.

Even Republican demigod Ronald Reagan acknowledged the wealthy must pay their fair share of taxes. In a 1985 speech the former president said tax loopholes allowing a millionaire to pay lower taxes than a bus driver were crazy. See the video at: http://www.atu.org/media/multimedia/video/reagan-no-loopholes-for-millionaires


There is no amount of sophisticated computer-based training that will teach drivers to keep their eyes open when they have been awake 100 hours that week warned International President Larry Hanley at the Department of Transportations 2011 National Motorcoach Safety Summit.

The summit brought together government officials, activists, experts and leaders in the field of transportation to identify the difficulties related to motorcoach safety and develop strategies to address these challenges.

Working Far Beyond Physical Limitations

Hanley spoke of the consequences of a deregulated motorcoach industry, such as driver fatigue, poor vehicle condition, and medical conditions of drivers which are the top three causes of fatal accidents in the industry. Deregulation makes it cheaper to keep drivers on the road longer, resulting in drivers working far beyond their physical limitations, putting the publics safety at risk.

He continued, The condition of our drivers is directly related to the fact that they do not have health coverage in many cases. You would be shocked to learn the number

of people who drive buses in large companies who do not have healthcare and the companies know it. Hanleys comments added a human element to the discussion, much of which focused on better crash prevention technology and motorcoach inspections.

New Smartphone App

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood addressed the audience and emphasized that safety is the Department of Transportations number one priority. He also unveiled a new smartphone app that allows consumers to look up the safety record of motorcoaches before booking a trip.

Asking for collaboration, he urged participants to share what you are doing, to share what youve learned, to pose tough questions to us and your colleagues, to listen to new ideas and to come up with some new ideas.

During the second half of the summit, attendees did just that, rolling up their sleeves and breaking into groups to discuss topics and strategies related to fatigue, enforcement, recruiting and retaining professionals, training, hours of service, and other issues that have an impact on motorcoach safety.

HANLEY TO DOT MOTORCOACH SUMMIT:

DEREGULATION HAS COMPROMISED SAFETY



Congress heard ATUs message loud and clear: Dont cut federal funding for public transit. ATU activists and their coalition partners worked hard to deliver that message during the Dont X- Out Public Transit National Day of Action on September 20.

While Congress did pass a six-month extension of the surface transportation authorization bill, which will authorize public transportation funding at current levels until March 2012, its really just kicking the can down the road. The Republican-led House of Representatives threatened to cut more than one-third of federal funding for public transportation. This would result in service cutbacks, service delays and overcrowding, as systems will be forced to reduce service, lay-off workers and forego maintenance projects and curtail critical service improvements.

ATU was joined by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and other transit advocates at Dont X-Out Public Transit Day of Action rallies held across the country. It was the Unions first truly national campaign, and it attracted major media attention across the country.

As a result of these demonstrations House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair John Mica, R-FL, has backed off his proposal to cut 30% of federal transportation funding.

Our members came out in force across the country, said ATU President Larry Hanley, These demonstrations reflected the frustration and anxiety felt by regular people facing the loss of the transportation they rely on every day. It is disingenuous for public officials to claim they are against raising taxes while they are raising transit fares all over the country. At the very same time they are cutting bus and train service.

What follows is a sampling of pictures taken at some of the events that took place nationwide:

ATU, COALITION TELL CONGRESS:

IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 1110 September/October 2011 | IN TRANSIT


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ALBANY

CDTA CEO Carm Basile takes the podium at a rally to protest federal cuts in transportation aid

at CDTA headquarters in Albany, NY.

CHICAGO

Local 308 President Bob Kelly is flanked by ATU members at the rally at Union Station

in Chicago, IL.

CLEVELAND

Cleveland Local 268 President William Nix, left, and RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese work

together to paint a big red X on a bus.

LOS ANGELES

Both English and Spanish speaking Angelinos show their support at the Dont X-Out Public Transit National Day of Action.

NEW

YORK

Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelson addresses members and transit advocates

outside of City Hall in New York, NY.

PHILADELPHIA

Members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 (TWU) show their support for Dont X-Out Public

Transit Day in Philadelphia, PA.

PROVIDENCE

Supporters of public transportation gathered at Kennedy Plaza in Providence, RI,

in front of City Hall

STATEN ISLAND

Local 726 members held their rally at the Eltingville Transit Center in Staten Island, NY.

WASHINGTON, DC

APTA staff in Washington, DC wear red to support Dont X-Out Public Transit Day.



With nationwide unemployment standing at about 9% and showing no signs of falling any time soon, President Obama in September unveiled two bold initiatives to put Americans back to work and set the U.S. economy on the right path.

In a major speech to the U.S. Congress, the president called for passage of The American Jobs Act (AJA), his $447 billion plan which provides $60 billion overall in transportation investments, including $9 billion for public transportation. As called for by ATU, the bill would allow 10% of transit formula funds to be used for operating assistance, permitting transit systems to spend such funds on service restoration in addition to buses and trains.

The presidents proposal recognizes that transit investments are highly effective job creators. A manufacturer in Lincoln, NE, for example, builds cars for the New York City subway system. So a public transportation investment in the East creates employment in the Midwest.

A study of data from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which pumped $20 billion into transportation projects, showed that money invested in

public transit created twice as many jobs as did highway investments.

Republicans on Capitol Hill have slammed the plan, calling it another stimulus bill that will not work.

Millionaires Must Pay Fair Share

Just days after pushing for the AJA, the president proposed a significant deficit reduction plan which would require wealthy Americans to pay their fair share of taxes. Known as the Buffett Rule, it stipulates that people who make more than $1 million a year should pay at least the same percentage of taxes as middle-class Americans.

ATU International President Larry Hanley joined with several other union presidents in praising the plan in an effort to push the GOP.

The presidents deficit reduction plan is the first real proposal that will bring our deficit under control and provide any benefit for working Americans and their families. This plan sets America on the road to real economic recovery, Hanley said.

President Obama:

Invest in Transit Tax the Rich



New State Legislative Homepage Unveiled

ATU recently launched a state of the art U.S. state legislative tracking system that provides members with up-to-the-minute access to bills and news affecting transit and school bus workers. Whether it is a privatization bill in Pennsylvania, a measure increasing penalties for assaulting transit and school bus employees in Michigan, or an effort to slash transit spending in Minnesota, you will now find it all at www.atu.org Just look under the Action Center tab and click on Legislation. There you will find all the latest information on legislation that has a direct impact on you and your family. Federal and Canadian legislation is also included.

This site is the latest effort by ATU to keep you informed about important proposals good or bad so that local divisions and state legislative conference boards can take appropriate action with help from the international office. Management knows what is going on in your state capital, and so should you.

If you have any questions about this information, please contact the Government Affairs Department at the international headquarters.

Surface Transportation Bill Extended for Six Months

In August, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives pushed for language in an aviation spending bill that would make it harder for airline workers to vote for a union. Democrats in the Senate objected to the language, and lawmakers were unable to resolve their differences before laws governing the Federal Aviation Administration expired, resulting in a shut down of transportation projects at airports across the U.S. which lasted for several days. Some feared that when public transportation laws expired September 30, the same thing would happen.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and the law known as SAFETEA-LU was once again extended for another six months. The bill, which provides funding for transit systems at current levels with no policy changes, runs through March 31, 2012. The federal transit program has been running on a series on short-term extensions over the past two years. The chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, John Mica, R-FL, says that he will not agree to any more extensions. Mica has backed off pushing a bill that would cut transit by 30% over the next six years but is encouraging privatization.

Now Congress must turn its attention to developing a long-term transportation authorization proposal that will create jobs and ensure Americans have access to safe, reliable public transportation, said Hanley.



Contempt for courts and the law has now become a part of many transit agencies collective bargaining toolkit.

Transit properties are increasingly employing a delay and litigate strategy designed to wear out or bankrupt local unions trying to negotiate a new contract. The process usually starts with unreasonable delays, spurious arguments, or an outright refusal to bargain, which forces the local to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

At some point the current agreement expires, putting members in the vulnerable position of working without a contract. Meanwhile, management is perfectly willing to be taken to court for its open defiance of the law, knowing full well that time, money, and often, public opinion is on its side.

An August 16 decision by the U.S. eleventh circuit court of appeals against Palm Beach Metro Transportation in Florida provides a perfect example of how these insidious tactics are deployed:

November 21, 2008: The eleventh circuit enforces a NLRB judgment requiring Palm Beach Metro to negotiate with Local 1577 as the exclusive representative of its employees.

January 26, 2010: The NLRB petitions the court to hold Palm Beach Metro in contempt because of the propertys 25-day delay in adding its signature to a confidentiality agreement it required of the local, and its failure to provide the documents necessary for the local to knowledgeably negotiate with the agency. The court refers the case to a special master who finds the agency in civil contempt.

August 16, 2011: The court grants the NLRBs motion holding Palm Beach in contempt, and orders the city to comply with the courts November 21, 2008 judgment and not in any way, causing, inducing, encouraging, permitting or condoning through action or inaction any violation of that judgment. Among other things the court also requires the posting and mailing of a notice of the decision to all former and current Palm Beach employees, and imposes significant fines on the agency for any violation of the courts orders.

It would seem that Local 1577 has won, yet it should be noted that this victory comes almost three years after the local filed its complaint with the NLRB, and that negotiations have not yet begun. What happens now bears watching. In Transit will keep you informed.

Court Holds Palm Beach in Contempt in ATU NLRB DecisionOrders penalties for refusing to comply with judgment



Debbie Barnes has been driving a bus in Washington, DC for eight years and enjoys nearly every aspect of it, most particularly meeting and greeting her passengers. She picks a different route every day, driving through every neighborhood in what she describes as a beautiful city.

The word nearly is used because, like many drivers, especially women, the dreaded topic of bathroom breaks just keeps coming up over and over again.

As ATU members know full well, it is a problem that seems to be intractable, but with enlightened and compassionate management it really is not. A member of Local 689, Barnes says its not so bad when you have a one-hour trip with restrooms at the end of the line unless those restrooms, like one she knows about, are too filthy to even think about using.

The homeless people use it as a place to live, she said, And there is no one around to clean it on a regular basis.

Barnes also said there are bus lines that have rest rooms at one end of the line but not the other.

Bathroom issues vary from state to state. In New York, the transit agency contracts with stores to allow drivers (represented by ATU) to use the facilities. But in some

cases, the drivers must deal with irate passengers who are not sympathetic to the needs of their bus driver and probably dont give a second thought to the health issues associated with holding it.

In Phoenix, the city administration locked the public restrooms that drivers once used and even those left a lot to be desired in terms of cleanliness.

I think the bathroom break problem persists because of our natural discomfort with talking about the issue, says International President Larry Hanley. We need to be more aggressive in making sure that clean rest rooms and sufficient time to use them are negotiated into our contracts, and that those provisions are enforced. Its an important health and safety issue that really should be regarded as a human right.

Recalling one of his first days of training as a driver at age 21 in New York City (Brooklyn), Hanley says bathroom breaks has been a long standing problem in the industry. I was at the end of my route and the guy training me said pull over because he needed to use the bathroom. He proceeded to walk to the back door and relieve himself outside, Hanley said. I was pretty shocked, but he said thats your bathroom break.

BathroomBreaks



Ed Watt, the director of Safety and Health for the Transport Workers Union of America, blames management for tightening up the schedules, allegedly to save money.

There used to be enough time for a bathroom break, Watt said, but now if you are running late (a decades-old issue in Manhattan, where buses get stuck in the middle of traffic of one million other vehicles per day) there is not enough time built in to the schedules, leaving drivers to fend for themselves with their ingenuity.

Dr. June Fisher, an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California (San Francisco), has studied the effects of transit work on the body and mind. Inadequate rest room time causes prostate problems, kidney failure and dehydration because drivers are afraid to drink too much liquid.

There is no doubt that there are serious health issues here, Fisher said. It shouldnt be that difficult to fix, adding that transit workers are already at high risk for cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.

In addition to the stress of ensuring public safety, meeting schedules, dealing with unruly passengers or fare beaters, the weather and traffic congestion, worrying about where and when you will be able to relieve yourself adds to the stress.

There are those who accept the health risks simply as the price drivers and their families pay in their line of work, but it is a huge price, indeed.

One model for civilized breaks can be found on the subways in New York. Some transit workers have keys to bathrooms at each station (bathrooms that were once open to the public for a fee of five cents). That takes care of trackwalkers, maintenance workers and token booth clerks, but it leaves out the engineer and conductor, some of whom can be in the train for up to 90 minutes.

One subway conductor, when asked about how he deals with the problem, just smiled and said, Use your imagination. They give us break time in the schedule but it means nothing if your train is late for a lot of reasons beyond your control.

As ATU grievance officers know, just because a clause (bathroom breaks or otherwise) is in the contract, doesnt mean the employer will adhere to it.

The point is that transit employees should not have to resort to using their imaginations to deal with an issue that costs them their good health. And the insurance costs resulting from insufficient bathroom breaks will ultimately cost transit agencies far more than simply providing operators the time any human being needs for this.

The time has come to address the issue more aggressively.

Local 192-Oakland, CA, won an important victory in September on the bathroom break issue. See article on page 29.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Attacks Bathroom Breaks

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his new Chicago Transit Authority head Forrest Claypool are taking aim at bathroom breaks in the Windy City claiming 20 minutes is too much time for bus drivers and other CTA workers to use the bathroom. If Emanuel and Claypool would leave their ivory tower to see what a real station looks like they would learn that over 50% of the stations dont have working bathrooms.

This is a blatant violation of state wage and hour laws, said Local 308 President Robert Kelly. Emanuel and Claypool do not want to treat his workers as human beings who need a bathroom break of a few minutes per day, and apparently think it is fair to dock an employees pay for going to the bathroom.

I find it incredible that Rahm Emanuel, who personally made $18 million in two years trading his influence in the industry that has brought our nation to financial collapse is now saying that people who work on the tracks and in buses and subways should not be allowed to go the bathroom, said International President Larry Hanley. Does Rahm take himself off the clock when he uses the urinal or is he just using bus drivers and train workers as urinals?

16 September/October 2011 | IN TRANSIT


Canadian Agenda

A rising appearance of assaults against transit employees has been an industry issue for some time. The need to do more to protect our employees is apparent to all involved in the public transit industry management and union alike.

The severity of some of the incidents has resulted in significant public and political attention, with a letter-writing campaign to the Federal Minister of Justice and the introduction of a Conservative Private Members Bill in the House of Commons calling for changes to the Criminal Code with more appropriate protection for transit employees.

Aggravating Circumstances

The Bill proposes an amendment to the Criminal Code requiring that, if a person is convicted of an offence under this section, the court imposing the sentence on the person shall consider as an aggravating circumstance the fact that the victim of the offence is a public transit operator engaged in the performance of their duty at the time the offence was committed.

CUTA supports this initiative and urges its transit system members to encourage their local councils to advocate with Members of Parliament in support of this action, and is committed to work in concert with the Amalgamated Transit Union in developing a strategic approach to this issue.

CUTA is also committed to supporting its members with training that equips employees with skills to handle difficult situations and defuse potentially dangerous situations, as part of its Transit Ambassador initiative. Indeed, it is

critical that each customer encounter be approached with the interests of the passenger in mind, but also without endangering the transit employee.

Front Line Employees Have Challenging Task

Public transits front line employees have a challenging task. They operate heavy vehicles in difficult traffic conditions, they are responsible for collecting fares, maintaining a schedule and working as a team to ensure the entire system functions smoothly. They face unpredictable weather conditions, work in safety sensitive positions and have full responsibility for the safety of their passengers.

Statistics collected over the past four years suggest that, from 2007 to 2010, an average of about 1,800 incidents of assaults on transit employees per year were reported from responding systems. Of these, 23 were incidents of aggravated assault, which involves grievous harm to the victim usually requiring hospitalization, and over 10 percent of incidents involved weapons, robbery, caused bodily harm or were sexual in nature.

Furthermore, based on anecdotal evidence and previous analysis, it is likely that many incidents go unreported.

Some will say that these numbers are insignificant. Not to the individuals who have been assaulted and not to their friends and families. In this context, there is no acceptable level of violence against transit employees and all reasonable measures must be pursued to protect our staff.

Violence Against Transit Employees Only Zero Tolerance Will Do

by Michael Roschlau, President and CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Association


The lives of ATU paratransit drivers and their passengers are at risk in the United States and Canada due to the increase in the number of hours those operators are being required to work.

ATU paratransit operators in the Washington metropolitan area are fighting back. On August 29, members of Local 1764-Washington, DC, picketed outside the headquarters of Metro Access the areas paratransit provider protesting a decision by MV Transportation (Metro Access private management contractor) to put a new schedule into place that will force drivers to work 13 hours per day.

Federal law limits the number of hours that commercial vehicle operators may drive in a given time period, and the rules apply to vehicles based on weight and the number of

seats inside. The federal law applies to the areas paratransit vehicles which cross states lines.

Circumventing the Rules

In an effort to circumvent the hours of service rules which were designed to address driver fatigue MV acquired more than 100 new vehicles with less than eight seats and recently pulled seats out of 13 vans.

MVs public explanation that the seats were removed in order to accommodate customers who use larger wheelchairs is simply ridiculous as such action was taken on the heels of Local 1764 informing the company that its plan to go to a 13-hour day was a violation of federal law.

Since then, more than a dozen drivers have said they usually work 16 and even 24 hour shifts, depriving themselves of sleep.

In some cases, drivers have said theyre so fatigued and sick they need to go home, says Local 1764 President Wayne Baker. But if they leave early theyll incur points against their records. Its a no-win situation.

This is a growing problem impacting the safety and security of the country, asserts International President Larry Hanley. Paratransit riders deserve at least the peace of mind of not having to worry that their driver might fall asleep at the wheel.

DC Members Picket Paratransit ProviderLocal protests MV Transportations dangerous, new 13-hour schedule

Protesting, among other things, a decision endangering the lives of their elderly and disabled passengers, members of

Local 1764-Washington, DC, picketed MV Transportation the company that manages Metro Access paratransit service in

the Washington area on August 29. The protest took place in front of Metro Access headquarters in Hyattsville, MD.


Failing to Invest in Transportation Will Cause Job Losses, Shrink Household Incomes

Another reason why we need to invest in mass transit: The nations deteriorating surface transportation infrastructure will cost the American economy more than 876,000 jobs, and suppress the growth of the countrys Gross Domestic Product by $897 billionby 2020, according to a new report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers: http://www.asce.org/economicstudy/

The report showed that in 2010, deficiencies in Americas roads, bridges, and transit systems cost American households and businesses roughly $130 billion, including approximately $97 billion in vehicle operating costs, $32 billion in delays in travel time, $1.2 billion in safety costs, and $590 million in environmental costs.

Clearly, failing to invest in our roads, bridges and transit systems has a dramatic negative impact on Americas economy, said Kathy J. Caldwell, P.E., F.ASCE, president

of ASCE. This report is a wake-up call for policymakers because it shows that investing in infrastructure contributes to creating jobs, while failing to do so hurts main street America.

Modest investment needed

The report estimates that in order to bring the nations surface transportation infrastructure up to tolerable levels, policymakers would need to invest approximately $1.7 trillion between now and 2020 in the nations highways and transit systems. The U.S. is currently on track to spend a portion of that - $877 billion - during the same timeframe. The infrastructure funding gap equals $846 billion over nine years or $94 billion per year.


ATU is on the ground in Michigan, working hard to repeal Public Act 4 the Emergency Financial Manager Act, which was enacted March 16. The legislation authorizes the governor to appoint emergency managers who have sweeping powers to take over a municipal government and, among other things, dismiss elected city and town councils, break contracts, eliminate collective bargaining, and close vital public services without so much as a public hearing.

The ATU was part of Michigan labors united effort which gathered enough petition signatures to temporarily suspend the law until a referendum is held in November 2012.

Meeting with the International President

In June, International President Larry Hanley met with Michigans eight local presidents to talk about the statewide battle against the legislation. The Union subsequently sent representatives to educate members about the petition campaign.

Over the past few months, our locals in Michigan have organized and attended numerous events around the state, including community canvasses, and volunteer days to verify petition signatures.


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 TransitWebis a FREE program for all local unions, the full cost is covered by ATU International.

FLEXIBILITY TransitWebhas been developed for ATU local unions. Well help you make your website fit your needs.

To get your website up and running today contact: [email protected].

Helping ATU Locals Harness the Power of the Internet for FREE

ATU Fighting for Labor in Michigan


ATU members and Veolia Transportation Services continue to clash as the ATU launches a nationwide campaign to expose Veolias unjust employment practices across the country.

Pensacola Stages One Day Strike

In Pensacola, FL, ATU Local 1395 members staged a one-day strike accusing Veolia of mistreatment of employees. The 70 bus drivers resumed their routes after a tentative back to work agreement was approved. Negotiations resumed, but President Mike Lowery is not optimistic a deal can be reached quickly.

Phoenix ATU Local 1433, Veolia Not Interested in Our Proposal

Phoenix, AZ bus drivers have also been victims of Veolias exploitation. In late August members overwhelmingly rejected Veolia Transportation Services best and final contract offer. The two sides went back to the table in

September, but the management said it intended to impose the rejected contract on its employees.

A strike appears to be inevitable, said Local 1433 President Bob Bean. For the entire year the union has been trying to avoid a strike, but Veolias actions seem to be pushing for a strike.

There seems to be little desire on the part of Veolia to resolve issues concerning wages and benefits, health insurance or sick leave. Meanwhile, the salary of Veolias general manager in Phoenix was recently increased from $134,000 to $180,000. He also gets a $15,000 bonus, a free apartment, and plane tickets every other weekend to fly home to Las Vegas.

The local has filed numerous charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for bad faith and regressive bargaining. The NLRB agreed with ATU and issued a complaint against Veolia. The ATU believes the new nationwide campaign will consolidate support and help strengthen the fight against Veolia and its dubious business ethics.

Turning Up the Heat on Veolia in Pensacola and Phoenix



Calling state voter ID efforts moves reminiscent of the days of Jim Crow segregation and poll taxes in the South, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker says the federation is lobbying the Obama administration vigorously to battle such moves.

And it also plans to educate its members, other workers and the wider electorate in how to overcome efforts to suppress the right to vote, she adds.

Were making everyone among our allies aware so these Jim Crow tactics and this modern poll tax will not deter people from voting, Holt Baker declares.And the fed is constantly reminding the Obama administrations Justice Department of the disparate impact of the states anti-voter moves on minorities, students, women and the disabled.

Efforts to adopt restrictive voting legislation have been part of a coordinated partisan campaign across the country to attack democracy. The proponents of voter ID and other restrictive legislation, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the conservative organization linked to corporate and right-wing donors including the billionaire Koch brothers, also have introduced companion legislation that attacks the rights of workers and collective bargaining.

Theyre going after the communities that support the progressive agenda, Holt Baker said of the Koch brothers, ALEC and other players in the Radical Right cabal. They cant rule unless they ruin.

JIM CROWPoll Tax Revisited AFL-CIO Speaks Out Against Voter Suppression



1 IN 6 AMERICANS REPORTED

BELOWMedian household income in the U.S. the point where half of all households are above it and half below dropped by $1,154 from 2009 to 2010, to $49,445, the Census Bureau reported. Some 2.6 million more people slid into poverty last year. Poverty now includes 15% of households and 46.2 million people.

The gloomy figures are not just the result of the Great Recession, according to ATU President Larry Hanley. He pointed out real median income last year is lower than it was in 1997, and said that shows the GOP experiment with Right Wing policies that favor the wealthy has failed the country.

Whats just as bad, he warned, is that the Republican presidential hopefuls showed in their debates so far that they want to return to that same policy pattern.

Unprecedented Stagnation

Our members and families across this nation are no better off than they were 14 years ago. This is an unprecedented stagnation, all at a time when we are

seeing productivity growth, tech-nological innovation and rapid global economic integration, Hanley said.

Hanley pointed out that Americans have been told that if taxes were lowered on the rich and rules and regulations were dismantled more and better jobs would be created.

As economic inequality widens and corporate CEO pay continues to skyrocket we have become a nation of two classes the small cadre of the super rich and the rest of us, bus

drivers, restaurant workers, telecom workers, firefighters, working families who have been victims of and taken the blame for this recession

More without Health Care

The data show increasing strain on workers and families as the recession hit. The number of people without privately paid health insurance rose by 919,000, to 49.4 million, and one of every six people does not have health care coverage.

POVERTY LINE IN

2010


24 September/October 2011 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 25IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 25

A packed house recently crowded the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center to watch Local 689 members perform a broad selection of rhythm and blues, in Washington, DC. Monic Morgan, Angela Gordon, Marilyn Ashford-Brown, and Barbara Green rocked the house to the immense enjoyment of their local fans.

The Metro Divas, as they are called, are a musical act formed by MetroArts, the agencys Art in Transit program. They were backed by the Mass Transit Band, a group of Local 689 performers who work for the transit authority.

The performance was a welcome respite for Local 689 members who have endured an unusually high number of deadly accidents of brothers and sisters on the job over the last several years.

If the enthusiastic response the Metro Divas received is any indication, DC will be seeing a lot more of these four ladies in the future.

WASHINGTON, DC

METRODIVAS PERFORM AT KENNEDY CENTER

IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 25IN TRANSIT | September/October 2011 25

International Representative Gary Maurer passed away on June 1, 2010. Gary never sat out a fight. He fought throughout his adult life against injustices everywhere.

Maurer, a product of a Jewish family in the Bronx, spent much of his life in the South. Married to an African-American woman, he moved to Lafayette, LA, he said, when every gas station in Louisiana had three bathrooms.

Whether it was fighting against racism in the bus terminals or for workers to have a union, Gary prided himself on the fact that, I never sold out a member. He was a down-to-earth, courageous organizer. Unafraid of rotten bosses, he was known for his ability to always find a way around obstacles thrown up by employers trying to fight the union.

He helped negotiate the toughest contracts. When Gary passed away in June 2010, his local, Local 1700, said of him: Gary was known for his high-spirited, in-your-face style of organizing. Over the years, he earned the hatred of many bosses and won the gratitude of workers across North America. He proved that rank and file union members can make an enormous contribution to the cause of working people.

In a time like this, the ATU could sure use more like Gary. We hope the recipients of this years scholarships, named in his honor, will use them in part to study union and community organizing, and grow to fight injustices everywhere.

This year, the program will consist of five scholarships each in the amount of $5,000. In addition, a $2,000 scholarship may be awarded to a vocational school applicant. The online application can be found at www.atu.org.

The Amalgamated Transit Union2011-2012 Scholarship Competition

In Memory of Gary Mauer

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Six Outstanding Students Awarded 2010-2011 ATU Scholarships

ELLEN DINGEllen Ding, daughter of Hai Ding, 113-Toronto, ON, graduated seventh in her class from Bur Oak Secondary School in Markham, ON. She plans to study Political Science and to have a career as a History teacher and member of a socially active union. Her activities in high school included service vice-chair of the Markham Youth Council, an organization that provides shelter for abused women and children. She found that she was enthusiastic and optimistic about building the lives of damaged victims while empowering them to live life violence-free.

ERIN GRACEFFAErin Graceffa, the daughter of Anthony Graceffa, 589-Boston, MA, graduated with honors from Pembroke High School in Penbroke, MA, with a 4.45 GPA. A first generation American, Erin is

planning a career in Engineering, which she says will allow her to further her interest in science while leaving a positive impact on society. Her favorite activity involved her work with the organization, Best

Buddies, a program which brings together people with and without disabilities which she calls her most rewarding experience during high school.

LISA MASSARONILisa Massaroni, the daughter of Diane Massaroni, 1547-Brockton, MA, graduated with a 4.94 GPA from Brockton High School, and plans to study Biomedical Engineering to prepare for a career as a research scientist. In the summer of 2010, Lisa performed a six-week internship at the Broad Institute, a biomedical research lab in Cambridge. Ive come to love the side of science that involves research, she says, particularly in the medical field. I hope to someday be able to use my love for science to do work that will benefit mankind.

JEREMY CORKUMJeremy Corkum, the son of Daniel Williams, 508-Halifax, NS, is a graduate of Eastern Shore District High School in Musuodoboit, NS, and is studying to become an auto technician. Jeremy would like to focus on specializing in a specific type of vehicle and/or specialize in a certain component of the vehicle (i.e: transmission, heavy equipment) To achieve this goal, I realize it will be necessary for me to continuously upgrade my skills and knowledge to be successful in competing in an era of ever-changing technology.

KAMIL KUFLEWSKIKamil Kuflewski, the son of Mariusz Kuflewski, 726-Staten Island, NY, graduated from Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island with a GPA of 103%, and plans to study Chemistry with an eye toward a career in healthcare. Kamil was also a member of the Muscular Dystropy Association, and the National Honor Society. His most rewarding activity, however, was his service as a volunteer at Lutheran Medical Center where he had the opportunity to observe how pathologists work and learn a thing or two about human anatomy.

KIM MATTHEWKim Matthew, the son of Ko Hong Kim, 1056-Flushing, NY, graduated in the top 10% of his class from Stuyvesant High School in New York, NY. He plans a career teaching History. Kim scored a perfect 800 on both the math and reading portions of his SAT. Kim particularly enjoyed his advanced placement U.S. history course. Kim performs with his church band, and volunteers on its servant group. The honor student has also served as a missionary in Haiti, bringing food and water to children along with the churchs spiritual message.


Ocupe usted tambin!

Los conductores de autobuses, mecnicos, operadores de trenes y trabajadores de las vas de nuestros dos pases han estado bajo sitio durante los ltimos aos. Ha sido una lucha por ms tiempo, pero a medida que la economa declinaba, los trabajadores se convirtieron en el blanco.

En septiembre, reflexionamos sobre el dcimo aniversario de la muerte de 3.000 personas en mi ciudad natal. Yo era el presidente del Local 726-Staten Island, NY, en 2001, y mis miembros tuvieron que abandonar los autobuses en el World Trade Center tras el ataque.

Los miembros de los sindicatos locales de nuestra Nueva York evacuaron con valenta a los nios en edad escolar y a los adultos. Los miembros de TWU detuvieron a los trenes en la estacin de Cortlandt Street bajo las torres para evacuar a las vctimas, incluso mientras los edificios caan sobre ellos.

Algunos de mis amigos dieron su vida para salvar a neoyorquinos ese da. Entre ellos estaba el bombero Mike Boyle, hijo del presidente de la Unin de Bomberos Jimmy Boyle. Ambos eran mis amigos. Mike tena 37 aos cuando muri en la Torre 1. Estaba fuera de servicio cuando la alarma son, pero se dirigi a Manhattan justo a tiempo para dar su vida haciendo la tarea de un trabajador del sector pblico.

Quin podra haberlo sabido?

Quin podra haber imaginado que en el dcimo aniversario de sus muertes, estaramos en batallas agotadoras en todos los EE.UU. y Canad con polticos sin agallas que han convertido a los Bomberos, Policas, Maestros y Conductores de autobuses en enemigos del pueblo? Pero lo han hecho!

Y a partir de este septiembre los estadounidenses jvenes, acompaados por adultos jvenes de todo el mundo comenzaron a acampar a una cuadra de la Zona Cero para decirles a los banqueros y los corredores de bolsa que la gente real - el 99% - puede ver a travs del espeso humo poltico creado por ellos - el 1%.

Principios bsicos de la capacitacin ATU 2011

Durante el 2011 la ATU ha estado dando clases a nuestros lderes sindicales locales como primera medida, explicando la creciente brecha entre ricos y pobres. En segundo lugar, hemos hecho hincapi en que no podemos resolver los problemas que enfrentamos sin coaliciones amplias.

Desde 1973 los trabajadores promedio de los EE.UU. no han recibido ningn aumento salarial real (despus de la inflacin). En ese tiempo se ha disparado la remuneracin para los directores generales y de otros en los puestos superiores.

Las pensiones de los trabajadores han sido arrasadas por corporaciones codiciosas. Greyhound es slo un ejemplo. Y hemos contado esa historia bien en nuestros entrenamientos, especialmente el hecho de que el 1% ms rico controla ms riqueza y paga menos impuestos que nunca.

Quin caus la recesin?

Lo que verdaderamente importa sobre el movimiento Ocupar Wall Street es que los jvenes comprenden claramente quin caus esta recesin y que no fuimos nosotros. Los numerosos conflictos en que se encuentran ustedes como miembros no sern resueltos por completo en ninguna mesa de negociacin.

Detrs de cada negociacin difcil hoy en da se encuentran los banqueros y los manipuladores financieros que han arruinado la economa mundial y diezmaron a la clase media. Ellos quieren que paguemos por su juego en Wall Street con salarios ms bajos, menos pensiones y menos atencin mdica.

La generacin que ahora cumple la mayora de edad, nuestros nios, han sido privados de su futuro. Esto debe ser revertido y los jvenes que estn ocupando Wall Street hoy y en todas partes comprenden por qu.

Junto a ellos debemos averiguar - cmo? Insto a todos los miembros a participar y encontrar un evento Ocupar en su rea en http://www.meetup.com/occupytogether/. Vamos a ocuparnos de Ocupar.


Est preparado Que no lo dejen en la puerta de partida

Mientras estoy sentado en mi oficina y miro todas las solicitudes de asistencia de los sindicatos locales de ATU en tantos estados y provincias, es muy claro para m que no podemos darnos el lujo de no estar preparados para lo que se nos avecina en los Estados Unidos y Canad. Nos enfrentamos a los enemigos ms brutales que he visto en toda mi carrera como dirigente sindical.

Se aproximan unas elecciones cruciales en la provincia de Ontario. En Toronto y en otras reas ahora estamos en la mira como servicios esenciales, que es la forma de un poltico de destruir nuestros derechos de negociacin colectiva mediante la eliminacin de nuestro derecho a la huelga.

Sintase contento de tener un empleo

Ellos harn que el campo de juego est tan desparejo que vamos a estar constantemente luchando una batalla cuesta arriba, tratando de aferrarnos a todo eso por lo que hemos trabajado durante toda nuestra vida. La gerencia ser liberada de la obligacin de negociar con sus empleados, exigir nuevas normas y legislar nuevas leyes, y le dir a nuestros miembros, Sintase contento de tener un empleo.

En los Estados Unidos y Ohio, especialmente en estos momentos, el gobernador ha aprobado una legislacin en la mitad de la noche, mediante el uso de tcticas astutas y casi ilegales para quitarle los derechos de negociacin colectiva a todos los empleados pblicos. Todos los sindicatos se reunieron y juntaron ms de 1.4 millones de firmas procedentes de 44 condados en Ohio para detener la ley y poner la medida en la balota de noviembre. Ahora tenemos que derrotar a la ley para mantener nuestros derechos de negociacin colectiva en Ohio.

Esto es un asalto total a la mano de obra organizada en ambos pases y, de hecho, en toda Europa, y si ganan vamos a perder todo. Nuestros funcionarios locales estn muy conscientes de estas tcticas terribles y estn trabajando diligentemente para luchar contra estos ataques violentos, pero no pueden hacerlo solos.

Que no te dejen en la puerta de partida!

Esto le concierne a USTED y a su familia! Sus funcionarios necesitan de usted, de su familia y de sus amigos para hacer todo lo que pueda. Haga llamadas, reparta folletos, visite los sitios de trabajo, hable con los vecinos y pasajeros sobre el apoyo a las familias trabajadoras, simplemente porque es lo que hay que hacer.

No se trata de cuestiones polticas, si usted pierde su derecho a la negociacin colectiva - demcratas, republicanos e independientes perdern sus derechos de negociacin en los Estados Unidos. Los conservadores, los nuevos demcratas y liberales perdern todos sus derechos en Canad. No importa cul sea su tendencia poltica TODOS se vern afectados!

Desde luego que literalmente no podemos permitirnos el lujo de quedarnos en la puerta de partida. Los enemigos de los sindicatos confan en que no estemos prestando atencin. Tenemos que actuar ahora, porque los ataques se estn produciendo ahora!

En la Unin Internacional sabemos que nuestros miembros darn una buena batalla, y puede estar seguro de que vamos a estar all con usted en cada paso del camino.

En solidaridad, Bob Baker

Civilizacin en la balanza

La Oficina de Censos de los EE.UU inform en septiembre que el nmero de estadounidenses que vive por debajo de la lnea de la pobreza, el ao pasado aument a su nivel ms alto en ms de 10 aos. Uno de cada seis ciudadanos de los EE.UU. ahora no gana lo suficiente como para cuidar de sus necesidades bsicas.

No es ninguna sorpresa que muchos de los pobres del pas



son los nuevos desempleados que han quedado fuera de la clase media, pero muchas personas insuficientemente remuneradas y con empleos deficientes se pueden contar entre los pobres tambin. Muchas trabajan a tiempo parcial porque es el nico trabajo que pueden encontrar. Otras trabajan a tiempo completo, y otras tienen dos o ms empleos slo para sobrevivir.

En promedio, los trabajadores pobres trabajan ms y ms duramente que las clases medias y altas, pero ven muy pocas mejoras en sus vidas. Tienen una existencia precaria, y luchan a diario para encontrar comida, una cama en donde dormir o una clnica para la atencin sanitaria.

Invisible

Son generalmente invisibles para nosotros, sin embargo, los descuentos de sus empleos hacen que para nosotros sea posible comprar muchas cosas que damos por sentado. Subvencionan nuestras comidas de restaurantes, atencin domiciliaria de enfermera, los viajes en autobuses interestatales y mucho ms.

Los que tenemos buenos trabajos nos encantara fingir que esto no tiene ningn efecto sobre nosotros. Pero sabemos que no es cierto.

Cada vez que un empleador paga a otra persona menos de lo que es justo ejerce un poco ms de presin descendente sobre los salarios que ganamos.

Cada vez que alguien es obligado a trabajar hasta los lmites de la resistencia humana sin beneficios de atencin sanitaria, se vuelve mucho ms probable que nosotros trabajemos ms horas y tengamos menos atencin sanitaria.

Cada vez que se ve comprometida la dignidad humana todos somos degradados en igual medida.

Si las civilizaciones son juzgadas por la manera en que tratan a los miembros ms vulnerables de la sociedad, entonces no es una exageracin decir que los estadounidenses se encuentran en una encrucijada en la historia de la repblica.

La historia ser el juez.

Arbitrator Rules in Favor of Oakland Local in Bathroom Break Dispute

Bathroom breaks became a major issue for Local 192-Oakland, CA, last year. Given the tight schedules that AC (Alameda County) Transit had forced on them, the drivers did not have sufficient time to use sanitary facilities, and when they got to them, the facilities were far from sanitary.

Drivers also said that even though time is built into the contract for rest breaks, there is not enough time to take them because, as anyone who has driven a bus through a metropolitan area knows, buses are often unavoidably late.

The local had to resort to the grievance route because management was in violation of a key part of the contract, which stated that proper rest breaks were essential to the health and safety of transit workers and essential to good service. The contract also called for the agency to provide suitable sanitary facilities for the drivers.

On September 15, 2010, an arbitrator ruled in the locals favor. But as union members know, bosses often seem to have no concept of what is suitable or sanitary. And so, as of July, the local and AC Transit were still talking about the condition of some of the bathrooms..



1- MEMBERS AT LARGEWILLIAM G BALLARDALBERTA ELERYINEZ HANCOCKELMER D HOLMESMARVIN C MC LEODJOE LEE MOOREOLLIE PATTERSONJOHN C SHELBYHOMER G WHITE

26- DETROIT, MIHAROLD W JOHNSONROBERT D MILLERSHERMAN L THOMAS

85- PITTSBURGH, PAJAMES L CONBOYCHARLES CRIVARODALE DABNEYALFRED R DOWNSALBERT S FITZELLIS W FOSTERROBERT P GOTTSCHALKEUGENE MILLERWILLIAM J OLARE IIRONALD F PASCOEBERNARD JAY RIGGSSTEPHEN C SUKALA

107- HAMILTON, ONRAM S BASANTIMELVIN A FOREMAN

113- TORONTO, ONDAVID ALVAREZ DEL CASTILLOFRED CHADWICKGUY GORDON INGRAMCLEMENTE IZZIDONALD H WILLIAM JOYDEAN MARRWILSON ROSENBERGALAN SCHWARTZJOHN S SVISTUNOSJACK WILLIAM TRAVISFERDINANDO ZAMBITO

192- OAKLAND, CAJACKIE ELDRID ANTHONYJOHN T RICHARD

241- CHICAGO, ILALFREDO E BARRIOSDAVID R BENSONDOROTHY Y BOBORUDY E BOFFROHAROLD BROWNOTIS L BROWNBOBBYE BYRDLESLIE L CLEMONSBOOKER T HENRYDENNIS C KOSTECKIJOSEPH KOVATZFLIM W MOOREJEFF MOOREJOHNNY L MOORESTEPHEN J MURRAYDOROTHY V NYCZAKTIMOTHY F OROURKEGWENDOLYN P POOLECELIA RINCONESARTHUR L SMITHJUANITA SOTORILEY J TUBBSWILLIE L WHITFIELDMICHELLE R WILLIAMS

LOUIS WILSON

265- SAN JOSE, CADONALD C MOFFATTJOHN M PORROVECCHIOALEX RODRIGUEZ

276- STOCKTON, CAEDWARD C BEARDFRANK REYES JR

279- OTTAWA, ONGASTON LARCHER

281- NEW HAVEN, CTGORDAN MADOREANDREW A MELILLO

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425- HARTFORD, CTELIZABETH CAMIREADELARD LESSARD

558- SHREVEPORT, LACHARLES EDWARD KEMPERCORRINE WILLIAMS LLOYDCLARENCE E THOMAS

568- ERIE, PAHAROLD J EICKLEY

569- EDMONTON, ABBRYAN W CHIBAMIKE GEORGE DRONYKJOSEPH J MANZEVICHFLOYD C STELTER

580- SYRACUSE, NYCHARLES D PAGEISIAH WILLIS

587- SEATTLE, WAALAN S BAKERERROL C BOWSERRONALD C BRIGGSTHOMAS CECILDARLENE M COLLYERDAVID R GRONLUNDRAY ROBERTSNEDDY K SATARAKAJAMES B STEVENSON

588- REGINA, SKWILFRED LANGMICHAEL C THOM

589- BOSTON, MAALFRED R CIOVACCOTIMOTHY M COFFEYKELFORD COUNCIL JRROBERT E DONNELLYDAVID M HEGERMICHAEL A JOSEPHALBERT LAPORTASIDNEY E MOONEYFRANCIS L MURPHYDANIEL J SULLIVAN

591- HULL, PQGILLES FORTIN

618- PROVIDENCE, RIJOHN A CORSI SRJOHN MOURA

627- CINCINNATI, OHROBERT P BOCK

639- LEXINGTON, KYTHOMAS WOODRUM

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694- SAN ANTONIO, TXROBERT P BELTRAM JRERNEST CLIFTON SMITH

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758- TACOMA, WAGREGORY J KING

788- ST. LOUIS, MONORMAN E BARTONCHARLES C BREMERBENNIE CARROLLCARL DYER JRPAUL C SAMSADDIE M SMITHJANNIE L TATE

819- NEWARK, NJTHEODORE HIXONFRANK HOUSE

820- UNION CITY, NJGEORGE P VESSELS

822- PATERSON, NJ

MARY BARR

823- ELIZABETH, NJALFRED EDWARD BROWN

824- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJJOSEPH J BURKEJAMES H MORAN

842- WILMINGTON, DEFRANKLIN COOPER JR

846- ST. CATHARINES, ONGORD LAYTON

880- CAMDEN, NJEVERETT BRIGGSALFONSO BROWNJOSEPH FRANCHETTIANNA GOFFNEYWARREN R MAKINTHEODORE J MATTA

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1001- DENVER, COGUS RIVERS

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1225- SAN FRANCISCO, CALYLE ARTHUR BLACK

1277- LOS ANGELES, CAAARON ARANAFREDERICK H LAWRENCE

ANTHONY J SIMIELE

1300- BALTIMORE, MDCHESTERINE CAMPBELLJAMES E FORRESTWALTER R MURRRAYRAYMOND PEELELARRY D REDMONDJARVIS SMITH

1309- SAN DIEGO, CALLOYD D RICHARDS

1321- ALBANY & TROY, NYPAUL A BONDWILLIAM C JONES

1324- SAVANNAH, GANOBLE VERNON GWYN

1338- DALLAS, TXANDREW PENDLETON

1342- BUFFALO, NYJOSEPH J PAWLIKTHELMA RUTH ROCKLIN

1374- CALGARY, ABHOWARD HILDEBRANDELDRED IRVINE

1447- LOUISVILLE, KYROBERT V SANDS

1505- WINNIPEG, MBJOHN FEDIUKALLAN MALAZDREWICHFRANK OZIMEKBERNARD SOKOLOWSKIGERALD W TOWNS

1535- HARAHAN, LAEDWARD J WAGUESPACK

1548- PLYMOUTH, MAROBERT ARMSTRONG

1564- DETROIT, MIROBERT WILSON

1572- MISSISSAUGA, ONGARY J LEBLANC

1575- SAN RAFAEL, CABARNEY L WILLIAMSON

1576- LYNNWOOD, WADOUGLAS A PIANTES

1587- TORONTO, ONKIRK A BLISS

1591- BROWARD COUNTY, FLJEROME DAVIS

1605- CONCORD, CAWILLIAM H WRIGHT

1625- BUFFALO, NYWILLIE MASSEY

1700- CHICAGO, ILBENJAMIN T JAY JR

In MemoriamDeath Benefits Awarded July 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011

30 September/October 2011 | IN TRANSIT


In MemoriamDeath Benefits Awarded July 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011 Washington State Locals

Campaign Keeps Buses RollingFrom the January-February 1986 Issue of In Transit:

A determined band of 14 transit workers, members of Local 587, mounted an intensive grassroots lobbying campaign to save Jefferson Transit (and their own jobs) in this rural, northwest Jefferson County, WA, by defeating a ballot proposition to eliminate the county transit system.

The fact that the measure was on the ballot in the first place came as a surprise to many people. But public transit hadnt found an entirely welcome home in one of the states least populated counties, much of which consists of the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains. Transit had been the target of attacks the spring before, when a petition drive to abolish the system was launched by one of the transit advisory boards own members.

Five Weeks to Keep Transit Alive

The employees of Jefferson Transit had five weeks to put together a campaign to keep transit alive. They would have to counter a well-organized and influential opposition that had already cowed many of the politicians and was adept at spreading misinformation about transits costs and services.

Local 587s chief shop steward in Jefferson County, Bob Foster, volunteered to coordinate the committees efforts and the Union pitched in with contributions. Out of a cramped second-story storefront office, Foster cranked up a grassroots campaign to educate people that voting No on the proposition was saying Yes to their transit system.

Leafleting went on at shopping centers and door-to-door canvasing in the neighborhoods, while Keep Your Transit signs were popping up in front yards. In a last-minute push, a dozen volunteers called hundreds of their neighbors from their homes. Considered most effective in getting the message across was a series of people ads in the newspaper, featuring portraits of ordinary riders giving testimonials for transit.

Foster and his volunteers efforts resulted in the proposition being rejected by a 70% to 30% vote of the county residents, saving Jefferson Transit in 1986.

25 YEARS AGO IN IN TRANSIT

Amalgamated Transit Union

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

STAY CONNECTED

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

ATU ACTIVISTS LEARN TO

FIGHT BACKAT US EASTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Its time to fight back and local officers and activists got the training they need to do just that at the Eastern (US) Regional Conference, August 21 25, in Orlando, FL. Conference-goers attended a broad array of union leadership and administration workshops designed to give them the tools to motivate their members and effectively manage the difficult problems that often beset local officers.

International President Larry Hanley began the event Sunday evening, laying out the challenge before the ATU and the entire U.S. labor movement. Monday was devoted to a broad overview of where the labor movement stands today.On Tuesday participants focused on the power of communications. Hanley concluded the conference with a presentation on the Unions collective bargaining agenda.

Second photo from left, International President Larry Hanley and long-time labor icon and civil rights leader Bill Lucy discuss the challenges facing labor unions with participants at the U.S. Eastern Regional Conference on August 22. Lucy was an organizer for AFSCME during the Memphis sanitation workers strike in April 1968. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated while lending his support to the strike.

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