MAY / JUNE 2016 - Amalgamated Transit Union

Transcripción

O F F I C I A L J O U R N A L O F T H E A M A LG A M AT E D T R A N S I T U N I O N | A F L- C I O/C LC
MAY / JUNE 2016
ATU HEROES
GOING ABOVE
AND BEYOND
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS
LAWRENCE J. HANLEY
International President
JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR.
International Executive Vice President
OSCAR OWENS
International Secretary-Treasurer
INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
LARRY R. KINNEAR
Ashburn, ON – [email protected]
RICHARD M. MURPHY
Newburyport, MA – [email protected]
BOB M. HYKAWAY
Calgary, AB – [email protected]
JANIS M. BORCHARDT
Madison, WI – [email protected]
PAUL BOWEN
Canton, MI – [email protected]
KENNETH R. KIRK
Lancaster, TX – [email protected]
GARY RAUEN
Clayton, NC – [email protected]
MARCELLUS BARNES
Flossmore, IL – [email protected]
RAY RIVERA
Lilburn, GA – [email protected]
YVETTE TRUJILLO
Thornton, CO – [email protected]
GARY JOHNSON, SR.
Cleveland, OH – [email protected]
ROBIN WEST
Halifax, NS – [email protected]
JOHN COSTA
Kenilworth, NJ – [email protected]
CHUCK WATSON
Syracuse, NY – [email protected]
CLAUDIA HUDSON
Oakland, CA – [email protected]
BRUCE HAMILTON
New York, NY – [email protected]
MICHELLE SOMMERS
Brooklyn Park, MN – [email protected]
JIM LINDSAY
Santa Clarita, CA – [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
NEWSBRIEFS
A reminder: ATU International at new address
ATU International has settled into our new headquarters in Silver
Spring, MD, at the former AFL-CIO’s National Labor College.
However, we continue to get mail at our old headquarters address
in Washington, DC. As a reminder our new mailing address is:
ATU International
10000 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20903
Phone: 301-431-7100
Fax: 301-431-7117
More corruption at DC MetroAccess
contractor, MV Transportation
Another bombshell at one of the five private companies that DC
Metro contracts with to run the paratransit service MetroAccess.
MV Transportation was found to have billed Metro for MetroAccess
services it did not provide including transporting customers who
had died, according to a settlement of a lawsuit. The complaint had
been filed in February 2013, by two former employees and investigated by the U.S. Department
of Justice, the District, Maryland and Virginia. “We expect that our taxpayers’ contributions
will be used for the benefit of riders, not lost to fraudulent billing practices,” said the Attorney
Generals of Virginia, the District and Maryland in a joint statement.
16,500 “likes” and growing
Thanks to all our members, riders and transit advocates for
spreading the word about the ATU Facebook page, we now have
more than 16,500 “likes” and growing. If you want the latest
news, videos, and more about ATU, transit and politics be sure
to “like” the ATU Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/
ATUInternational/. If you already “like” the ATU Facebook page,
please be sure to share our stories and invite your “friends” to like
the ATU Facebook page. And be sure to follow our Twitter handle @ATUComm to stay up to
date on what’s trending in public transit, politics and other issues.
ANTHONY WITHINGTON
Sebastopol, CA – [email protected]
DENNIS ANTONELLIS
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS
STEPHAN MACDOUGALL
International President Jim La Sala, ret.
International President Warren George, ret.
Spokane, WA – [email protected]
Boston, MA – [email protected]
ANTHONY GARLAND
Washington, DC – [email protected]
ANTONETTE BRYANT
Oakland, CA – [email protected]
SESIL RUBAIN
New Carrollton, MD – [email protected]
EMANUELE (MANNY) SFORZA
Toronto, ON – [email protected]
ATU CANADA
PAUL THORP
Brampton, ON – [email protected]
International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret.
International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret.
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: 10000 New Hampshire
Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20903. Tel: 1-301-431-7100 . Please send all requests for address changes to the ATU
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CONTENT
M AY/J U N E
2016
Vol. 125, No. 3
11 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message:
Trump asking Americans to have blind faith
in him
18 Greyhound bus crash linked to driver fatigue
Dayton Local worries about forced overtime
at RTA
19 Bay Town Trolley workers avert strike
5
ABANDONING PARATRANSIT TO SAVE IT - ATU
REPORT EXPOSES HOW UBER, LYFT UNDERMINE TRANSIT
King County Metro driver logs many miles
and smiles
20 ATU Canada rallies against violent attacks
on Kelowna members
Minneapolis teen charged in vicious attack
on operator
21 New ATU video calls attention to assault
epidemic
ATU HEROES GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
12
Attacks on Portland, OR, drivers nearly double
Transit worker assaults found everywhere
in North America
22 Seattle drivers, King County Metro working
to improve safety
Detroit: More transit officers boost bus safety
2 International Officers & General Executive Board
23 Edmonton makes bad bus behavior illegal
3 Index Page
4 Alexandria, LA, still violating transit workers’
First Amendment rights
24 Report your bus, maintenance safety
problems on the ATU App today!
News Briefs
Another transit agency censoring workers
6 Contract extended despite Latrobe Local’s
safety concerns
Contract renewed as talks continue with
Wilmington, NC, Local
Deranged man hijacks DC Metrobus,
kills pedestrian
Don’t miss the 58th ATU Convention in Toronto
because you don’t have a valid passport!
25 Buffalo Local protests 7 years without
contract during NHL Draft
A Lincoln, NE, rider on a mission
7 DC Circulator drivers, coalition win Metro parity
26 Baltimore transit workers protest subway rats
What contractors really mean when they say
they’ll do it cheaper
8 Legislative Agenda: Make sure your voice
is heard in this election - ATU-COPE
month extended
9 International President’s Message:
ATU at our best
10 International Executive Vice President’s
Message: An American tune
Local, Niagara Transit resolve differences
27 Local opposes TNC, taxi service to and from
Bloomington bus stops
Save the Date: ATU/MS Research Funds
31st Annual Golf Tournament
28 Translations (Spanish)
31 In Memoriam
32 ATU COPE - The Voice of Transit Workers
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
3
Alexandria, LA, still violating transit workers’
First Amendment rights
to increase funding for critical bus service. Members of
Local 981 have not been allowed to speak before the
Council and the City Attorney is threatening to discipline
the Local for plans to hold a public town hall meeting
on the issue.
‘Stomping on our rights’
Do they not believe in the U.S. Constitution and the First
Amendment?” asks Local 981 President Darnice Briggs.
It may be 2016, but censorship is alive and well in
Alexandria, LA.
The Alexandria City Council has been denying transit
workers and riders their right to speak out on the need
“The City is stomping on our free speech rights. Do
they not believe in the U.S. Constitution and the First
Amendment?” asks Local 981 President Darnice Briggs.
“The City cannot divide us from riders who rely on public
transportation each day. We will not be silent until we get the
much needed increase in funding for public transportation.”
The union’s legal counsel sent a letter threatening legal
action against the city for violating workers’ First
Amendment Rights, but the city has not responded. v
Another transit agency censoring workers
First it was Chicago, then Grand Rapids, MI, then
Alexandria, LA, and now it’s Austin, TX. This is part of the
disturbing trend of cities and transit agencies’ retaliatory
attempts to trample on the free speech rights of transit
workers occurring across the country.
In Austin, Capital Metro warned a Local 1091 member
to not talk with the media after the bus driver who
was brutally assaulted by a rider was interviewed by
an Austin Fox News affiliate. After the story aired the
transit agency called in the driver and handed him a
“Media Relations Policy” and “reminded” him not to
talk to the press.
In response, the union’s legal counsel has filed a lawsuit
against Capital Metro for violating workers’ First
Amendment Rights after reviewing the media relations
policy.
4
May/June 2016 | IN TRANSIT
“This is flat out censorship by Capital Metro. They are
violating our First Amendment rights in an attempt to
muzzle transit workers from talking with the press about
a brutal assault on a bus,” says Local 1091 President Jay
Wyatt. “We will not be silent.” v
Abandoning
paratransit to save it
ATU REPORT EXPOSES HOW UBER,
LYFT UNDERMINE TRANSIT
Uber and Lyft know no bounds in their attempts take over
all modes of transportation and make a buck. Now these
transportation network companies (TNCs) have their
sights set on paratransit.
The TNC’s and their allies have enlisted the Brookings
Institution to issue a report claiming transit agencies could
reduce their demand response and paratransit budgets
by contracting companies like Uber and Lyft to provide
ADA-mandated service for people with disabilities.
Devastating impact
Now, ATU has joined with disability advocates to go toe-totoe with transit and “gig economy” on-demand companies
with their own report exposing the devastating impact that
public transit agency partnerships with TNCs will have on
riders with disabilities and transit workers alike.
“Instead of leading a real movement for infrastructure
and transit investment, groups like Brookings and
APTA are encouraging agencies to sell off the riders and
workers they care least about to companies that care even
less,” says International President Larry Hanley. “You
have public transit agencies hiring companies that spend
every single day in the courtroom arguing that they
shouldn’t have to provide accessible rides, basic employee
protections, or abide by local laws meant to guarantee
either of those things.”
already bottomed-out wages and working conditions
make it impossible for companies like Uber and Lyft to
apply their business models and produce cost savings
without injuring riders and workers. Insead, paratransit
services can be improved by creating a national, public
dispatch and reservation system similar to Uber and
Lyft’s software and re-organizing the way existing services
are provided.
“Government contracts should not be given to companies
that refuse to acknowledge the needs and rights of
wheelchair users and provide accessible taxi and livery
services,” says United Spinal Association President &
CEO James Weisman about the report. “After passing
wheelchair and scooter users at the curb, companies that
discriminate should not be subsidized to pick them up
and should be prohibited from entering into contracts
with public transportation providers.” v
TNC business model
precludes compliance
Specifically, the ATU report argues that compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the density and
future growth of paratransit markets, and the industry’s
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
5
Contract extended despite
Latrobe Local’s safety concerns
The drivers say that National Express discourages
them from reporting malfunctioning warning lights
for wheelchair lifts, inoperable public address systems,
broken window defrosters and failing brakes, among other
items. “They don’t care about the public’s comfort or
safety,” says one driver.
National Express’s Molly Hart says they are investigating
the drivers’ complaints, adding, “Safety is our top priority.
As such, we take all feedback seriously and are looking
into each issue that has been brought to our attention.”
A Westmoreland County Transit bus pulls out onto Lincoln
Highway in Greensburg on Wednesday, April 27, 2016.
Evan R. Sanders | Tribune-Review
Drivers counter that managers retaliate against drivers
who file written repair requests or refuse to drive buses
that need repair.
Westmoreland County Transit Authority (WCTA) in
Pennsylvania has extended the contract of National Express
Transit Co., for a year, despite allegations from Local
1738-Latrobe drivers that the private transit provider has
ignored their safety and maintenance concerns.
Local President David Merrill says retaliation comes in
the form of intimidation. “It’s the attitude and the whole
nature,” he says, adding, “People can intimidate without
saying a word.” v
Contract renewed as talks continue with Wilmington, NC, Local
Wave Transit has renewed its contract with First Transit
even though its drivers represented by Local 1328Wilmington, NC, have complained of inadequate
maintenance by the company.
Local 1328, which is in its tenth month of negotiations
with the multinational, has threatened to strike over
wages and bus maintenance.
‘Disappointed’
“Basically, we’re a little disappointed,” says Local President
Terrence Dewberry. “Things have improved and we’re
expecting a lot more improvement, but we want to make
sure we have the right people in the right jobs, because
transit in this area is too important to not be done right.”
First Transit’s Rick Dunning (left) listens as Local President
Terrence Dewberry, 1328-Wilmington, NC, and driver Jackie
McCullough (right) talk about maintenance problems on Wave
Transit buses. – Cammie Bellamy/STARNEWS
But Wave says they required improvements in the new
agreement with First which will have to meet certain goals
for better maintenance and fewer breakdowns, and send
representatives to the boards’ monthly meetings. v
6
DC Circulator drivers, coalition
win Metro parity
Local 1764 members and their Washington, DC, coalition
partners scored a big victory in May, ratifying a new
contract that raises their standard of living and ensures
stronger safety protections for operators. Under the new
three-year deal with private contractor First Transit,
Circulator bus drivers, the region’s lowest-paid public
transit operators, will join Metrobus operators as some
of Washington’s best-paid drivers.
The union and First Transit signed the agreement in late
May, and the new wages went immediately into effect.
First Transit has also agreed not to require employees to
drive buses that are not in a safe operating condition. v
Retirement contribution tripled
In addition, First Transit has agreed to triple its contribution
to the workers’ retirement savings 401(k) plan. The contract
comes on the heels of the Local exposing the results of a
safety audit that found that 95 percent of the Circulator
buses inspected had at least one safety problem so significant
they should have been pulled from service.
It’s estimated that the new agreement will cost $3 million
more than the current contract. The District government
is expected to come up with $1 million of that, and ask
First to supply the rest.
What contractors really mean when
they say they’ll do it cheaper
The decades-long experiment of
contracting out public services
such as transit by governments,
known as “privatization,” has
often had dire consequences for
the public, workers, and the environment. A new report by
“In the Public Interest,” Cutting Corners: How Government
Contractors Harm the Public in Pursuit of Profit, details the
negative impacts on the public of cost-cutting by contractors
at every level of American government.
To maximize profit, companies have often cut corners by
reducing the quality and accessibility of services, reducing
staffing levels, lowering worker wages, and sidestepping
protections for the public and the environment.
Dire consequences
When government contractors cut corners, the impacts
often have dire consequences.
The report concludes with recommendations for public
officials and communities to help protect the public and
the environment from companies that seek to increase
profits and lower costs by cutting corners. v
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
7
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Make sure your voice is
heard in this election
ATU-COPE MONTH EXTENDED
With so much attention being paid to the presidential
election, it’s easy to forget that there are thousands of
important down ballot races this year that will have a huge
impact on ATU members and all working families.
Governors, state legislators, officials at the city and
county level, and of course Members of Congress all
make critical decisions that affect transit, school bus, and
intercity bus employees, and we need to make sure that
the right people get elected to those positions and are
held accountable.
A powerful voice for members
That’s what ATU-COPE – our political action committee
(PAC) – is all about. As the largest transit worker PAC in
the U.S., ATU-COPE gives us a powerful voice at all levels
of government.
Since by law, union dues cannot be used to fund political
campaigns, voluntary member contributions to ATUCOPE are used to help elect pro-labor, pro-transit
candidates for local, state, and federal office. Regular
readers of this column know that we had some real victories
in 2015, including legislation that will address the ongoing
assaults against bus operators. We were also able to fight off
proposals to privatize our jobs.
T-shirts for $100+ donors
June was ATU-COPE month, and your local union was
sent COPE cards that you can fill out to sign up. We
have extended the program to run through the election
season. In appreciation of our current contributors and as
8
an incentive for members who have yet to sign up, ATU
will be awarding newly released t-shirts to members who
contribute at least $100 per year.
Trip to Washington for two from
10 highest contributing Locals
In addition to the individual awards, ten locals will be
allowed to select two members to travel to Washington,
DC, in January 2017, and stay at the Tommy Douglas
Conference Center. They will participate in Congressional
swearing-in ceremonies and possibly attend the
presidential inauguration. Winners will be selected based
on contribution levels.
As nearly 35,000 ATU members already
know, COPE is one of the smartest
investments you will ever make.
Protecting your job and ensuring that
you have a safe workplace are not
only critical to you, they are also
essential for your family. Just a
few dollars per month can make
a huge impact. Please sign
up today! v
LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
ATU at our best
Drive the bus, fix the bus, sell the fare cards – these are
the simple tasks that the public thinks we do at work.
Unless they’ve done the work themselves they don’t
realize the many other roles drivers fill. And, for sure, the
public at large will never understand the highly skilled
work we do.
Transit workers do all of the above – and much more:
We are sidewalk psychiatrists offering advice to people
operating at every stage of mental difficulty. We are
surrogate parents to the kids who ride our bus or train.
We often rise to the needs of the public above and beyond
what is expected of us. We are very often first responders,
often taking action to protect our passengers from crime.
In the case of a Local 998 member, the victim was not even
on the bus. In Calgary, AB, our member returned $1,000
that was in a wallet left on a bus by passenger – it was her
rent money.
The best of ATU
In this issue we salute the best ATU has to offer. I encourage
you to read these stories. These are folks who signed up for
a job and quickly learned that the challenges include much
more than the duties in the job description.
These are stories about regular people intervening to
save an autistic child; a 15-year old girl from abduction;
a passenger under attack for her religion; a driver who
returned $50,000 in cash he found on his bus; and another
who saved an 80-year old woman from a vicious attack.
This is ATU at our best.
The acts of these members range from decency to valor,
and mark a standard that makes us proud to be ATU.
Throughout the month of August we will keep the historic
video of Rep. Elijah Cummings’ speech at our 1998
Convention up on our website, www.atu.org. I have never
seen a non-transit worker who so much understands the
extraordinary work we do. v
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
9
JAVIER PEREZ, JR., INTERNATIONAL EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT
An American tune
American songwriter Paul Simon is recognized by Rolling
Stone magazine as one of the 100 best songwriters of all
time. I recently listened to his song “American Tune,” a
song about immigrants and where our country is today.
One verse starts, “We came on the ship they call the
Mayflower.”
Waves of people have immigrated to the U.S. – some seeking
religious freedom, some fleeing intolerable governments,
famine and war. Our history books tell us immigrants were
all seeking a better life, a new beginning.
Immigrants came looking for the “American Dream”
– a pervasive dream that holds that we have limitless
opportunity, and that any honest, hardworking, and
dedicated person can achieve success.
Most Americans define themselves as “middle class,”
even when their income would indicate otherwise. Why?
Because, while most know they haven’t made it to the top,
they still want to believe the floor is well beneath them.
Our history shows that when class sentiment (not class
consciousness) becomes manifest in society, forces are
unleashed that improve the world for workers. Child labor
laws, the eight-hour day, forty-hour workweek, minimum
wage and FMLA are but a few examples. However, despite
these achievements more are needed.
I am troubled by the tone of our current presidential and
congressional campaigns. Candidates assail immigrants,
casting them in the worse possible light.
They are
exploiting the economic fears of Americans. Fears brought
on by changes in monetary policy, which have further
widened the gap between the rich and poor, upsetting the
balance that keeps a true middle class flourishing, and the
“American Dream” alive.
They pull back the curtain that veiled the deep-seated
prejudices that divide us but offer no path to the resolve
the challenges we face.
10
Why does one person’s floor have to be another’s ceiling?
Why the need to always look down on someone?
There was an episode in the 2012 television series,
“Newsroom,” in which a news anchor is asked, “What
makes America the greatest country in the world?” He
shocks his audience when he responds, “It’s NOT the
greatest country in the world…It sure used to be. We stood
up for what was right... We didn’t identify ourselves by who
we voted for in our last election, and we didn’t [sighs] we
didn’t scare so easy...”
But he is wrong. Yes we have many faults, but none that we
cannot solve. The Civil War, the Great Depression, 9-11,
the 2008 bank failures and more, left us facing daunting
challenges that threatened to divide us. Yet time after
time we have found a resilience within ourselves that
moved us forward.
The latest influx of immigrants aren’t to blame for our
problems and we should not reward politicians who
scapegoat them.
We should reward those who stand for something, who
encourage us to build a better, more just society. It’s about
leadership, it’s about showing imagination. We ought not
let those who seek political office do nothing but assign
blame.
Labor leaders, and union members cannot solve these
problems alone. But we can be the voice that pushes the
balance back to sanity.
Register, and register others to vote today. Then do it. v
Please visit www.atu.org for more information and the
latest ATU news.
OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER
Trump asking Americans to
have blind faith in him
Did you know that four of the last six U.S. presidents
were governors before they became president?
Vice presidents, senators, and members of Congress
usually have a lot tougher time reaching the White
House than governors because they have a much longer
record to defend on national issues.
It’s easy to go back and find a vote or a speech by
federal officials or congressional legislators that can be
used against them. Not so easy when the candidate hasn’t
born the burden of decision-making on a national level.
This year’s presumptive Republican presidential nominee
has also benefitted from the lack of an official voting
record. Indeed, when presented with a statement from the
past that contradicts his current opinion, Donald Trump
says, “I wasn’t a politician then.”
In this way he expects to be given a pass for anything he
ever uttered before 2015. Clever, huh?
‘Walking back’
But, as you probably know, it gets worse. He demands
that voters ignore the plain meaning of his words when
they become a problem for him. TV commentators
euphemistically call that “walking back” a statement.
They don’t care what he says or what he does. He doesn’t
even have to be a real conservative. They just believe him
when he says he’ll fix everything – nothing simpler.
We’ve had pragmatic candidates like this before
(Remember H. Ross Perot and his plan to “open up the
hood of the car” and get to work?). Even George Bush,
Sr., denigrated pleas for him to articulate a “morningin-America” type theme for his campaign – calling it the
“vision thing.”
Unconstrained by principles
These candidates ask us to place our trust in their
managerial capabilities. And like all managers they want
to have the flexibility to make the decisions they think
necessary regardless of ideology.
Donald Trump’s slippery positions on almost every issue
of importance to Americans bear testament to that.
I would never tell our members how to vote. But I feel
duty bound to warn our U.S. members that a vote for
Donald Trump is not a vote for any political position at
all. Rather it is an act of blind faith in a man who will not
be constrained by any set of principles. v
This leaves his surrogates with the daunting task of
explaining how what he’s just said really isn’t a contradiction
of what he said before.
That’s not unheard of in American politics, but the shear
number of times the Donald’s people have had to explain
that he really didn’t mean what he said, is.
Please visit www.atu.org for more information and the
latest ATU news.
Ordinarily, this would have killed a presidential
campaign many times over, but Trump’s GOP supporters
have made it clear that none of that matters – they
simply trust HIM.
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
11
ATU HEROES
GOING ABOVE
AND BEYOND
Throughout its history ATU members have been known
for providing a safe haven for people in peril. They perform
an unofficial, yet vital function as the eyes and ears of the
communities they serve.
‘I will fight for you’
Milwaukee County (WI) Transit System (MCTS) driver,
Sharon Chambers, 998, is being recognized for her quick
Over the last 20 years, however, operators themselves
have increasingly become the targets of vicious attacks
that would make most people wary of doing anything that
would increase their chances of getting hurt.
Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped ATU drivers from risking
their own safety to rescue endangered citizens they find
on their routes, often when they are totally ignored by
other passers-by.
Unfortunately, if reports received at the International are
any guide, the number and seriousness of these incidents
seems to be increasing, and brave ATU members continue to
help and rescue those in need and in danger on a daily basis:
12
Sharon Chambers, 998-Milwaukee, WI, rescued a 15-year old girl
who a man was attempting to abduct, and called the police. – TMJ4
action in helping a 15-year-old girl escape from a man
who tried to pull her into his car, and was harassing and
following her.
Chambers was about to pull away from a stop when she
noticed the girl waving in her direction.
“As she walked in front of the bus I noticed she was crying,”
Chambers says. “I told her to get on the bus and let her
know no one was going to mess with her on my bus.”
‘You are safe’
Chambers drove away from the area in case the man was
still following, and called MCTS Dispatch, who notified
Milwaukee Police. Chambers drove the bus to meet police
and MCTS staff.
As they were waiting for police to arrive, Chambers called
the girl’s grandmother to let her know what happened
and comforted the girl, telling her, ”Don’t worry about
it. You are safe. I will fight for you; no one is going to
hurt you.” “Sharon, and all the other hardworking employees at
MCTS and Milwaukee County make me proud to live in
Milwaukee and serve as county executive,” says County
Executive Chris Abele. MCTS says it receives hundreds of
commendations each year for drivers.
Dan Stoddard, 279-Ottawa, ON, brought a woman who had
been assaulted on to the safety of his bus and stayed with her
until police arrived. – Joe Lofaro / METRO
“Do I know what happened specifically? No I don’t. Did
she need help? Yes, she did,” said Stoddard. “I helped with
what I was able to help with. I didn’t go above and beyond;
I did what every human should do.”
One of the two other riders on board was amazed at
Stoddard’s actions saying, “people never hear about the
good things they do.” He took a picture of Stoddard and
the woman chatting, and the photo went viral.
‘Sitting idle is not an option’
Driver Alain Charette, 279-Ottawa, ON, is being hailed
for his bravery for defending a Muslim woman on his bus.
‘I did what every human should do’
OC Transpo driver Dan Stoddard, 279, says it was just
instinct, “it’s just what I should be doing”.
While on his regular route, Stoddard spotted a young
woman at a bus shelter at one o’clock in the morning. When
he pulled up and she didn’t get on, he knew something was
wrong.
After some coaxing, Stoddard convinced the woman, who
was half-naked and in obvious distress, to get on his bus.
He then called transit security and drove the bus to the
nearby park-n-ride.
‘I helped with what I was able to’
He asked the two other male passengers to go to the back of
the bus, and sat at the front with the woman and comforted
her until police and transit security arrived. She told him
that she had been assaulted physically and verbally.
Student Hailey DeJong, right, poses with OC Transpo bus driver
Alain Charette, 279, who came to DeJong’s defense when
another passenger on the bus shouted Islamophobic comments
at her. – Hailey DeJong
The young woman wearing a niqab/burqa boarded
Charette’s bus and a man seated near her started making
insulting “Islamophobic” comments to other passengers.
The woman told him if he had something to say, not to
say it to the other passengers, but to her.
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13
The man wouldn’t stop. “He kept calling me a freak and a
terrorist. He even yelled at me to assimilate,” the woman said.
Hearing the heated exchange, Charette quickly pulled his
bus over and came to her defense, saying he had called the
authorities. “I presented to him that it’s either you leave or wait
for security, but something’s going to happen,” Charette said.
“Help is on the way, but in the meantime – leave the lady alone.”
The man told the driver there was no problem, that he
loves Christians and Muslims and Jews, and that he was
getting off the bus anyway.
The young woman praised Charette for standing up for her
and her Islamic community. He said it was his duty to speak
up. “Bigotry hurts people by lowering the humanity level of
society,” Charette says. “Sitting idle is not an option.”
‘We are incredibly grateful’
On April 30, just before 9:30 a.m., Operator Ari Megaro,
192-Oakland, CA, was driving his route when he observed
a small boy on a foot-powered scooter riding alone on
the sidewalk alongside his bus. Sensing a potentially dire
situation, the driver immediately brought his coach to a
safe stop and calmly engaged the boy using their mutual
love of skateboards to gain his trust.
Megaro provided Danny a front-row seat on the bus,
watching over his impromptu ward and assuring him, as
authorities located the family.
“We are incredibly grateful to… Mr. Megaro for taking
the initiative to intervene and ensure his safety,” said
the boy’s father, Michael Eichberg, adding, “I still
can’t believe AC Transit rescued him. When he turned
six, he even had a birthday cake shaped like an AC
Transit Bus… So you can imagine how he must have
felt when the bus driver pulled over and opened the door
for him.”
“Each day our operators directly interact with nearly
200,000 riders positively addressing a myriad of customer
service situations,” says Michael Hursh, AC Transit’s
general manager. “In fact, AC Transit operators perform
exceptional acts daily in our community – often under
great pressure.”
‘Someone was going to be
missing this quite badly’
When a little old lady tapped bus operator Dan Storozuk,
583-Calgary, AB, on the shoulder handing over some lost
property, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Dan Storozuk, 583-Calgary-AB, left, and Kulbir Chouhan worked
together to return a wallet to Bernadet Schneukere, center, which
held her rent money. – Helen Pike / METRO
Danny Eichberg, 7, left, with his mom and dad, center,
meet with Ari Megaro, 192- Oakland, CA, right, before he
was honored by AC Transit for stopping his bus to intercept the
autistic boy who had traveled by scooter several miles from home.
– Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group
Megaro was not aware that seven-year-old Danny
Eichberg has autism; that he had traveled several miles
from home; that his family had frantically contacted local
police, and that an active search was underway.
14
A wallet left behind by a passenger was bursting with
$1,000.
“I’ve had lost property before but this was something else.
I knew someone was going to be missing this quite badly,”
said the driver.
Storozuk immediately called Supervisor Kulbir Chouhan
to report the find. Chouhan went to work, and the wallet
was returned in under three hours.
“I was thinking someone was missing their rent. I was
very happy that I returned the wallet,” said Chouhan.
He met Bernadete Schneuiker in downtown Calgary to
deliver the wallet into her eager hands.
$100 bills and I assumed there were bundles of $10,000.”
”He gave me a big hug. I kind of was totally impressed
because they took it really seriously. Anyone could have
grabbed it. A driver could be dishonest. I appreciate the
honesty of the driver,” says Schneuiker.
The driver immediately contacted his supervisors.
She explained she had boarded the bus with her arms full
from grocery shopping. The wallet fell onto the bus floor.
Clavette was recognized for his good deed with a
certificate by Division 41. He says returning the money
was the right thing to do. “I was just doing my job and
being honest,” he says.
It turns out most of the cash was for her rent that month.
”I kind of lost hope. I cancelled all my cards and I took
it as a loss. I’m so grateful,” she said.
For Chouhan and Storozuk – who plays Santa at
holiday time – it was just another day doing their best
to serve customers.
‘Just doing my job and being honest’
The bag actually contained $50,000 that was left there by
a man rattled with grief over his mother’s recent death.
Around the same time TTC was informing police, the
frantic bag owner was reporting his loss. He was very
ecstatic when he learned his money was in a safe place.
Courageous Local 587 member
handles harrowing attack
In Port Angeles, WA, police hailed Local 587-Seattle, WA,
driver Joy Crummett, 60, who showed incredible bravery
in the face of a terrible attack.
Operator Daniel Clavette, 113-Toronto, ON, was
approached by an elderly man with a bag he said he
found on the bus seat. “It was around 5:15 p.m., and I
was going Northbound to Scarborough Centre. I knew
I would have a little time when I got there to open it
and see if there was a piece of identification so we could
contact the owner.”
What the driver saw in the bag blew him away.
Operator Joy Crummett, Local 587-Seattle, WA, displayed
incredible bravery and managed to save all her passengers and fend
off an assailant who choked her during his attack.
It was on a Saturday afternoon when a man riding on her bus
suddenly gets up and viciously kicks an 80-year-old woman
in the face, yelling, “I’m going to beat you... kill you!”
Toronto Police Division Unit Commander John Tanouye,
left, presents TTC operator Daniel Clavette, 113-Toronto, ON,
with a certificate recognizing his honesty in returning $50,000
left on his bus. – TPS News
“There were some folders with funeral information, a
passport and two large bank envelopes,” says Clavette.
“When I opened one of the envelopes, I saw there were
He starts “punching her and slamming her head into
the floor,” reports Corporal Dombrowski of the Clallam
County Sheriff’s Office.
Driver choked after she stops
woman’s beating
Crummett pulls the bus over and manages to drag the
man off of the woman, as he struggles to break free.
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15
The attacker then pins the operator against the front
of the bus, near the door, and chokes her, screaming,
“Let go or I’m going to rip your throat out.” Crummett
nearly passes out before the assailant is looks back at the
other woman who is getting up off the floor.
Crummett breaks free, calls for help, and opens the doors,
letting the four other terrified passengers out.
He actually succeeded in calming the man down, telling
him, “I don’t want to see you get a domestic violence
charge.”
The woman “grabbed the baby and came on the bus,” says
Brownlee.
The crazed man pushes his first victim out the front
door, but returns. Apparently planning to hijack the coach,
he starts hitting Crummett, ordering her to close the doors.
With remarkable poise she asks the man to check the back
doors first. With her assailant momentarily distracted,
Crummett manages to run off, closing the doors behind
her – but not before disabling the battery.
The assailant struggled to drive off with the immobile
bus before he was apprehended. He was arraigned on
two counts of second-degree assault and single counts of
first-degree attempted kidnapping and first-degree
attempted robbery.
Both female victims have been released from the hospital
after suffering what police call a “substantial amount
of pain.”
Milwaukee member heroics
tracked by agency
Local 998 may appear to have the highest number of
heroes because the Milwaukee (WI) County Transit
System (MCTS) actively encourages the public to report
its employees’ good deeds. They, nonetheless, deserve to be
mentioned here as further evidence of all ATU members’
devotion to the communities they serve.
‘Hey man! Don’t do that’
Anthony Brownlee, 998, was on his route on a Sunday
afternoon when he noticed a couple with a baby fighting
in a parking lot.
“She was on the back of the car and he had his hands
around her neck.” Bystanders were doing nothing to help
the woman.
“He was just choking her,” says Brownlee, “that’s when
I opened the door… and said, ‘Hey man! Don’t do
that! You shouldn’t be putting your hands on anybody,
male or female.”
16
Anthony Brownlee, 998-Milwaukee, WI, stopped a man
who was choking a woman in a parking lot.
‘Don’t go back’
The operator asked the woman if she wanted him to
call police. She said no, and thanked him. And before
she exited the bus he advised her, “Don’t go back. Cause
if they do it once they’re going to do it again.”
Brownlee hopes his actions will encourage others to
intervene when they see domestic violence. “At least
say something,” he says, “because usually if you do say
something, they’ll stop.”
‘My instincts kicked in’
Another Milwaukee County (WI) Transit System (MCTS)
bus driver Shari Carroll, 998, went beyond the call of
duty when she noticed that a recently debarked passenger’s
wheelchair was stuck in front of her.
“She was just stuck. Actually two of her wheels were on
the curb and two of them were in the street. She couldn’t
move and she couldn’t back up. She couldn’t do anything,”
Carroll says.
“My instincts kicked in and I was like, ‘well, I got to get her
out of the street at least,’” Carroll says.
Bischoff says he and the other riders were impressed.
Carroll says she’s surprised by the attention, but grateful.
Nine weeks
Operator Shari Carroll, 998-Milwaukee, WI, went above
and beyond the call of duty to help a passenger whose wheelchair
was stuck on a curb.
‘This is too cool’
“She just stopped and went so out of her way,” says passenger
John Bischoff, “and she just jumped in. She was down on
her hands and knees trying to get this lady’s transmission
unlocked and I thought this is too cool.”
“I didn’t want anyone to come around my bus, especially
doing an illegal turn in front of me and striking her,” Carroll
says. Bischoff and a friend got the motorized wheelchair
running again.
All of the incidents above happened from April 16, to
June 16 – just nine weeks out of the life of ATU members
in Canada and the United States. Those who read
In Transit know that this was not an unusual period
of time. Reports of the world of good our members do
for their communities pour into the International on a
weekly basis.
And we know these are just the “tip of the iceberg.” ATU
members perform hundreds of selfless acts every day that
no one ever hears about. If you know a member who you
think is an ATU hero be sure to send their story to President
Hanley’s office at [email protected].
Featuring these nine members is our way honoring all
of the unsung ATU heroes who routinely go above and
beyond the call of duty simply because it’s the right thing
to do. You make us “proud to be ATU.” v
STAY CONNECTED
For the latest ATU News and Action Alerts
please check out the ATU’s social media network
Facebook: facebook.com/ATUInternational
YouTube: youtube.com/user/stpatuorg
Twitter: twitter.com/ATUComm
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/atuinternational/
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17
Greyhound bus crash linked to driver fatigue
say the driver dozed off behind the wheel.
Passengers say driver dozed
Early on the morning of October 9, 2013, a Greyhound
bus headed to Cleveland from New York slammed
into the back of a tractor-trailer, killing one and
injuring dozens. Passengers said their driver had red
eyes when she was taking tickets in New York. One man
said he saw the driver doze off behind the wheel.
The Greyhound bus above was involved in a fatal crash on
October 9, 2013, en route from New York to Cleveland.
In what will come as no shock to ATU members, a CNN
investigation has revealed Greyhound has not been enforcing
its own rules requiring drivers to stop about every 150 miles
to mitigate fatigue and ensure passenger safety.
The findings come from a court case brought by passengers
of a fatal October 2013, Greyhound bus crash where riders
Industry-wide problem
Driver fatigue is an industry-wide problem as a 2012
government study found 37% of passenger bus crashes
were due to driver fatigue. For years ATU has been
calling for drivers to be covered under the overtime
provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). v
Dayton Local worries about forced overtime at RTA
Overtime for bus drivers has become an issue in Dayton,
OH. Local 1385 worries about the safety of passengers
on buses operated by tired, overworked drivers.
Dayton’s Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has struggled
for years to reduce the extra hours, but drivers still can be
found working back-to-back 14-hour shifts with only an
eight-hour break in between.
High turnover
Local President Glenn Salyer says that low starting pay
and tough working conditions have led to high turnover,
chronically short staffing and more overtime hours.
‘People hide from dispatchers’
Salyer says that forced overtime has exacerbated the
problem, leading to more turnovers.
18
“People hide from the dispatchers so they don’t get
mandatory (overtime),” he explains. “People call in sick
because if they go in they are afraid they’ll be forced to
work the next day, on their day off.”
Federal hours-of-service laws do not apply to urban bus
drivers, and RTA has no rules limiting the number of
hours in a shift. v
Bay Town Trolley workers avert strike
The members of Local 1395-Panama City, FL, and
employees of Bay Town Trolley (fixed route) and Bay Area
Transportation (paratransit), voted to ratify their first ever
labor agreement in July.
The main economic improvement in the contract is
significant wage increases. At the ratification vote, the
members hugged each other and committed to work to
encourage all their co-workers to join the Union. Paratransit
driver and elected leader Rich Green told the media after
the vote he appreciated the union officers from Pensacola
who stood by them and showed them that a union can
make positive change in real lives. “In simple words, I say
thank you, thank you so much.”
Raises for company – none for workers
In February more than 50 Bay Town Trolley operators and
mechanics voted to joined Local 1395-Pensacola, FL, and
immediately began contract talks with private contractor
First Transit.
After months of negotiations most of the economic issues
were taken off the table except wages, which lead the
workers to consider a possible strike.
Local President Mike Lowery says First Transit’s contract
with the county, which began in 2014, had built-in raises
for the company – but none for workers. v
King County Metro driver logs many miles and smiles
King County bus driver Cherry Gilbert is so well suited
to her job behind the wheel that she’s never caused an
accident or gotten a complaint. In fact, she’s never even lost
her cool. The Local 587 member is so good-natured that
she’s completely unfazed by drivers who honk or cut her
off, bicyclists who flip her off, or passengers who ramble,
yell or curse.
When asked if she ever gets mad, she replies with a smile
“Oh, no. I always think someone could be having a terrible
day and I don’t ever want to make it worse.”
Over her long career behind the wheel, Gilbert has seen
pretty much everything and enjoys helping riders out
when needed. One night on her route she saw a woman
running for the bus, with a man running right behind
her. As the woman clambered onto the bus, Gilbert could
see that “she was badly beaten” and immediately shut the
door behind the woman and took off. She then radioed
dispatch for help and was told to deliver the woman to a
location where a victim’s advocate could meet them.
The ATU applauds Gilbert for her cheery attitude, safe
driving record and commitment to her job. v
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ATU Canada rallies against violent attacks
on Kelowna members
As that driver was being treated in the hospital, another
operator was pepper-sprayed in the face. And, in the
fourth incident, a female driver was verbally assaulted
and threatened.
Feeling like a target
The spate of assaults has left many drivers feeling like a
target, says Local President Scott Lovell, 1722, calling the
assaults on drivers an “epidemic.”
ATU Canada delegates joined Kelowna, BC, members to decry
the recent barrage of bus driver assaults in the city.
May 20 was an infamous day in the history of Kelowna
(BC) Transit, as four transit workers were violently attacked
in separate incidents in one day.
The first assault was verbal with a passenger getting in the
face of a driver and threatening to “drag him out of his seat,
off the bus and beat him.” That night another bus driver
was physically assaulted after he told a man it was against
the rules to bring his bicycle inside the bus.
The driver attacks also motivated ATU members from
across Canada, who were in Kelowna for the ATU Canada
annual conference, to band together for a rally to call for
a stop to bus driver assaults. Attacks on bus drivers are a
problem across North America and ATU has been pushing
for protective bus driver shields, panic buttons, more
transit police, and other safety measures.
“We want to make sure that our members are able to go to
work every day and not fear that they are going to be assaulted
in any way,” says ATU Canada President Paul Thorp. v
Minneapolis teen charged in vicious attack on operator
opened the door, and a teenager asked to get on. The driver
told him and his friends it wasn’t time to board.
The boy began yelling at the driver who got off the bus. The
adolescent then punched the driver in the face throwing
him to the pavement. The assailant then began punching
the driver as he lay helpless on the ground. Finally, a
passenger on the bus came to help the driver and the boys
ran away.
The police found the boy and arrested him. He has been
charged with third-degree assault/substantial bodily harm.
Unless you’re a boxer, being punched in the face should not
be part of your job. Yet, that’s what happened to a Metro
Transit operator in Minneapolis, MN.
The Local 1005 member was pulling into a transit center
when he heard pounding on his bus. The driver stopped,
20
Local President Mark Lawson says that “there’s an ebb and
flow” to the number of violent incidents involving drivers.
“But they continue to happen. Whether a little or a lot,
they never stop.” v
New ATU video calls
attention to assault epidemic
Transit worker
assaults found
everywhere in
North America
Baltimore, Ottawa, and Austin are three
of the latest cities to see upticks in
violent attacks on transit workers that
have become all too common for ATU
members across the U.S. and Canada.
The hits keep coming – but, not in a good way.
As the stories on the following pages demonstrate, assaults on transit workers
have become an epidemic. Not a week goes by that we don’t hear stories about
bus operators and other transit workers being punched, stabbed, yelled at, spit
upon, shot at, and worse.
ATU has been calling on transit agencies and elected officials to better protect
bus drivers, transit workers, and riders for some time. In an effort to call attention
to the crisis, ATU has produced a video highlighting stories of attacks on our
fellow sisters and brothers and their devastating impact on victims’ jobs and
lives, and the solutions available to combat the violence. Watch and share this
video at https://youtu.be/uwqXEptwshw and take action to help stop transit
assaults at http://www.atu.org/stoptransitassaults. v
In Baltimore, MD, a female bus
driver was beaten and bloodied by a
woman who boarded the bus with her
child. The young woman complained
that the driver hadn’t picked her up
earlier. She then brutally attacked the
driver as shocked passengers watched.
Meanwhile in Ottawa, ON, a CBC
TV investigation found that Ottawa
bus drivers were assaulted, spat upon
or threatened 85 times in 2015 —
about once every four days. Local 279
is calling for constables to get out of
their own vehicles and board buses in
an effort to cut down on assaults.
Attacks on Portland, OR,
drivers nearly double
Portland, OR, TriMet bus drivers have been the victims of many violent attacks,
including being punched in the face, aggravated assaults and more. Many
more incidents against bus drivers have gone unreported, including verbal
abuse and spitting. In fact, attacks on TriMet drivers and other employees
nearly doubled in 2015, even as crime on the transit system dropped overall.
The agency is planning a public campaign on the consequences of crimes
against TriMet employees, and the transit police division has added five new
police officers, a crime analyst, and increased patrols. But Local 757 says more
protective measures are needed. v
Meanwhile an investigation by an
Austin, TX, FOX (TV) affiliate found
most bus drivers, members of Local
1091, don’t feel safe after a recent
rash of attacks by passengers. “We are
E.M.S, we’re the lawyers, we’re the
doctors, we’re the bartenders, we’re the
psychiatrists,” says one former Capital
Metro driver. v
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21
Seattle drivers, King County Metro working
to improve safety
hearing about assaults on drivers and passengers.
One solution proposed by the Local is giving drivers more
leeway when it comes to pulling over – even if it means
delaying the bus. Currently operators are told by dispatch
to continue driving when an incident occurs.
Current measures not enough
Local President Kenny McCormick, 587-Seattle, WA, says he’s sick
of hearing about assaults on drivers and passengers.
There were 77 assaults on bus drivers in Seattle, WA, last year;
12 on passengers; and 273 other so-called “lesser” incidents.
Local 587 addressed this growing problem, holding the firstever Metro bus operators’ Safety Summit with King County
Metro to find ways to improve safety on buses.
Local President Kenny McCormick says he is sick of
One bus driver shared her story at the summit. She
said a group of men who couldn’t fit on her bus after
a Sounders soccer game, chased after it, threatening her.
They eventually got on at another stop. She then called
her operations center for help, but she was told to just
keep driving. The driver said that is not enough and more
resources are needed to deal with these issues.
The Local also suggested using body cameras to help
protect drivers, especially when they’re getting on and off
the bus. v
Detroit: More transit officers boost bus safety
From stabbings to verbal abuse to dodging bullets and
thrown buckets of bleach, Detroit bus drivers have seen
their fair share of violent attacks over the last few years.
But recently these incidents have decreased on account of
a stronger visible presence of transit officers on city buses.
Transit officers have arrest powers and can conduct minor
investigations, but more serious cases are handled by
Detroit police. In addition to the officers, bus cameras
play a significant role in tamping down crime and helping
to solve cases.
“There’s a big difference since transit police came on board,
as far as physical assaults,” says Local 26 President Fred
Westbrook.
Westbrook hopes the transit agency will continue to hire
more transit officers to continue to boost safety and security
22
not only for the bus operators, but for the thousands of
riders who rely on the bus.
Let’s hope transit agencies across the U.S. and Canada take
notice of Detroit’s success and make the same investment
in safety for transit workers. v
Edmonton makes bad bus behavior illegal
While it’s unlikely that someone would be fined the
maximum for swearing, or not wearing a shirt, the
possibility of some offences meriting those maximum
penalties tells the public that they mean business.
Local wanted law for a long time
Local President Eric Tuck, 107, says that his members have
wanted this legislation for a long time.
Every ATU member is familiar with the rules about
things you’re not supposed to do on a bus. Well, now in
Edmonton, AB, they’re not just against the rules – they’re
against the law.
The city has passed a new bylaw that covers a wide range
of activities prohibited on Hamilton Street Railway (HSR)
buses. Violators can be fined up to $10,000 for the first
offence, and $25,000 for subsequent offences.
“We’ve seen coffee thrown on a driver. They get spit on and
verbally or physically assaulted.” But “it’s very difficult to
kick someone off without having a bylaw there. This way
you can tell the police and they can address it.”
“In a lot of circumstances,” says Transit Support Services
Manager Nancy Purser, “the bylaw just kind of formalizes
what we were doing already,” Now, “there’s more strength
to their words.” v
Deranged man hijacks DC Metrobus, kills pedestrian
Another day another attack, this time in Washington, DC.
A man boarded a bus and took a seat. Noticing the man
was wearing a mask over half his face and breathing heavily,
the concerned bus driver, a member of Local 689, asked if
the man was “OK”. The man then yelled aggressively and
lunged at the driver using a pair of needle nose pliers as a
weapon. Realizing that an attack was underway, passengers
began leaving the bus.
The driver and the assailant struggled and the driver was
able to disarm the attacker. But the man pushed the driver
off the bus, closed the doors and drove away. The hijacker
then crashed the bus several times before striking a man
standing near a gas station. The pedestrian was rushed to a
local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The whole
incident took less than three minutes.
After being arrested, the suspect admitted to using synthetic
marijuana and PCP before boarding the bus a block from
his home. He was ordered held without bail during a court
hearing and is charged with second-degree murder. v
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23
Report your bus, maintenance safety
problems on the ATU App today!
Broken mirrors, engine problems, defective steering,
broken air conditioners, oil spills, fire and electrical hazards,
inadequate tools, lack of safety training, unkept workplaces,
and foul air are just a few of the dangerous and unacceptable
safety issues too many ATU members face every day.
If you’re dealing with these or other safety problems your
Union wants to know about it.
downloading and installing the App on your smartphone
at http://www.atu.org/action/atu-mobile-app.
Remember, when completing the report, to follow your
transit agency’s policies and don’t use a cell phone when
operating a vehicle. v
Help us fight for your safety – Report
safety violations on the ATU App.
Just download the app to your smartphone and then go
to the Report Bus and Maintenance Safety Violations and
Defects Page and fill out the form.
The ATU App is free and easy to download from the App
Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android
devices. You’ll find detailed step-by-step instructions for
DON’T MISS THE 58TH ATU CONVENTION IN TORONTO
BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE A VALID PASSPORT!
ATU will be holding its 58th International Convention from October 3-7, 2016, in Toronto, ON. Toronto is Canada’s
largest city, fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It’s a global
cosmopolitan center for arts and culture that is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities.
ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT
TO ENTER CANADA.
If you don’t have a valid passport you will be turned back by Canadian
border agents at the border or upon your arrival at the airport in Canada.
ATU suggests you apply for your first passport or renew your expired passport as soon as
possible. It can take up to six weeks to get or renew a passport.
You can find all you need to know about how to apply for, or renew your passport,
for yourself or any guests or family members traveling with you to the Convention at
http://travel.state.gov
Don’t get stranded at the border – apply today!
24
Buffalo Local protests 7 years without
contract during NHL Draft
a contract for seven years.
Local President Vince Crehan listed low pay, a proposed
doubling of co-pays for health insurance and no retroactive
raises, as the issues preventing an agreement with NFTA.
They also want the public to know why their buses often
don’t show up.
35 – 40 drivers short
Local President Vince Crehan, 1342-Buffalo, NY, listed low pay, a
proposed doubling of co-pays for health insurance and no retroactive
raises, as the issues preventing an agreement with NFTA.
“It’s not our fault, it’s that they’re 35-40 bus drivers short
and about 40 mechanics, and now it’s going to get into the
safety of the buses as well,” explains Crehan.
“Contract! Contract!” shouted picketers from Local 1342Buffalo, NY, in front of Niagara Frontier Transportation
Authority (NFTA) headquarters in June.
One protester, Robert Oehler, 1342, says making a living
is a challenge at a place with a starting salary of $12.95
per hour. “It’s pretty difficult,” he says. “You have to adjust
your budget, work overtime, sometimes sacrifice a bill or
two to make sure something else gets paid.”
Local 1342 creatively used the NHL Draft, which took
place in their city as an opportunity to tell a wider audience
about the problems they’ve endured while working without
Negotiations currently are at a standstill. v
A Lincoln, NE rider on a mission
Over a year ago retired 75-year old Lincoln, NE, retired
criminal defense attorney Richard Schmeling had been in
his second car accident, living on a fixed income, when he
decided it wasn’t worth buying another car to get around
and instead decided to use the bus system.
After riding the StarTran bus system for a few months,
Schmeling quickly realized the public transit system was
outdated and inefficient. He started talking to his StarTran
bus driver about this problem. The driver told Schmeling to
get in touch with Local 1293’s Marilyn Kruger.
Richard Schmeling, president of Citizens for
Improved Transit in Lincoln, NE
Schmeling became “a one-man crusade to improve public
transportation in Lincoln,” says Kruger. He has devoted
hundreds and hundreds of hours to this cause.
system more effective,” said Schmeling.
Schmeling and the CFIT pushed hard as StarTran Advisory
Board was formulating a plan to improve the bus system.
The Board approved a plan to set StarTran on the right
course. “While not perfect, this is a strong plan to make the
“We made a difference by coming together as riders and
workers to fight for a common cause,” said Schmeling.
“And most importantly we stayed proactive with actions and
events to improve public transit in our community.” v
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
25
Baltimore transit workers protest subway rats
Maryland Transit Administration workers, members
of Local 1300, donned rat masks and handed out flyers
asking subway passengers how they’d like it if they had rats
in their office.
MTA station managers and workers experience this on the
job every day. Many will have entire nests of rats sitting at
their feet and will have to leave the station because it’s so
unsanitary and smells so bad.
It’s ‘a death trap down there’
“Down inside this system, it is a death trap down there. We
have a lot of trash, food. The rats are feeding off that,” says
Local 1300 President David McClure. “We have pictures
of a rat that looks like a baby kangaroo. No one should
have to come and work in these types of conditions.”
Members of Local 1300-Baltimore, MD, protest the subway’s
ongoing rat problem at a city Metro station.
Despite years of complaints by workers and riders, MTA
has refused to do anything to deal with this serious problem.
The Local is calling on the agency to adopt an abatement
program similar to the city’s. The city has introduced ratresistant trashcans to curb the issue above ground. v
Local, Niagara Transit resolve differences
complaint after enduring “appalling treatment” over the
past two years.
‘Muzzled like a dog’
“They told her that she should be muzzled like a dog and they
gave her a five-day suspension for recording meetings where
they were being verbally abusive toward her,” Paul Thorp,
president of ATU Canada, told rally participants.
Members of Local 1582-Niagara Falls, ON, are joined by members
of Local 113-Toronto, ON, and representatives of ATU Canada
for a rally in support of Local President Margaret Gilbert, who
protests being muzzled by the city and Niagara Transit.
Local 1582-Niagara Falls, ON, has resolved the issues it
had with Niagara Transit in the wake of a rally staged by
the Local, other ATU Locals, and ATU Canada in support
of Local President Margaret Gilbert who was recently
issued a five-day suspension and barred from the property.
Gilbert told the rally she had been “subjected to verbal
abuse” by the agency. She filed an unfair labour practice
26
Everything resolved
Gilbert says she has had “several meetings” with management
over “a couple days” in which the two sides “resolved all of the
differences; all the outstanding issues.
“We had unfair labour practice and some other grievances,
but everything has been resolved and we’re happy,” she says.
Gilbert said she feels better after the meetings, adding that
the two sides can have a “better and positive” relationship
moving forward. v
Local opposes TNC, taxi service to
and from Bloomington bus stops
riders in outlying areas of Bloomington-Normal to
Connect Transit bus stops.
“Uber is not regulated,” asserts Riordan. “Their people are
not trained. They are not in our union. They are not the
answer.” No decision has been made yet.
Other commenters accused Connect Transit of cutting
service to save money, but the agency contends that its
budget will actually increase from $10 million to $13
million under the plan due to more frequent bus service
and the addition of Sunday service.
Local President Jim Riordan, 752-Bloomington, IL,
spoke out recently against a proposal to use transportation
companies (TNCs) such as Uber or a cab service to get
Connect Transit says the extra funding will come from
$1 million in new sales tax money from BloomingtonNormal that will match an additional $2 million in state
and federal grants. v
— SAVE THE DATE —
ATU/MS Research Funds
31st Annual Golf Tournament
SEPTEMBER 18 & 19, 2016
WORTHINGTON MANOR GOLF CLUB,
URBANA, MD
FOR THE BENEFIT OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS RESEARCH
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
27
Lo Mejor de ATU
Conducir el autobús, arreglarlo, vender los billetes de autobús -estas son
las simples tareas que el público cree que hacemos en nuestro trabajo. A
no ser que hayan hecho este trabajo, no se dan cuenta de las muchas otras
tareas que hacemos los conductores de autobús. Y, sin duda, el público
general nunca entenderá el trabajo tan cualificado que hacemos.
Desafortunadamente, si los reportes recibidos por la Internacional se
pueden usar como guía, el número y la seriedad de estos incidentes parece
estar aumentando, y los valientes miembros de ATU continúan su ayuda
y rescate de aquellos que necesitan su apoyo y corren peligro diariamente:
‘Yo lucharé por ti’
Los trabajadores de Tránsito hacen todo esto y mucho más: Somos
psiquiatras callejeros que ofrecen sus consejos a gente con todo tipo de
dificultades mentales. Somos padres intermediarios para los niños que
montan en nuestros autobús o tren.
la conductora de Milwaukee County (WI) Transit System (MCTS),
Sharon Chambers, 998, está siendo reconocida por tomar acción rápida
en ayudar a una niña de 15 años de edad a escapar de un hombre que trató
de meterla a fuerza en su coche, y que la estaba persiguiendo y hostigando.
Con frecuencia ponemos las necesidades del público por encima de las
nuestras y hacemos más de lo que se nos pide. Muchas veces somos los
primeros en asistir y tomamos la acción necesaria para proteger a nuestros
pasajeros de un crimen. En el caso de un miembro del Local 998, la
victima ni siquiera estaba en el autobús. En Calgary, AB, nuestro miembro
regresó $1,000 en una cartera olvidada por una pasajera, que resultó ser
su dinero del alquiler.
Chambers estaba a punto de salir de una parada cuando vio a la chica
señalando en su dirección.
“Cuando se puso delante del autobús vi que estaba llorando,” dijo
Chambers. “Le dije que se subiera al autobús y que nadie le iba a hacer
daño en mi autobús.”
‘Estas a Salvo’
Lo Mejor de ATU
En este número de la revista reconocemos lo mejor de ATU. Les aliento
a que lean estas historias. Estas son personas que se inscribieron para
hacer un trabajo, pero pronto aprendieron que los retos eran mucho más
numerosos que los deberes en la descripción de su trabajo.
Estas son historias sobre gente normal que intervino para salvar a una
niña autista de 15 años de edad de ser secuestrada; que previno el ataque
a una pasajera de ser atacada por su religión; de un conductor que regresó
$50,000 en dinero en efectivo que se encontró en su autobús; y otro que
salvó a una mujer de 80 años de edad de un ataque vicioso.
Esto es lo mejor de ATU.
Los actos de estos miembros alternan entre la decencia y la valentía, y marcan el estándar que nos hace tan orgullosos de ser parte de ATU. Durante el
mes de agosto, mantendremos el video histórico del discurso del Rep. Elijah
Cummings en nuestra convención de 1998 colgado en nuestra página web,
www.atu.org. Yo nunca he visto a una persona que no es un trabajador de
transito que entienda tan bien como él, el trabajo tan extraordinario que
hacemos. v
Chambers se alejó de esa zona por si acaso el hombre todavía estaba
siguiendo a la chica, y llamó a MCTS Dispatch, quien notificó a la Policía
de Milwaukee. Chambers condujo hasta un punto de encontrada con la
policía y el personal de MCTS.
Mientras esperaban a que llegara la policía, Chambers llamó a la abuela
de la chica para dejarle saber lo que había sucedido y consoló a la chica,
diciéndole “no te preocupes. Estas a salvo. Yo voy a defenderte y nadie te
va a lastimar.”
“Sharon y todos los otros empleados trabajadores de MCTS y
el Condado de Milwaukee me hacen sentir orgullo de vivir en
Milwaukee y servir como un Ejecutivo del condado”, dijo el Ejecutivo
del Condado Chris Abele. MCTS dice que recibe cientos de elogios
cada año para sus conductores.
‘Hice lo que cualquier ser humano
debería de hacer’
Conductor de OC Transpo Dan Stoddard, 279, dice que simplemente fue
su Instinto natural, “es simplemente lo que debía de hacer”.
Mientras estaba en su ruta normal, Stoddard vio a una mujer joven no
acompañada en una parada de autobús a la una de la madrugada. Cuando
paró el autobús y ella no se subió, supo que algo no estaba bien.
LOS HÉROES DE ATU
Por encima y AUN mas ALLÁ
A lo largo de su historia, los miembros de ATU han sido reconocidos por
proteger a personas en peligro. Han cumplido una función no oficial pero
no obstante vital como los ojos y oídos de las comunidades que sirven.
Sin embargo, en los últimos 20 años, los operadores se han convertido en
las víctimas de ataques tan viciosos, que la mayoría de la gente no querría
hacer nada que pudiera aumentar la posibilidad de ser lastimados.
No obstante, esto no ha parado a conductores de ATU que han
arriesgado sus propias vidas para rescatar a ciudadanos que encuentran
en peligro en sus rutas; muchas veces siendo completamente ignorados
por otras personas.
28
Después de un tiempo, Stoddard pudo convencer a la mujer, que estaba
medio desnuda y obviamente en dificultades, a que se subiera a su autobús.
Entonces llamó a la seguridad de tránsito y condujo el autobús al park-nride cercano.
‘Ayudé como pude’
Él les pidió a los otros dos pasajeros, que eran hombres, que se sentaran en
la parte trasera del autobús y se sentó en la parte delantera con la mujer y
la consoló hasta que llegó la policía y la seguridad de tránsito. Ella le contó
que había sido asaltada física y verbalmente.
“Sé lo que le pasó específicamente? Pues no. ¿Pero, necesitaba ella ayuda?
Sí, eso sí lo sabía,” dijo Stoddard. “Ayudé como pude. No hice ni más ni
menos, simplemente hice lo que todo ser humano debería de hacer.”
Uno de los otros pasajeros a bordo del autobús se sorprendió por las
acciones de Stoddard, diciendo “la gente nunca escucha sobre las cosas
buenas que pasan.” Le tomó una foto a Stoddard y a la mujer hablando, y
la foto se hizo viral.
‘A alguien le iba a hacer mucha falta’
Cuando una viejita le tocó el hombro al operador de autobús Dan Storozuk,
583-Calgary, AB, y le entregó un artículo perdido, no podía creer sus ojos.
Una cartera olvidada por un pasajero, con $1,000.
‘Quedarse sentado sin hacer nada
no es una opción’
“Yo he perdido cosas antes, pero esto era algo diferente. Supe que a alguien
le iba a hacer mucha falta,” dijo el conductor.
El conductor Alain Charette, 279-Ottawa, ON, está siendo aclamado por
su valentía al defender a una mujer musulmana en su autobús.
Storozuk inmediatamente llamó a su supervisor Kulbir Chouhan para
reportar el encuentro. Chouhan se puso manos a la obra, y la cartera fue
regresada en menos de tres horas.
la joven que llevaba puesto un niqab/burqa abordó el autobús de Charette
y un hombre sentado cerca de ella empezó a hacer comentarios despectivos
e “Islamofobicos” a los otros pasajeros. La mujer le dijo que, si tenía algo
que decir, que no se lo dijera a los demás pasajeros, sino a ella directamente.
El hombre no paraba. “no dejaba de llamarme una chalada y terrorista.
Incluso me gritó que debía asimilarme,” dijo la mujer.
Escuchando este intercambio acalorado, Charette con toda rapidez estacionó
su autobús y vino a la defensa de la mujer, diciendo que había llamado a las
autoridades. “Yo le dije que o se largaba o esperaba a que viniera la seguridad,
pero que algo iba a suceder,” dijo Charette. “ya viene alguien, pero mientras
tanto, deja en paz a esta mujer.”
El hombre le dijo al conductor que no había ningún problema, que el ama a
los Cristianos, Musulmanes y Judíos, y que de todas formas ya se iba a bajar
del autobús.
La mujer alagó a Charette por defenderla a ella y a su comunidad Islámica.
Él dijo que era su deber defenderla. «la intolerancia lastima a la gente
porque reduce la humanidad en la sociedad,» dijo Charette. “Quedarse
sentado sin hacer nada no es una opción.”
‘Estamos increiblemente agradecidos’
El 30 de abril, justo antes de las 9:30 a.m., el Operator Ari Megaro,
192-Oakland, CA, estaba conduciendo en su ruta cuando observó a
un niño pequeño en un scooter a pie, corriendo en la acera paralela
al autobús. Presintiendo una situación posiblemente peligrosa, el
conductor inmediatamente paró su autobús de forma segura y con
calma habló con el niño, usando su aprecio mutuo por scooters para
obtener su confianza.
Megaro no sabía que el niño de siete años de edad, Danny Eichberg
tiene autismo; que se había alejado varias millas de su casa; ni que su
familia había contactado frenéticamente a la policía, quienes le estaban
buscando.
Megaro de dio un asiento delantero a Danny, observando cuidadosamente
a su nuevo pupilo, dándole seguridad mientras que las autoridades
encontraban a su familia.
“Estamos increíblemente agradecidos con…el Sr. Megaro por tomar la
iniciativa de intervenir y cuidar de él,” dijo el padre del niño, Michael
Eichberg, añadiendo, “Aun no puedo creer que AC Transit le rescató.
Cuando cumplió seis años, incluso su tarta de cumpleaños tenía la forma
de un Autobús de Transito AC…así que se pueden imaginar cómo se debió
sentir cuando el conductor paró y le abrió la puerta.”
“Cada día, nuestros operadores Interactúan directamente con casi 200,000
pasajeros y resuelven un sin fin de situaciones de servicio al cliente,” dice
Michael Hursh, el gerente de AC Transit. “De hecho, los operadores de
AC Transit hacen cosas excepcionales todos los días en nuestra comunidad,
muchas veces bajo increíble presión.”
“Estaba pensando que a alguien le faltaba su alquiler. Estaba muy contento
de poder regresar la cartera”, dijo Chouhan. Se reunió con Bernadete
Schneuiker en el centro de Calgary para entregarle la cartera tan anticipada
en persona.
“Me dio un fuerte abrazo. Estaba muy impresionado porque lo tomaron
muy en serio. Cualquiera podría haberla tomado. Un conductor podría
ser deshonesto. Así que agradezco la honestidad del conductor,” dijo
Schneuiker.
Ella explicó que se había subido al autobús con las manos llenas de compras
del supermercado. La cartera se cayó al piso.
Resultó ser que la mayoría del dinero si era para el alquiler que debía en
ese mes.
“Ya había perdido mi esperanza. Cancelé todas mis tarjetas y las di por
perdidas. Estoy muy agradecida,” dijo ella.
para Chouhan y Storozuk, quien hace de Santa durante las fiestas
navideñas, simplemente fue un día mas, haciendo todo lo posible por
servir a sus clientes.
‘Solo estoy hacienda mi trabajo y siendo
una persona honesta’
El operador Daniel Clavette, 113-Toronto, ON, fue abordado por un
hombre mayor con una bolsa que dijo haberse encontrado en uno de los
asientos del autobús. “Eran las 5:15 de la tarde, y yo iba en dirección norte
a Scarborough Centre. Sabía que iba a tener un poco de tiempo cuando
llegara para abrirla y ver si había algún tipo de identificación adentro con
la cual contactar al dueño.”
Lo que el conductor vio en la bolsa le impactó muchísimo.
“Había unos folders con información acerca de un entierro, un
pasaporte y dos sobres bancarios grandes,” dijo Clavette. “Cuando abrí
uno de los sobres, vi que había billetes de $100 y asumí que había fajos
de $10,000.”
Resultó que la bolsa contenía $50,000 que fueron dejados por un hombre
que estaba fuera de si por la tristeza de haber perdido a su madre.
El conductor inmediatamente contactó a sus supervisores.
Más o menos al mismo tiempo que el TTC estaba Informando a la policía,
el dueño de la bolsa frenéticamente trataba de reportar su pérdida. Estaba
extático cuando le dijimos que su dinero estaba a salvo.
Clavette fue reconocido por su amable acto con un certificado por la
División 41. Dice que regresar el dinero era lo correcto. “Yo solo estaba
haciendo mi trabajo y siendo una persona honesta,” dijo.
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
29
Valiente miembro del 587 enfrenta un
horroroso ataque
En Port Angeles, WA, la policía alagó a la conductora del Local 587Seattle, WA, Joy Crummett, 60, quien demostró increíble valor ante un
horrible ataque.
Era un sábado por la tarde, cuando un hombre que iba montado en su
autobús se puso de pie y de repente empezó a patear a una mujer de 80
años de edad en su cara, gritando “¡Te voy a matar!»
El hombre comienza a pegarle puñetazos y a machacar su cabeza contra el
piso, reporta el Cabo Dombrowski, de las Oficinas del Sheriff del Condado
de Clallam.
La conductora estaba siendo estrangulada
por defender a la pasajera
“Él la estaba estrangulando sin más,” dice Brownlee, “Entonces fue cuando
abrí la puerta y dije: “¡Oye, no hagas eso! No tienes por qué ponerle las
manos encima a nadie, ni hombre ni mujer.”
Él fue exitoso en tranquilizar al hombre, diciéndole, «Yo no quiero verte
con un cargo por violencia doméstica.”
la mujer tomó al bebe y se subió al autobús,” dijo Brownlee.
‘No regreses’
El operador le pidió a la mujer si quería que llamara a la policía. Ella dijo
que no y le dio las gracias. Y antes de que se bajara del autobús le aconsejó
“no regreses a él, porque si lo hace una vez, lo va a repetir.”
Brownlee espera que sus acciones motiven a otros a intervenir cuando
vean violencia doméstica. “Por lo menos a que digan algo,” dice, “porque
normalmente si dices algo suelen parar.”
Crummett entonces estaciona el autobús y consigue quitarle de encima
al hombre, quien trata de escaparse. El atacante entonces atrapa a la
operadora contra el frente del autobús, cerca de la puerta y la empieza a
estrangular, gritando “Suéltame o te arranco la garganta.” Crummett casi se
desmaya antes de que el atacante gira para mirar a la mujer anciana, quien
se está levantando del piso.
‘Mis instintos se activaron’
Crummett logra escaparse y pide ayuda, y abre las puertas, dejando que los
otros cuatro pasajeros aterrorizados puedan salir.
“Ella estaba atorada. De hecho, dos de las ruedas estaban en la banqueta
y dos en la calle. No podía moverse ni echarse hacia atrás. No podía hacer
nada,” dijo Carroll.
El hombre loco empuja a su primera víctima de la puerta delantera, pero
regresa. Aparentemente tratando de robar el autobús, empieza a pegar a
Crummett, pidiéndole que cierre las puertas.
Con una calma increíble, le pide al hombre que primero chequee las
puertas traseras. Con el atacante temporalmente distraído, Crummett
logra salir corriendo, dejando las puertas cerradas detrás de ella, primero
habiendo apagado la batería.
El atacante trató de conducir el autobús inmóvil antes de ser capturado.
Fue procesado por dos cargos de asalto en segundo grado y los recuentos
individuales de intento de secuestro en primer grado y de primer grado
intento de robo.
Ambas víctimas han sido dadas de alta del hospital tras sufrir lo que la
policía describió como “mucho dolor físico.”
Otra conductora de Milwaukee County (WI) Transit System (MCTS),
Shari Carroll, 998, fue más allá de su deber cuando observó que la silla
de ruedas de una pasajera que acababa de bajarse estaban atoradas delante
de ella.
“Mis instintos se activaron y pense, ‘bueno, tengo que por lo menos sacarla
de la calle’,” dijo Carroll.
‘Esto es demasiado amable
“Ella simplemente paró e hizo todo lo que pudo,” dijo el pasajero John
Bischoff, “y se puso manos a la obra. Ella estaba arrodillada tratando de
activar la transmisión de esta señora, y yo pensé que era demasiado amable.”
“Yo no quería que nadie rodeara mi autobús, sobre todo para hacer una vuelta
Ilegal delante mío y que la atropellara,” dijo Carroll. Bischoff y un amigo
consiguieron que la silla de ruedas motorizada funcionara una vez más.
Bischoff dice que él y los demás pasajeros estaban muy Impresionados.
Carroll dice que está sorprendida por la atención, pero se siente agradecida.
Acciones heroicas de miembros de Milwaukee
documentadas
Nueve semanas
El Local 998 parece tener el número más alto de héroes, porque el Sistema
de Transito del Condado de Milwaukee (WI) alienta activamente a
su público a reportar las acciones positivas de sus empleados. Ellos, no
obstante, se merecen ser aquí mencionados como evidencia adicional de
la devoción de todos los miembros de ATU a las comunidades que sirven.
Todos los incidentes relatados arriba ocurrieron entre el 16 de abril al 16
de junio, tan solo nueve semanas de las vidas de miembros de ATU en
Canadá y los Estados unidos. Aquellos que leen In Transit saben que este
no fue un periodo de tiempo inusual. Los reportes de todo el bien que
nuestros miembros hacen por sus comunidades llegan a la Internacional
de forma semanal.
‘¡Oye, no hagas eso!’
Anthony Brownlee, 998, estaba en su ruta un domingo por la tarde,
cuando vio a una pareja con un bebe peleándose en un estacionamiento.
“Ella estaba en la parte trasera del auto y él la estaba estrangulando.” La
gente alrededor no hacía nada por ayudar a la mujer.
was on his route on a Sunday afternoon when he noticed a couple with a
baby fighting in a parking lot.
30
Y sabemos que esto es solo “la punta del iceberg.” Los miembros de ATU
hacen cientos de actos amables diariamente de los que nunca se escucha
nada. Si conoce a un miembro que cree que es un héroe de ATU, por
favor asegúrese de enviar su historia a las oficinas del Presidente Hanley al
[email protected].
Presentar las historias de estos nueve miembros, es nuestra manera de
honrar a todos los héroes anónimos de ATU que de forma rutinaria van
por encima y más allá de su deber, simplemente por qué es lo correcto.
ustedes nos hacen sentir orgullo por ser ATU.” v
In Memoriam
Death Benefits Awarded March 1, 2016 - April 30, 2016
1- MEMBERS AT LARGE
THOMAS DELANEY
IVAN M FLINN
HAROLD F JOHNSON
VERNON H KRUEGER
THEODORE ANGUS MILLER
ALBERT V MOORE
CLAYTON L WATERBURY
265- SAN JOSE, CA
CHARLES L MULL
JEREMIAH F O’SHEA
WILLIAM R THOMAS
85- PITTSBURGH, PA
ALLEN R ASHTON
FRANKLIN DUANE BROWN
WILLIAM R COYLE
THOMAS J DANCISON
WILLIAM E EUBANKS
PAUL D KALAKEWICH
JAMES MC LELLAN
CARMEN C ROMEO
ARTHUR E SCHAEFFER
ROBERT M SMITH
JOHN P VECHTER
JAMES WEBSTER JR
RICHARD A WILLIAMS
276- STOCKTON, CA
DALE C HURST
113- TORONTO, ON
RUDOLPH ACKLOO
DESMOND R CRAFTER
LUIGI GIACCI
DONALD T LYNAS
IAN R MACKIE
CORRADO MASSA
EDWARD W MERNAGH
GARY B MILLER
DAVID PALMER
GANSHAM RAMLACKAN
CHARLES E SENIOR
PURUSHOTHAM SHETTY
HARRY NORMAN SISSON
ANTHONY GERALD SMITH
WILLIAM A STOREY
EDWARD J J YASNEY
164- WILKES-BARRE, PA
ELIJAH GALLAGHER
174- FALL RIVER, MA
ROBERT LUCAS
192- OAKLAND, CA
EUGENE B RESPICIO
NATHANIEL ROBINSON
241- CHICAGO, IL
BHUPINDER S BHOLA
DOROTHY V BROOKINS
GEORGE R DUSZYNSKI
HUGO I GALVEZ
JESSE GILLIAN
EDGAR GRIFFIN JR
GEORGE M HENLEY JR
LEWIS T JOHNSON
ROOSEVELT MONTGOMERY
CHESTER ROBERTSON
HARRY W RONS
SALVATORE SALATINO
EDWARD STEWART
KEITH THOMPSON
JEFF J TURNER
LAWRENCE TURNER
AMADOR VELEZ
LOUIS G WILLIAMS
256- SACRAMENTO, CA
JAYDEE C CURRY
KENNETH M KLINE
ROY WILLIAMS
JOHN YELLOWHORSE
268- CLEVELAND, OH
HUBERT D HENDERSON
JOHN F WIENCEK
279- OTTAWA, ON
ROLAND J M GAGNON
AURELE LADOUCEUR
281- NEW HAVEN, CT
JOSEPH MARDEN
JAMES R VANACORE
282- ROCHESTER, NY
JOHN BONACCI
425- HARTFORD, CT
LESLIE ELLIS
ALFRED JACQUES
448- SPRINGFIELD, MA
ARNOLD R CRAVEN
540- TRENTON, NJ
THOMAS COOPER
KONSTANTINO TZOUNAKOS
569- EDMONTON, AB
CLIFF CARTER
RODERICK EVANS
GAUSTON R GUEUTAL
STEPHEN HOSEGOOD
LAWRENCE WILFRED HUMM
EDWARD KEMPINSKI
JOHN L RIOUX
STANLEY L TYSON
583- CALGARY, AB
BONG HO CHOI
JOHN J HEBB
ARIF NIZAR KHAKOO
ABRAHAM LOEWEN
NORMAND J H MARCHAND
CLAYTON GLENN MARTELL
WILLIAM G MARTIN
DEBRA ANN MC DONALD
RONALD MITCHELL
DONNA M ROBINSON
MINGHUI ZHU
587- SEATTLE, WA
HAYWARD GREGORY
588- REGINA, SK
JOHN W ARMSTRONG
RUDOLPH S PANAGABKO
589- BOSTON, MA
EDWARD J BRENNAN
JAMES DUNBAR JR
JOSEPH R FITZGERALD
LINCOLN M GRAHAM
TAMEEKA UDARA HINNANT
CARL E HOSEA JR
THOMAS E KANE
JOSEPH J MC GINLEY
JAMES MINNIFIELD
ANGELO J TARANTO
EDMUND A TOOMEY
WILLIAM E YOUNG
618- PROVIDENCE, RI
GREGORY W DOLBY
JAMES R MOOREMAN
627- CINCINNATI, OH
DWAYNE BERRY
MICHAEL GADD
WILLIAM H JACKSON
AMOND MILLS
685- BRANTFORD, ON
ALFRED NORDEN
689- WASHINGTON, DC
HARRY E BOWLES
ALAN M BROWN
CONSTANCE D BROWN
GERALD C CAREY
WARREN M CHAMBERS
KENNETH C CROOKER
BOBBY GLEN ENOCH
JOHN FOXCROFT
JAMES F HOPFER
EDWARD L JOHNSON
FREDDIE LEE KING
RICHARD LANE PRIEST
DAVID W REID
RUSSELL E ROBERTS JR
RIONDO M SHEPARD
JAMES D WITHERSPOON
694- SAN ANTONIO, TX
ALFONSO S MARTINEZ
717- MANCHESTER, NH
RUTH M BASNAR
726- STATEN ISLAND, NY
PETER C BJORKLUND
JOHN L JENKINS
ANTHONY MOBILA
GABRIEL SCHIAVONE
732- ATLANTA, GA
CRYSTAL V BIVINS-ASANTE
ROBERT E JOHNSON
ROBERT L RAINES
741- LONDON, ON
WILLIAM N HILL
IVAN A LEITCH
ALEXANDER MAC LEOD
752- BLOOMINGTON, IL
JEFF ERDMAN
757- PORTLAND, OR
ERIC N ANDERSON
JON V BLILEY
MILTON L CASTERLINE
LARRY D FRALEY
ROY L GOODENOUGH
KARL L KEELER
MICHAEL MARTIN
JOHN P MC CLINTOCK
ERIC L STILLER
JOHN STURDAVANT
VICKY J WILLIAMS
758- TACOMA, WA
BARBARA MATUKONIS
WALTER W MORRIS
WALLACE WYDRA
788- ST. LOUIS, MO
CHARLES E AKLEY
JERRY D BLUE
LEROY BROWN
SAM H HUDDLESTON
WILLIE MACKLIN
ERHARD E MUELLER
RICHARD PATTON
ALDO C ROSSI
RUTHIE M SIMPSON
CHARLES N TRIPLETT
EUGENE A WALLACE
JOHN T WHITE
801- ALTOONA, PA
PAUL E SMITH
812- CLARKSBURG, WV
ROBERT HERBERT BARRETT
819- NEWARK, NJ
GHULAM JAN
MARVIN M ROSENTHAL
ROBERT M WEEKLEY
822- PATERSON, NJ
WILLIAM PETER DALY
836- GRAND RAPIDS, MI
ROGER BUCHANAN
842- WILMINGTON, DE
FREDERICK O BRISBON
EILEEN D CHUBBS
880- CAMDEN, NJ
JOHN W BENSON
KEITH COOK
PAUL E HONRYCHS
JOHN G SADUASKAS JR
956- ALLENTOWN, PA
LARRY H ROWLANDS
966- THUNDER BAY, ON
KEN HIRSCHFELDT
FRED WIESER
998- MILWAUKEE, WI
MICHAEL S ANDRESHAK
CLARENCE KERN
RUSSELL E NOWAK
EDDIE WILSON
1001- DENVER, CO
MARCUS E RODGERS
1235- NASHVILLE, TN
JESSE A BATSON
LARRY W BINKLEY
JUDY D GOWER
CHARLES V SEAGRAFF
1267- FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
JOSEPH J CATRICOLA
STEVE B CHEN
1277- LOS ANGELES, CA
ANDREW J ANDERSON
EDWARD H GUERRA
INDOLFO A GUTIERREZ
GEORGE S KUROKI
CARLOS M LOZANO
ARMANDO ROMERO
1293- LINCOLN, NE
JAMES A JENKINS
1300- BALTIMORE, MD
WARREN BUMGARDNER
TANGIE M HARGRAVE
WILLIAM R SHREWSBURY
DAVID A SMITH JR
1320- PETERBOROUGH, ON
ALICE E MC KAY
1321- ALBANY & TROY, NY
DONALD J ROMANO
1338- DALLAS, TX
CHARLES E MASON
ZULITA WALKER
1342- BUFFALO, NY
STEVEN K AIKEN
JOHN COLLIARD
RICHARD J KIEFFER
JARVIN B LLOYD
WILLIAM C MATHIEN
ANTHONY PALMIERE
1374- CALGARY, AB
WALTER BARYLA
PETER F DOELL
LLOYD HERBERT PROCTOR
1447- LOUISVILLE, KY
JOHN B STEINMETZ
1005- MINNEAPOLIS
& ST. PAUL, MN
KEITH M KINNING
1498- JOPLIN, MO
RONALD D FRANCISCO
1037- NEW BEDFORD, MA
PAUL A SCHROEDER
1505- WINNIPEG, MB
SEON A GRIFFITH
HENRY J PENNER
1091- AUSTIN, TX
GENE P KIMBALL
1512- SPRINGFIELD, MA
THOMAS E WILLIAMS
1181- NEW YORK, NY
CATHERINE BARTOLOMEO
JOYCE BEATTY
JAMES P CUSANELLI
BENNY J DIERNA
VOULA GANOS
ALEX GIANNUZZI
ROBERT FRANCIS JAHN
FRANCIS P LEMONDA
JOSEPH ANTHONY LUPOLI
JEAN M MARAGNI
MARIANNA MAZZELLA
RUBY PERRONE
TRENTINO J RUSSO
ENRICO SANTARELLI
JOSEPH SCHIPANI
GEORGE STORCH JR
1517- IDAHO FALLS, ID
TAKEO T SATO
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
1573- BRAMPTON, ON
JAN N MOLENDYK
1575- SAN RAFAEL, CA
RICHARD W SANSONI
1700- CHICAGO, IL
WILLIAM E FERRIS
1741- LAFAYETTE, IN
WILLIAM A MEYER
1765- OLYMPIA, WA
STEVEN A AMES
31
Amalgamated Transit Union
AFL-CIO/CLC
www.atu.org
STAY CONNECTED
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PRINTED IN U.S.A.
THE VOICE OF TRANSIT WORKERS
As the largest transit worker Political Action Committee (PAC) in the
US, ATU-COPE is the voice of transit workers, school bus employees and
over-the-road bus workers at all levels of government.
Since by law, union dues cannot be used to fund political campaigns,
voluntary member contributions to ATU-COPE are used to help elect
pro-labor, pro-transit candidates for local, state and federal office and keep
politicians accountable to the interests of our members.
Like all aspects of our Union, ATU-COPE is nothing without our members.
To provide a strong political voice for transit workers, we need your help!
Contributing to ATU-COPE is easy:
If your local has a checkoff provision in its contract, contact your Local for a
Checkoff Authorization Card to voluntarily authorize your employer to
deduct an amount you specify from your pay each month for ATU-COPE.
Contributions can also be made directly by check, payable to ATU-COPE
and sent to:
ATU-COPE

MAY / JUNE 2016 - Amalgamated Transit Union

Transcripción

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