july / august 2016 - Amalgamated Transit Union

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
JULY / AUGUST 2016
An ATU Life Cut Short
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
In Transit May/June correction:
Hamilton is not Edmonton
In what might be a sign of early dementia, your In Transit editor
misidentified the location of Local 107-Hamilton, ON, as Edmonton,
AB, in an article in the May/June issue about Hamilton passing a
new bylaw that makes bad behavior on buses illegal. We apologize
to both Locals, and resolve to locate each on its proper side of the
country in the future.
Memphis Local, transit allies join to stop bus cuts
The negative impact of bus service cuts on the people who depend
on public transit was exposed by ATU Local 713, the Memphis
Bus Riders Union (MBRU), and riders at a packed public town hall
meeting. “Instead of catching one bus to get from point A to point
B, riders must catch two to three buses,” said one attendee. “With
upcoming proposals to cut even more bus service, riders may have
to use three to four buses.” The Local and MBRU have already won
increased funding for buses which resulted in a $7.5 million increase in MATA’s budget this
fiscal year and will continue to fight for more to stop these cuts.
A “thank you” to transit drivers goes a long way On a recent visit to Vancouver, BC, Winnipeg Free Press columnist
John Longhurst was riding a bus and was struck at how often
riders said “thank you” to their drivers. A friend told him he
experienced the same thing. Then in the wake of a recent incident
of a Winnipeg bus passenger spitting in the face of a bus driver,
Longhurst decided to pursue a story. While researching his column,
Longhurst came across a comment about expressing gratitude on
a website devoted to Vancouver buses: “I just think it makes their day a bit better and less
stressful. It’s always nice to have someone be appreciative of what you do not because it
is your job or part of your job duties.” In his column he wrote “saying thanks won’t stop the
abuse (of bus drivers). But it might be a way to make their days a little less stressful and
anxious, not to mention injecting a little humanity into what is an otherwise impersonal and
rote encounter.” We couldn’t agree more.
DENNIS ANTONELLIS
Spokane, WA – [email protected]
STEPHAN MACDOUGALL
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS
ANTHONY GARLAND
International President Jim La Sala, ret.
International President Warren George, ret.
Boston, MA – [email protected]
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.
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CONTENT
J U LY/A U G
2016
Vol. 125, No. 4
14 Hamilton Local, ATU Canada produce video
on nonviolent crisis intervention
15 International President’s Message:
A big union meeting
16 International Executive Vice President’s
Message: A ‘tip of the hat’
4
OUR MISSION: TRAINING THE FOCUS IN THE
FIELD AND AT TOMMY DOUGLAS CONFERENCE CENTER
17 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message:
Donald Trump shows his true colors
18 Uber, Lyft explore replacing public transit
20 Milwaukee driver traumatized by shooting
not getting workers’ comp
21 DC Local rallies for dedicated funding
for Metro
22 Legislative Report: Comparing the GOP
and Democratic Platforms
ATU PENNSYLVANIA FIGHTING FOR
COMMONWEALTH’S TRANSIT WORKERS
19
2 International Officers & General Executive Board
News Briefs
3 Index Page
6 Our Mission: ATU member action gets
the goods
8 Our Mission: ATU fighting privatization, RTW
9 Our Mission: ATU fighting for paratransit
members and riders
10 Our Mission: ATU protecting members’
free speech rights
11 Our Mission: ATU fighting for OTR members
23 ATU announces Luther Hall
Scholarship winners
24 2016-2017 Scholarship Competition in Memory
of Retired International Vice Presidents
Arthur Burke and Angus MacFarlane
25 Trudeau government follows through
on transit funding
Halifax Local raises alarm over proposal to
contract out light rail
26 DC transit cop arrested on terrorist charges
Toronto transit agencies leave workers in the
dark about terror threat
27 ATU Heroes: Local heroes make us
‘Proud to be ATU’
28 Translations (Spanish)
31 In Memoriam
32 ATU COPE - The Voice of Transit Workers
12 Our Mission: ATU making headway on safety
13 Our Mission: ATU combats driver, rider
assault epidemic
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
3
OUR MISSION
Training the focus in the field and at
Tommy Douglas Conference Center
FULFILLING THE MANDATE TO TRAIN
At ATU’s 57th International Convention in San Diego,
CA, international leadership was given a mandate by the
Convention’s delegates: train as many ATU members as
possible to prepare the Union for the rapidly-changing
landscape we face at the bargaining table, in securing
transportation funding, and in protecting our rights as
union members. Nearly three years later, the result of that
mandate is a state-of-the-art training facility and conference
center, and over 200 Locals and thousands of ATU officers
and members that have been trained.
Immediately after the 57th Convention, the International
implemented a multi-pronged strategy geared towards
reaching as many Locals and as many members as possible.
The International partnered with union media and
organizing collective, Labor Notes, to develop curricula
and materials designed to cover a wide range of topics and
identify the top instructors for each respective class. After
conducting a survey of all Locals to identify the classes that
were most sought-after, training began in earnest.
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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT
New trainings begin
Just a few short months later ATU had conducted dozens
of trainings in the field for numerous Locals throughout
the United States and Canada. The trainings that covered
topics requested by the Locals participating in the training
lasted anywhere from a half-day to three full days.
“We recognized that not all Locals have the financial
means or the sheer numbers to attend training in DC or
Maryland,” noted International President Larry Hanley,
“so the idea was to bring the trainings to the Locals. No
Local was too big, or too small to be trained in the field. If
the Local could turn out people to train, we would come
train them.”
Concurrently, the International broadened and expanded
training programs in Maryland and Washington, DC,
home to ATU international headquarters. This included
the creation of a multitude of new training classes to
meet the Union’s changing needs, including, among
groups, including the Coalition of Labor Union Women,
U.S. Labor Against the War, Labor Heritage Foundation,
APWU, AFSCME, IATSE, Maryland/DC AFL-CIO and
the national AFL-CIO.
Just the beginning
others, collective bargaining training, which prepared
bargaining team members for contract bargaining and
contract campaigns; public engagement training, which
readied local union officers to deal with the media and
provided instruction on working on labor campaigns
with the general public; and Joint Industry Council
training, which focused on the new realities of
bargaining and campaigning against large, deep-pocketed
multinational employers.
Since the conclusion of the 57th Convention, the numbers
are staggering: ATU has conducted over 170 trainings at
home and across the continent for over 220 Locals, reaching
nearly 6,000 members. At least 44 unique training courses
have been held in 38 states and six Canadian provinces,
taught by dozens of the labor movement’s top instructors.
And yet, this is just the beginning.
“When we purchased the campus, the Labor College had
served as the preeminent training facility for organized
labor for decades,” states Hanley, “and our goal is to
continue that legacy by expanding our training program
here at the center to reach as many members as possible, so
that our great Union continues to progress and flourish.”
Given the progress made over the past three years, it seems
a sure bet that progress will continue. v
Tommy Douglas Center
The true turning point in ATU’s mission to train as
many members as possible, however, came after the
summer-2014 acquisition of the former National Labor
College. The 47-acre campus, complete with rooming
accommodations and tens of thousands of square feet
of meeting space provided new possibilities for training
ATU members. “[The purchase] represents a new
beginning in terms of our capacity to train not only our
leaders and members, but also those who work every
day to improve the life of our society,” said Hanley at the
time of the purchase. By fall of 2015, the newly renovated
and newly named Tommy Douglas Conference Center
was open for business.
Training began immediately, with Locals from across
North America flocking to Silver Spring, MD, to
attend newly designed courses including advanced
arbitration skills, Friedrichs preparation, a re-designed
Joint Industry Council course, pension trustee training,
and numerous other additions to the course catalog.
Demand proved so intense that multiple iterations of
each course were added to the already jam-packed
calendar to accommodate the requests of all Locals.
During that same time, the Douglas Center has hosted
dozens of trainings for outside labor and progressive
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
5
OUR MISSION
ATU member action gets the goods
The source of our power as a union is not in how many
pictures we have with politicians, t-shirts we have collected
from rallies, or awards we’ve received from our employers.
The source of the Union’s power lies in us – the members.
How often do we volunteer our time to fight for justice
on the job? How committed are we to growing the
ranks, bargaining better contracts, and building working
class coalitions with riders, unions, congregations, and
community groups?
Over the past year, we have seen members build and use
their power like never before. With the assistance of the
ATU’s Field Mobilization Department, local officers and
members have launched dozens of contract and community
campaigns.
In Washington, DC, where the second busiest transit
system in the U.S. has fallen into dangerous disrepair,
Local 689 teamed up with the Washington Interfaith
Network to mobilize hundreds of members and riders.
They’re demanding dedicated funding, an end to talk of
privatization, and the development of a real safety culture
in management.
picketed at their garage, testified before the DC Council,
exposed a cover-up of a maintenance audit that showed
95% of buses were unsafe, and more. In the end, they
won a nearly 30% wage increase, tripled First Transit’s
contribution to their 401k, and secured unprecedented
safety language in a collective bargaining agreement.
Victory for the history books
Next door in Maryland, hundreds of MetroAccess
paratransit workers represented by both Locals 689 and
1764 teamed up with disability advocates to demand
an end to the third-class treatment of riders and drivers.
Proving that union power is infectious, Local 1764 sisters
and brothers in Fairfax County, VA, and on the campus of
the National Institutes of Health have initiated their own
campaigns.
Meanwhile, DC Circulator operators represented by
Local 1764 won a victory for the history books. They
In Baltimore, MD, Local 1300 has drafted its own plan
to improve bus and rail transit in a city. Now, they are
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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT
building a broad labor-community coalition and winning endorsements
from city officials. Soon, they’ll be taking their campaign to Annapolis
to demand the state invest in their ideas.
In the heart of the American Midwest, Local 847 in St. Joseph,
MO, signed a new contract and immediately began planning a rider
organizing campaign to strengthen their hand next time around. Two
hours away in Lincoln, NE, Local 1293 members, retirees, and riders
under the banner of Citizens for Improved Transit made history by
persuading the city council to endorse and fund improvements to the
city’s bus service.
Canadian Activism
Further north in Saskatoon, SK, Local 615 refused to wear their
uniforms for a week to protest the city’s regressive contract proposals
while Local 583 members in Calgary, AB, took a stand against the city’s
right-wing attempts to privatize outside worker jobs.
Across the country, ATU Canada members launched campaigns against
an epidemic of driver assaults and mobilized hundreds of members to
support pro-worker candidates in the 2015 federal elections.
In Memphis, TN, Local 713 members have teamed up with the
Memphis Bus Riders Union, hosting community forums and began
direct organizing to demand that the local agency stop cutting, and
instead, start expanding service to neighborhoods that need it most.
In Grand Rapids, MI, and Alexandria, LA, Locals 836 and 981 found
themselves fighting intense free speech battles. Even as their employers
tried to ban transit workers from leafleting riders or sent police to
intimidate community and labor activists, ATU activists stood strong,
ultimately winning legal and moral victories that will shape our work
for years to come.
After a decade of refusing to settle a fair contract, wages in Buffalo, NY,
had slid so low that the local transit agency couldn’t hire enough drivers
to put buses on the road. Once Local 1342 members began educating
riders about the connection between low wages and rolling service
cuts, the tide began to turn. Between escalating workplace action and
rider organizing, the Local has succeeded in forcing the first serious
bargaining sessions in years.
While there is no magic recipe, Locals like these are proving that
member mobilization, rider organizing, and strategic campaigns are
essential ingredients for jump starting your Local Union or winning
justice on the job! v
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
7
OUR MISSION
ATU fighting privatization, RTW
Two of the biggest threats to ATU members and working
families in general have always been privatization and
right-to-work (RTW) laws. These menaces were thought
to be limited to the United States until the last several years
when – like the camel’s nose under the tent – they’ve been
making inroads in Canadian legislatures.
Anti-Labor forces in both countries are always coming
up with new ways to undermine unions. In the United
States ATU joined forces with pro-Labor coalitions to
fight state bills that would all but eliminate collective
bargaining rights for public employees in Wisconsin and
Ohio. While our efforts did not succeed in Wisconsin, we
won big in Ohio.
RTW
The Koch brothers have been successful in pushing RTW
in state legislatures through organizations such as the American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Their efforts, however,
have only been successful, so far, in three states, Indiana,
Wisconsin, and West Virginia, since 2012. ATU continues to
fight attempts to pass RTW laws everywhere else.
There are other ways in which anti-union groups are trying
to eliminate unions. U.S. Labor dodged a bullet this winter
when Supreme Court justices voted 4-4 on an appeal of a
lower court’s rejection of Friedrichs v. California Teachers
Association – a suit could have eventually led to RTW
becoming the law of the land. The tie vote means that the
lower court’s rejection of Friedrichs stands.
But, union opponents are expected to return to the high
court with new challenges after a justice is confirmed by
the Senate to replace the late Antonin Scalia.
New training program
That’s why ATU has developed a new training program
on how to run an effective Local Union in an RTW
state or province, based on the best practices of Locals
like 732-Atlanta, GA, which has done it successfully for
many years.
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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT
ATU also fights privatization wherever it is proposed and
fights for members where cities contract their employment
out to multinational transit providers. The Union has been
successful in negotiating increases in wages and benefits
from these employers who make the mistake of believing
they can simply ignore union contracts.
P3s
The latest wrinkle in the privatization challenge is the
emergence of “public-private partnerships” (P3s), particularly
in Canada, in which governments seek to partner with
private companies to build and operate transit systems.
Governments see an opportunity to reduce costs with P3
arrangements at the cost of lower wages and benefits for
non-union employees. ATU is watching the new Liberal
government in Ottawa, and the provinces for plans to
funnel new federal transit investment through these P3
schemes.
Collective bargaining rights have been trimmed in
Canada with laws that declare certain properties such as
the Toronto Transit Commission to be “essential services”
whose workers cannot strike. ATU will continue to lobby
the Canadian government to roll back the essential services
designation in Toronto and elsewhere. v
Trudeau government follows through
on transit funding
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been keeping
his campaign promise to invest in public transit,
sending money to provinces to improve transportation
infrastructure.
In Vancouver, Trudeau announced, “our government
will be investing four hundred and sixty million dollars
in public transit in British Columbia, including three
hundred and seventy million for public transit right here
in Metro Vancouver.”
And Ontario cities have just received the first of two
2016 transit payments from the Federal Gas Tax Fund.
In 2016, more than $600 million from the Fund will
be invested in local infrastructure. And in Nova Scotia,
Trudeau recently pledged $116 million for transit and
water projects in the province.
While this is encouraging news for ATU and transit
riders across the country, it’s now up to the premiers of
the provinces to use that money to improve public transit,
ATU will be vigilant in preventing this funding from being
used in public/private partnerships. v
Halifax Local raises alarm over proposal to
contract out light rail
This is exactly what worries Local 508-Halifax, NS, with
an unsolicited proposal to contract out VIA Rail in the
municipality.
‘And then what?’
“They’re gonna do it for profit,” says Local President Ken
Wilson. The Local says services like transit need to be run
in-house to enforce checks and balances on service, and to
ensure long-term viability.
We’ve heard the story before. A private transit company
promises to cut costs and improve transit service to win a
contract to run transit service. But what really happens is
the privateer cuts wages and benefits, lays off workers and
slashes service, hanging workers and riders out to dry.
“What’s it gonna cost the taxpayers and what’s it gonna
cost the rider to sit down on that train?” Wilson continued.
“You have a private contractor and all of a sudden they
decide they don’t want to do this anymore because it’s not
profitable, and then what?” v
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
25
DC transit cop arrested on terrorist charges
Young had committed the crime of attempting to support
a terrorist organization and arrested him. This marks the
first time a U.S. law enforcement officer has been accused
of trying to aid a terrorist group.
Young sent codes for mobile messaging cards to an
undercover federal agent in the belief that they would be
used by Islamic State fighters overseas to communicate.
For seven years, while Nicholas Young patrolled the
Washington DC area’s Metro system as a transit police
officer, other law enforcement agents were watching him.
In those years, authorities say, he threatened FBI agents,
gave advice to suspected terrorists and mused about joining
the Islamic State. Federal agents finally concluded that
He came under surveillance in 2010 because Metro Transit
Police had alerted the FBI to unspecified “concerns.”
According to authorities, Young has been with the transit
police since 2003.
“Obviously, the allegations in this case are profoundly
disturbing. They’re disturbing to me, and they’re disturbing
to everyone who wears the uniform,” said Metro General
Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. v
Toronto transit agencies leave workers
in the dark about terror threat
Toronto transit agencies, GO Transit and the TTC, were
warned of a possible terrorist threat against public transit
before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
confronted and killed the suspect in the plot. However,
TTC workers, who are on the frontlines of the transit
system, who did not receive an alert, called on TTC internal
communications to be improved to ensure this does not
happen again.
This threat and the tragic terrorist bombing on the Brussels
Metro serve as reminders that the war on terror is not over
and how vulnerable mass transit systems are. Transit stations
are big open spaces that are difficult to secure. ATU has
reminded operators and workers to always be attentive and
watchful for anything of a suspicious nature on our systems.
The Toronto suspect, who had been under a court order not
to associate with any terrorist organization, was shot and
killed during a police operation. Investigators say he had
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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT
planned an imminent attack on a major Canadian urban
centre. RCMP had released a video that it received from
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation purporting to show
the Regina-born driver wearing a balaclava and vowing to
bring terrorist violence to Canadian soil. v
LOCAL HEROES MAKE US ‘PROUD TO BE ATU’
Denver driver a hero till the end
Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and fellow members of Local 1001-Denver, CO,
bus operator Willy Quinonez who died on the job from a heart attack while driving his bus, but
had the presence of mind to pull over before causing an accident. Brother Quinonez was driving
on one of Denver’s main highways during rush hour when he called dispatch to tell them he was
having chest pains. Even in serious medical distress, he managed to pull the bus over to the curb
without causing any accidents. When paramedics arrived, they could not revive him. The news
report said that it was a “miracle no other vehicles were involved in the crash.” ATU mourns his death and are proud to
recognize his last heroic act.
TTC operators help people in distress all the time
The public has “no idea” that helping riders in distress is a daily part of the job say Toronto bus
drivers. Local 113-Toronto, ON, bus driver Dan Annis says that he and other operators “go
through stuff that the public never hears about. A lot of people think the TTC is heartless, but
we go out of our way to help a lot of people.” In May, Annis was driving his route early in the
morning when a young girl in obvious distress approached. She told Annis that she had been
assaulted and had her backpack and cellphone taken. He asked her how he could help. Annis
ended up letting the girl stay on the bus and gave her a transfer so she could make her way home. We salute Annis and all
our members for everything they do.
ATU hero in Rhode Island with a simple act of kindness
Sometimes even a small act of kindness can make a big difference, and that was the case with an
ATU Rhode Island bus driver who is being hailed as a hero. Ed Mello, 618-Providence, RI, was
driving his usual route when he noticed a woman walking across a bridge. He offered the woman
a “courtesy lift” as he always does to pedestrians approaching the bridge because it’s safer. When
he stopped he noticed the woman was crying, shaking and seemed distraught. She mentioned to
him about possibly wanting to jump off the bridge but Mello, aided by a passenger, convinced her
to get on the bus. Once she was safely on the bus, he called Rhode Island Transit Authority (RIPTA) dispatch, which then
notified local police. RIPTA commended Mello for his actions and we agree.
Toronto driver goes above and beyond to ensure students’ safety
Recently, more than 100 American students visiting Toronto, ON, were being dropped off by
a TTC bus driver at a basketball tournament at 6 pm when their concerned driver, Heather
Sanford, asked how the students planned to get back. The students said the same way they got
there – a TTC bus. The Local 113 member told the students her last stop at that location would
be before the end of tournament. So Sanford called her supervisor and asked if it would be OK for
her to work late and shuttle the kids back. The supervisor said yes. We applaud Sanford for going
above and beyond for these students.
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
27
Une grande réunion syndicale
En novembre 1979, j’assistais à ma première réunion
syndicale du SUT. La pièce était remplie de fumée, de
conducteurs d’autobus et de mécaniciens de la section locale
726 venus pour discuter fermement de leurs conditions de
vie. C’était notre façon de le voir.
Nous travaillions tout le mois, payions nos cotisations
et participions à des rencontres pour discuter de notre
syndicat, de notre contrat, de notre employeur et de
notre avenir. C’était une pièce remplie de personnages
des costauds, des rigolos, un ou deux gars bizarres certains
qui ne se préoccupaient que des heures supplémentaires,
d’autres des congés.
Certains étaient pointilleux sur les procédures, d’autres
étaient simplement là pour une bonne conversation
entre collègues de travail. Personne ne se retenait. Ils
exprimaient leur point de vue souvent, de façon moins
que subtile. Certains dirigeants m’impressionnaient par
leur préoccupation réelle pour les membres. Après tout,
nous avions ce lien commun que l’on appelait simplement
le « 726 ». Nous en étions fiers.
Donc, au début d’octobre, nous nous réunirons au Canada
et établirons les plans pour le SUT des trois prochaines
années. Ce sera la continuation de notre héritage.
Environ 700 délégués se rencontreront, tous élus
démocratiquement par leurs membres pour s’exprimer sur
l’avenir de notre mouvement syndical. À travers le travail
en comité et sur le parquet de la Convention, ils rédigeront
le script de l’avenir du Syndicat uni du transport.
Le travail du Syndicat est le travail
de ses membres
Quel grand honneur pour moi de présider cette longue
rencontre d’une semaine! À chaque coup de maillet, je
me souviendrai d’une salle de rencontre syndicale à Staten
Island, où tout a commencé pour moi, et me rappelant
que le travail de ce Syndicat est d’abord le travail des
mécaniciens d’autobus, des conducteurs, des opérateurs
de train, des agents de stations, des employés de bureau,
et de tous les hommes et toutes les femmes qui forment
le SUT.
Nous savons que nous devons travailler fort pour vous,
et nous continuerons de vous rendre fiers de votre grande
famille qu’est le SUT. v
Vous dirigez votre section locale et
l’International
Dans chacune de plus de 250 sections locales, nous tenons
ces rencontres chaque mois, où les membres ont le droit
et le pouvoir de décider des politiques qui façonnent les
actions de chaque section locale.
À ces rencontres et à travers vos dirigeants, présidents,
cadres supérieurs et conseils exécutifs, vous dirigez l’action
de votre section locale. À travers les délégués que vous
élisez et envoyez à la Convention, vous dirigez le syndicat
International tout entier.
Tous les trois ans...
Tous les trois ans, nous organisons une Convention, cette
fois à Toronto (Ontario), pour décider des politiques, de
nos Lois et pour élire les dirigeants qui gèrent le SUT.
C’est une très longue rencontre syndicale d’une semaine. Il
y a moins de fumée qu’à l’époque, mais une pièce remplie
de travailleurs du transport en commun de tous les coins du
Canada et des États-Unis partagent toujours avec nous leur
sagesse, et souvent leur divertissement. Nous y amenons
nos valeurs, nos préoccupations, nos espoirs, nos craintes
et nos personnalités variées.
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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT
Donald Trump montre
ses vraies couleurs
Eh bien, Donald Trump a finalement montré ses vraies
couleurs. Malgré sa tentative maladroite de faire appel
aux Afro-Américains avec sa vieille tirade républicaine
« Les démocrates se servent de vous », malgré sa vague
expression de regret au cas où vous auriez été offensés par
une quelconque remarque de sa longue liste de remarques
désobligeantes, il a démontré qu’il est toujours le bon vieux
Donald lorsqu’il a embauché l’éditeur du site Web Breitbart
et suprémaciste blanc Steve Bannon.
Les opinions de ce type sont tellement répugnantes que
j’hésite à les mentionner dans ce magazine. Mais, je le
fais tout de même parce que les enjeux sont tellement
importants dans cette élection que je crois que quiconque
considère voter pour M. Trump devrait savoir quel genre
de personne il a choisi comme PDG pour sa campagne.
Voici quelques grands titres récents de Breitbart :
« Hissez le drapeau haut et fier : le drapeau confédéré
proclame un héritage glorieux. »
« Bill Kristol : perturbateur républicain, Juif renégat
prépare une troisième tentative de parti »
« Il n’y a aucun préjugé à l’embauche des femmes en
technologie; elles sont simplement nulles en entrevue »
Je pourrais en citer bien d’autres, mais même ces titres
semblent insignifiants comparés aux gazouillis affichés par
l’éditrice de la page d’accueil de Breitbart, Katie McHugh,
sur son compte personnel :
« Les colons britanniques ont construit les É.-U. Les
“esclaves” ont construit ce pays autant que les vaches
ont “construit” McDonald’s »
« L’immigration est une culture du viol. L’immigration
est terreur, toujours, jusqu’à ce que vous soyez conquis.
Fermez les frontières et expulsez les envahisseurs. »
En avril, le très respecté Southern Poverty Law Center
rapportait que sous la direction de Steve Bannon, Breitbart
« a pris un virage considérable vers les idées à tendance
extrémistes de la droite conservatrice. Des idées racistes.
Des idées antimusulmanes et des idées antiimmigrantes
toutes des idées fondamentales à la montée d’une idéologie
raciste connue sous le nom de “Alt-Right”. »
Nous avons appris que ce sont ces personnes qui fournissent
à Trump tous ces vilains mensonges qu’il tente d’imposer au
public; ce sont les personnes avec lesquelles il se sent le plus
en confiance.
Alors, j’encourage quiconque serait attiré par le discours
fourbe, populiste et pro classe moyenne de Donald Trump
de réfléchir attentivement aux informations ci-dessus.
« Coups de sifflet »
Et j’encourage tous ceux qui ne porteront pas attention
aux stratégiques « coups de sifflet » que Bannon et Trump
vont donner d’ici l’automne, pensant qu’ils sont beaucoup
trop excentriques pour être pris au sérieux, à considérer que
Breitbart est présentement l’un des sites politiques les plus
connus et les plus populaires sur le web.
Si cela ne vous donne pas la motivation nécessaire pour
défaire Donald Trump lors de cette élection, rien n’y
parviendra.
Je sais que vous êtes fatigués de l’entendre mais cette fois, c’est
réellement vrai : cette élection sera la plus importante de toute
notre vie. S’il vous plaît, aidez votre section locale ou votre
organisation politique à faire en sorte que Donald Trump ne
devienne pas le prochain Président des États-Unis. v
Veuillez visiter le www.atu.org pour de plus amples
renseignements et les plus récentes nouvelles du SUT.
SUT Pennsylvanie se bat pour
les travailleurs du transport en
commun sur son territoire.
LE CONSEIL DU SERVICE REND HOMMAGE
À LA MÉMOIRE D’UN MÉCANICIEN DÉCÉDÉ
AVEC SA CAMPAGNE DE PROJET DE LOI
RELATIF À LA SÉCURITÉ
Il y a plus d’un an et demi, Jake Schwab, 568 - Erie
(Pennsylvanie), a été tragiquement tué dans un garage où
le moteur sur lequel il travaillait lui a explosé au visage.
Ce mécanicien vétéran de 27 ans de la Erie Metropolitan
Transit Authority (EMTA) travaillait avec des outils
inappropriés sur un autobus peu familier provenant d’une
autre agence, dans un garage dont les employés déplorent
l’absence de culture de sécurité.
Projet de loi sur la sécurité proposé
En réaction à son décès, le Jake Schwab Worker’s Safety
Bill a été proposé à l’Assemblée législative de l’État,
appuyée fortement par des défenseurs des milieux du
travail et du transport. Le projet de loi vise à étendre des
protections relatives à la sécurité équivalentes à celle de
la Occupational Safety and Health Administration aux
travailleurs du secteur public de l’État non couverts par
OSHA.
Les parlementaires n’ont jamais passé le projet de loi.
Leur inaction en dit long sur le mépris et le manque de
préoccupation qu’ils éprouvent pour les travailleurs et
leur sécurité, et a fourni une motivation supplémentaire
pour les sections locales e la Pennsylvanie à joindre leurs
efforts pour appuyer d’une voix forte et unie ce projet de
loi, et s’attaquer à d’autres enjeux.
La menace de privatisation
De plus, une autre menace pointe à l’horizon. Des agences
de transport de tout le territoire contemplent l’idée de
fusion afin de créer des systèmes de transport en commun
régionaux, plus gros. Cette régionalisation pourrait avoir
de graves répercussions sur les salaires et les avantages
offerts par les sections locales de la Pennsylvanie ainsi que
sur les règles de séniorité, et mener à la privatisation des
systèmes qui sont du domaine public depuis longtemps.
Pour mieux armer nos membres de la Pennsylvanie dans
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
29
leur bataille pour protéger les droits des travailleurs du
transport en commun, l’International a mis sur pied « SUT
Pennsylvanie » un nouveau conseil de service (JSC). SUT
Pennsylvanie fournira l’assistance et la formation aux
sections locales sur les sujets relatifs aux négociations de
contrats, à l’administration, l’organisation, la législation,
les politiques, l’éducation et la formation, l’engagement
des usagers et tout autre défi qui pourrait surgir.
Afin de dynamiser le conseil, les représentants de
SUT Pennsylvanie ont rencontré des sections locales
à la grandeur de l’État pour discuter des principales
préoccupations des travailleurs du transport en commun
et découvrir comment l’organisation nouvellement
formée pourrait mieux les aider à atteindre leurs objectifs.
La mémoire de Jake honorée
« À travers toute la Pennsylvanie, les membres du SUT,
comme notre défunt frère Jake Schwab, travaillent fort
chaque jour pour offrir aux Pennsylvaniens un moyen sûr
et fiable de se rendre au travail, à l’école, chez le médecin ou
à toute autre obligation quotidienne » déclare le président
de l’International, Larry Hanley. « SUT Pennsylvanie se
battra au nom des travailleurs du transport en commun
afin d’assurer leur sécurité en milieu de travail et leurs
droits au travail. C’est le moins qu’on puisse faire pour
honorer la mémoire de Jake Schwab. » v
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July/August 2016 | IN TRANSIT
In Memoriam
Death Benefits Awarded May 1, 2016 - June 30, 2016
1- MEMBERS AT LARGE
LEONARD W ARNOLD
STANLEY V CHASTEEN JR
JOHN HENRY DAVIS
SUBBY L FORSEE
JOHNIE R HAMILTON JR
RICKY D MANSFIELD
CHARLES M MOXON
EDWARD P ODOM
WILBURN W POLK
22- WORCESTER, MA
VILJO O NUMMINEN
26- DETROIT, MI
BEN F AGNEW
85- PITTSBURGH, PA
HOMER EDWARD BITTNER
TALTON M BOND
RICHARD D DUFFY
JEFFREY M MAROVIC
LEON B MATTHYS
RAYMOND R MISKIEWICZ
ROBERT R ROHE
HOWARD J SIMEONE
LEON S SMITH
JOHN L WRIGHT
113- TORONTO, ON
ANTHONY JOSEPH ABELA
GASPARE DINOTO
BURTON ASA DOWNER
MICHAEL GATT
JOSEPH MARQUES
WALTER O MARROQUIN
LESLIE CHARLES SMALE
CHARLES L ZAMMIT
134- VANCOUVER, BC
KENNETH GORDON BERGER
192- OAKLAND, CA
JOCELYN D DREW-HARRIS
JUDITH A GARCIA
HOWARD D JOHNSON
241- CHICAGO, IL
JOHN E ALLEN
ETHEL ANDERSON
LOUIS BERRY
DONALD L BRAZIER
KEVIN E BROWN
JAVIER DELAROSA
DWAYNE HAMPTON
JOSE NARANJO
BRENDA J NEELY
MARTHA PACE
EDWARD O REED
265- SAN JOSE, CA
ALFONSO DE GUIA
CARMEN B MONTOYA
PAUL J RASCON
ALVIN W REESE
GEORGE A SUAREZ
NORMAN TOWNSEND
268- CLEVELAND, OH
TOMMIE L ANDERSON
MARCIA A ERJAVEC
LOUIS WILLIAMS
CLARENCE YARBROUGH
281- NEW HAVEN, CT
PRESTON LITTLE
282- ROCHESTER, NY
JOHNNY R CRITTENDEN
THOMAS L LILL
443- STAMFORD, CT
PATRICIA MC QUILLIAN
448- SPRINGFIELD, MA
LINDA MULVANEY
569- EDMONTON, AB
MEL E BROWER
GEORGE SAUL
GEORGE H SCHMIDT
NICHOLAS SVECLA
587- SEATTLE, WA
ODESSA L HONORABLE
DEWEY A PARSONS
589- BOSTON, MA
CHARLES F CRUMADY
ANTRANIG V HAMPARIAN
JOHN J MAHER
LAWRENCE E MARKS
SAMUEL T PAYNE
HILTON R PLEASANT
ROBERT M SHEA
DANIEL T SULLIVAN
591- HULL, QC
JEAN-CLAUDE LEFEBVRE
CAROL ROY
618- PROVIDENCE, RI
WILLIAM R BAGLEY
NORMAN S GILBERT
GARY P SMITH
627- CINCINNATI, OH
LEONARD J RUMP
628- COVINGTON, KY
EDSEL E FOLEY JR
689- WASHINGTON, DC
DONALD S ALLEN
SAMUEL BRINKLEY
MARILYN E BUCHANAN
EDWARD B BUNDY JR
JOHN E CAMPBELL
WALTER CLARK JR
BARBARA C COATLEY
DEREK D DOVE
JANICE GOLETTE
THUYET V HO
KENNETH HOWARD
PRINTISS JAMES
JOHN FRANCIS KNOTT
WALTER LASECKI
M FREDERICK PROFFITT
FRANK ANTHONY SPADARO
CLYDE A SPENCER
JESSE J STATEN
ROGER R STEPHENSON JR
WILLIE A WOODARD
757- PORTLAND, OR
TERRY E BERGLAND
RAYMOND L FUNK
MICHAEL C HARVEY
ERIC D JOSEFSON
MICHAEL L MATHENY
WILFRED W WIMMER
1220- RICHMOND, VA
MACK N TAYLOR
1249- SPRINGFIELD, IL
LEONARD CHASE
1277- LOS ANGELES, CA
JOHN A CARLSON
MICHAEL RAY GREER
RAND C HODGES
JOSEPH ROST
FRED G ZIMMERLE
788- ST. LOUIS, MO
PHILLIP S BOLDIN
DOUGLAS EDWARDS
JOHN W HRDINA
ANTWON JONES
CLAUDE RIDDICK
JOSEPH TAYLOR
WILLIAM G WIESLER
1300- BALTIMORE, MD
STERLING ADDISON
NAPOLEON SYKES
822- PATERSON, NJ
SERGE F RIVIERE
824- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
WILBUR GUERIN
BENNIE S LA SALA
825- ORADELL, NJ
MITCHELL L JONES
880- CAMDEN, NJ
DOMINIC F KOVACH
FRANCIS X MC CANN
1309- SAN DIEGO, CA
MARY R BOYLAND
GWEN HIGHTOWER
ORVILLE R VASHAW
RICHARD A YOUHILL
1321- ALBANY & TROY, NY
ARKADIY S FEYGIN
JAMES H FRENCH JR
EDWARD B MOORE
1333- ROCKFORD, IL
DANNY SARTINO
956- ALLENTOWN, PA
HOWARD R HUMMEL
966- THUNDER BAY, ON
ROY L ROBERTS
998- MILWAUKEE, WI
GILBERT R ARROYO
DENNIS R KIRBY
ROBERT A KOLARICH
JOSEPH L MASON
HOSEA RUSS
GORDON M STENSTRUP
1001- DENVER, CO
CYNTHIA ELAINE KLUG
RODNEY E MILLER
GREGORY D MURTHA
1005- MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MN
GLENN J FERGUSON
ROGER F KELLENE
1037- NEW BEDFORD, MA
STEPHEN M EUSEBIO
1070- INDIANAPOLIS, IN
JAY P RICHARDSON
1342- BUFFALO, NY
THOMAS A LASKOWSKI
ROY M LEAMON
CHESTER OLIWA
LEE SCHALLMO
WILLIAM E SHETLER
1374- CALGARY, AB
BLAINE C BORLEY
CHARLES GILBERT COWAN
IRIS KARPYK
THOMAS F KOSIANCIC
GEORGE B WEATHERILL
1384- BREMERTON, WA
ROBBIE J HUMPHREY
1415- TORONTO, ON
ELLEN R JOBE
ROBYN MC ARTHUR
WALTER K SCHAEFER
EDWARD A TURNER
LEN VLAMING
1447- LOUISVILLE, KY
JAMES DRIGGERS
697- TOLEDO, OH
CHARLES L LAMPKOWSKI
1160- MONROE, LA
DELORES BROWN
1505- WINNIPEG, MB
HARRY COHEN
HENRIEUS J GROOTHEDDE
DANIEL G NADORYK
LORNE P PROULX
ZENONS STAFECKIS
GERALD TREPANIER
725- BIRMINGHAM, AL
ROBERT E ADAMS
J E WHITE
1179- NEW YORK, NY
WILLIE BETHEA
1512- SPRINGFIELD, MA
JAMES BREYARE
1181- NEW YORK, NY
NULLO BERTI
MARION CELI
ILRICK LOUIS
JEAN V MARTIN
JOSE PEDRAZA
BARBARA SABELLICO
VINCENT SCHEMBARI
1575- SAN RAFAEL, CA
ROBERT E REYFF
732- ATLANTA, GA
MARY H JONES
741- LONDON, ON
TERENCE T ARNOLD
BRIAN R COOK
JOHN J DIGSBY
PHILIP R PALMER
GRAHAM MATTHEWS SCASE
BENNIE TIEKSTRA
1119- WILKES-BARRE, PA
FRANCIS GROGAN
1576- LYNNWOOD, WA
MANUEL L NUVAL
1587- TORONTO, ON
STEPHEN TRESTRAIL
1189- GUELPH, ON
PAUL BOUCHER
IN TRANSIT
| www.atu.org
31
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