Canadian Version - Amalgamated Transit Union

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M AY/J U N E
www.atu.org
GREED
ATU FIGHTING GREED,
SLAVE LABOR AND
PRIVATIZATION
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
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS
LAWRENCE J. HANLEY
International President
ROBERT H. BAKER
International Executive Vice President
OSCAR OWENS
International Secretary-Treasurer
INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
LARRY R. KINNEAR
Ashburn, ON – [email protected]
JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR.
Kansas City, MO – [email protected]
RICHARD M. MURPHY
Newburyport, MA – [email protected]
BOB M. HYKAWAY
Calgary, AB – [email protected]
NEWSBRIEFS
Calgary Transit eyes camera upgrade to
enhance safety - ATU Local 583 – Calgary
is supporting Calgary Transit’s plans to equip
buses with better cameras to enhance rider and driver
safety. The current cameras cover fewer areas, record
very little footage and have to be triggered by hard
braking or the driver. The upgrade would offer multiple
lenses to cover more angles and longer record times.
Local President Doug Johannes says the new technology
is needed. “There are still lots of assaults. I would say
the average bus driver is assaulted every, single day,
whether that’s verbally or physically.”
WILLIAM G. McLEAN
Reno, NV – [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 SALAZAR
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]
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
ANTHONY WITHINGTON
Halifax members support family of girl
raped, bullied into suicide - ATU drivers
wore pink shirts in Halifax, NS, in support of
the family of Rehtaeh Parsons who committed suicide after
being raped and bullied. Parsons, a relative of a fellow
Local 508 member, was allegedly gang-raped by four local
teens. She was subjected to constant sexual harassment
and bullying over the next two years. It proved to be too
much when she her own life at the age of 17. The Halifax
members wore their pink shirts on the International Day of
Pink – an effort to combat all forms of bullying.
Metrolinx considers higher taxes
& tolls to expand mass transit - To
deal with the growing traffic congestion
problems in Toronto, Metrolinx is considering a gas
tax, higher tolls on designated highways and a parking
levy as options to pay for the next generation of public
transit. The ambitious plan proposes a 1,200-kilometre
expansion to create a more extensive public transit
network, putting more than 80 percent of Greater
Toronto residents within 2KM of a transit line. But it
comes with a $50-billion price tag, only one-third of
which is currently funded.
Sebastopol, CA – [email protected]
DENNIS ANTONELLIS
Spokane, WA – [email protected]
CLAUDIA HUDSON
Oakland, CA – [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS
STEPHAN MACDOUGALL
International President Jim La Sala, ret.
International President Warren George, ret.
ANTHONY GARLAND
International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret.
International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret.
Boston, MA – [email protected]
Washington, DC – [email protected]
CANADIAN DIRECTOR
MICHAEL MAHAR
Rexdale, ON - [email protected]
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LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
ATU FIGHTING GREED,
SLAVE LABOR AND
PRIVATIZATION
1127
bodies were recovered before they
stopped searching for survivors. That was
the body count in the April 24 disaster – the worst, so
far in the history of factory slaughter – half a world away
in Bangladesh. It was the result of the same runaway
capitalism (aka GREED) that caused 146 seamstresses
to perish in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York
City a century ago.
It’s all connected
Don’t think of these victims as not being involved in
your life – they are. They’re doing work that used to be
done in the U.S. and Canada.
Their jobs – in unsafe factories 8,000 miles away – are
the former jobs of workers in our countries – moved to
Bangladesh to generate higher profits for company owners.
What’s left behind is competition for low wage jobs
here, and cities like Detroit, starved of good jobs and
the tax revenue that comes from them. It’s all connected.
Slave labor
In the developed world we have labor standards and
building codes. But the clothing sold in our malls
is produced in countries where slaves or near-slaves
work in conditions that are illegal here. Buildings
collapse on these workers every day in numbers that
are truly shocking.
So – we lost good jobs and pay to buy products from
the companies that took our jobs away, while workers
on the other end of the world suffer to make the same
few people rich.
French and British corporations are bringing the global
economy to transit and school bus properties in our
countries just as they did to Greyhound in the U.S., and
are now busy doing in Canada.
Privatization = Poverty
They sell poverty wages to our cities in the form of
“privatizing” transit. They are spending money right
now in Congress and in many states lobbying our elected
officials to sell out American workers.
At the same time, their clothing manufacturer
counterparts are exploiting workers in Asia. It’s connected.
Nothing new about rich people exploiting workers – it’s
just become more sophisticated.
The idea that our consumer products can be made
cheaper while we maintain our salaries and pensions has
conclusively been proven wrong.
The failure of deregulation
All around us we see the evidence of the failure of
deregulated capitalism.
In this issue you’ll read about the impact of Walmart
on our lives. Many of our members turn over the
wages earned as union members to Walmart every
week. Walmart then uses their profit to destroy not
only our unions, but jobs in our countries and around
the world. In his courageous speech in South Africa in June
1966 (almost 50 years ago), Senator Robert Kennedy
addressed this issue:
People starve to death in the streets of India;
a former prime minister is summarily executed
in the Congo; intellectuals go to jail in Russia;
and thousands are slaughtered in Indonesia;
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| May/June 2013
3
wealth is lavished on armaments everywhere in
the world.
These are different evils; but they are the
common works of man. They reflect the
imperfections of human justice, the inadequacy
of human compassion, the defectiveness of
our sensibility toward the sufferings of our
fellows; they mark the limit of our ability to
use knowledge for the wellbeing of our fellow
human beings throughout the world.
And therefore they call upon common qualities
of conscience and indignation, a shared
determination to wipe away the unnecessary
sufferings of our fellow human beings at home
and around the world.
and beating Veolia, and about Bangor, ME, where we
have just broken through with new organizing.
Pulitzer Prize winner guest column
The guest column is by the renowned, Pulitzer-prizewinning author, Chris Hedges, who has turned his
attention to our struggles including driver fatigue, and
our ongoing efforts to secure an amendment to the Fair
Labor Standards Act to require employers to pay overtime
to drivers in the over-the-road industry.
Also, in Toledo, reports of bus drivers with no bathroom
breaks – sound familiar?
Structural action
Each child killed was doing a job
killed here
Each child who is killed in a factory has a counterpart
whose job was also killed in the U.S. or Canada.
We have a common enemy in the greedy, wealthy
people who do this to us. The same companies are
pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into U.S. and
Canadian politics to strip us of our rights to pensions,
our right to negotiate contracts, and our right to have
a union at all.
If there was a labor union at that factory in Bangladesh
there might be 1127 more people alive today. We need
to get a lot more angry to turn this around.
In this issue we also report on tax alternatives like the
“Robin Hood” tax – a tax on stock transactions – and
the “internet sales tax” which could help save our cities
by collecting the same taxes at amazon.com as our local
retailers must charge.
Proud to be ATU
In this issue are stories of personal heroism: the story
of Toledo member Geraldine Mitchell who saved a life
while driving her bus.
I am particularly proud of the stories about our locals
in “What Works” – our report on local union struggles.
You’ll also read about our Providence, RI, local fighting
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May/June 2013 | IN TRANSIT
At our recent General Executive Board Meeting in
Atlanta, all of our officers worked on a plan for broader
action. We are working on potential structural changes in
our Union and have appointed a Structural Exploration
Committee for the coming Convention to make us
more effective in the field.
We are a Union that is growing in numbers, in strength
and in determination. As we have been challenged
more, we have accomplished more. But there’s much
more to do.
Faith
We look forward to our coming International
Convention with the faith that we can be so much more
than we have ever been.
We will change the way we conduct our business at
our Conventions and provide the training necessary
for our delegates to go home prepared for the coming
years of struggle.
Mindful of the world around us, considering our place
in the moral conflict, we will leave the Convention
ready to fight for all our members – and because we
know that all boats rise together – to fight for workers
around the world.
M AY/J U N E
2013
www.atu.org
2 International Officers & General Executive Board
NEWS Briefs
3 International President’s Message:
ATU Fighting Greed, Slave Labor and Privatization
Vol. 122, No. 3
IN MEMORIAM: EARLE PUTNAM
FATHER OF ‘SECTION 13(C)’
7
5 Index Page
6 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message:
Prove Me Wrong!
8 Canadian Agenda: Canadian Council Calls on
Federal Government to Toughen Criminal Code
for Driver Assaults
9 State Legislatures Struggle with Transit Funding
10 Boston Bombings Wake Up Call:
Mass Transit Security Critical
WHAT WORKS
12
11 Bold Solutions to Solve America’s Fiscal Problems
18 Portland, OR Unions Go Back to Roots ATU Organizes New Members
19 Potty Peril
20 ATU Locals Gear Up As Veolia Stalks Providence,
Milwaukee Considers Contracting
Another ATU Hero Saves A Life
SWEATSHOPS ON WHEELS
16
Bangor Bus Drivers Join Portland, ME Local
21 Boston Paratransit Riders Protest Fare Hike
2
5 McDonald’s, Low-Wage Workers Demand Living
Wage, Job Protections
2
6 57th International Convention Resolution Submission
Local Officer Memorial Form
27 Translations (Spanish)
30 In Memoriam
WALMART PUSHES WAGES,
BENEFITS, DOWN WORLDWIDE
22
31 PA School Bus Local Awaits Decision On Grievance
32 Your Help Needed Again - ATU Disaster Relief Fund
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| May/June 2013
5
OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER
PROVE ME WRONG!
Sometimes I wonder if members take In Transit with
“a grain of salt.” I say that because every other month
the magazine brings you a lot of bad news, and if you
are not experiencing any bad news at your property you
might think that we’re exaggerating.
After all, the Union has endured for 121 years, and like
Mark Twain said, has “known a great many troubles,
but most of them never happened.”
You should know, however, that most of the “troubles”
you read about in In Transit “never happen” because
your Union is successfully fighting to prevent them
from happening.
Unfortunately this type of success can make people
complacent; make them believe that there’s really not
all that much to worry about.
But, at the risk being accused of “crying wolf,” I have to
say that I’ve never seen a time like this, and it worries me
a lot. A little history might help explain what I mean:
industrialized countries back into the abysmal conditions
they endured throughout most of history.
Already a growing segment of our populations are doing
backbreaking work for desperately low wages, with no
unions, no sick days, no healthcare, no vacations, no
retirement, unjust work rules or no work rules, unsafe
working conditions, etc.
Aren’t these the working conditions that existed from
the late 1800s to the early 1900s? Didn’t we think we
had progressed beyond this sort of wage slavery the
1960s, if not the 1950s?
Today we classify these people as the “working poor,”
almost as an effort quarantine their work experience away
from ours. Yet, if we refuse to recognize the situation
for what it is, the plight of today’s working poor will
eventually be what’s considered “normal” for all workers.
I fear that those of us who still have jobs earning living
wages will not realize the magnitude of the problem
until it affects us personally, and that by that time it will
be too late.
New Deal vs. the Raw Deal
In the 1930s, the Great Depression led to New
Deal-type reforms that greatly improved the lives of
working families in Canada and the United States.
Consequently, most of us grew up during the best
economic times ever in the histories of our two nations.
Naturally, then, we think that the middle class life that
arose during the 20th century is “normal,” even though
it is quite unique in history.
Now, in the 21st century, the Great Recession has led to
a reversal of that process. A “Raw Deal,” if you will, is
robbing the middle class of the economic security that it
fought so hard to achieve over the last century. Under the
control of powerful corporate interests and their political
puppets, the Raw Deal seeks to increase the already
unprecedented wealth of the rich by pushing workers in
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May/June 2013 | IN TRANSIT
The challenge
But, I’ve been at this for too long to become a pessimist
now. So, I’m challenging every ATU member to prove
me wrong.
I urge you to join our fight against the Raw Deal even
if it hasn’t reached you yet. Go to your local union
meeting, get involved with your local labor council,
support pro-labor candidates, do whatever you can to
defend and extend the rights of working people.
It’s important, not just for yourself, but for your
children and grandchildren, and, truly, for the good of
our two nations.
IN MEMORIAM
Earle Putnam
Father of ‘Section 13(c)’
E
arle Westgate Putnam, 84, retired ATU general
counsel, passed away after a brief illness on Thursday,
May 2, in Lynchburg, VA. Known as the “Father of
Section 13(c),” Putnam served the Union from 1962 to
1995 – almost a third of its history at the time.
Putnam was the architect of “Section 13(c)” – language
still contained in today’s federal transportation act that
has saved and advanced the job rights of hundreds of
thousands of American transit workers for 50 years.
Born in Springfield, VT, on June 27, 1928, Putnam
graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, and
Dartmouth. He left New England in 1950 to study at
the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (France), where
he also served as a messenger for the U.S. Delegation to
the UN General Assembly session in Paris.
In Paris he met Margaret Reed, who was travelling
abroad. They married in 1953, during his service in the
U.S. Army in Germany, where he was stationed.
The couple settled in Northern Virginia after Putnam
left the Army in 1954. There he helped Margaret
raise their young children while working two jobs and
earning Law (1958) and Masters of Law (1960) degrees
from the George Washington School of Law.
Putnam worked for the National Labor Relations Board
before being employed and promoted to general council
by ATU in 1962. He built ATU’s legal department,
and shepherded the Union through every major legal
struggle for the next three decades.
With his quiet New England manner, steely strength, and
intellect Putnam pursued the passage and enforcement
of Section 13(c) of the Urban Mass Transportation Act
of 1964, which provided federal funding for transit
systems that were then rapidly passing from private to
public operation, and guaranteed that transit workers
would not lose their right to be represented by a union
when ownership of their systems changed hands.
A self-effacing mentor and superb writer, he liked
nothing better than getting a first draft from his
associates and, with his red pen, marking it up in almost
illegible handwriting to both teach and perfect it.
Putnam helped guide ATU through years of dramatic
change and growth, assisting in far reaching litigation
that twice brought the Union before the U.S. Supreme
Court, and advocating our causes in the face of
significant challenges in local courts, as well as state and
provincial legislatures.
He retired in 1996, to spend more time enjoying
his hobbies of photography, learning how to use his
computer, trying out new restaurants, tennis, and trips
to the beach with his family and beloved dogs.
In 1995, just before his retirement, the delegates to
the 51st Convention resolved to: “…express our deep
appreciation and utmost respect for Earle W. Putnam
and extend to him and his wife, Margie, our sincere
hopes for a long, peaceful and productive retirement.”
The international staff will always remember him as a
kind and gracious man who always had an encouraging
word for everyone.
Earle is survived by Margaret Reed Putnam, his wife of
60 years; his daughter, Eleanor A. Putnam Dunn and
her husband, Terrance J. Dunn; and his brother, Nelson
Butler Putnam. He was preceded in death by his two
sons, Christopher Everard Putnam and Timothy Lewis
Putnam, and by his brother, Fredrick Milner Putnam.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the
Lynchburg Humane Society, 3305 Naval Reserve
Road, Lynchburg, VA 24501, or the charity of your
choice. The family will have a memorial service at
a later date. Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, is
assisting the family. Condolences may be posted at
www.tharpfuneralhome.com.
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| May/June 2013
7
Canadian Agenda
Canadian Council calls on federal government to
toughen criminal code for driver assaults
T
hirty-one ATU local officers joined the Canadian
Council in Ottawa, May 7, to convince Members
of Parliament and Senators that their members –
30,000 strong – need more protection from the
growing number of on-duty assaults.
“It’s becoming increasingly more dangerous for our
members to do their jobs,” says Canadian Director
Mike Mahar. “The frequency and severity of attacks on
on-duty transit workers continues to rise. In Canada,
40% of bus operators are assaulted on duty during the
course of their careers.”
ATU wants the federal government to strengthen the
deterrent against such violence through an amendment
to the Criminal Code that would mandate that an
assault on on-duty transit operators qualify as an
aggravating factor for sentencing purposes.
The Canadian Urban Transit Association, the Federation
of Canadian Municipalities, Police Associations, and
numerous MPs and Senators, are lending their support
to the campaign.
Laws aren’t protecting us
“Right now, the laws aren’t adequately protecting
us,” says Mahar. “There have been cases where one of
our members has been attacked by an assailant in the
morning. The assailant has been arrested by police,
released, and then has returned in the afternoon to
assault the member again.”
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May/June 2013 | IN TRANSIT
Mahar believes, “such individuals should be prosecuted
to the full extent of the law. The change to the Criminal
Code we’re requesting will ensure that they are.”
Mahar observes that transit operators frequently work
alone, and during all hours of the day and night.
They work in a compartment with no escape route,
and many times are in complete or near isolation. All
of this leaves operators far more vulnerable than the
average worker.
Degrading and criminal
Despite years of increased efforts by the transit industry
to reduce the number of assaults through training,
real time support and the installation of cameras,
the attacks continue to rise. The assaults range from
being spat on, to being punched, to knife attacks and
sexual assault.
Many of these injuries are life threatening and career
ending. All of them are degrading and criminal.
“The assaults on our members cannot be tolerated,”
says Mahar. “At a time when public transit needs
to grow to support commerce in areas like Toronto
and Hamilton, many are leaving the industry because
of these threats – and many are choosing not to
enter it.”.
McDonald’s, Low-wage
workers demand living
wage, job protections
A
s the number of America’s working poor increases,
employees of McDonald’s and other fast food
and low-wage industries have begun to awaken to the
need to organize for dignity and a better life. Hundreds
have engaged in daylong walkouts to demand a living
wage and protection from retaliation and abuse.
Chicago
A walkout was staged in Chicago in support of the
“Fight for $15” campaign to secure a wage of $15
per hour for those who work hard in the city’s fast
food and retail outlets, yet still can’t afford basic
necessities. Similar strikes have been held New York
and Pennsylvania.
New York
Hundreds of fast food workers walked off the job in
New York City, also demanding a $15 per hour wage
and the ability to form a union. Organized by “Fast
Food Forward,” the walkout coincided with the 45th
anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., who was killed while supporting the 1968
Memphis sanitation workers’ strike.
The group says many members are living on food stamps
or in homeless shelters even as employers’ profits continue
to rise. “We’re on strike today because we can’t survive
on $7.25. Higher wages will help us raise our families
with dignity but also help lift our entire economy.”
Profits at low-wage food employers have grown rapidly
since the recession, as the chart above shows. Nevertheless,
some fast food employers have exploited Latin American
and Asian guest workers to increase profits.
Some of the chain’s
foreign guest workers
in central Pennsylvania
launched
a
strike,
alleging management
has retaliated against
them for demanding
unpaid wages. The NYC strikers wanted to meet with McDonald’s
directly, sign a labor agreement with worker protections,
and ensure that they are fairly compensated.
Some improvement
The New York protest has led to some improvement.
Just minutes after their protest, McDonald’s announced
that the franchise owner accused of exploiting the guest
workers will be selling his three stores and will no longer
be associated with the company.
Additionally, McDonald’s says it is trying to connect
with the workers on an individual basis to address the
alleged abuse and it would provide franchisees with
legal informationoon the J-1 visa program.
Not just a teenage job anymore
Also, as noted by the Atlantic, “these jobs are not being
done by teenagers… the median age is over 28, and
the average women – who make up two-thirds of the
industry – is over 32.”
Numbers like these make it abundantly clear that we all
lose when major international employers underpay and
exploit their workers.
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25
Resolution
submitted to the
57th International Convention
of the
Amalgamated Transit Union
Submitted by Local 587-Seattle, WA:
“To protect the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and its Locals from potential costly lawsuits(s) by
banning the ATU International and its Locals from providing alcohol at convention, conference, or training
in hospitality suites or elsewhere.”
!
International to memorialize deceased
local officers at Convention
The International is requesting its locals to send it the names, titles, and pictures (if available) of local presidents, business agents, and financial secretaries who have passed away since September 26, 2010. This information will be made
into a special memorial that will be displayed during the Convention.
Please use the ATU Convention website or the form below to submit the name, title/office, local number and charter
city*, and date of death to International President Larry Hanley, ATU, 5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC
20016, no later than August 1, 3013.
— Local Officer Memorial Form —
Name:
Title/Office:
Local Number:Charter City:
Date of Death:
* For example: Local Number: 113 Charter City: Toronto, ON
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May/June 2013 | IN TRANSIT
L’ATU se bat contre la cupidité,
la MAIN-D’ŒUVRE esclave et
la privatisation
de l’argent au Congrès et dans plusieurs états en influençant
nos représentants élus pour vendre les travailleurs Américains.
1127 corps ont été retrouvés avant qu’ils n’arrêtent la recherche
de survivants. Il s’agit du décompte des morts du désastre du
24 avril — l’un des pires de l’histoire en matière de massacre
en usine — à l’autre bout du monde, au Bangladesh. C’est le
résultat du même capitalisme (cupidité) qui a causé la mort de
146 couturières dans l’incendie de l’usine Triangle Shirtwaist à
New York, il y a un siècle.
Il n’y a rien de nouveau avec les personnes riches qui exploitent
les travailleurs — Ils le font tout simplement d’une manière
plus sophistiquée.
Tout est lié
L’échec de la déréglementation
Ne pensez pas à ces victimes comme des inconnus qui ne font
pas partie de votre vie — ce n’est pas le cas. Elles font le travail
que les travailleurs faisaient aux É.-U. et au Canada.
Tout autour de nous, nous voyons clairement les échecs du
capitalisme déréglementé.
Leur travail – dans des usines dangereuses, à 8,000 miles (12 874
km) d’ici — sont les anciens emplois des travailleurs de nos pays
— qui ont été relocalisés au Bangladesh pour générer davantage
de profits pour les propriétaires d’entreprises.
Ce qu’il reste est une concurrence à la recherche d’emplois mal
rémunérés ici et dans des villes comme Détroit, avec peu de bons
emplois et des recettes fiscales qui en sont créés. Tout est lié.
La main-d’œuvre esclave
Dans le monde développé, nous avons des normes du travail
et des codes de construction. Cependant, les vêtements vendus
dans nos centres commerciaux sont produits dans des pays où
des esclaves ou travailleurs qui frôlent l’esclavage travaillent
dans des conditions qui seraient illégales chez nous. Plusieurs
immeubles s’effondrent sur ces travailleurs au quotidien, ce qui
est profondément honteux.
Donc — nous avons perdu de bons emplois et nous payons
pour acheter des produits à des entreprises qui volent nos
emplois, pendant que des travailleurs à l’autre bout du monde
souffrent pour enrichir quelques personnes.
Les sociétés françaises et anglaises font venir l’économie globale
dans les transports en commun et les bus scolaires dans nos
pays, tout comme ils ont fait à Greyhound aux É.-U., et pour
le faire maintenant au Canada.
Au même moment, leurs collègues fabricants de vêtements
exploitent les travailleurs en Asie. Tout est lié.
L’idée que nos produits de consommation peuvent être
fabriqués à plus bas prix pendant que nous maintenons nos
salaires et pensions s’est avérée être fausse.
Dans ce document, vous apprendrez l’impact de Walmart
sur nos vies. Chaque semaine, un grand nombre de nos
membres rendent leurs salaires gagnés en tant que travailleurs
syndiqués à Walmart. Ce dernier utilise ensuite ses profits
pour détruire nos syndicats et les emplois dans nos pays et
partout ailleurs dans le monde.
Dans son discours très courageux de juin 1966 en Afrique
du Sud (il y a près de 50 ans de cela), le Sénateur Robert
Kennedy a abordé cette question :
Les personnes meurent de faim dans les rues d’Inde;
un ancien premier ministre est sommairement exécuté
au Congo; les intellectuels vont en prison en Russie; et
des milliers sont massacrés en Indonésie; la richesse est
utilisée sur des armements partout dans le monde.
Il existe différents types de maux dans notre société : mais
ils sont souvent créés pas les hommes. Ils reflètent les
imperfections de la justice humaine, l’insuffisance de la
compassion humaine, la défectuosité de notre sensibilité
envers la souffrance d’autres êtres humains; ils marquent
la limite de notre capacité à utiliser la connaissance pour
le bien-être d’autres personnes ailleurs dans le monde.
En conséquence, ils en appellent aux qualités communes
de conscience et d’indignation, une détermination
partagée afin de se débarrasser des souffrances inutiles
de nos semblables, chez nous et ailleurs dans le monde.
Privatisation = Pauvreté
Chaque enfant tué est un emploi détruit
chez nous
Ils vendent des salaires de misère à nos villes sous forme de
transport en commun « privatif ». Ils dépensent actuellement
Chaque enfant tué dans une usine est un emploi détruit aux
É.-U. ou au Canada.
IN TRANSIT
| May/June 2013
27
Nous avons un ennemi commun envers ces personnes
riches et cupides qui sont la cause de tout cela. Les mêmes
entreprises qui pompent des centaines de millions de dollars
dans les politiques des É.-U. et du Canada pour nous priver
de nos droits et nos pensions, notre droit de négocier des
contrats et notre droit d’avoir un syndicat.
S’il y avait eu une organisation syndicale dans cette usine du
Bangladesh, ces 1127 personnes seraient toujours vivantes.
Notre colère doit s’amplifier pour mettre un terme à cette
situation.
Nous mentionnons aussi dans ce document les alternatives
fiscales comme la taxe « Robin des Bois » (Robin Hood) —
une taxe sur les transactions boursières — et la « taxe sur les
ventes par internet ». Elles aideraient à sauver nos villes en
collectant les mêmes taxes sur amazon.com, comme avec nos
commerçants locaux.
Fiers d’être ATU
Ce document comprend aussi des histoires d’héroïsme
personnel : l’histoire de Géraldine Mitchell, un membre de
Toledo, qui a sauvé une vie pendant qu’elle conduisait un bus.
Je suis particulièrement fier de ces histoires concernant nos
locaux dans « Ce qui fonctionne » — notre rapport sur les
combats du syndicat local.
Vous lirez aussi à propos de notre local de Providence (R.I.)
qui se bat et gagne contre Véolia, et de Bangor (M.E.), où nous
venons tout juste d’obtenir une nouvelle organisation.
Chroniqueur invité : gagnant du
Prix Pulitzer
Notre chroniqueur invité est l’auteur connu et gagnant du
prix Pulitzer, Chris Hedges, qui a tourné son attention sur nos
combats sur la fatigue du conducteur et nos efforts continus
pour sécuriser une modification de la Fair Labor Standards
Act obligeant les employeurs à payer en heures supplémentaires les
conducteurs de l’industrie hors route.
Il y a aussi des rapports, à Toledo, de conducteurs de bus qui
n’ont pas de pauses toilettes — quelque chose de familier?
Action structurelle
Lors de notre récente réunion du Conseil exécutif à Atlanta,
tous nos officiers ont travaillé sur un plan pour une action
28
May/June 2013 | IN TRANSIT
plus vaste. Nous travaillons sur des changements structurels
potentiels dans notre Syndicat et nous avons nommé un
Comité d’exploration structurelle pour la Convention à venir
afin de nous permettre d’être plus efficaces sur le terrain.
Nous sommes un Syndicat en pleine croissance, en nombre,
en force et en détermination. Plus nous subissons de défis et
plus nous accomplissons de choses. Cependant, il y a encore
beaucoup de choses à faire.
La foi
Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de notre Convention
internationale à venir avec la foi que nous pouvons envisager
beaucoup plus qu’auparavant.
Nous changerons la manière dont nous menons notre travail
dans nos Conventions et la manière dont nous fournissons la
formation nécessaire pour nos délégués afin qu’ils retournent
chez eux prêt pour les années de combats à venir.
Être conscient du monde qui nous entoure, étant donné notre
place dans le conflit moral, nous quitterons la Convention
prêts à se battre pour tous les membres — et parce que nous
savons que tous les navires se relèvent ensemble — pour se
battre pour les travailleurs partout dans le monde.
PROUVEZ-MOI que j’ai tort!
Je me demande de temps en temps si les membres prennent In
Transit avec une « graine de sel. » Je dis cela parce que chaque
autre mois le magazine vous apporte beaucoup de mauvaises
nouvelles, et si vous ne subissez pas les mauvaises nouvelles
chez vous, vous imaginez que nous exagérons.
Après tout, le Syndicat tient depuis 121 années, et comme
Mark Twain disait : « J’ai connu de nombreux problèmes, mais
la plupart d’entre eux ne se sont jamais produits. »
Cependant, vous devriez savoir que la plupart des « problèmes »
que vous lisez dans In Transit « ne se sont jamais produits » parce
que votre Syndicat lutte efficacement pour pas qu’ils se produisent.
Malheureusement, ce type de réussite peut rendre les personnes
complaisantes; les faisant croire qu’il n’y a pas à s’inquiéter.
Cependant, au risque d’être accusé de « crier au loup », je dois
dire que je n’ai jamais vu un moment comme celui-ci, et cela
m’inquiète. Un peu d’histoire peut aider à expliquer ce que
j’essaye de dire :
Nouvel accord vs. Accord brut
Pendant les années 1930, la Grande Dépression a apporté des
réformes de type Nouvel accord qui ont grandement amélioré
la vie des familles de travailleurs au Canada et aux États-Unis.
En conséquence, la plupart d’entre nous ont grandi pendant
les meilleurs moments économiques de l’histoire de nos deux
pays. Bien sûr, nous pensons que la vie de la classe moyenne
qui est apparue pendant le 20e siècle est « normale », même si
c’est assez unique dans l’histoire.
Maintenant, au 21e siècle, la Grande récession a apporté
un renversement de ce processus. Un « accord brut » est en
train de voler la classe moyenne de la sécurité économique
pour laquelle elle s’est battue et a réussi à obtenir au cours
du siècle dernier. Sous le contrôle des intérêts de puissantes
sociétés et de marionnettes politiques, l’Accord brut cherche à
augmenter la richesse déjà extrême des plus riches en forçant
les travailleurs des pays industrialisés à retourner travailler dans
des conditions pitoyables qu’ils ont dû endurer au cours d’une
grande partie de l’histoire humaine.
Une partie déjà croissante de nos populations fait un travail
éreintant pour des salaires extrêmement bas, sans syndicats,
sans congés de maladie, sans assurance santé, sans vacances,
sans retraite, avec des règlements de travail injustes, des
conditions de travail dangereuses et plus encore.
Ne s’agit-il pas de conditions de travail qui existaient entre la fin
des années 1800 et le début des années 1900? N’avions-nous
pas cru que notre civilisation s’était améliorée au-delà de cette
sorte d’esclavage salarial pendant les années 1960, ou 1950?
Aujourd’hui, nous catégorisons ces personnes comme des
« travailleurs pauvres », presque comme un effort d’essayer
de mettre leur expérience de travail en quarantaine et de les
séparer des autres travailleurs. Cependant, si nous refusons
de reconnaitre la situation telle qu’elle est, la souffrance des
travailleurs pauvres d’aujourd’hui sera bientôt considérée
comme quelque chose de « normal », pour tous les travailleurs.
Je crains que ceux qui ont toujours un emploi touchant des
salaires suffisants ne réalisent pas l’ampleur du problème tant
qu’ils ne l’ont pas subi personnellement, mais quand cela se
produira, il sera trop tard.
Le défi
Cependant, cela fait déjà trop de temps que je fais cela pour
devenir pessimiste. Par conséquent, je mets au défi chaque
membre ATU de me prouver que j’ai tort.
Je vous appelle à joindre notre combat contre l’Accord brut,
même si cela ne vous a pas encore touché. Allez à votre réunion
syndicale locale, participez avec le conseil local du travail,
soutenez les candidats pro-travaillistes, faites tout ce que vous
pouvez pour défendre et accroître les droits des travailleurs.
C’est important, pas seulement pour vous-même, mais pour
vos enfants et petits-enfants, et surtout, pour le bien de nos
deux pays.
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/
IN TRANSIT
| May/June 2013
29
In Memoriam
Death Benefits Awarded March 1, 2013 - April 30, 2013
1- MEMBERS AT LARGE
ROBERT M HARDIN JR
RODNEY E MEZEL
VIRGIL O SANDERS
RUDOLPH H VARNEY
19- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
LEO R MORRIS
22- WORCESTER, MA
LINDA A BROOKS
KAREN M CHABOT
ROBERT A MOQUIN
26- DETROIT, MI
NICHOLAS JOHN COUREY
DAVID L HOWTON
CARL D JOHNSON
EDDIE ROBERTSON
BETTY SHEPHARD
JESSE J WILLIS
85- PITTSBURGH, PA
EUGENE T BUNGERT
ROLAND COLAGUORI
JAMES R DEES
EDGAR R LAURIE
HOWARD W LINDBERG
JESSE J MANNING
MAURICE J MC CARTHY
WILLIAM A MC CARTNEY
THOMAS M MISKIEWICZ
RICHARD A MORGAN
JOHN MOSURA
FRANK NIKLAS
LAWRENCE M O’CONNOR
THOMAS O’LEARY
FRANK M O’NEIL
LAWRENCE J PHILLIPS
RUDOLPH PLAIKNER
THOMAS F PRILL
JOSEPH LYNN TRUJILLO
LETTIE M WALLS
107- HAMILTON, ON
MAX EUGEN AHLFORS
STEPHEN E FORESTER
JEFFREY T JOHNSTON
COLLEEN TOLL
113- TORONTO, ON
MICHELLE S BEDWARD
JOHN GERALD BRADLEY
THEODORE H CARLISLE
FRANK CHIRCOP
ROCCO CORNACCHIA
NICOLA DI RENZO
RUSSELL HOWARD EWLES
DAVID FAIRWEATHER
FRANKLIN GEROUX
WILLIAM FRANK HASLER
FREDERICK W HAWTHORNE
LOUIS I HICKEY
JOHN JOSEPH KEARNEY
EDWARD LANSDOWN
ANTHONY LOCILENTO
JOHN MAGEE
BARRY N MORTON
WILLIAM DENNIS O’BRIEN
ELGIN PEPPIN
CHARLES PRICE
JOHN SCHMUCK
JOHN A SMITH
JOHN D SPEARS
ROBERT STEWART
KENT TAYLOR
192- OAKLAND, CA
EUGENE ARNETT
LAWRENCE JAMES BIRT
30
SANDRA L COOK
HAROLD E HAGLER
ANGELINA A LAGUER
ANDREW C NEAL
PHILLIP JORDON NELSON
HERSCHEL A PLEASANTS
THOMAS JOE SANDOVAL JR
JOHN P UNDERWOOD
MACLETUS THELMA WATSON
241- CHICAGO, IL
MAURICE BANKHEAD
KELLY BELL
HAVARD L BLANKS
STANLEY E BROWN
WILLIE J COCHRAN
CHARLES E DIAL
JOSEPH A GORECKI
DONALD E JACKSON
FRANCIS J LAMBERT
ROBERTA S LEWIS
JACK MARTIN
VICTOR R MOORE
CARROLL C PORTER
BRUCE PRICE
MITCHELL P ROMAS
ROBERT I STEWART
WILLIE R STRICKLAND
HENRY SYKES
DAVID A THOMAS
DORRIS WILSON JR
256- SACRAMENTO, CA
DAVID R BLENKHORN
CURTIS THOMAS JR
265- SAN JOSE, CA
CARROLL W ADAMS
JESSE J CISNEROS
VINCENT LANZAROTTA
MATTHEW PAULIN
268- CLEVELAND, OH
CHRISTOPHER BATTLE
SAMUEL M KISNER
ROBERT EDWARD KRAUSE
279- OTTAWA, ON
DENNIS P ARPIN
GEORGES GRANDMAITRE
JODY A STEELE
STEFAN R VORONEY
308- CHICAGO, IL
WILLIAM B BROWN
DOROTHY M DISMANG
BRIAN R DOE
EDWARD JOSEPH FREEMAN
CARL C MEYER
ULYSSES S PRITCHETT
SAM STIMAGE
WILLIAM THOMAS
THOMAS WALKER
BETTY J WATSON
PRIMES WEST
E M WILIEKO
312- DAVENPORT, IA
LAWRENCE E FOX
382- SALT LAKE CITY, UT
FRANK D RICHINS
416- PEORIA, IL
GREGORY S CHURCH
569- EDMONTON, AB
JAMES W HUFFMAN
ALBERT LUETHE
GERARD MARINGER
NORMAN L SAX
580- SYRACUSE, NY
RICHARD A DE PIETRO
583- CALGARY, AB
WILLIAM CYRIL JULLYAN
COLEMAN A LANDER
WILLIAM A ORR
RICHARD THOMAS WALKER
587- SEATTLE, WA
JACK A BUCHANS
PAUL A CONSIDINE
DAVID E FARNHAM
MICHAEL FLICKINGER
RUSSELL W HARRIS
ROBERT L MC ALPINE
EARL STANLEY RADFORD
HONORIO A STA CRUZ
589- BOSTON, MA
JAMES F CANNON
MAXWELL C CURRY
JOSEPH S FORTINO JR
CHARLMER G GROVES
THOMAS W HARDING
THOMAS F KELLEY
ALBERT W NEWCOMB
WILLIAM V RICHI
618- PROVIDENCE, RI
WILLIAM J FURICH
REGINALD HILL
CARLOS S MEDEIROS
JUAN OTERO
RALPH VITALE
627- CINCINNATI, OH
JERRY L PARKER
DEBORAH THOMAS
689- WASHINGTON, DC
WILLIAM ALSTON
NORMAN W BAYLOR JR
JOSEPH E COULTER
JEFFREY A GASTON
KURT ALFRED HEINZ JR
JOHN B KEILLOR
TAE H KIM
MITCHELL L RICHARDSON
ARTHUR J SHUGARS
ROY G STANFORD
SHIRLEY TWITTY
DONTE C WASHINGTON
JOSEPH J YAVULLA
757- PORTLAND, OR
JOHN W BROWN
JOREE JACKSON
JASON A JANES
KENT K KALWEIT
JOHN D MITCHELL SR
VIRGINIA F PUTNAM
DONALD J REED
MARY ROMSKI
MANLIO R SANTORO
ROSE MARIE SIMON
WILLIAM H SMITH
JODI SURIANAGA
JEANETTE VARGETTO
758- TACOMA, WA
CLIFTON A FOURNIER
HAROLD A GERBER
1225- SAN FRANCISCO, CA
HAROLD NEAL MC ELROY
FRED G RICH
819- NEWARK, NJ
LEONA P DAVIS
TAHEESHA HORTON
PATRICK J PONTRELLI
JOSEPH A SEMATAVAGE
1235- NASHVILLE, TN
DAVID L LOWE
825- ORADELL, NJ
FRANK O ROMA
880- CAMDEN, NJ
DENIS M FARRELLY
AUGUSTUS HOLMES
966- THUNDER BAY, ON
DON DUBOIS
998- MILWAUKEE, WI
GEORGE R CASTRO
RICHARD CHOMICKI
CHARLES J CUNNINGHAM
VINCENT C DIKIARA
GOLDIE E JOHNSON-YOUNG
HARVEY O SCHERR
EARL M SEYBOLD
JULIA M THOMAS
LEONARD J WILHELMI
1001- DENVER, CO
JANICE FAYE STANLEY
1005- MINNEAPOLIS &
ST. PAUL, MN
JOSEPH J DITSCHLER
RONALD E FONTAINE
ANTHONY D FRANKLIN
ELDON K TURNER
1037- NEW BEDFORD, MA
CHARLES A LAGOA
1070- INDIANAPOLIS, IN
WALTER J DIXON
690- FITCHBURG, MA
ALAN C EASTMAN
1177- NORFOLK, VA
MELVIN COTTON
694- SAN ANTONIO, TX
GASPAR S GARCIA
RAYMOND Q VALENZUELA
1181- NEW YORK, NY
NANCY A AULL
FRANK N CAPECI
RAFAEL COLON
SHEILA CRUPI
FRED DAVIS
ANNA DI FIORE
MARGUERITE DI MICELLI
BETTY D FILMORE
WILLIE FRANKLIN
WILLIAM FREY
INEL GAILLOT
RAYMOND HAUGES
RUSSELL F JONES
MARY KARSEBOOM
THOMAS P KELLY
MICHAEL LUCIANO
GRACE MAIORANO
LAWRENCE MAURELLO
MADELINE MONTI
LUCILLE PAWIAK
CLORINDA PORTSCHELLER
713- MEMPHIS, TN
JOHN H LEWIS
725- BIRMINGHAM, AL
FRANKLIN H ANDERSON
726- STATEN ISLAND, NY
DOUGLAS BALL
ALFRED BEYER
ROBERT P CARROLL
GILBERT MONTALVO
ARTHUR TAYLOR
732- ATLANTA, GA
DONALD HAYFORD
FERNANDO KELLEY
CHARLES W SNOW
May/June 2013 | IN TRANSIT
1277- LOS ANGELES, CA
THOMAS E DOTSON
ROBERT LEE NELSON
1285- JACKSON, TN
SHADY O MOORE
1300- BALTIMORE, MD
FRANK DANIELS
ROBERT L MC GRONAN
MIKE TAKESIAN
JOHN A THOMAS
1309- SAN DIEGO, CA
KAROL R FERRIS
MARGARETA A MULLEN
1321- ALBANY & TROY, NY
JAMES W KEECH
1342- BUFFALO, NY
RICHARD W ROGERS
1345- READING, PA
C GEORGE ZAPF JR
1374- CALGARY, AB
GORDON IRWIN STEINMAN
1433- PHOENIX, AZ
SALVADOR G GONZALEZ
1436- HARRISBURG, PA
PHILIP C CREA
1447- LOUISVILLE, KY
DENNIS M CHAPMAN
1505- WINNIPEG, MB
LLOYD GEORGE BISSETT
JASWINDER SIDHU
KENNETH V SMITH
HENRICUS N VAN DE MOSSELAER
1575- SAN RAFAEL, CA
JAMES CLINCY JR
1576- LYNNWOOD, WA
PATRICK R HILL
1700- CHICAGO, IL
HUGH E SMITH
IRVIN THOMASTON
1729- PITTSBURGH, PA
PAUL R GEORGE
1753- VENETIA, PA
RICHARD P BOTTLES
JOSEPH HENRY
PA School bus local awaits decision
on grievance
local made a fair contract offer to the school district that
legally required the district to continue negotiating.
‘They will not talk to us’
The local accepted the report, and the district rejected it.
“They will not talk to us,” says Local President Lori Krapf.
P
enn Hills, PA, school bus drivers have been waiting
for a resolution of their labor dispute with Penn
Hills schools since the district broke off negotiations
with Local 1552 in May 2011. The school system ceased
bargaining in order to contract its student transportation
work out to private operator First Student.
A fact-finder commissioned by the Pennsylvania Labor
Relations Board (PLRB) concluded in 2011 that the
The local filed a grievance with the PLRB, accusing the
district of prematurely ending negotiations. A PLRB
hearing on those charges ended in June 2012, but the
board still has not issued a final ruling.
If the Penn Hills local receives a favorable ruling, the
school district could be ordered to buy its school buses back from First Transit, rehire all of Local 1552’s
drivers, mechanics and bus aides, and pay Local 1552
members two years’ back pay – much more than what
it would have cost to simply negotiate with the local
in the first place.
— S AV E T H E D AT E —
ATU/MS Research Funds
28th Annual Tournament
OCTOBER 6 - 7 , 2013
MUSKET RIDGE GOLF CLUB, MYERSVILLE, MD
FOR THE BENEFIT OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS RESEARCH
IN TRANSIT
| May/June 2013
31
Amalgamated Transit Union
AFL-CIO/CLC
5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, D.C.20016
www.atu.org
STAY CONNECTED
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
YOUR HELP NEEDED AGAIN ATU DISASTER RELIEF FUND
ATU members stepped up for Hurricane Sandy,
Now Brothers and Sisters in Oklahoma in need!
When Mother Nature unleashed her wrath with Hurricane
Sandy, ATU members stepped up – as we always do - to
help our brothers and sisters impacted by donating the ATU
Disaster Relief Fund (see chart). In May one of the worst
tornados in history savaged an area in around Oklahoma City.
The devastating wind and rocketing debris wreaked havoc on
the region, shattering houses and flattening supposedly solid
school buildings.
The cyclone left hundreds injured, and at least 20 residents –
including 9 schoolchildren – dead in its wake. Unfortunately,
homes and property of ATU
brothers and sisters and their
families living in the area have been
destroyed and damaged, as well.
When crisis hits, ATU members
do what they do every day
on the job, in their
communities, and in their
places of worship. They just
help out.
You can help your brothers
and sisters who have been
hurt by this year’s tornados
by contributing to the ATU
Disaster Relief Fund.
$149,698.16
Total Raised Since Hurricane Sandy
$155,100.00
Total Disbursed in Hurricane Relief
156 members from 16 Locals received assistance
How to Donate
Donations can be made online by visiting www.atu.org,
or by mailing a check to:
Amalgamated Transit Union
Disaster Relief Fund
5025 Wisconsin, Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016
Attn: Lawrence J. Hanley
U.S. contributors: Your contribution is tax deductible
to the extent provided by law.