I first drove out to Loudoun County in early 2016 to help organize the transit workers, who had just been unceremoniously abandoned by their former “union.” This outfit walked off after four attempts over two years to get the workers to ratify a contract containing a 25-cents per year increases. Not surprisingly, almost none of the workers by that time still belonged to that absentee and moribund “union.” They were abandoned without notice by that union and cut loose to suffer their fate.

As organizing director for the ATU International union, I had received phone calls from several workers who at that time were employed by the Transdev, the previous French-owned transit firm in Loudoun County. These workers had been ATU members previously at other transit companies and wanted to join up again. I went out to meet them the next day and ran a union meeting in the bus garage until Transdev management had the police evict me from the county-owned building. Workers were on a multi-hour mid-day split break.

Disgusted with the heavy-handed police action, about 40 workers followed me outside where I continued the meeting standing on the back of my pickup truck in the street. Workers were fired up at the thought of joining ATU and union card signing for an NLRB election with ATU started on the spot. The enthusiasm was not contagious, however, and the following morning at my office in the ATU headquarters a long-overdue-to-retire-and-never-should-have-been-hired international representative of the union counseled me that, “There’s nothing you can do. If they didn’t join the other union, they won’t join ATU. It’ll be a lot of work.” I promptly disregarded this “advice,” but it sadly expressed the lethargic and defeatist views of many in the ATU leadership – then and now. That staff member was needed in the drive, but as was the case with most other campaigns, I cobbled together what staff I could to do the work – without him.

Our campaign was off and running from the street meeting. But, as is one of the preferred anti-union devices of Transdev, the next day the company set up a fake “Driver Council” with hand-picked pro-company bootlickers as leaders. This offer of a freebie “union” of sorts split the group badly and had the desired effect of creating dissent among the workers. Our organizing stalled immediately. In the interim I played the role of morale officer with the ATU stalwarts, talking to them every week and making numerous trips out to meet with them. I assigned a staff organizer to the property, and we confidently told the workers that once the company believed the danger of ATU had passed that all company improvements would evaporate.

It took six or seven months, but the ATU campaign was renewed. As is the case with all fake “company unions,” people increasingly saw the fraudulent nature of the scheme and chose a real union – ATU. The many promises came to nothing and the company stooges fronting the scheme exposed themselves as tools and spies for the personnel department.

After an all-out fight with Transdev – one of the most anti-union firms of all the private contract companies that ATU deals with – the group was finally organized in early September 2017 by a 62 to 5 landslide margin in an NLRB election. After another tough fight, a good first contract was reached and ratified overwhelmingly. Shop leader Sandra Vigil, one of the key early leaders and a solid supporter through all the ups and downs, explains in the Labor Notes article the benefits of the first contract that the union had worked so hard to win.

As is the custom in the musical chairs of transit contracting, Transdev was eventually outbid and removed. Keolis is the company now employed by Loudoun County to provide transit, commuter and paratransit service to the people of this fast-growing and wealthy suburb of Washington, DC. The county agreed to hire Keolis in 2021 despite their miserable record of performance and labor relations; no due diligence of any consequence was performed by the county administration. The ATU confidently predicted this entire eventual debacle, but as is the case in Loudoun County, the transit agency management staff are reflexively anti-union and constantly in cahoots with the companies they supposedly oversee.

The otherwise liberal Democrats who control the county are sympathetic, but otherwise paralyzed in their own bureaucratic cul-de-sac. Rather than decisively drop the hammer on the company for their outrageous conduct, the politicians are inclined to mediate and coax rather than govern. The company and the transit agency management are well aware of the contracting racket, and constantly conspire against the workers and the political leadership that – at least on paper – are supposed to be in charge.

For more than a year after winning the Loudoun transit contract, Keolis worked feverishly to destroy ATU, forcing another NLRB election and committing a mountain of NLRB Unfair Labor Practice violations with their illegal conduct. Finally, after many months, the union members were able to win their union a second time in an NLRB election in March of 2022, by another landslide margin of 71 to 2.

In recent years the unit has also grown from the original 70 to more than 130 workers, more than double the size of the original group that joined ATU. Despite every company maneuver to destroy the union – first by Transdev and now Keolis – the workers have succeeded and triumphed. Bargaining for a union contract began shortly after the second NLRB election win. But little bargaining took place.

The current strike is yet again another attempt by the outlaw Keolis company to destroy the union, and it will fail as all of the previous schemes have failed. Underlining the Keolis strike is also the amazing fact that over the past eight years, ATU has managed to win and organize 45 new transit units in the greater Washington, DC region. More than 3500 transit workers have been added to ATU’s ranks, taking the total working membership of ATU well past 15,000 in the region. It is a feat unmatched in the country to see such a concentration and perseverance of a union’s organizing efforts focused on its core jurisdiction in a given region.

ATU Local 689 has now grown into somewhat of a North Star for transit workers in the region, bargaining ever-better contracts and ensuring that the organizing wave with the unorganized transit workers in the region will continue.

The workers will prevail in the current battle, just three years ago ATU won a landmark rollback of privatization and a great contract settlement after almost three months of striking only 40 miles away in Lorton, Virginia. Once again, the Transdev menace was defeated and the interests of the transit workers in the region were advanced.

The workers on these transit properties, the international union organizers, the local union leaders and members all deserve recognition for these events. They are an example for the ATU as well as the labor movement generally. It has been proven that substantial union organizing, bargaining – and, if needed, strike action – can succeed in Virginia. Further, the ATU has proven that when persistence is shown, huge numbers of unorganized transit workers can be organized and brought into the union.

Stay tuned for updates on the strike at Labor Notes and at the ATU web site at Amalgamated Transit Union (atu.org) Chris Townsend was most recently the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International Union organizing director. Previously he was an international representative and political action director for the United Electrical Workers Union (UE), and he has held local positions in both the SEIU and UFCW.

#AlexandriaVA #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #Strikes #ATU

The Justice Coalition has been holding Hour of Power demonstrations at different locations over the past year that have developed a militant core in ATU 241/308.

The latest Hour of Power demonstration was held on September 29 at the Chicago Garage on 642 N Pulaski, on the West Side. The incident that sparked this demonstration was CTA's attempt to fire a bus operator whose work-related repetitive stress injury has left him unable to do his job.

Local 241 bus operator and Justice Coalition activist Aundra Thompson said, “We're here to support Eric Struch and other brothers like him who're being disciplined and fired unfairly.” Local 308 retiree Kathryn Strzelecki said, “When I got hired in 1984, there was no accelerated discipline. People did not get fired from the CTA.” Speaking about the CTA policy of accelerated discipline, 308 activist Eric Basir said, “Why instill fear in people? That hurts the workers, and that hurts the people we serve – the people of Chicago.”

There was a heavy police and CTA management presence at this Hour of Power, but it didn't intimidate the demonstrators from getting across their message that they would no longer tolerate the Authority's arbitrary disciplinary policies. There was an outpouring of support from Local 241 members at Chicago Garage as well as from riders and passersby. This Hour of Power was definitely a success.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #AmalgamatedTransitUnion

Kalamazoo, MI – The Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority abruptly canceled their meeting on July 8, leaving 40 bus drivers and union supporters wondering, “What is really happening?” The bus drivers, members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1093, decided to do what they do best, and took it to the streets, chanting, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!”

ATU Local 1093 President Earl Cox spoke at the busy corner in front of the bus and train terminal, “We are here today to demand a contract, to demand better wages, to demand fair working conditions, to demand restroom breaks, to demand lunch breaks, to demand safety barriers, to demand fair treatment by management,” he said.

Cox continued, “Management just cancelled the meeting as if they don’t want to face us or be held accountable. We will be heard. We haven’t had a new contract for nearly one year. We are going to stand up!”

The bus drivers then marched thru the Kalamazoo Transportation Center, where dozens of excited passengers fist-bumped and cheered them. Finally, they marched down the block and entered a Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority (KCTA) reception room, but the normally busy office building resembled a ghost town.

Bus driver Renee Whitfield said, “I’m fighting a wrongful termination. There is no relief on the bus. I have a medical need to use the restroom. My doctor approved me to return to work, but these managers won’t even give me a chance to try and work. I’m not willing to give up my 22 years that easy, so the union is representing me.”

ATU Local 1093 union members say they are looking forward to speaking at the next KCTA meeting. ATU Local 1093 President Earl Cox says they are going to talk next with the county commissioners who appoint the KCTA board members.

#KalamazooMI #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #PublicSectorUnions #ATULocal1093 #KalamazooCountyTransportationAuthority

Grand Rapids, MI – About 500 people rallied and marched thru Grand Rapids, January 19, to build resistance to Trump during the 2019 Women’s March. The women’s movement in West Michigan hosted leaders from the immigrant rights, African American freedom, student and labor movements.

Many of the speeches were personal and heartfelt, detailing women’s struggles against sexual assault, workplace discrimination, and mistreatment at the hands of ICE, law enforcement and the courts.

“This month we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, a man who unselfishly shared his dream of equality with us,” said Cindy Rosado, a Rapid bus driver, reading a statement by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 836. “Two years ago, many women marched on Washington DC to remind those in positions of influence that the strength and value of women as major contributors, i.e. champions of change, is not to be overlooked.”

Emily Butt, a Teamster from Lansing, explained, “High profile politicians like Trump and Kavanaugh are normalizing violence against women. Resistance by working-class women is a major part of the movement for women’s liberation in opposition to them!”

In 2019, the women’s movement in West Michigan continues to strengthen and build, sending a strong message to local reactionary Betsy DeVos. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, possibly the most disliked figure in the Trump administration, is infamous for attempting to roll back Title IX laws and protections won by women over many decades in education and sports.

#GrandRapidsMI #Labor #US #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #DonaldTrump #WomensMarch

Grand Rapids, MI – 30 union bus drivers and their supporters rallied outside the meeting of the Interurban Transit Partnership – also known as the Rapids Board – the afternoon of Aug. 31, demanding a decent contract in negotiations. The board spent the past year attacking the bus drivers’ union and its leaders instead of dealing fairly with them.

As politicians from Grand Rapids and surrounding towns entered the meeting the pro-union crowd chanted, “What do we want? A contract! When do we want it? Now!”

The politicians fake-smiled and scurried into the building, with one bus driver yelling “Shame! Shame! Shame!” after them.

International Executive Vice President Javier Perez Jr., of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), spoke, “Why the struggle for a pension and health care is so critical? It’s not just about us. It’s about what happens to everybody that’s working in the city of Grand Rapids. Everybody should have a decent pension plan.”

Perez explained, “Our pension proposal will not cost the employer one penny more. It is that they want to break the pension plan. It is an ideological argument. It is a philosophical argument, that need not happen.”

In front of the transit board there was public commentary by ten or more bus drivers and their supporters. Grand Rapids ATU Recording Secretary Jodie Burns remarked, “I spent my day at negotiations with the Rapid. It was my first time doing this, and I was surprised by how little they wanted to talk to us.”

Burns continued, “We switched our health care plan in the last negotiations, giving them half a million in health care savings. Now they are proposing a plan that will cost drivers with families almost $800 per month!”

Student activists from United Students Against Sweatshops at Grand Valley State University spoke in solidarity. Months after a protest at a previous board meeting, Grand Rapids police were sent to intimidate and harass students and one worker at their homes.

Later in the meeting, the Rapids Board voted to give a 2% raise to administrators while refusing to budge in negotiations with its blue-collar work force.

#GrandRapidsMI #UnitedStudentsAgainstSweatshops #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #InterurbanTransitPartnership #RapidsBoard #ATU

Milwaukee, WI -The first day of the work stoppage called by Amalgamated Transit Union 998 ended with a lively picket of hundreds, July 1.

From 3:00 a.m. until sundown, pickets stood strong throughout the city, with drivers, mechanics and supporters at all four hubs of the Milwaukee County Transit System.

Pickets resume July 2 at 19th and Fremont, KK and Mitchell, 32nd and Fond du Lac, and 15th and Fond du Lac.

A large rally in front of the Milwaukee County Courthouse (901 N. 9th Street) will begin at 5:00 p.m., on the Wells Street side of the building.

The Milwaukee-based United Workers Organization, a group that has been building support for the transit workers, issued a statement that read in part, “A work stoppage in Milwaukee, in the era of ‘right to work,’ is a positive sign and deserves all of our support.”

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #AmalgamatedTransitUnion

The Jan. 23 press conference came on the heels of the recently released 145-page report from the Commission on Transportation Finance and Policy that was presented to the Walker administration and state lawmakers. This report could have an impact on mass transit funding in the next state budget, which is due out in February.

According to a press release from Community Action Now, “While the coalition isn't endorsing the full 145-page report, they will highlight support for 5 key provisions.” Those 5 provisions pertain to the demands laid out above.

The failure to fully fund mass transit results in fare increases and cuts to bus and Paratransit service. During the press conference, Jennifer Epps-Addison of CAN stated, “Access to jobs and doctor's appointments is a right.”

The livelihood of transit system operators is in jeopardy as well. ATU organizer Angela Walker explains what it means for transit drivers, “Service cuts mean less work for us and more aggravation for our passengers. That gets passed on to us. Stressed passengers are angry passengers and they blame us for the shortcomings of the system.” Ms. Walker also stated, “We want more service on the road, covering areas not already served by transit.”

The fight to preserve and increase transit funding is not being ignored by all state political leaders. Newly-elected State Representative Mandela Barnes was in attendance at the press conference, as well as former 10th District Milwaukee County Alderman and current Milwaukee Public School Board candidate Eyon Biddle Sr. Both acknowledge the need for mass transit in the struggle for social and economic justice.

Mandela Barnes states, “Restoring transit funding isn't enough, we must find more ways to invest!” The condition of large urban areas, like Milwaukee, Madison or Racine, only stand to suffer from cuts in funding. Eyon Biddle warns, “Without adequate transit you will see the already fragile and challenging conditions of Milwaukee's central city further plummet. It is something that crosses color lines, gender lines and age.” All representatives of the press conference urged Wisconsinites to contact their local legislators and Governor Scott Walker's office. We must also take the fight to the streets!

#MadisonWI #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #ATULocal998 #CommunityActionNow

Tuscaloosa, AL – Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1208 went on strike here, March 1. After a successful day on the picket line, First Transit called them back to the table for further negotiations. They made the agreement that if they went back to the table, then the strike would end and the drivers would return to work. So on Tuesday, March 2 the drivers went back to their job. After a few hours of negotiating, the company still refused to agree to a fair contract for the union.

On Wednesday, March 3, the drivers showed up to work and all but three of them were sent home. The university made a statement to the entire student body saying, “Limited bus service will be available on the UA campus until First Transit and the Amalgamated Transit Union agree on a contract, and the bus operators return to work.” A student organizer, Chapin Gray, said, “The way the university is describing the situation makes it sounds like the strike is still going on, but the drivers showed up ready to work today and most were sent home. It seems to us that limiting the bus service was meant to put pressure on the union to accept an unfair contract.”

Negotiations between First Transit and ATU Local 1208 continued on Wednesday. At the end of the day on Wednesday, a statement was released from President Witt. First Transit emailed Witt's statement to Kenneth Kirk, international vice president of ATU. The statement also appeared on a local news station. President Witt said that First Transit can afford to pay the drivers more and that if their wages are not increased, then the University of Alabama will no longer be doing business with First Transit.

Students for a Democratic Society in Tuscaloosa will be holding a rally in support of the drivers on March 4. Bus drivers and other union members will be in attendance. The rally will be targeted at First Transit, putting pressure on them to negotiate a fair contract. Until the company agrees to a fair contract, the University of Alabama will keep the majority of bus drivers out of work.

#TuscaloosaAL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #strike #ATULocal1208 #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #UniversityOfAlabama #FirstTransit

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network to Fight for Economic Justice urging support for the Crimson Ride bus drivers.

Justice for Southern workers!

Support University of Alabama bus drivers fighting for a living wage!

Call to action from the Network to Fight for Economic Justice

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, bus drivers are in the midst of a struggle for a living wage. Fed up with earning poverty wages, the bus drivers are demanding their first union contract. Nearly a year ago, the Crimson Ride bus drivers voted unanimously to join Amalgamate Transit Union (ATU) Local 1208.

The University of Alabama contracts out to First Transit, a division of the massive British multinational FirstGroup PLC, which runs the Crimson Ride bus service on campus. The university pays the company $55.50 an hour, and in turn, the company pays the drivers a paltry $9.50 an hour – poverty wages. The union drivers are demanding $14 per hour and benefits comparable to university bus drivers in other states.

First Transit employs more than 60 drivers. Most are African-American and many are women. They face intimidation and harassment on the job from the boss. They receive none of the benefits that employees of the University of Alabama get. There is no pay on university holidays or during school breaks. Most cannot afford the expensive health care coverage that First Transit offers. Many work two jobs to make ends meet.

The South is not a friendly place for workers – ‘right to work’ laws make forming a union a nearly impossible task. Wages are lower and poverty is higher in the South due to racism against African-Americans and the lack of unions. Despite these obstacles, the Crimson Ride drivers are demanding the wages and benefits they deserve. The union drivers are launching a campaign to ask University of Alabama President Dr. Robert Witt to tell First Transit to meet the demands of the union. Supporting the union drivers, the Tuscaloosa chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is boarding buses to gather petition signatures.

During the 1950s and ‘60s in Alabama, courageous men, women and children fought for justice and civil rights. Rosa Parks refused to budge from her seat at the front of the bus. Today, the Crimson Ride bus drivers are standing up and fighting back for equal treatment, fair pay, and workers’ rights.

First Transit, Stop Stalling!

The Network to Fight for Economic Justice (NFEJ) is calling on trade unionists, housing activists, civil and equal rights groups, community organizations and students from across the country to stand in solidarity with the Crimson Ride drivers. Statements of solidarity can be sent to Union Steward Tia Brown at tb3341@yahoo.com.

The NFEJ is organizing a National Call In Day on February 17th:

Call Dr. Witt, President of the University of Alabama at 205-348-5103 and tell him “Stop stalling! We want a contract! Justice for the bus drivers now!”

#TuscaloosaAL #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #NetworkToFightForEconomicJustice #ATULocal1208 #FirstGroupPLC #AmalgamatedTransitUnion #UniversityOfAlabama