Winnipeg Transit Driver's Amazing Act Of
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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMALGAMATED TRANSITUNION |AFL-CIO/CLC OFFICIAL JOURNALOFTHE AMALGAMATED www.atu.org SEPT/OCT 2 0 1 2 INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS LAWRENCE J. HANLEY International President NEWSBRIEFS ROBERT H. BAKER International Executive Vice President OSCAR OWENS Winnipeg drivers demand more International Secretary-Treasurer protection. Local 1505 members working for Winnipeg Transit have had enough. Recent stabbings and violent incidents on INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS buses this year have convinced them to put a police LARRY R. KINNEAR force or its equivalent onboard buses. “We’re looking Ashburn, ON – [email protected] for a group [that] has the authority to detain, arrest JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR. and charge attackers,” says Local President Jim Kansas City, MO – [email protected] Girden. He also says there’s a need for more aggressive RICHARD M. MURPHY prosecution and stiffer penalties for those convicted of Newburyport, MA – [email protected] violent acts on Canadian transit systems. BOB M. HYKAWAY Calgary, AB – [email protected] WILLIAM G. McLEAN Acadian workers fight to save bus Reno, NV – [email protected] service. Members of Local 1229 working JANIS M. BORCHARDT for Acadian Coach Lines in New Brunswick Madison, WI – [email protected] have begun a letter campaign to save intercity bus PAUL BOWEN service in the Maritimes. Acadian announced it will Canton, MI – [email protected] cease operations on November 30, complaining it could KENNETH R. KIRK not make a profit serving the widespread provincial Lancaster, TX – [email protected] communities. The cancellation of service comes in the GARY RAUEN wake of a settlement with the local that ended a five- Clayton, NC – [email protected] month lockout earlier this year. MARCELLUS BARNES Flossmore, IL – [email protected] NJ Transit installs safety shields. Thanks RAY RIVERA to the hard work of the ATU NJ State Lilburn, GA – [email protected] Council, NJ Transit has installed safety YVETTE SALAZAR shields on 70 buses, and an estimated 1100 more Thornton, CO – [email protected] non-full service buses will receive them as well. The GARY JOHNSON, SR. barriers protect drivers from attacks but allow them to Cleveland, OH – [email protected] communicate with and collect fares from passengers. ROBIN WEST ATU members will be installing the shields over the Halifax, NS – [email protected] next two years. JOHN COSTA Kenilworth, NJ – [email protected] CHUCK WATSON Syracuse, NY – [email protected] INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS ANTHONY WITHINGTON International President Jim La Sala, ret. Sebastopol, CA – [email protected] International President Warren George, ret. DENNIS ANTONELLIS International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret. Spokane, WA – [email protected] International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret. CLAUDIA HUDSON Oakland, CA – [email protected] Subscription: USA and Canada, $5 a year. Single copy: 50 cents. All others: $10 a year. Published bimonthly by the Amalgamated Transit Union, Editor: Shawn Perry, Designer: Paul A. Fitzgerald. Editorial Office: 5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016-4139. Tel: 1-202-537-1645. Please send all requests for address changes to the ATU Registry Dept. ISSN: 0019-3291. STEPHAN MACDOUGALL PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40033361. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: APC Postal IN TRANSIT | 3 Boston, MA – [email protected] Logistics, LLC, PO Box 503, RPO, West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6. September/October 2012 SEPT/OCT 2012 www.atu.org Vol. 121, No. 5 2 International Officers & General Executive Board NEWS Briefs LOCAL FILES GRIEVANCE OVER FERRY SERVICE CUTS 3 Index Page 4 Talks Break Down in Moncton Lockout - Again 4 5 International President’s Message: Will Unions Survive? 6 International Executive Vice President’s Message: Now It’s In Your Hands 7 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message: Don’t Be Misled 8 Canadian Agenda: Toronto Pres Says Activism, Alliances Key to Restoring TTC Luster FIRED UP! READY TO GO! UNION SENDS ACTIVISTS 9 Hillary Clinton Lauds ATU, In Transit Magazine OUT TO ‘ROCK THE TRANSIT’ WORLD Transit Ridership Up, Congress Asleep at the Wheel 14 We Rocked It! Photo Collage 10 18 New Poll: Americans Support Investment to Increase Transportation Choices Today’s Bus ‘Not Your Father’s Bus’ 19 Business, Right-Wing Target State Court Elections 20 Indiana Demands School Bus Drivers Pay Back Summer Unemployment Benefits | FMSCA Issues Tire Pressure Warning After Two OBAMA BIDEN: GOOD FOR TRANSIT More Deadly Discount Operator Accidents 21 Milwaukee Drivers Say Paper Transfers Lead to Fare Disputes, Assaults 16 Boston’s MBTA Uses Old Tunnel for First Responder Training 22 New Presidents, Financial Secretaries Receive Leadership Training 23 Where Have All the Pensions Gone? 24 The ATU 2012-2013 Scholarship Competition In Memory of Gunter Bruckner 25 Winnipeg Transit Driver’s Amazing Act of Kindness TORONTO LOCAL TO FIGHT PRIVATIZATION Stuns Passengers 26 120 Years Ago: ‘It Was a Long and Bitter Fight’ 25 27 Translations (French & Spanish) 30 In Memoriam 31 We Rocked It! Photo Collage (continued) 32 Save the Date: 57th International Convention IN TRANSIT | September/October 2012 3 Halifax local files grievance over ferry service cuts ust when you think you’ve got everything settled, Jsomething comes along to upset the apple cart all over again. That’s what seems to happening to Local 508 members in Halifax, NS, who are filing a grievance with Metro Transit over expected late night cuts in ferry service. Local President Ken Wilson says that he believes that the ferry service reductions planned by the Halifax Regional Council violate a recently signed contract between management and the union that ended a 42-day strike earlier this year. “It has to do with them violating the contract, they can’t reduce the hours as far as I’m concerned” Wilson said. Talks break down in Moncton lockout – again alks between the locked out members of Local T1290 and Codiac Transpo in Moncton, NB, hit an impasse once again after three days of renewed negotiations collapsed in late September. The lockout began after the mayor and council refused to accept two different proposals from the local, and the city later offered even less than it had offered before. The local requested a third-party arbitrator, but the city said no. The negotiations have been hung up because of Codiac’s refusal to give its workers wages comparable to the pay of other city employees doing similar work. “We’ve given in on what the city has wanted in everything – in changes of efficiencies, overtime and savings,” says Local President George Turple who has renewed his call for binding arbitration. 4 September/October 2012 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | September/October 2012 5 LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT Will Unions Survive? Many asking that question. hortly after you read this magazine a big question Our local officers are doing just that. In New York City, Sabout the future of unions will be decided at the polls Local 1181 is organizing parents of school children to in the United States. I am aware that a small group of our fight for better service, while Locals 689 and 1764 in members will vote for Republican leadership in the White Washington, DC, are organizing a whole city to fight House and Congress. privatization and new forms of segregation on public transit. In New Brunswick, Local 1229 is kicking the doors Like any democratic institution we have differing opinions. of the provincial government down and Moncton Local But one thing is clear: those of us who understand the 1290 is engaging riders in the struggle for a fair contract. connection between strong unions and regular people having a chance in the economy will be voting for Barack Obama. In Toronto, Local 113 continues to do exceptional work in getting the public on our side. In Washington state, President Obama is human and he differs with us on some issues. However, on the important questions of the right Memphis, Columbia, SC, and other cities our locals are we have to a contract, a living wage, pensions and health working to get ballot initiatives passed to raise money care (you know, the things that make our lives livable) for transit. the only choice is Obama/Biden. So too with Congress – This International Union is nurturing the idea that we working people will suffer if the GOP wins. must be an extroverted union. We must have allies to win. Two years ago this Union changed. After a tumultuous Our local unions are changing and building coalitions for Convention, the delegates voted for a serious course that purpose. correction. Since then we have sown the seeds that will In Denver and Cleveland – our two anchor cities in this transform our work for a long time to come. The core election – our members and officers are talking to riders at of our change is recognizing the importance of the world bus stops about why every vote counts. All over America around us. ATU members are volunteering their time to save the Union, the country and their way of life – not just for themselves, but for generations to come. Change only comes from outside DC These are the calisthenics of rebuilding the body of our Our emphasis is on getting our passengers to vote. I believe threatened movement; Building the muscle we need to that today, the question of transit labor’s survival is answered repel the billionaire bullies of the 21st century. And, yes in our willingness and ability to see the common interest we will survive and be stronger than ever. we have with the people who ride our buses and trains. Are you IN? Sign up to join the campaign at your local President Obama recognized this truth recently when union office today. he admitted: “The fact that we haven’t been able to change the tone in Washington is disappointing….