PUBLIC TRANSIT UNDER SIEGE

Transcription

1 MAR/APR PUBLIC TRANSIT UNDER SIEGE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION AFL-CIO/CLC

2 INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS LAWRENCE J. HANLEY International President ROBERT H. BAKER International Executive Vice President OSCAR OWENS International Secretary-Treasurer INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS RODNEY RICHMOND New Orleans, LA LARRY R. KINNEAR Ashburn, ON JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR. Kansas City, MO RICHARD M. MURPHY Newburyport, MA BOB M. HYKAWAY Calgary, AB CHARLES COOK Petaluma, CA WILLIAM G. McLEAN Reno, NV JANIS M. BORCHARDT Madison, WI PAUL BOWEN Canton, MI KENNETH R. KIRK Lancaster, TX GARY RAUEN Clayton, NC MARCELLUS BARNES Flossmore, IL RAY RIVERA Lilburn, GA YVETTE SALAZAR Thornton, CO GARY JOHNSON, SR. Cleveland, OH ROBIN WEST Rexdale, ON JOHN COSTA Kenilworth, NJ CHUCK WATSON Syracuse, NY INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ANTHONY WITHINGTON Sebastopol, CA DENNIS ANTONELLIS Spokane, WA CLAUDIA HUDSON Oakland, CA STEPHAN MACDOUGALL Boston, MA CANADIAN COUNCIL STAN DERA Rexdale, ON - director@atucanada.ca NEWSBRIEFS Moncton threatens lockout in talks with Codiac Transpo workers. Moncton, NB, threatened a lockout if Local 1290 members didn t accept their latest contract offer to Codiac Transpo workers by April 17. Codiac employees have worked without a contract since June 2010, and 94% of members have voted in favour of a strike. Moreover, the city says that if the transit employees reject this contract, the next they propose will offer less. Winnipeg confronts driver assault. Winnipeg, MB is the latest city to address transit driver assault. A recent public works committee study reported there were 63 assaults against Local 1505 drivers last year seven more than 2010, and double the number in attacks were reported from January through March this year, which puts assaults on pace to surpass last year s total. Councilor Brian Mayes has asked city administrators to develop a strategy to deal with the assaults to ensure drivers safety, and prevent violence from discouraging people from taking the bus. Twitter: both the good and the bad. People have been employing social media for an ever-increasing number of uses, but not all of them have produced positive results. The Calgary Herald is praising Calgary (AB) Transit for its use of Twitter to quickly respond to riders comments and information requests. But the paper also agrees with Local 583 President Mike Mahar that Twittered complaints about operators should be handled the oldfashioned way so that emotions have a chance to subside. Apparently Calgary Transit agrees, saying that significant concerns raised by customers are redirected to the proper investigative channel. INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS EMERITUS International President Jim La Sala, ret. International President Warren George, ret. International Executive Vice President Ellis Franklin, ret. International Executive Vice President Mike Siano, ret. International Secretary-Treasurer Ray Wallace, ret. Subscription: USA and Canada, $5 a year. Single copy: 50 cents. All others: $10 a year. Published bimonthly by the Amalgamated Transit Union, Editor: Shawn Perry, Designer: Paul A. Fitzgerald. Editorial Office: 5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC Tel: Please send all requests for address changes to the ATU Registry Dept. ISSN: PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: APC Postal Logistics, LLC, PO Box 503, RPO, West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6.

3 MAR/APR 2012 Vol. 121, No. 2 2 International Officers & General Executive Board NEWS Briefs 3 Index Page 7 Canadian Agenda: Canadian National Conference Arms Members for Challenges Ahead CANADIAN MEMBERS UNDER SIEGE 4 8 Toronto Transit in Turmoil 9 International President s Message: Letter from the Road Our Moment is Near 13 International Executive Vice President s Message: We Have A Clear Choice - Survival! 14 MSNBC s Ed Schultz: Nothing is Lost Until You Give Up 15 Above & Beyond: ATU Activist in Action Lisa Pacheco Estrada 16 Judge Tosses Parts of Wisconsin Anti-Union Law. Walker Recall Vote on June 5 SAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT DAY OF ACTION Chicago Local Fights CTA Exploitation of Part-Time Operators 18 Phoenix Local Strikes, Wins Two-Year Battle with French Multi-national 19 International Secretary-Treasurer s Message: Will Clever Phrases Obscure the Truth? 20 Outrage Erupts Over Lenient Sentence for Driver Attack. ATU, TWU Working to Combat Assaults 21 New Reporting Requirements for Commercial Drivers Licenses CANADIAN COUNCIL ISSUES PENSION WARNING 26 45th Annual Black Caucus Conference 22 Mississauga Driver Suspended 5 Days for Using Washroom 23 New Local President, Financial Secretaries Receive Training 24 Fall River Transit Fights for More Service Local Unions Celebrate 100th, 75th Anniversaries Years Ago: 1962: Medicare Gains Support in Canada 27 Translations (French & Spanish) 30 In Memoriam 32 Win an ipad2 or an ATU Jacket! ABOVE & BEYOND ATU ACTIVIST IN ACTION If you would like to nominate an ATU member for Above & Beyond contact your local president. IN TRANSIT March/April

4 canadian members under siege Canadian members have long enjoyed labour protections superior to their American sisters and brothers. So they can be forgiven for thinking that provincial laws would keep U.S. labour problems from spilling over their border. But much has happened recently to disabuse Canadians of that notion, as the same political and labour problems which have bedeviled their southern neighbors, are now challenging workers in their country. Just as in the United States, locals are now running into brick walls at the bargaining table. And, just as in individual states, conservative politicians have employed new, insidious tactics to weaken Labour s clout in the provinces. The first salvo came on March 30, 2011, when the Toronto City Council applied the essential service designation to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). See more on Toronto on page 8. Intransigence Unproductive negotiations have dragged on endlessly at some Canadian properties just as they have at privatized systems in the United States. Transit workers in each of these cities have different issues with their managements, but one thing they share in common was exceptional intransigence in collective bargaining on the part of their employers. Essential service = No right to strike While GOP governors and politicians in the U.S. rushed anti-labor laws through their state legislatures, Tory premiers and MPs have been advocating and passing measures designating ATU-operated public transit as essential services whose workers may not strike. A clear sign of what was to come was given on October 26, 2010, when Conservative Rob Ford was elected mayor of Toronto. As one website put it: Anti-Bike, Anti-Transit, Anti-Green Rob Ford Elected Mayor of Toronto. Saint John, NB Members of Local 1229-Saint John, NB, have been locked out by their employer, Acadian Coach Lines, since December 2, After months of asking for a complete contract, the local received an offer from Acadian on November 25. The members overwhelming rejected the contract by 88%. It was an insulting offer that was obviously cobbled together quickly, said Local President Glen Carr. 4 March/April 2012 IN TRANSIT

5 This city has orchestrated, in the last nine months and maybe it started before that orchestrated a labour dispute, Turple said. In early April, 94 % of the membership voted to authorize a strike. It could happen anytime now, after the local gives a 24-hour notice. Local 1229 Acadian workers have stayed strong and united even though they are still locked out as of this writing. To put pressure on Acadian to end the labour dispute ATU initiated a global campaign targeting Keolis, the French multinational owner of Acadian, to bring attention to the corporate greed at Acadian. Almost 7,000 supporters have sent protest s through the LabourStart website to Keolis executives. Halifax, NS Striking Local 508 members ratified a new contract on March 13, six weeks after their strike began, and six and a half weeks after their previous contract expired. After only one day of meeting, with no bargaining taking place the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) team requested a conciliator to oversee the negotiation process a very rare bargaining tactic. Moncton, NB Local 1290 members are the latest ATU local to come to an impasse in negotiations with their employer. The employees of Codiac Transpo have been working without a contract since June As of early April, they were very close to going on strike. Talks with Codiac broke down on March 12, and resumed again with a mediator on March 29. Codiac made a new offer on April 1, which the members subsequently rejected. Commenting on the city s offer, Local 1290 President George Turple said, The proposal that they put across the table shortly after midnight April 1 and I got to admit, we thought it was an April Fool s joke was just unacceptable to our membership. Not only in wages, but a lot of the contract changes. Turple says that while the local is looking for parity with other city workers and similar-sized transit systems in the region, they are also concerned about overtime, being paid for pre-trip preparation work, and travel time. He also believes the dispute could have been avoided. After a brief and unsuccessful attempt at renegotiating with the employer, the union was presented with a final offer on January 12. The local did present a counter offer hoping that the HRM team would move forward in bargaining. On January 18, the conciliator filed a notice of the bargaining coming to an impasse with the Labour Board. The members went on strike on February 1, when, in the words of Local 508 President Ken Wilson, the city pulled the plug on negotiations. The real sticking point was a management proposal to switch from the current scheduling system to rostering a system in which drivers pick schedules by weeks rather than days. IN TRANSIT March/April

6 Both sides compromised on the negotiated settlement the members approved March 13, with the local agreeing to the changeover and the city giving the union some say about what the system will look like. York, ON The earliest and most complex walkout began October 24, The strike involved members of Local 1587 who went on strike against Miller Transit and First Canada, and members of Local 113 who went on strike against Veolia Transportation all part of York Region Transit (YRT). As usual, wages, benefits and lengths of shifts were key points in the negotiations. But, it wasn t just wages and benefits, said Local 1587 President Ray Doyle. It was also about, working conditions. [Workers] have absolutely no sick days in some cases. They have no pension plans virtually they have no future with these companies. The York Region threw a curve ball into the mix, February 16, when it terminated its contract with First Transit. This left the members of Local 1587 who worked for the company unemployed, and put pressure on the workers at the other two properties to settle. Local 113 President Bob Kinnear called the YRT action blackmail. But, it didn t work. Local 113 members working for Veolia rejected a YRT contract offer the following day, just as the members of Local 1587 working for Miller had on January 6. A break came, January 24, when a tentative agreement was reached between Local 113 and Veolia. The deal was ratified by the local on January 28. Local 1587 members ratified the same contract two days later. Winnipeg, MB & Hamilton, ON After rejecting Winnipeg Transit s contract proposal by 64%, members of Local 1505 authorized the local to strike, November 1. But with the help of a conciliator negotiations were more successful and the parties reached a deal on November 21, Similarly, Local 107-Hamilton, ON, reached an agreement, January 28, barely 48 hours before the local s strike deadline. The local had authorized a strike two weeks earlier after over a year of negotiations without a settlement. Alberta Alberta deregulated the over-the-road bus industry in the province on October 1, 2011, just as the United States did during the Reagan administration. Over-the-Road deregulation in America has resulted in abysmal pay and working conditions for drivers and other workers, neglect of basic safety regulations, and an increase in fatal accidents caused by the fatigue of overworked drivers. Negative Political Ads As if all of this isn t bad enough, Canadians are now being bombarded by American-style negative political advertising which they thought would never occur in their country. But, now, as in the United States, Canadians are running into these nasty communications everywhere. And many say there is no end in site for these Right-Wing attack ad campaigns because of the Conservative Party s fat budget. Some good news There is some good news. Local 1587 was delayed going into the strike described above when Metrolinx (the transit umbrella agency) attempted to renege on a clause in their contract which says that they do not perform an essential service. The local was blocked from going on strike until Ontario s Labour Relations Board ruled that the local, indeed, does not perform an essential service, as stated in their contract. And on February 6, Saskatchewan s essential service law was ruled unconstitutional because it didn t give employees an adequate dispute resolution process in which unions could challenge the designation of certain employees or groups as essential workers. Fighting back Just as in the United States, Canadian workers have been fighting back on the streets, in the courts and in their legislatures to return to the level playing field in negotiations that has done so much to lift the standard of living of working families and ensure labour peace. Now that anti-union interests have revealed their latest strategy we will be better armed to defend ourselves. 6 March/April 2012 IN TRANSIT

7 Canadian Agenda Canadian National Conference arms members for challenges ahead Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? Flickr? What are these websites all about, what do you have to do to use them, and what do they have to do with unions? These questions and more were answered at the Canadian National Conference in Toronto, ON, January 29 February 1, where representatives from locals all over Canada converged to be trained in the latest techniques in communicating with their members and the public. The conference is the latest in a series for ATU officers instigated by International President Larry Hanley in response to the unprecedented challenges confronting Labour today. Tools and Confidence There was a time, the international president told the conference, when focusing most of our resources on organizing and member services was all a union needed to do. But the recent rightward shift in the political climate, he said, demands that we take a more proactive roll in the public arena. Gone are the days when messages posted on bulletin boards would suffice to inform members of contract negotiations or a coming event. Gone also are the days when local officers could think that the best relationship they could have with the press was no relationship at all. One workshop emphasized the importance of developing a relationship with local news reporters, and gave practical advice about how to effectively broadcast the union s message out over the barrage of anti-union propaganda sent out by management public relations departments. Another workshop taught attendees how to use member s and increase their local s presence on social media (facebook, twitter, etc). The workshop also provided participants with an overview of the new ATU website (atu.org), TransitWeb a free affiliate website program - as well as the Union s new facebook and twitter pages. Yet another focused on how to use computer software to create professional looking newsletters, fact sheets and flyers, and what can be done to make those pieces eyecatching and readable. Presentations The event could not be complete, however, without the conference-goers hearing what should be communicated and why particularly on the national and international level. Canadian author Linda McQuaig, helped achieve that goal with her keynote address on The Political Economy & Labour in Canada. The Toronto Star columnist showed how the ultra-rich are reaping all the benefits from the increased worker productivity achieved over the last 40 years. McQuaig s discourse was based principally on material in her recently published book, The Trouble with Billionaires: Why Too Much Money at the Top is Bad for Everyone. First ever Canadian Telephone Town Hall One of the highlights of the event was the first-ever Canadian Telephone Town Hall, a massive ATU conference call in which members from all over the nation had the opportunity to ask questions of International President Hanley and Canadian international and local officers. IN TRANSIT March/April

8 Toronto transit in TURMOIL It seemed like only yesterday that transit tranquility reigned in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The municipality worked hard to come up with a plan called Transit City that would provide much-needed extensions of Toronto s transit system with light rail streetcars. Enter new Mayor Rob Ford who threw the whole Transit City plan into a cocked hat. Ford wants to replace the streetcar plan with a much more expensive subway plan because he doesn t want to inhibit car traffic in the city which, of course, was one of the goals of Transit City. But not everyone agreed with the mayor. Toronto Council Member and TTC Chair Karen Stintz convinced the City Council to reinstate much of the Transit City plan. But, despite the clear message sent by the Council, Ford refused to acknowledge that his idea was dead, noting it was now up to the province to make the ultimate decision. The premier, I m very confident, is going to build subways, Ford told reporters after the vote. Technically speaking that whole meeting was irrelevant because it is a provincial project. But Ford s confidence turned out to be misplaced because the next day Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty told the media that he needed the approval of the council to proceed with the mayor s revised transit plans. Should he receive that, great, we re off to the races, McGuinty said. Should he not receive that and council decides they want to pursue another decision, that is something I feel obligated to consider. Commission overhaul The mayor received another setback after Stinz spearheaded a successful drive to reorganize the Toronto Transit Commission, itself, throwing out Ford sympathizers in the process. In March, the city councillors voted in favour of a motion to build light-rail transit to the east end along Sheppard Avenue instead of the subway Ford is still pushing for. The mayor vows to make this an issue in the next election. 8 March/April 2012 IN TRANSIT

9 50 YEARS AGO IN IN TRANSIT 1962: Medicare gains support in Canada From In Transit, November 1962, and Wikipedia: Medicare continued to be a top issue in Canadian affairs with strong indications of growing support for the general principle in The first medical care insurance program operated by a government took place in the Province of Saskatchewan. It was not until 1946 that the first Canadian province introduced near universal health coverage. Saskatchewan had long suffered a shortage of doctors, leading to the creation of municipal doctor programs in the early twentieth century in which a town would subsidize a doctor to practice there. Soon after, groups of communities joined to open union hospitals under a similar model. There had thus been a long history of government involvement in Saskatchewan health care, and a significant section of it was already controlled and paid for by the government. In 1946, Tommy Douglas Co-operative Commonwealth Federation government in Saskatchewan passed the Saskatchewan Hospitalization Act, which guaranteed free hospital care for much of the population. Douglas had hoped to provide universal health care, but the province did not have the money. The introduction of the plan was followed by a bitter 23-day strike by a number of doctors. When the doctors strike ended one doctor commented, We have won a battle and lost the war. Bandwagon In Ontario all political parties seemed to be trying to climb aboard the Medicare bandwagon. The New Democratic Party announced that Medicare would have top priority in its Ontario platform. It appeared that almost all parties were in favor of some sort of plan. The position of the Canadian labour movement was such that a plan should be introduced as quickly as possible and should cover everyone on equal conditions. Medicare system Four years later, Lester B. Pearson s Liberal government introduced the Medical Care Act that extended cost sharing to allow each province to establish a universal health care plan an initiative supported by the New Democratic Party (NDP). It also set up the Medicare system. In 1984, the Canada Health Act was passed, which prohibited user fees and extra billing by doctors. In 1999, the prime minister and most premiers reaffirmed in the Social Union Framework Agreement that they are committed to health care that has comprehensiveness, universality, portability, public administration and accessibility. IN TRANSIT March/April

10 As the representative of thousands of municipal employees, the Amalgamated Transit Union is very concerned about the health of public sector pensions, such as the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS). In a time of rapidly growing inequality in this country, pensions are one of the best ways to ensure a decent living to retirees who, in the current economic climate, might otherwise struggle financially. While the removal of indexing may not seem drastic in this time of relatively low inflation, an increase in the inflation rate could quickly push many pensioners below the poverty line. Pensioners hardly receive a fortune to begin with, and the potential erosion of their living standard is simply unacceptable in a society, which values the dignity of its members. Pensioners made sacrifices for security These pensions, half of which are paid for by the workers, represent a source of security for these workers after they retire. They are benefits for which workers have made concessions at the bargaining table. Employer contributions are not gifts made out of some sense of altruism; they represent the employer s half of a negotiated deal for which the employer has gotten something in exchange. We fully accept that pension plans have to operate within their budgets, but stripping retirees of benefits which employers are contractually obligated to provide anyway is not the only means of relieving the pressure. Rather, at a time when corporate tax rates are at their lowest in decades and corporate profits are at a record high, steps could easily be taken to increase the funds available to government generally, which in turn would support pension plans like OMERS. Lastly, it is equally unacceptable that many private sector workers have been stripped of a pension. This should not be allowed to spread into the public sector. Those interested in driving down wages to the bare minimum would like nothing better than to have the private sector argue I don t have one so neither should you which seems to be the underlying criticism of pensions. A united condemnation of such attacks upon Canadian workers rights, both public and private, will lead to a healthier and more evenly prosperous society. 26 March/April 2012 IN TRANSIT

11 Lettre de la route Notre moment est venu J écris cette colonne sur la route. Je suis en Californie, où j ai été assisté à des réunions syndicales et à des rencontres avec les dirigeants syndicaux locaux. Quand je regarde dans les yeux de nos membres et que j écoute, j entends histoire après histoire un reflet de l état actuel du mouvement des travailleurs. Gary Maurer, un organisateur de l ATU depuis longtemps et mon mentor, expliquait à des groupes de travailleurs qu il organisait que les gens riches planifient leur vie en termes d années et de décennies. Les gens pauvres planifient en termes de semaines et de chèque de paie. (La semaine prochaine, nous allons payer la facture d électricité; la semaine après la prochaine, l hypothèque) Chaque semaine, il devient plus difficile pour les membres de l ATU à passer au-delà de leurs factures. C est la même chose pour 99 % de la population. Est-ce que nos enfants auront une vie aussi bien que celle que nous avons eue? Cela résume l état réel de l union. Nos membres planifient leurs vies à court terme incertains en ce qui concerne le logement et l éducation de leurs enfants. Comment vivront-ils quand ils prendront leur retraite? Une des raisons pour lesquelles je suis sur la route, c est pour entendre et apprendre de nos membres. Mais je suis aussi ici pour diriger nos membres dans une campagne qui se déroulera sur une année pour répondre à leurs questions vraiment pressantes : comment pouvons-nous inverser cela? Peut-on toujours avoir une classe moyenne? Est-ce que nos enfants auront une vie aussi bien que celle que nous avons eue? Est-ce que les travailleurs de transit qui nourrissent leur corps à l usure et à la déchirure en raison de leurs travaux quotidiens sur les autobus et les trains s attendent à être traités avec équité et dignité? À Riverside, en Californie, un agent local m a dit que de nombreux membres se sentent désespérés. Ils croient qu ils ne peuvent pas gagner, ou même avoir une influence sur le résultat. Est-ce que Rosa Parks était certaine qu elle allait changer quelque chose? J ai demandé à nos membres lors de la réunion ce qu ils pensaient que c était d être comme Rosa Parks en montant sur l autobus? Le moment avant qu elle ait refusé de céder sa place, comment s est-elle sentie? Étaitelle sûre qu elle allait changer quoi que ce soit d autre que son casier judiciaire? Rosa Parks savait qu elle risquait beaucoup, peut-être même sa vie, à dire «non», à se lever pour l équité et la dignité dans un monde injuste. Elle savait que ses amis et sa famille remettraient en question son jugement, ou sa santé mentale quand elle a montré un courage hors du commun. Sa vie serait plus facile si elle était allée avec le programme et s était assise à l arrière de l autobus. Mais elle ne s est pas fait arrêter pour faire valoir son point de vue, elle l a fait pour changer le système. Et son acte de défiance à l encontre de la loi, le système et la ségrégation a été un moment déterminant dans l ensemble du mouvement des droits civiques pendant le siècle dernier. Les bénévoles créeront le changement Nous avons besoin que nos membres et nos dirigeants pensent à Rosa Parks, à son exemple et à son courage. Pensez à vos héros. L avenir de ce mouvement syndical, et l avenir de nos enfants sera déterminé par les membres qui peuvent trouver en eux-mêmes le courage de prendre le risque que chaque chef doit prendre pour forcer un changement. Comme je visite les réunions syndicales dans l ATU, je peux sentir que notre moment est venu, et nos membres se préparent à se battre pour le changement. Ce changement sera généré par les membres qui donnent leur temps à des travaux de réalisation d un syndicat plus fort dans leurs communautés. Je suis en tête et à l écoute lorsque je voyage la route de l ATU, bâtissant un syndicat combattant. Je dois vous quitter pour le moment... en route pour Bay Area! IN TRANSIT March/April

12 Nous Avons un Choix Clair SURVIVRE! L ATU a approuvé la réélection du président Obama. Cela ne devrait pas surprendre quiconque qui est familier avec ce que ce syndicat représente. On doit vous rappeler que nous insistons pour que nos membres votent en faveur de candidats qui soutiennent le travail et le transit. Nous savons que certains de nos membres n aiment pas qu il leur soit demandé de voter d une certaine façon et nous comprenons bien cela. Je suis sûr que vous avez entendu beaucoup de gens dire cela vous-même. Mais les enjeux de cette élection sont si élevés que nous devons parler des sujets qui nous intéressent à voix haute et fort et nous devons utiliser notre arme la plus puissante la boîte de scrutin. Il n est pas nécessaire de chercher bien loin Mitt Romney et le Tea Party ont approuvé les mesures antisyndicales introduites dans plusieurs États. Donc, nous n avons pas à chercher bien loin pour déterminer qui sont nos ennemis mortels cette fois-ci. Les différences entre les candidats en ce qui concerne les enjeux en termes de travail et de transit sont claires. Alors, laissez-moi être le premier à vous dire que vous devez voter et amener tous les gens que vous connaissez à voter pour sauver les familles travailleuses aux États-Unis. Les services essentiels les grèves forcées et le droit de travailler? V-r-a-i-m-e-n-t au Canada! Au Canada les ultras conservateurs ciblent les familles travaillantes sur tous les fronts. Ils essaient d étiqueter notre travail comme étant un «service essentiel» à plusieurs endroits afin que nos membres ne soient plus autorisés à faire la grève. Dans d autres endroits, leur idée de mener une négociation collective est de faire des demandes non négociables, refusant de négocier et ensuite d essayer de faire attendre nos sections locales en ce qui concerne les grèves ultérieures que, eux, ils provoquent. Stan Dera, le directeur du Conseil canadien de l ATU, vient récemment de nous aviser que le Conseil de travail canadien en Alberta est en train de livrer la bataille de sa vie afin d essayer de vaincre les ultraconservateurs de Rosedale qui ont promis de faire passer la loi du droit au travail dans la province s ils sont élus. Chaque jour, ils nous approchent avec quelque chose de nouveau, mais ils ont toujours blâmé les travailleurs pour tous les problèmes qui surviennent. Arrêtez, regardez, écoutez! Ici, à l International, nous travaillons activement pour soutenir nos membres. Au moment où j écris, nos agents internationaux et locaux ainsi que notre département de la mobilisation sur terrain sont en train de mobiliser nos amis et les organismes communautaires pour se battre. Et nous voyons des victoires impressionnantes. Nous avons révoqué la loi antisyndicaliste du public en Ohio. Nous avons présenté deux fois le nombre de signatures de pétition nécessaires afin d obliger une élection de rappel du gouverneur Walker au Wisconsin. Malgré quelques heurts vraiment difficiles, la solidarité de nos membres canadiens est plus forte que jamais. Les prochaines élections aux États-Unis et au Canada ne seront pas gagnées facilement et le choix sera certainement clair. Avec l aide de nos membres, de nos familles, et de nos amis, nous allons Survivre et nous allons Réussir! En toute solidarité, Bob Baker Est-ce que des phrases intelligentes obscurciront la vérité? Avez-vous suivi les nouvelles en provenance des primaires des républicaines et des parlementaires? Elles étaient étonnantes, n est-ce pas? Je ne sais pas comment les candidats peuvent dire ces choses qu ils font avec un visage impassible. Par exemple, après sa défaite dans les primaires de la Caroline du Sud, Mitt Romney a accusé ses rivaux républicains d avoir utilisé de «la politique de l envie» démocratique contre lui. Plus tard, après que le discours sur l état de l Union, le porte-parole John 28 March/April 2012 IN TRANSIT

13 Boehner a caractérisé le discours du président de la même manière. C est une phrase intelligente. Il doit avoir obtenu une bonne réaction des groupes de discussion républicains. Mais, comme autant de clichés politiques, il réussit parce qu il exploite les préjugés des gens quelle que soit la vérité. Sifflets de chiens Un autre exemple peut être trouvé dans la tentative de Newt Gingrich pour définir le président Obama comme le «président des coupons alimentaires». La phrase rappelle aux électeurs des plaintes de Ronald Reagan des «saintes» au sujet de «des reines de l aide sociale» dans les années Et, comme un «sifflet pour chien», les racistes entendent l ancien porte-parole étant d accord avec eux, sans qu il ait à le dire avec autant de mots. À l heure actuelle, les républicains travaillons dur pour insérer des épithètes pas si subtiles dans notre lexique national qu ils espèrent créer un état d esprit dans lequel les électeurs interprètent négativement tout ce que le président dit. Exaspérant C est exaspérant que tant de gens acceptent cette torsion de la vérité (généralement exprimée dans un format facile à mémoriser avec des phrases de deux ou trois mots) et deviennent des adversaires passionnés de politiciens basés sur des présentations erronées de leurs objectifs et de leurs intentions. Si ces slogans sont répétés assez souvent, ils deviennent la «vérité» pour beaucoup de gens. C est pourquoi vous allez entendre de phrases comme «la politique de l envie», «le président des coupons alimentaires», et le «gouvernement centré sur l économie», encore et encore. Bien sûr, nous connaissons la vérité. Les gens qui travaillent ne perdent pas du temps à être jaloux de la richesse des autres. Mais ils croient en une Amérique où tout le monde a une chance égale de réussir. Et, c est ce qui manque aujourd hui. La déclaration que «la politique de l envie» pourrait bien fonctionner parmi les élites républicaines ou «l un pour-cent», mais je pense que ça va se retourner contre l élection générale. Leurs propres mots en disent long sur la façon dont ils sont loin de l expérience réelle vécue par la grande majorité du peuple américain. Helping ATU Locals Harness the Power of the Internet for FREE ATU is launching a new service, TransitWeb, to set up a free state-of-the-art website for local unions. This new innovative program includes: EASE OF USE User-friendly rich features, varied design template options, and ease of use for updates and changes. FRESH CONTENT Easily update your website with fresh content, photos and even videos. SUPPORT Free training to learn how to easily update and maintain your website. NO COST TransitWeb is a FREE program for all local unions, the full cost is covered by ATU International. FLEXIBILITY TransitWeb has been developed for ATU local unions. We ll help you make your website fit your needs. To get your website up and running today contact: communications@atu.org. IN TRANSIT March/April

14 In Memoriam Death Benefits Awarded November 1, February 29, MEMBERS AT LARGE ROBERT F BARGER WILLIAM M COWIESON GERALD J CREEDON TIMOTHY F DEVENY DOUGLAS D DON SR NELSON FRESQUEZ EUGENE R GARRETT RALPH WILLIAM INGLE HAROLD W KIRKENDALL PAUL JOSEPH KROCKMAN JOHN D LOVE LARRY OWEN MC LEOD DANIEL J MITCHELL ERNEST CALDWELL SNELL ROSS L STAGGS RAYMOND LEON SWINEY SAM TEMPLEMAN 22- WORCESTER, MA FRED A MILO 26- DETROIT, MI WILLIAM J ANDERSON WILLIAM P PENDER 85- PITTSBURGH, PA JOHN A BAYER JOHN F CALNAN JOHN JAMES CONNERS JR ANDREW FIORENTINI GEORGE JOHN GERBEN GORDON L GORR MICHAEL D HOLLY WILLIAM F HOLTZ JR WILLIE HUGULEY JR PETER P IPOLETTA CLIFFORD L JONES RITA E KING HOWARD E KRAUS DARRYL R KUNKEL THOMAS A LANG RICHARD ANTHONY LIPPI JOSEPH ROBERT ROMANO ANTHONY J ROSSETTI RUSSELL C STALEY JAMES G STUTHERS JAMES A TESTA REGIS J TOGNARINE JOSEPH C URBANEK WILLIAM A WEIMER 103- WHEELING, WV JOHN C KUPCHAK JERRY R SCOTT 107- HAMILTON, ON HARPAL S BHANDHAL WILLIAM K BLAIR JOHN BOCCACCIO GUY J HERSEY MATTHEW K KELLY BRIAN M LAMBERTUS LARRY R MARTIN HAROLD BURTON SHAW TOMAS E WALKER TORONTO, ON EDWARD L DUCKWORTH ALLAN J ADAMS CLAUDE E FIZER BERT W ADAMS VICTOR FLORES PAUL AZZOPARDI GEORGE E GARFIELD JOHN PEARSON BELL CAROL L HARDY SYLVANUS BLAIR CHESTER HARRIS NORMAN H BULLOCK KYUSIK H HONG KENNETH D COLE EARNEST JEFFERSON JR DAVID COOPER BOBBY E JOHNSON SULTAN A K DAMJI JAMES L JONES ANTHONY FIELD RUBEN J LOPEZ AGOSTINO FLORA KAREN T LUCKETT GEORGE LLOYD GERRIE CHARLES LYONS JOHN W GILLION RUDOLPH MC DONALD DENNIS RICHARD GORDON JOSEPH E MC MILLAN NICHOLAS HALEWICH JOHNNY D MOORE BERNARD HARRIS RUTH M PEARSON HARRY BARRIE HIGGINS HATTIE B PETERSON ALLISON IRVINE GEORGE L POUNDS JOSEPH JOSTIAK ARTHUR L PRESTON EDWARD A KEARN IMOGENE REDD PATRICK H KENNEDY GENE A ROSS JOSEPH KISH FREDDIE SIMS JR FREDERICK R LOCKE LONNIE E SINGLETON MILTON LOMAX RONALD C STEFINSKY FRANCESCO LUCENO EDWARD C UNREIN MIKE R MAC DONALD ROBERT VINING JR DOMENICO MANDERELLO RILEY L WALSON WILLIAM J MC FADDEN LEON WILLIAMS VERNON MC LAREN ALOYSIOUS LEO ZUCKER ANTONIO MELO GARFIELD MENCHIONS 256- SACRAMENTO, CA SALVATORE PAGLIALUNGA LESTER RAY FRITTS PETER POERAZAFF THOMAS LEROY PARKISON RENOLD RAMSARRAN LENNARD J SCOTT 265- SAN JOSE, CA JOHN ANTHONY SHAW STEVEN M BURBANK PIRATHEEB SIVAPATHASUNTHRAM ROBERT DELGADO JAMES F TEEVAN ERNEST E GALLEGO VINCENT J WATTERS FAAFOUINA LEAENO DOUGLAS WEBSTER JOSE LORIGO JOHN YOUNGS PETER OLASIMAN RAYMOND A SAUNDERS 164- WILKES-BARRE, PA EVANGLIST TAYLOR WILLIAM J VETTER 268- CLEVELAND, OH 168- SCRANTON, PA HAROLD L FUNDERBURG ALLAN ROSSI JOHN S GARDNER WILBERT R GREEN 192- OAKLAND, CA DENNIS B MC COY LUCILLE ABNER STEVE PACHOLEWSKI JOEL C BROWN PETER ANTHONY CASEY 279- OTTAWA, ON KENNETH W DAILEY VERNON BEATTIE CHARLES R DENISON HERVE M GIROUX JAMES G DORAZIO PATRICK J MC HUGH PASCUAL A GUTIERREZ JEAN M PAQUETTE GERALD T JACOBS ROBERT L SIMPSON WILLIAM REYNOLDS EDMOND WEINHOLDT WALTER YADE 241- CHICAGO, IL BURTON L BOCKEL 281- NEW HAVEN, CT BEN N CARTER JOSEPH HALTER CURTIS COHEN LEONARD G DAKE 282- ROCHESTER, NY LUELLA F DAVIS RAYMOND F CINELLI March/April 2012 IN TRANSIT MILOS GLIGIC EDWARD E HUGHES WILLIAM C LAW 308- CHICAGO, IL GAETANO M FAGIOLO MICHAEL MURPHY DEVON R OVERSTREET ELSIE M PATTERSON DANIEL RENO MYRON WAITES 425- HARTFORD, CT ROLAND BERTRAND RONALD GINA RICHARD HOLLAND ROBERT JONAH 443- STAMFORD, CT JOSEPH HARTLE 448- SPRINGFIELD, MA LEO SAGAN 519- LA CROSSE, WI THOMAS L SANDERSON 558- SHREVEPORT, LA GEORGE LEE KENDRICK 568- ERIE, PA RICHARD H COLLEY DANIEL J WYSOCKI 569- EDMONTON, AB PHILIP T HEEMERYCK THOMAS G JARVIS LORRAINE F PIERCE JOHN M ROCHE MATTHEW SULLIVAN DESMOND A THOMPSON DOUG WOLLMAN ALEXANDER J YAROSHUK 580- SYRACUSE, NY HARLEY S LOVELESS LOUIS MIKE 583- CALGARY, AB GORDON M ALEXANDER EDWARD S BARBER HARRY G BENNETT BEULAH CAMUS ANDREW CARMICHAEL MICHAEL J GROVES MICHAEL V RICHARD KENNETH K SCHULTZ RONALD G THIRLWELL FRANK WALDRON 587- SEATTLE, WA VERNON R ADLER CHRISTIAN M COLLINGWOOD JAMES T HULSLANDER JR GORDON M JENKINS CRYSTAL V LAW 588- REGINA, SK BERTRAM C REIMER 589- BOSTON, MA CHARLES E BANKS ROBERT J BOWES BERNARD A COGAVIN CARLO F CORDARO FRANCES J FLEMING JOSEPH F GORDON JAMES HALL BRUCE M HAPGOOD ANDREW HIGHET BLAIR S JOHNSON DAVID J LENANE RICHARD L LEWIS PAUL J MC CARTHY DONALD J MC COLGAN DOROTHY M MINGOES STEPHEN F NESTOR NICHOLAS OLIVOLO JAMES R PORTER PHILLIP K ROBERTSON FRANK C ROOME JAMES F RUSSELL TIMOTHY F SULLIVAN BENJAMIN F TILLEY CHARLES TUMASZ EMIL N WIEHER 591- HULL, PQ RENE NADON 618- PROVIDENCE, RI ROBERT S OSBORNE BRADFORD OXNARD III LOUIS PENNACCHIA ANDY SANTAGATA 627- CINCINNATI, OH JUAN J SCHAUPP 628- COVINGTON, KY MARVIN LEE BLACK JOSEPH RING DANNY L WEAVER 662- PUEBLO, CO WILLIAM M LUKENBILL 682- FORT WAYNE, IN ALICE M WRIGHT 689- WASHINGTON, DC COLEMAN ADAMS SAMUEL AHN PATRICK J ANASTASI EDWARD ANDERSON ALFRED D HARDY SR WILLIAM J HARRINGTON WILLIAM R HARRIS JR CARL ELLIS HOLT JOHN E JACKSON HORACE L JOHNSON CARROLL T JONES JR CLARA M JONES

15 JOSEPH B KEPLINGER JOHN E MACK RICHARD C MC KOY JAMES H MC NAIR HUBERT DOUGLAS MIMS JOHN C NOLAN CLYDE PILGRIM VICTOR LYLE QUICK DORSEY SHOUSE JR GEORGE P STARKS LAWRENCE WASHINGTON JOSEPH E WOOTEN KAY F WRIGHT SUMOIWU G YEKEH HOWARD C YOUNG 694- SAN ANTONIO, TX HENRY Z AREVALO EDWARD AVELAR CHARLES C CRAIG RICHARD MUNOZ 713- MEMPHIS, TN JAMES R AGEE DALE M CARNEY RALPH H GORDON JR THOMAS R HORTON WILLIE J HURT RONALD L WILLEMS RODGER C ZWETZIG 758- TACOMA, WA WILLIAM D SMITH 765- MONTGOMERY, AL MILFORD W BROWN 788- ST. LOUIS, MO MARK C ABBOTT RALPH C ANDERSON FRANK J CAPASSO WILLIAM CARTER JR COY R EAKINS THELMA JOHNSON NANCY L LONG MICHAEL J NOCHTA STANLEY N PONCELET ELLA M STANTON RONALD J WILLIAMS SAM J ZUCCARELLO 801- ALTOONA, PA WILLIAM J FANELLI 714- PORTLAND, ME JOSEPH O MALLOY 819- NEWARK, NJ LOUIS DE MEDICI EARL EDWARDS JOHN M HARAS JOSEPH E MAHON 725- BIRMINGHAM, AL ROBERT BAKER BOBBY G WAID ERNEST EDGAR WHITE JR 820- UNION CITY, NJ JUAN GONZALES HAROLD PHILLIPS GEORGE SOBOLEWSKI 726- STATEN ISLAND, NY FRANK AHLBORN CHARLES ARGENTO JR WILLIAM W SIVERSON 824- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ JAMES W MAHON MELVIN J MC GEE JAMES REILLY JOHN VAN HORN 732- ATLANTA, GA MARVIN P BRITTAIN IBRAHIMA CAMARA GLENN COLEMAN JOHN T CRINE THOMAS DEBOSE HAROLD C MC GUIRE JAMES M POORE JOHN D SMITH 757- PORTLAND, OR BERTHA C APLEY GEORGE W BOYNTON OBEDELL COXEFF EDWARD E CRUMBLE ROGER L DAVIS BILLIE D DIXON JOHN P DROZDA LARRY D DUNHAM BYRON L ESTES LEN G FAREY LUELLA L GANT JAMES W GARMAN RONNIE G HARTMAN JOHN D HODGDON JR CURTIS A IRWIN CHAD M MATHER PATRICK J MURNIN GEORGE R PAYNTER JAMES E ROCK SANDRA L RUTZ ELLIS J SIPLE MARY M WALKER 825- ORADELL, NJ RICHARD H SCULLY 842- WILMINGTON, DE JAMES H GILLEN 846- ST. CATHARINES, ON RONALD S KIVELL 847- ST. JOSEPH, MO GERALD LEHR 880- CAMDEN, NJ CHARLES BUNDY RICHARD DONLEY GARY L MORGAN THOMAS QUIGLEY FRED SEYMOUR 956- ALLENTOWN, PA ELAINE C MATHEWS 996- SOUTH BEND, IN GAIL KENNETH DIVINE 998- MILWAUKEE, WI KRISTIN GIERACH JOSEPH F GRAHAM JR MICHAEL J HOGAN REGINALD R KOSTRZEWA MICHAEL J NOONAN CHESTER PROPP ROLAND C RANSOM GERALD REED JERRY L REED MICHAEL J VEIERSTAHLER DENNIS ROBINSON RUTH M RUSSO CARMELA SCALA RICHARD W SCHMITT DENVER, CO BOBBY LA MARR JENT JOHN L MARTINEZ SAN FRANCISCO, CA MELVIN ALOYIUS ROSE MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MN FRANCIS D ECKERT JEROLD D JOHNSON HOWARD J SWINTEK NEW BEDFORD, MA MICHAEL F CORREIA LANSING, MI JAVEL R LEWIS AUSTIN, TX BENNY GOODLOE CARLOS MEDRANO QUINCY, IL DOLORES FRANCES BIRCK DORIS E MILES MONROE, LA HOLLIS C CRUSE KNOXVILLE, TN RICHARD MC BEE PATRICK LISA M NORFOLK, VA JAMES W FLEETWOOD JAMES GAMMON NEW YORK, NY BRIAN K HARRELL SALVATORE MANNO ALFONSO MARULLO SAMUEL ROBINSON ANTHONY SAPPRAICONE ELMER SIEGEL NEW YORK, NY MARGARET AIELLO MINDAUGIS BACEY THOMAS CAMPONE JOSEPHINE CASALE MICHAEL CEA JOSEPH CONNOR BEAUBY DESROCHES ADELE FARBER YAKOV FILDER HANNELORE FLOOD BERNARD FRIEDMAN CHARLIE W HELWIG EDWARD W JOHNSON DAVID THOMAS KNAB JOSEPH LEGGIERO JOSEPH LOCICERO FRED WILLIAM LOFTIN MARIA MATARESE CARMINE MATONE PATSY MILONE GLADYS MOORER ERNEST A NAVARRA ANDREW J ORSO STANLEY J OWENS CHRISTINE PORFIDO RONALD RICE NASHVILLE, TN LEONARD ORR JOSEPH C STOREY FT. LAUDERDALE, FL STAFFORD KELLY PEDRO R NIEVES LOS ANGELES, CA MATTHEW ARAGON THOMAS EDWARD BARHAM VERNON E JACKSON PAUL C KIM KANSAS CITY, MO ROBERT E CARPENTER MARVIN GILES LARRY D RICE JOHN J YAKLEY BALTIMORE, MD EDMOND D AUSTIN STEVEN W FOCHT EVELYN UNDERDUE SAN DIEGO, CA KENNETH A MAUER DENNIS L MC KAY ARNOLD N NELSON HENRY L PHILLIPS CLIFTON, NJ LEONARD PATTI ALBANY & TROY, NY DARRYL L COLEMAN CHARLES J FOSMIRE THOMAS A MULLEN GERALD A WHITNEY BUFFALO, NY EDWARD BARRY LORETTA DOYLE FRANK C ERNST JR WILLIAM S KIRSCH JOSEPH LEWANDOWSKI MIGUEL LUGO CHARLES MARASCO SALAMON MARKOVITS SAMUEL H TEW CALGARY, AB ALFRED F BAGDON DAVID O BOYD ALFRED H COUPLAND HOWARD MILLER FORMO ROBERT G MARSHALL THOR SANDBERG ERNEST THILLMANN ALAN YAMAMOTO PHOENIX, AZ DENNIS J AUMAN NEIL H HAUAN DOYA HENDRIX JANET KARTAK HARRISBURG, PA D L JONES LOUISVILLE, KY ROBERT T FLEMING ST. JOHN S, NL FREDERICK MOORES TAMPA, FL JERRY W WINTERS WILLIAMSPORT, PA JARRETT F TROWBRIDGE JOPLIN, MO DENNIS L SCHOEPHOERSTER WINNIPEG, MB WILLIAM A BREMNER WILLIAM A PANTING AMY RICHARDS MYRON D SMITH EDWIN G SUTHERLAND LORRAINE SUTHERLAND LLOYD WILDE PLYMOUTH, MA FRANCIS REYNOLDS RAYMOND B SULLIVAN OAKLAND, CA CHARLES E ABNER JULIAN L HARRIS LYNNWOOD, WA ROY D AKIN TORONTO, ON GEORGE GAUTREAU SCOTT GIBSON DOVER, NJ SEAD MAHALBASIC BUFFALO, NY CHARLES NANCE CHICAGO, IL JOHN R CRANFILL JR DONALD J DAVIS ADAM FREDMONSKI ROBERT J JURGENSEN JAMES N O NEAL ANDREW J PEDDYCORD RAY PREECE JAMES H VICKERMAN SARASOTA, FL LUANNE M KELLER VENETIA, PA PEGGY KRAVEC DAYTON, OH MICHAEL D JEFFERSON JAMES T STORIE OTTAWA, ONT JOSEE ROLLIN TORONTO, ON ANTHONY FERGUSON OLYMPIA, WA VICTOR L SHAW IN TRANSIT March/April

16 Amalgamated Transit Union AFL-CIO/CLC c/o Canadian Mail Exchange 2950 Stanley Ave Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S8 Canada STAY CONNECTED PRINTED IN U.S.A. WIN AN IPAD2 OR AN ATU JACKET! The International has upped the ante and is holding a new lottery drawing for an Apple ipad 2 or an ATU Jacket. All you have to do is go to the ATU website send us your ! Be sure to tell your fellow members to do the same to get a chance to win. More importantly, sending us your will allow you to get the latest news and developments about ATU, politics, and the transit industry. And don t worry, if you ve already sent in your for the first lottery you will be automatically included in the lottery for the ipad 2 or an ATU Jacket. Members can submit their s on the opening window for that pops up in front of the home page or submit their address in the JOIN US box in the upper right corner of the home page.