ATU Action Weekly Update - 2/5/07

• House Victory for Transit Funding
• Bush Proposes to Slash Transit Budget
• Congressional Committees to Address Transit Security
• Employee Free Choice Act Introduced in House

On January 31, the U.S. House of Representatives in a 286-140 vote passed a year-long joint resolution (H.J. Res. 20) to complete unfinished Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Appropriations bills, including the FY 2007 Transportation Appropriations bill. The resolution provides federal transit programs with $8.975 billion for the current fiscal year, the record-high level authorized and guaranteed by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

While the majority of domestic federal programs will not receive an increase in funding this year under the new resolution, transit and highway programs would be spared from the freeze at FY 2006 levels which will be applied to other federal programs. The Senate is expected to consider the resolution this week. Thanks to all of you who made phone calls to your elected representatives! Please keep the pressure on the Senate!

Bush Proposes to Slash Transit Budget

Unfortunately, only days after the House voted to increase transit funding for the current fiscal year, President Bush proposed to slash transit funding for FY 2008 in his budget released this week. The president’s proposal is $308 million below the public transportation investments authorized and guaranteed under SAFETEA-LU.

ATU strongly advocates that Congress set public transit investment at the $9.731 billion level authorized in FY 2008 under SAFETEA-LU, and believes that the Administration request of $9.422 billion undermines the need to expand public transportation. More importantly it will detract from our efforts to reduce America's dependence on imported oil, address global warming and provide mobility for all. The President's budget funds the federal highway program at the authorized levels and we urge Congress to do the same for transit funding. To do otherwise is shortsighted.

Regrettably, the Bush Administration also failed to make any significant effort to enhance transit security. Instead, the Bush Administration chose to freeze security funding for transit, passenger rail, and freight rail security at $175 million - the same amount appropriated by Congress for FY 2007.

Congressional Committees to Address Transit Security

While the President's budget give short shrift to transit security, two Congressional Committees are on the verge of introducing legislation that will provide significant funding for transit security and help to ensure emergency preparedness training for thousands of transit workers in the U.S.

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing to examine federal efforts to address transit security.  Witnesses include representatives from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  Cong. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who serves as Chair of the Committee, has indicated that he intends to introduce legislation soon that will boost federal funding and involvement in transit security.

In addition, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs plans to markup transit security legislation on Wednesday.  Earlier this year, ATU International President George testified before the Committee, urging members to include mandatory training for frontline employees as part of the bill.

Employee Free Choice Act Introduced in the House

For the first time in nearly 50 years, working families have a real opportunity to make major changes in the nation's labor laws that will give workers greater freedom to make their own decisions about joining a union. 

Last night, a bipartisan coalition in the new Congress introduced the Employee Free Choice Act, maybe the most important labor law reform bill in 50 years.  The bill (H.R. 800) was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) along with 229 co-sponsors.  Click here to see if your representative is a co-sponsor.

If passed, the Employee Free Choice Act would make the process of choosing a union more fair by:

• Establishing stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations.
• Providing mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes.
• Allowing employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.

Currently, if employees present an employer with union authorization cards signed by a majority, the employer can demand a secret ballot election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But the NLRB election process is broken because it enables employers to intimidate, coerce and harass workers and drag out the process indefinitely.

If your Member of Congress is already a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, click here to send them a thank you email and to ask them to take a leadership role in passing this legislation.

If your Member of Congress is not a co-sponsor, click here to urge them to support this important legislation.