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ATU Action Weekly Update - 5/7/07
Oregon Members Rally for Employee Free Choice Act ATU members were joined by other workers and AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff on Friday, April 27th outside Senator Gordon Smith's (R) Portland office. The workers were urging Smith to join his colleague Senator Ron Wyden (D) in supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. The Act would level the playing field for workers and employers and help rebuild America's middle class. It would restore workers' freedom to choose a union by:
The activists highlighted to plight of ATU member Russ Evans, who was fired last month after testifying in support of union election reforms. Brother Evans recently helped organize the bus operators in Bend, Oregon.
Edwards Addresses Seattle Union Members Last Tuesday, Presidential candidate and former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) met with nearly 1,000 union members in a town hall forum in Seattle, Washington. The forum was the second in a series of AFL-CIO Working Families Vote 2008 national forums for the presidential candidates. "If we want to build the middle class in this country... it is absolulety crucial that we make it easier, not harder, to organize unions in the workplace," said Edwards at the forum. ATU and other union members in attendance were able to tell their stories and ask questions of the candidate. Popular topics were outsourcing of American jobs, the Employee Free Choice Act, Right to Work laws, and health care. The first AFL-CIO Working Families Vote 2008 forum was held in Sacramento, California with Senator Chris Dodd (D). The following forums have also been scheduled:
ATU members in these cities are encouraged to contact their local or their central labor council for additional information.
"Enough is Enough" - May 17th is Day of Action The ATU is joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in building support for a board-based transportation labor demonstration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 2007. Under the theme "Enough is Enough," the Day of Action is designed to demonstrate our resolve to change the direction of our government, elect a President who cares about creating good jobs in this country and defending working people, and challenge the corporate giants in transportation that are doing harm to workers in our industries. Several presidential candidates, including Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden and Representative Dennis Kucinich have committed to speak. In addition, many Members of the House and Senate are expected to join the rally. ATU members are encouraged to participate. For more information, please contact the ATU International Organizing Department at 202-537-1645
ATU Employees and Members Get Fit for a Cause Through the most recent installment of the Focus on Wellness campaign, the ATU is encouraging ATU members to get fit for a cause - by participating in charity run/walk or other charitable fitness event. ATU headquarter's employees and Members of ATU Local 846 are doing just that - and you can help by making a contribution to their cause! The Members of ATU Local 846 in St. Catherines, Ontario are raising money for the Lung Association by participating in the Pull for Kids on May 26th. Team Transit will be competing against other teams to see who can pull a firetruck the farthest. The money will go to benefit programs such as Asthma Action which helps children and their caregivers manage Asthma. You can support the ATU team by making a contribution through P/BA Alan Burrows' webpage. Similarly, the employees at the ATU International, along with friends and family, have formed the ATU Moving for the Cure team for the National Race for the Cure on June 2nd in Washington, D.C. The ATU team will participate in a 5K Run/Walk on the National Mall as part of a larger effort to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cure for breast cancer. You can support the ATU team by making a contribution through the ATU Moving for the Cure team webpage. |
