Tras el inicio de la huelga, el Valle de la Autoridad de Transporte (AVT) presentó una medida cautelar para detener la huelga y reanudar las operaciones. El amparo fue negado en la mañana del lunes, el 17 de^th. VTA de inmediato vuelto a archivar la denuncia, que fue rechazada de nuevo más tarde el mismo día.

ATU Local 265 Presidente Raj Singh afirmó, "En este punto, creo que el público ve lo que la verdad es que ... Ellos están explorando cada otra opción fuera que viene a la mesa."

VTA también llegó a Gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, solicitando que Newsom intervenir y detener la huelga. El gobernador Newsom disminuido, instando a las dos partes a negociar. VTA también argumenta que la ATU violado un "no huelga" contrato en vigor y presentó otra denuncia legal en contra de la Unión. Los miembros de la unión y VTA tiene una audiencia programada en 26 de Marzo de^th para determinar si la Unión europea infringió el "no huelga" de la cláusula.

ATU Local 265 representa a más de 1.500 trabajadores, incluyendo la tarifa de los inspectores, mecánicos, operadores, despachadores, y representantes de servicio al cliente. En las negociaciones, los líderes Sindicales de la llamada anual con un aumento de 6% en 3 años. Sin embargo, VTA propuesta de aumento salarial de 4%, 3% y 2% durante los próximos tres años y un pago por única vez de $1.500 para los miembros de la unión.

El 24 de Marzo, los trabajadores rechazaron una nueva baja de la bola de oferta de VTA de gestión. En una declaración difundida por ATU Local 265 afirmaron:

"En una rotunda declaración de la solidaridad y de la fuerza, los miembros de Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265-San Jose, CA, han votado de manera decisiva para rechazar la última insultar contrato establecida por el VTA de ayer. ...

"Los problemas siguen siendo los mismos. La AVT se niega a presentar una propuesta con salarios dignos, que permitan a sus trabajadores a vivir en las comunidades a las que sirven. Siguen proponer desleales procedimientos de queja y regresivo de las horas extraordinarias cálculos, junto con no hay garantías de que la agencia no disciplina o demandar a los trabajadores que se declararon en huelga. Además, el organismo no ha logrado mejorar las condiciones de trabajo tras el trágico tiroteo masivo en Mayo de 2021, que cobró la vida de Locales 265 miembros."

Está claro gestión en VTA de cuidado de ni sobre el bienestar o la seguridad de sus trabajadores.

The post Striking Workers Represented By ATU Local 265 in Santa Clara Reject Latest Contract Offer appeared first on Labor Today.

Fifty years after Memphis, organized labor reclaims its central role in the struggle for human rights

“Today people in America and around the world will mark the 50^th anniversary of the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he supported striking Memphis sanitation workers who were denied union recognition, fair wages, and safe equipment on the job.

“In what would be his final speech, Dr. King called on Americans to ‘develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness.’ He related the story of the Good Samaritan and noted that we are all bound up in the fates of 1,300 poor workers in Memphis. ‘The question is not,’ he said, ‘If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?’ The question is, ‘If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?’.’

“That simple question echoes even louder today than it did in 1968. If we do not stop to help the teachers on strike, if we do not stop to help the students demanding safer schools and neighborhoods, if we do not stop to help the transit worker stripped of her retirement, if we do not stop to help the healthcare or restaurant worker demanding a livable wage, what will happen to them? What will happen to all of us who rely on them? What will happen to America?

“Cities across North America are shaking loose from years of divestment and decay, but the new wealth is being horded along economic and racial divides. The avenues to political power hard-won by Dr. King and his allies in the Civil Rights struggle are being systematically closed to poor people. Gerrymandering, voter ID legislation, new Census rules, and right-to-work laws are meant to erase the gains made by people of color and working class Americans not just since Dr. King, but since the zenith of organized labor in the 1930s and 1940s.

“The Mayor Loeb’s of 2018 are more powerful and better-resourced than ever. While we still face state violence and mass arrest, we also face more subtle and sophisticated campaigns of disinformation and manipulation.”

“Despite these setbacks, we cannot sit back. We must keep working toward a society that prioritizes justice for all no matter their color, faith, citizen status, gender orientation, country of origin, or economic class.”

“In that final speech, Dr. King famously said “I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.’

“As we prepare for the next phase of the billionaire-led campaign to bust the back of labor nationwide, we share King’s confidence. We see a new generation embracing the cause and tactics of organized labor. We see public servants shouting ‘enough’ and taking to the streets.

“Our resolve is strengthened by these developments. We believe that we will win, because Dr. King taught us that, ‘when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory’.”

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day to Become a National Holiday

A.O. Smith workers’ Memorial Hall once again will host the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday commemoration. The program is to take place Thursday, January 15th, at 7:30pm and is sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King coalition. The coalition consist of Labor unions through out the city and the Milwaukee Labor Council, as well as other community organizations.

Our own Local 998 is one of the principal unions sponsoring the Dr. King program. Some 998 members are selling Dr. King buttons at all three stations and the shops. The response from the Membership has been great. As one driver commented, Dr. King was

a great fighter for freedom and justice. It is not enough that we get double pay on Dr. King’s birthday January 15th should be a Sunday schedule stemming from a national holiday”.

Local President James Brown has appeared on radio stations urging the entire Milwaukee community to attend the Dr. King program at the Smith Steelworkers Hall. At the union meeting, all drivers working on January 15th were urged to turn on and keep on their bus headlights to pay tribute to this great freedom fighter.

Nationally, Milwaukee joins other cities in trying to convince Congress to make Dr. Kings’ birthday a national holiday, Musical. superstar Stevie Wonder is calling for a march on Washington for January 15th. A national holiday on Dr. King’s birthday would be a step toward recognizing the contributions of Black people in this country.

All 998 members, family, and friends are urged to attend the Dr. King program.

The post ATU on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. appeared first on Labor Today.

On February 8^th, 2024, Basir filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) with the Illinois Labor Relations Board against CTA General Manager Teya Calhoun and Senior Manager Kenitha Perry for removing union flyers and also calling the police on Basir to remove him from the Kimball shop. Per the ULP:

“I witnessed CTA General Manager (GM) Teya Calhoun/Finger remove fliers from the union board when I was in the Kimball Shop breakroom while on release from work in service to ATU Local 308 members at Kimball Shop. She said I could not be in the breakroom and was ‘causing a disturbance’ with my presence. She always says this every time I show up at CTA Rail Maintenance Shops. She is the only one that complains to me. After I informed her that she was committing an unfair labor practice by harassing me because I was being paid 8 hours by Local 308 to represent harmed workers, inform workers and that I was elected by the workers to post information and be available for questions in the breakroom. The GM told me that my posts were not ‘official union documents’ and that ATU Local 308 President Pennie McCoach told her that she could do so.

Upon confirmation with President Pennie on my telephone, I learned that no such approval was given and that Manager Calhoun/Finger had to allow me to place the fliers back on the union board. She also said I could remain there to fulfill my duties (describe in the Local 308 bylaws). Both GM and Senior Manager Kenitha Perry continued to harass me throughout the day as I sat in the breakroom with union application forms, newsletters, grievance and other important information.

They badgered me about if I had more cases and then called police to remove me, I received no warning that police would be called. I explained to the police I would cooperate and leave immediately and that what the GM was doing was an unfair labor practice. GM insisted that I was “causing a disturbance” and that President Pennie told her she could call the police on me. President Pennie was not available at the time I called to confirm. I was peaceful the entire time I was there. I left the building around 12 noon after obtaining the GM’s Chicago Police Department complaint number.

The CTA must cease and desist interfering with the administration of ATU Local 308 and their elected representatives (such as myself). This includes harassment. The CTA must admonish GM Teya, Senior Manager Kenith, and notify all other managers regarding protected union activity in non-work areas.”

Basir working at the Des Plaines Maintenance Shop – April 4, 2024

On Wednesday, March 20th, 2024, Basir contacted Manager Orvin Hurst requesting quality inspection reports from the Kimball location from the previous week. With no response, the following day, Basir once again contacted Hurst requesting documentation and stating if he was not provided QI reports he would be forced to file another ULP with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. Within minutes, General Manager Teya Calhoun responded back saying there was “no QI report to furnish to you as requested”. Basir asked to clarify that there had been no inspection reports in the last 21 days to which Calhoun responded again with “there is NO QI inspection report available for Kimball Shop”.

On March 22, 2024, Basir charged the CTA, specifically Hurst and Calhoun, with threatening workers for reporting quality inspection to the union, even though the day before Calhoun had told Basir that there was no QI reports to furnish.

“It was reported to me by a Kimball Shop AM crew coworker that on Friday, March 22 on or around 6:30 AM, Manager Orvin Hurst used a “Safety Meeting” to announce punishment of 1-day suspensions for ‘anyone who told the union about the QI reports (Quality Inspection).’ This occurred just one day after I was told there was no such report available by his General Manager.

“It is true that I have received numerous reports from workers who are afraid to identify themselves. They maintain a hostile and fear-driven, demoralizing work environment.

“The CTA must publicly apologize and stop threatening workers for contacting me or any other union representative about reporting workplace issues to me. The CTA must also educate the management about worker rights.”

• Eric Basir, Charge filed with the Illinois Labor Relations Board

On March 21, 2024, Basir was charged with suspension from the CTA citing a “safety violation” for using his cell phone while “jobbed on” to a task (i.e. not on break). Basir says these claims of a safety violation are retaliatory for his requesting documentation of above QI reports. Basir provides extensive evidence that the charges against him are retaliatory in nature:

"The Safety Violation fails Prior Enforcement because no one else is receiving punishment for cell phone use when awaiting new work tasks or on lunch. Management is fully aware of such use for cell phone for the 3 years I have been a Repairer, despite the rule. Moreover, other union officials who work at the CTA frequently email, call or have short communications with management and are never punished. Managers are always witnessed on their cellphones on the Shop floor around trains.

            “The Safety Violation fails Prior Enforcement and Equal Treatment because CTA management relies on Shop Workers to use personal cell phones when we need reliefs while on the “Snow Fighter” trains, taking pictures of defects, rail yard inspection and notifying us about new work placed on the computer for us to job on. Although I do not do it, it is DAILY, accepted practice by CTA management in my department. No one is ever punished for it when CTA management wants to communicate with us on our cell phone while working on

trains, waiting for work or on lunch break.

            “The Safety Violation fails Substantial Evidence because there are no witnesses or photographic evidence of me working while using the phone. My communications were during normal lunch break time that the entre AM crew uses 11:00-12:00 or 11:30-12:30. I was indeed on lunch.

            “The Safety Violation has failed multiple tests for Just Cause. This violation should be

removed from my record, I should be paid for the 1-day suspension and be made whole. The

CTA must also cease and desist with disparate treatment of ATU officers and stewards.”

• Eric Basir, on his Safety Violation

The most recent incident was on June 27th, 2024, when manager Jakesha Beals confronted Basir in the breakroom of the Kimball Shop telling him to put away his union material. Basir explained that he was merely there to provide information to the employees on the union, the collective bargaining agreement, and to provide assistance if needed while he was waiting for a member requesting union representation. He was later called to the office with both managers Beals and Hurst who told him to leave until his planned meeting with the above member. Given that Hurst had already called the police on him once in February, he then put away his papers and resumed his post in the breakroom. After that, Hurst stopped ordering Basir to leave the building.

Basir on the above ULP:

"Kimball Shop is the only work location with management that openly objects to my lawful activities as a union representative. As demonstrated in previous ULP charges, I believe this is due to the unlawful conduct of General Manager Teya Finger Calhoun. CTA managers must cease and desist with impeding our ability to inform members, threaten and remove union representatives from CTA non-working areas. They should also publicly apologize to myself, ATU Local 308 as an organization and all unions. This must be in writing at all breakrooms, system-wide. That includes their official website in a press release that cannot be removed or altered.” Companies have long used intimidation tactics to keep workers from exercising their rights, both union and non-union. As we have documented here, managers often engage in illegal activities in the hope that not all employees or union representatives are aware of their legal rights. Eric Basir’s case is unfortunately not uncommon and workers across the country experience intimidation daily. Workers across the country must work to exercise their legal rights to organize and union members must become familiar with their collective bargaining agreement to prevent managers and bosses from intimidating them into giving away their hard fought rights.

The post INVESTIGATION: ATU Local 308 Union Steward facing retaliation by Chicago Transit Authority management appeared first on Labor Today.

In late 2023, Basir is running for a seat on the Executive Board of Local 308. Naturally, there would be an opponent running against him, but Basir finds out that both are running “unopposed” in the election. The difference being that the would-be opponent is now running for “assistant” Executive Board member. Basir wins his spot on the Exec Board and attends his first meeting on January 5^th, 2024. In this meeting, there is an ongoing grievance with a single mother who is a train operator and got injured outside of work. She had doctors notes and documentation stating that she could not work and filed the formal process needed to ensure she would keep her job. However, the third party health administrator that CTA uses, Regroup, stated they would not accept the mothers doctor note stating her condition. The mother pleaded her case to the board members, but the board voted to not arbitrate on the matter besides Basir and one other person.

Basir proceeds to talk with the mother and tells her the union will need to vote on arbitration at the general meeting. If that does not happen, then Basir stated he would file an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) against the CTA.  The President and VP and other motion to remove Basir from the board meeting before he was even sworn in, because they claimed he violated a “code of conduct” even though there is nothing in the bylaws or constitution stating that he had broken any union law. The Executive Board reconvened afterwards and put charges against Basir for “violating a code of conduct” and proceeded to hold a vote at a future date, but were not able to press charges as a ¾ “yes” vote was needed. Still to this day, the union president refuses to provide Basir’s six days on union payroll for being a steward even as he fulfills his duties to the members of the union. This is an ongoing investigation, keep a lookout on Labor Today for more on the egregious attacks from the “leadership” of ATU Local 308.

The post INVESTIGATION: ATU Local 308 Executive Board Member Facing Retaliation from Leadership appeared first on Labor Today.

Union DART workers cannot legally strike, and they must negotiate with DART leadership through a “meet and confer” process. The impacts of the agency leadership’s decisions and refusal to listen to unionized workers are clear: a survey conducted among the workers indicated approximately a third of DART employees intend to leave the agency.

Unsurprisingly, these changes have been accompanied by a typical display of union busting. KERA News reports Kenneth Day, ATU International Vice President, stated that Senior Executive Vice President Bernard Jackson is retaliating against unionized workers. Day has stated that Jackson prevented workers from receiving their pay when they were engaging in union-related activities.

The post DART Attacks Worker Safety by Pulling the Plug on AM/PM Hybrid Schedule appeared first on Labor Today.