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MARCH / APRIL 2017 OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION|AFL-CIO/CLC It’s time again to demand action for a healthy, safe and secure workstation.
MARCH / APRIL 2017
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION|AFL-CIO/CLC
It’s time again to demand action for a healthy, safe and
secure workstation.
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 3
LAWRENCE J. HANLEY International President
JAVIER M. PEREZ, JR. International Executive Vice President
OSCAR OWENS International Secretary-Treasurer
INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTSRICHARD M. MURPHY
Newburyport, MA – [email protected]
JANIS M. BORCHARDT Madison, WI – [email protected]
PAUL BOWEN Canton, MI – [email protected]
KENNETH R. KIRK Lancaster, TX – [email protected]
MARCELLUS BARNES Flossmore, IL – [email protected]
RAY RIVERA Lilburn, GA – [email protected]
YVETTE TRUJILLO Thornton, CO – [email protected]
GARY JOHNSON, SR. Cleveland, OH – [email protected]
ROBIN WEST Halifax, NS – [email protected]
JOHN COSTA Kenilworth, NJ – [email protected]
CHUCK WATSON Syracuse, NY – [email protected]
CLAUDIA HUDSON Oakland, CA – [email protected]
BRUCE HAMILTON New York, NY – [email protected]
MICHELLE SOMMERS Brooklyn Park, MN – [email protected]
JAMES LINDSAY Santa Clarita, CA – [email protected]
EMANUELE (MANNY) SFORZA Toronto, ON – [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVESDENNIS ANTONELLIS
Spokane, WA – [email protected]
STEPHAN MACDOUGALL Boston, MA – [email protected]
ANTHONY GARLAND Washington, DC – [email protected]
ANTONETTE BRYANT Oakland, CA – [email protected]
SESIL RUBAIN New Carrollton, MD – [email protected]
CURTIS HOWARD Atlanta, GA – [email protected]
ATU CANADAPAUL THORP
Brampton, ON – [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS
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: 10000 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20903. Tel: 1-301-431-7100 . Please send all requests for address changes to the ATU Registry Dept. ISSN: 0019-3291. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40033361.RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: APC Postal Logistics, LLC, PO Box 503, RPO, West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6.
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.
NEWSBRIEFS
CEO pay increases to 347 times average workersThe rich keep getting richer and the workers keep getting left behind according to an AFL-CIO report on executive pay. CEO pay rose nearly 6 percent in 2016 to an average of $13.1 million per year in 2016 – 347 times more money than the average rank-and-file worker. This all comes as more good-paying American jobs have been outsourced leading to growing income inequality. Mondeléz International, which makes Nabisco products, represents one of
the most egregious examples of CEO-to-worker pay inequality. Mondeléz CEO Irene Rosenfeld made more than $16.7 million in 2016 – about $8,000 per hour. The company recently closed its Oreo cookie line at a Chicago factory, sending 600 jobs to Mexico, where workers face poor labor and safety standards.
Stay connected with the ATU AppJoin the masses of ATU members downloading the ATU App to stay connected, informed and involved. The ATU App provides information about the latest ATU events and actions in your area, photos of members and events, and national and local content. The ATU App will regularly deliver news you can use and need to know to your mobile devices. The ATU App is free and simple
to download to iPhones and Android devices. Step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing the ATU App can be found on the ATU website.
DC Circulator and Streetcar are why Metro shouldn’t be privatizedReliability and safety problems with the DC Circulator and shortfalls of the city’s streetcar system are why the District of Columbia and Metro should be wary of privatizing transit service according to the ATU report Fool DC Twice. The report exposes the labor abuses, safety standard violations and failures to meet promised ridership
and service goals by the for-profit companies operating the Circulator and beleaguered Streetcar. “Fix the service you have; take responsibility for the quality of service you have,” say the report’s author. “You should understand that we’ve attempted this before, and doubling down on failed initiatives is not the way to move forward.”
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 3
CONTENT 2017MAR/APR
Vol. 126, No. 2
2 International Officers & General Executive Board
News Briefs
3 Index Page
4 Edmonton, AB - Bus operator praised for ‘nerves of steel’ during shooting
5 International President’s Message: Let’s all take a stand on workstations this September
6 International Executive Vice President’s Message: A ‘tip of the hat’ after 50 years fighting for equality
7 International Secretary-Treasurer’s Message: Concern for nation transcends politics
8 Canadian Agenda: Five takeaways from Trudeau’s budget
9 Will awareness lead to action? Winnipeg tragedy instigates chain of events forcing awareness of driver assault
11 ATU local coalition building accelerates this Spring
13 Former Atlanta local president named international representative
Lackawanna, NY, neighbors march for better service
18 Local 689 proposes measures to increase ridership, save Metro
19 Students show appreciation and support for drivers
20 Women and ATU - Part 1
22 Outsourcing costs out of control at MBTA
23 NYC Local calls for better working conditions, union vote for Uber, Lyft drivers
Local 1395, commissioner at odds over ECAT future
24 International Vice Presidents Kinnear, Hykaway, and Rauen retire
25 Calgary Local, management look for patterns in video of assaults
TTC policy change endangers Toronto subway guards
26 ATU Canada observes National Day of Mourning during conference
Court upholds TTC right to do random testing of workers
27 Gatineau members pressure agency with rotating strikes
Hamilton Local says contract forbids LRT privatization
28 Toronto Local demands action on subway air quality
29 Translations (French)
31 In Memoriam
32 Save the Date: ATU/MS Research Funds 32nd Annual Golf Tournament
THE MOTOR COACH WORKSTATION 14
‘IT WAS RIGGED FROM THE BEGINNING’ 4
4 March/April 2017 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 5
“This wasn’t fair, it was rigged from the beginning… that’s not supposed to be the way we do things here in Canada.”
But, that’s the way Local Vice President Neil McKinnon, 583-Calgary, AB, described the process by which the city went about outsourcing 60 ATU CTrain station cleaning and outside maintenance jobs, which it says will save $2.7 million. Calgary’s decision was particularly galling in that the city currently has $500 million in reserve funds.
The Local asserts that the privatization request for proposal only went out to pre-approved bidders. “We
were not allowed to bid on that work,” says McKinnon. “There’s a lack of transparency, lack of accountability in this process and we’re upset by it, we thought we were able to provide savings.”
Not given ‘fair shot’
The union had challenged Calgary, to no avail, to show how privatization would save the city money.
McKinnon says that the Local could have helped find cost savings that would retain jobs, but that, “Right now we’re left with the feeling we weren’t given a fair shot.” Not only was the union stiff-armed in the outsourcing process, its efforts were derided as “disingenuous” by one Calgary councilmember.
“Instead of sharing with us the details behind the decision, including the due diligence surrounding the need for the level of service to remain high, and for all costs associated with the move to be considered over the long-term they have publically chastised our efforts,” says the Local. v
‘It was rigged from the beginning’
An Edmonton bus driver’s nerves of steel and years of police service are credited with saving lives during a police shooting by a gunman. Local 569-Edmonton, AB, member Ernie Russell, a retired police sergeant, was on his route when he came face to face with an armed gunman, dressed in black, pointing a rifle in his direction.
Russell stopped the bus, remaining quiet and still until the police arrived, when he yelled at the man to drop his gun. The gunman, however, ignored Russell’s warning, wheeling his weapon around toward the police.
Seeing his opportunity, the driver left his seat, and ordered his passengers to lie on the floor at the back of the motor coach, and called dispatch.
Shots were exchanged; the gunman was hit, and rushed to the hospital. It was only later that Russell discovered that one of the bullets had broken through his windshield, piercing the operator’s seat just about chest-high where the driver had just been sitting. No one on the bus was injured. v
EDMONTON, AB
Bus operator praised for ‘nerves of steel’ during shooting
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 5
Let’s all take a stand on workstations this September
We, all of us, are about to exercise our collective muscle. The goal? Getting better working conditions for transit workers, saving lives, both pedestrians and ATU members, and improving our lives.
Imagine the power of all our Locals acting together as one! From Vancouver to Pensacola, New York to Toronto, Boston to Dallas, Thunder Bay to Seattle... everywhere we work we have common problems. Let’s all do one thing together in September to register both our complaints and our demands to improve our lives at work.
Here’s the plan
Here’s the plan: between now and our September Local Union meetings we will carry on a union-wide discussion about assaults, bathroom decency, blind spots, bad backs and respect for transit workers. We are demanding, again, that attention be paid to the driver’s workstation. As we have shown in In Transit, all over the world bus manufacturers have improved the seats, workstations and safety barriers for the better. These improvements have not reached Canada or the U.S.
At your September Local Union meeting: We are asking you to debate and vote to support resolutions on these topics.
Health and safety
We need clarity on what transit workers want to make our jobs safer and to preserve our health throughout our lifetimes. Those discussions take place at union meetings.
We want you to video snippets of the meetings with real transit workers telling us how you feel about your seats,
your workstation, your bathroom breaks and your right to be protected from assault.
We will deliver that message with you to your boss. We cannot fix these problems until all our agencies and politicians understand the problems and the solutions.
The International will provide sample resolutions for your September Local Union meeting. Please talk to your officers about presenting and moving these motions.
Let’s gear up all summer and take a stand in September! v
P.S. On page 27 there is an outline for our 20,000 members in New York, many of whom were affected at work by the attack on the city on 9/11, to encourage you to apply for benefits secured under the Zadroga Act. Please, if there is any chance you were affected go to the website listed and apply for benefits.
Special thanks to 911 victim and Local 726-Staten Island, NY, member Frank O’Connor who reported this to us.
LARRY HANLEY, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
6 March/April 2017 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 7
A ‘tip of the hat’ after 50 years fighting for equality
JAVIER PEREZ, JR., INTERNATIONAL EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT
The year is 1967:
• Israel defeats Arab forces in the Six-Days War.
• U.S. troops number almost 500,000 in Vietnam.
• Montreal’s “Expo’67,” is one of the most successful world’s fairs ever.
• Three U.S. astronauts die when their Apollo command module erupts in flame during a pre-launch test.
• Thurgood Marshall becomes the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice.
• The “summer of love” ends with race riots in Detroit and Newark.
And, the ATU Black Caucus is formed, changing our Union for the better.
Half a century
Now, 50 years later, a “tip of the hat” is in order. What’s a tip of the hat?
“A hat tip is an act of tipping or doffing one’s hat as a cultural expression of recognition, respect, gratitude, and acknowledgement.” And, I certainly offer my own tip of the hat to the Black Caucus which has been fighting for social and economic justice for half a century.
Of course, it is time to celebrate, and Local 268 and the City of Cleveland did a great job hosting the 50th Anniversary Black Caucus Conference over the Memorial Day weekend.
One of many highlights was the honoring of approximately 30 caucus members who served in the armed forces. They fought to protect us from external threats abroad, and, brought together by a common bond, fought for racial
equality at home. International Secretary-Treasurer Oscar Owens was one of those honorees.
So I want to extend my thanks and offer a tip of the hat to the Black Caucus upon its 50th conference.
An old Japanese proverb states: “Vision without action is a daydream – Action without vision is a nightmare.”
The January/February In Transit described ATU’s vision of a strong safety culture at every transit workplace and the actions needed to protect transit workers from injurious fumes, dust, chemicals and accidents due to lack of training and equipment.
The magazine urged members to push, prod and cajole employers into providing ongoing training in vehicle maintenance and safety, and explained the bus design changes and interpersonal training needed to make those vehicles safer.
Bring it home
We have trained thousands of members ourselves at our new Tommy Douglas Conference Center. Now is the time to bring it home. I challenge each Local to train 20 members under 40 to pursue safety, health and legislative goals in their home towns. For further information on trainings Locals should contact the International President’s office.
Our vision and our actions need not be a daydream or a nightmare. Together, we can make them a reality. v
Please visit www.atu.org for more information and the latest ATU news.
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 7
Concern for nation transcends politics
OSCAR OWENS, INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER
Regular readers of In Transit know that I usually support Democratic candidates in U.S. elections. That doesn’t mean that I never support Republicans. It simply means that, more often than not, Democrats, like the NDP in Canada, are more supportive of the causes I care about such as Labor, transit, and civil rights, than the GOP.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise – union members have traditionally voted Democratic – that is until last year’s election.
That was the election in which default political alignments were questioned – and voter allegiance shifted like tectonic plates under both parties. Half of all union voters cast their ballots for Donald Trump, having lost faith in the Democratic Party.
Frustration with the status quo
Frustration with the status quo forced many voters to look to outsiders they hoped would restore the middle class. Ultimately, President Trump won that contest, and Americans are patiently waiting to see what he will do to increase their wages and improve their standard-of-living.
No one would be happier than I if that were to happen. But, so far, the GOP leadership in Congress seems hell-bent on moving the nation in the opposite direction, and the president isn’t doing anything to stop them.
As anyone following the news knows there are many more reasons to be concerned about the president’s performance in office, and these concerns are so profound that they transcend politics.
Forging alliances across party lines
We have come to the point where many of us are far more worried about the safety of our country than we are about who wins the next election. But, I think this presents us with a hidden opportunity to forge alliances across party lines with all those who share our belief that the economic well-being of working families is truly a national security issue.
The local coalitions that we are establishing all over the United States and Canada can only become stronger with the inclusion of persons of varying political persuasions in our common cause. v
Please visit www.atu.org for more information and the latest ATU news.
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 258 March/April 2017 | IN TRANSIT
1. Long-Term Funding
The Trudeau government has committed $20.1 billion over 11 years in its 2017 budget for public transit as part of Phase II of Canada’s Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. Only 15% of a system’s total allocation will be eligible for spending on repair and rehabilitation in this budget, the rest for new transit or expansion projects. Federal cost share through this fund will be between 40-50%.
This budget allocates funding to provinces and territories on the basis of a mix of ridership (70%) and population (30%). Previously funding was based solely on ridership. This new formula helps smaller municipalities where the ridership has stalled.
2. Removal of tax benefit
The budget eliminates the Public Transit Tax Credit that allowed riders to take a deduction for their monthly transit pass on their taxes. The reason given for the elimination was that it had been ineffective in encouraging the use of public transit and reducing greenhouse gas emissions – its stated goal.
3. Canada Infrastructure Bank
The government will create a new Canada Infrastructure Bank to spur private investment in infrastructure, including transit. $5 billion of the bank’s $35 billion start-up cash is earmarked for transit. These transit investments will likely only be available through a merit-based process, and many expect the bank to focus on larger and revenue
generating projects. This process will be carefully watched by unions for its use in privatization schemes.
4. Innovation
One of the focuses of the 2017 budget was to make Canadian communities and industries more conducive to innovation. For example, the newly announced Smart Cities Challenge, worth $300 million over 11 years, will be a nation-wide competition to encourage governments, the private sector and others to collaborate to solve urban mobility problems.
A separate innovation is the new “superclusters” strategy, which will try to build innovation hubs through knowledge partnerships, specialization and government support in areas that have the potential to support economic growth.
5. The environment
The government’s 2017 budget puts forward a variety of environmental reforms even beyond pricing carbon pollution. More details were released on the $21.9 billion Green Infrastructure Fund, a portion of which will be going to climate resilient infrastructure – which is a key transit industry focus.
Additionally, the government will be working with provinces and territories to set stronger air quality standards, monitor emissions, and provide incentives for investments that lead to cleaner air and healthier communities. v
Canadian Agenda
Five takeaways from Trudeau’s transit budget
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 25
An average of 60 Calgary Transit bus drivers are assaulted by angry passengers every year. But that number increased to over 70 in 2016. This year has seen numerous violent assaults including a female bus driver being punched in the face.
Now Local 583-Calgary, AB, has formed a task force with the agency to study the videos of driver assaults to see if anything can be learned to reduce the number of these violent incidents they call “code blues.”
Not a pleasant task
Local Executive Vice President Neil McKinnon, a member of the task force, has reviewed video of attacks over the last six months. “It’s not a pleasant task, actually,” he says, “but I think it’s necessary to try to learn.”
Other departments of the transit agency are also reviewing their own data to see if they can discern any patterns that
will help identify the root causes of assault and reduce the risk to drivers.
“It’s a concern for us obviously,” says McKinnon. “I wish there was some magical solution we would have but there isn’t at the moment.” v
Calgary Local, management look for patterns in video of assaults
Local 113-Toronto, ON, says TTC is endangering its subway guards by requiring them to work from the sixth rail car, rather than the fifth. The Local makes the assertion in the wake of an attack on a woman who was assaulted while working as a guard from the sixth car, as ordered by the transit agency.
The female worker was approached by a man who cursed the TTC before punching her in the face. She sustained broken teeth in the attack.
Attack called ‘direct result’ of TTC decision
“This is a direct result of their decision to not allow us to guard from the fifth cab,” says Financial Secretary
Kevin Morton, who explains that there is only a partition separating the operators from the riders on the sixth car, whereas in the fifth car, the operators are protected in an enclosed cab.
The issue could become moot soon, however, if TTC is successful in carrying out its planned switch to one-person train operations, eliminating the guard entirely – a move Local 113 opposes.
“TTC continually shows by their actions that they don’t take the safety of their employees as a first priority. They are looking for comfort of the public over safety of employees,” says Morton. “It’s always an afterthought.” v
TTC policy change endangers Toronto subway guards
26 March/April 2017 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 27IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 27
ATU Canada observes National Day of Mourning during conference
Canadian members took time out from their annual conference to help observe the Workers’ National Day of Mourning on April 28, in London, ON. ATU Canada President Paul Thorp took the opportunity to tell the media about the dangers drivers face on the job, saying, “We find that the Day of Mourning is an important day to come and
acknowledge the people who have lost their lives or have been injured on the job.
“This past February,” he explained, “We lost one of our members for the first time in Canada. A bus driver was murdered in Winnipeg, while on the job.
“Pilots have to be in their own compartment away from the passengers; train operators are in their own compartment; and, bus drivers are just out in the open, susceptible to these heinous attacks.
“And we’re here to let people know that it’s not acceptable to have anybody go to work and fear being injured. And we need things in place that will keep our workers safe.” v
Delegates to the annual ATU Canada Conference swelled the numbers of those remembering Canadian workers killed on the job during the
observance of the National Day of Mourning on April 28, in London, ON. ATU Canada President Paul Thorp speaks to the press, at right.
A Local 113 application for an injunction blocking the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) plan to begin random drug and alcohol testing of its safety sensitive employees was turned down by a superior court judge in March, saying that protecting public safety was more important than employee privacy. TTC subsequently began testing in April.
‘Nothing more than an abuse of employer power’
Local 113 responded to the ruling with a statement saying, “We’re disappointed in the Ontario Court’s decision to deny an injunction to stop the TTC’s bad policy to start random drug and alcohol testing. But we’re not going to let this disappointment stop us from fighting for our civil rights.
“The judge said himself he’s ‘satisfied that there are serious issues to be tried at arbitration.’ More energized than ever, we’ll be back in arbitration… to overturn this policy that is nothing more than an abuse of employer power. We deserve trust and respect from the TTC – and we’ll keep fighting in arbitration to ensure we get it.” v
Court upholds TTC right to do random testing of workers
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 27IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 27
Gatineau members pressure agency with rotating strikes
With Local 591-Hull, QC, locked in a labour dispute with the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), transit workers walked off the job for a day in March as part of their rotating strikes to put pressure on the agency. The Gatineau bus drivers and mechanics have been working without a contract since December 31, 2014.
In January, the Local began protest actions, including wearing jeans, refusing to work overtime or special events, and reporting even minor defects on buses.
Local seeking arbitration
In March, the members began striking one day a week, while meeting with management and a mediator, and pushing for arbitration.
STO has countered by trying unsuccessfully to have the Canadian Industrial Relations Board declare the transit service an “essential service” whose employees cannot strike.
Commuters who rely on STO are understandably upset about their interrupted service. But, Gatineau City Counsellor Mike Duggan is urging calm.
“There’s a lot of angst and misunderstanding of why we can’t resolve this. And we have to convey to them to be patient,” he says.
“We live in a society that allows collective bargaining. It’s following all the rules. This is just part of the hit you take for the team when you’re in a democratic society.” v
Local 107-Hamilton, ON, has been fighting propositions to operate the proposed light rail transit (LRT) system with private contractors. Moreover, Local President Eric Tuck says the union’s collective bargaining agreement forbids hiring outside operators to run transit service in the city.
Tuck says, the Local has contract provisions spelling out exclusive rights for the union to any “contracted out” or converted fixed route transit service in urban Hamilton.
The door not completely closed
While the Local has “very deliberately” refrained from advocating for or against the LRT plan, Tuck says that, “we are against privatizing of public transit. It’s my belief public transit should remain in the hands of the public
… Despite everything, we’ve heard I still don’t believe the door is completely closed.”
Still hopeful
ATU Canada has asked to meet with Metrolinx on the issue on behalf of several ATU Locals in cities planning or considering LRT.
The Local has launched a “Keep Transit Public” website petition and video to gain public support. Tuck points outsourcing the system doesn’t not work and there are countless cautionary tales of failed privatization of public transit. “It ends up costlier, less safe, and robs our communities of our shared public assets and good jobs,” says Tuck. “It makes no sense to lose local control to an international consortium of huge companies who know nothing about Hamilton.” v
Hamilton Local says contract forbids LRT privatization
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 29
Due to the strong demand of Local 113-Toronto, ON, for a meeting and immediate action, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) CEO Andy Byford met with members of the Local’s executive board to discuss pressing health and safety concerns regarding the filthy air members who work underground breathe every day – sometimes up to 12 hours a shift.
The TTC subsequently acceded to the Local’s demand for an independent, third-party study of the subway system’s air quality. The Local says it will have a strong say over the terms of reference for the study, and if it believes the terms fail to serve the interests of their members, TTC will need to return to the table.
The demand came in the wake of an April 25 report by Health Canada, the University of Toronto and McGill University that found high concentrations of fine particulate matter, including iron, in the subway system are approximately 10 times the level found outside TTC
stations. The results are similar to an average day in Beijing – the Chinese capital that struggles with extraordinarily high levels of air pollution.
Over the years, TTC has repeatedly resisted the Local’s requests to test air quality on the system.
Questions
At the meeting the union demanded answers to the following questions:
• Why has the TTC failed to conduct an air quality test in 22 years?
• When did the TTC first learn about the high concentration of pollutants in the air that subway workers breathe underground?
• How can the TTC assure subway workers they will not get sick?
• Why won’t the TTC allow subway workers to protect themselves from air pollution by wearing masks?
TTC accedes to Toronto Local’s demand for air quality study
28 March/April 2017 | IN TRANSIT
IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 29
Faisons front commun pour les stations en septembreNous sommes tous sur le point d’exercer notre muscle collectif. L’objectif ? Obtenir de meilleures conditions de travail pour les conducteurs du transport en commun, sauver des vies – à la fois celles des piétons et des membres du SUT – et améliorer nos conditions de vie.
Imaginez seulement le pouvoir de toutes nos sections locales agissant à l’unisson ! De Vancouver à Pensacola, de New York à Toronto, de Boston à Dallas, de Thunder Bay à Seattle... peu importe où nous travaillons, nous faisons face à des problèmes communs. Unissons nos efforts en septembre pour loger à la fois nos plaintes et nos demandes afin d’améliorer nos vies en milieu de travail.
Voici le plan
Voici le plan : à partir de maintenant, et ce, jusqu’à nos réunions syndicales locales qui auront lieu en septembre, nous tiendrons une discussion pan-syndicale concernant les agressions, la décence des pauses-toilettes, les angles morts, les maux de dos et le respect pour les travailleurs du transport en commun. Nous demandons, pour la première fois de notre histoire, qu’une attention particulière soit portée aux stations des conducteurs. Comme nous l’avons présenté dans l’In Transit, partout à travers le monde, les fabricants d’autobus ont amélioré les sièges, les stations et les barrières de sécurité. Ces améliorations ne se sont pas rendues ni au Canada ni aux États-Unis.
Lors de votre réunion syndicale locale de septembre : Nous vous demandons de débattre et de voter pour des résolutions touchant ces enjeux.
Santé et sécurité
Nous avons besoin de clarifier les demandes des travailleurs du transport en commun pour rendre nos emplois plus sûrs et pour conserver notre santé tout au long de notre vie. Ces discussions auront lieu lors des réunions syndicales.
Nous aimerions que vous produisiez de courts extraits vidéo de ces réunions, mettant en vedette de vrais travailleurs du transport en commun qui exprime leurs sentiments à propos des sièges, des stations, des pauses-toilette ainsi que sur leurs droits d’être protégés des agressions.
Nous livrerons avec vous ce message à votre patron. Nous ne pouvons résoudre ces problèmes tant que toutes nos agences et les politiciens ne comprendront pas à la fois les problèmes et les solutions.
L’International vous fournira des exemples de résolutions pour votre réunion syndicale locale de septembre. Veuillez discuter avec vos dirigeants de la présentation et de l’adoption de ces résolutions.
Passons l’été à nous équiper pour être fin prêts à faire front commun en septembre !
Le SUT hausse le ton dans sa campagne pour des stations saines, sûres et sécuritairesLe SUT hausse le ton dans le cadre de sa campagne visant à corriger les stations dangereusement inadéquates qui rendent les conducteurs d’autobus vulnérables aux agressions et aux problèmes de santé, tant au Canada qu’aux États-Unis. Cette campagne commence avec l’éducation : fournir l’information nécessaire aux membres pour faire pression sur les agences, les législateurs et les gouvernements afin d’offrir aux opérateurs du transport en commun un environnement de travail sain, sûr et sécuritaire.
Parmi les préoccupations de sécurité qui n’ont pas été abordées, la principale concerne la station des conducteurs. Elle est la source de bon nombre de difficultés rencontrées par les conducteurs.
Protection contre les agressions
Les conducteurs d’autobus ne sont ni des soldats, ni des policiers, ni des pompiers; pourtant, chaque jour, ils craignent d’être blessés au travail. Se faire insulter, cracher dessus ou recevoir des coups de poing de passagers turbulents et violents, ou autres formes d’abus sont devenues monnaie courante. De telles conditions de travail sont simplement inacceptables dans la plupart des occupations; pourtant, pour les conducteurs d’autobus, ces incidents sont maintenant considérés comme « la routine habituelle ».
30 March/April 2017 | IN TRANSIT IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 31IN TRANSIT | www.atu.org 31
Parmi les meilleures solutions utilisées pour protéger les opérateurs : des boucliers rétractables qui bloquent les agressions sans compromettre le confort et l’accessibilité des conducteurs.
Il est grand temps pour nous tous d’exiger que les gouvernements et les agences de transport en commun fassent tout ce qui est en leur pouvoir pour protéger les conducteurs d’autobus et de mettre un terme aux agressions – maintenant !
Protéger les piétons des angles morts
Les conducteurs d’autobus vivent également dans la crainte de frapper accidentellement un piéton sur un trottoir caché derrière un pilier de pare-brise et un miroir. Les décès résultant de ces angles morts n’ont pas incité la plupart des gouvernements et des agences à dépenser la somme d’argent minimale nécessaire pour résoudre le problème. Il est plus facile de blâmer le conducteur. La responsabilité rend plus coûteux l’échec dans la livraison de matériel sécuritaire.
Prévenir les blessures au dos
La plupart des conducteurs, sinon la majorité éprouvent des problèmes de dos au cours de leurs carrières. Le martèlement constant des vertèbres des conducteurs leur garantit pratiquement de futurs troubles musculosquelettiques. Plusieurs devront quitter leur emploi, handicapé à cause de longues heures et d’une conception défaillante. Cela doit cesser – maintenant !
L’amélioration des sièges de conducteur d’autobus afin qu’ils protègent les conducteurs contre les blessures au dos a été une priorité faible pour la plupart des propriétés. On devrait exiger des agences qu’elles installent des sièges de conducteur actifs qui utilisent des moteurs pour éliminer davantage de vibrations corporelles pouvant invalider les conducteurs de façon permanente.
Prévenir les maladies pulmonaires
Les conducteurs d’autobus travaillent habituellement dans des environnements où la qualité de l’air ne saurait être tolérée dans un autre lieu de travail. Résultat : beaucoup trop de conducteurs se retrouvent avec des maladies
pulmonaires progressives et terminales. Cela doit cesser – maintenant !
Les systèmes de transport en commun doivent s’assurer que l’air respiré par leurs employés respecte les normes minimales prévues pour un milieu de travail sain. Les passagers et les employés méritent de l’air frais et filtré.
Protection contre les blessures professionnelles
Enfin, de nombreux conducteurs subissent des blessures professionnelles attribuables à des tableaux de bord et des contrôles mal conçus. Les agences de transport en commun devraient être tenues d’acheter des autobus qui respectent les normes ergonomiques actuelles pour les conducteurs. Ils devraient être dotés, entre autres, de roues directrices intelligentes qui protègent les poignets, les coudes et les épaules des conducteurs, et de pédales d’accélérateur et de frein réglables.
Ces demandes sont loin d’être exagérées. Elles sont les mesures minimales que les employeurs devraient prendre pour assurer la sécurité de leurs travailleurs. Il est temps de se tenir debout et de demander à être traités avec la même considération que la plupart des autres travailleurs tiennent pour acquis. v
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