Activities
In addition to membership service, the ATU engages in politics, promoting such causes as increased transit funding, energy independence, and the maintenance of a publicly-funded Social Security system. The Department of Training & Field Mobilization works with ATU locals to foster member participation in the union, and build community-based campaigns for transit. In turn, these community-based campaigns will nurture coalitions and build grassroots support for increased flexibility in federal and state transit funding, reducing fares and improving access to transit.
In November 2010, the ATU, the Transportation Equity Network (TEN), the Transport Workers Union (TWU), other labor unions, and transit advocates convened a "boot camp" in Chicago, IL. Activists from varying backgrounds discussed the issues facing both union members and transit riders, and identified opportunities to work together in the future to address the nation's transit crisis. The ATU and Good Jobs First convened a second boot camp for transit advocates in Silver Spring, MD in March 2011.
In 2008, the ATU endorsed Hillary Clinton in her bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination; after she conceded defeat, the ATU endorsed Barack Obama in his successful bid for President.
A similar union affiliate with AFL-CIO is the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents transit workers at the New York City Transit Authority and SEPTA in Philadelphia, among others.
Read more about this topic: Amalgamated Transit Union
Famous quotes containing the word activities:
“Both gossip and joking are intrinsically valuable activities. Both are essentially social activities that strengthen interpersonal bonds—we do not tell jokes and gossip to ourselves. As popular activities that evade social restrictions, they often refer to topics that are inaccessible to serious public discussion. Gossip and joking often appear together: when we gossip we usually tell jokes and when we are joking we often gossip as well.”
—Aaron Ben-Ze’Ev, Israeli philosopher. “The Vindication of Gossip,” Good Gossip, University Press of Kansas (1994)
“Love and work are viewed and experienced as totally separate activities motivated by separate needs. Yet, when we think about it, our common sense tells us that our most inspired, creative acts are deeply tied to our need to love and that, when we lack love, we find it difficult to work creatively; that work without love is dead, mechanical, sheer competence without vitality, that love without work grows boring, monotonous, lacks depth and passion.”
—Marta Zahaykevich, Ucranian born-U.S. psychitrist. “Critical Perspectives on Adult Women’s Development,” (1980)
“The old, subjective, stagnant, indolent and wretched life for woman has gone. She has as many resources as men, as many activities beckon her on. As large possibilities swell and inspire her heart.”
—Anna Julia Cooper (1859–1964)