First Student employees bring Christmas to kids

“First Student bus drivers and mechanics from Local 1908 are so much more than just people who get your children to and from school,” said Local Secretary Joann Ehrhardt. If you need proof, just ask some of those children. After a Buffalo, N.Y., School District family of six [...]

We pledge allegiance, in solidarity

By SMART General President Joe Nigro –  We are one! Not only as a result of our recent merger, but also by the pledge we make to one another as union brothers and sisters. The strength of organized labor lies in the hearts and minds of every union member who understands the m [...]

Union membership slips after anti-labor attacks

The percentage of American workers in labor unions took an unusually large fall in 2012, dropping to 11.3 percent last year from 11.8 percent in 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced. The total number of union members also took an unusually big drop, by 400,000, to 1 [...]

GO LIRR Sandy relief fund aids members

Days after super storm Sandy hit the New York Tri-State area, Long Island Rail Road GO LIRR General Chairperson Anthony Simon established the “UTU Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund” for Long Island Rail Road members in need. Through both mail-in and boots-on-the-ground donation cam [...]

UTU supports crack down on unsafe bus carriers

The UTU joined other affiliates of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO on Jan. 14 in submitting comments on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Patterns of Safety Violations by Motor Carrier Managem [...]

Labor Secretary Solis stepping down

The White House has confirmed today that Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will not return for President Barack Obama’s second term. Prior to her confirmation as Secretary of Labor, Solis served as a member of Congress, representing the 32nd Congressional District in Californ [...]

Transit friend to head Senate Budget Committee

By Bonnie MorrVice President, Bus Department –  Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington State, is the new chairperson of the Senate Budget Committee, which makes decisions on how much of the annual federal budget is available for transit. As chairperson, Sen. Murray wil [...]

Transit jobs, retirement at stake Election Day

Conservative Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act. Conservative Republicans also are committed to privatizing Social Security and turning Medicare into a voucher program with more costs coming out of retirees’ pockets. By co [...]