ATU Members Lead the Way at CTW’s Mentors in Motion
The ATU was in the house for the “Mentors in Motion: Inspiring Each Other and Building Community”, the annual meeting of California Transit Works! (CTW). This historic meeting was the largest gathering of public transit High Road Training Partnerships (HRTPs) in the country, featuring the leadership and voice of our members.
International President John Costa has made a commitment to promoting apprenticeships and workforce development for our members at every Local across North America. ATU leaders from 13 Locals attended this meeting along with International Vice President Jim Lindsay and ATU Apprenticeship and Workforce Development Director Jamaine Gibson.
“I have never attended anything like this!” was the day’s refrain, as 250 people from California and five other states at the event. The entire event was organized by current and former peer mentors/mentor coordinators and supported by the ATU, CTW and its labor/management partnerships.
More than 70% of attendees were frontline transit workers – both current peer mentors, as well as frontline transportation and maintenance workers who were interested in peer mentoring, as well as issues such as conversion to zero emission buses (ZEB). They were joined by our Union and agency leaders of their agencies’ training partnerships, as well as ATU officers and agency managers at all levels. Special guest presenters included the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Workforce Development Board, and community college deans. CTW was graciously hosted by the principal, counselor, automotive instructor, and students at Logan High School in Union City, CA.
ATU Leading the Way for Workforce Development
IVP Lindsay, on behalf of IP Costa, gave the official welcome, emphasizing our Union’s commitment to promoting apprenticeships and workforce development for our members at every local in the U.S. and Canada. Michael Hursh, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, and ATU’s Jamaine Gibson opened the plenary by speaking from the heart about why these public transit labor/management partnerships centering frontline workers are so meaningful and essential for the public transit industry.
The meeting was devoted to each labor/management partnership working together to share what they learned and develop partnership “Commitment to Action” plans for 2024. As each partnership shared their Commitment to Action plans on stage to the rest of the meeting attendees, their enthusiasm was the perfect way to close out the day and carry us all forward into 2024!
Our Union continues to set the standard for apprenticeships in the transit industry, working in partnership with CTW and our transit agencies. Thanks to the CTW for holding this event.