Today, the ATU General Executive Board took part in an innovative Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan Accountability training to assist our Locals in the U.S. with the annual review of Agency Safety Plans. The training and materials give Locals resources to ensure our transit agencies work to implement critical safety committees and other measures under the bipartisan Infrastructure law.
“The epidemic of attacks on our members, blind spots, fumes, increased drug use on public transit, the transition to zero-emission buses, and other health and safety issues continue to impact our members and riders,” said ATU International President John Costa who attended the training along with International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo and International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Kirk. “We need to hold our transit agencies accountable to create these safety committees under the IIJA and this training will help our GEB to assist our Locals in this important work. We will also be rolling this important training out to our Local safety committees as well.”
Conducted by ATU Health and Safety Director Andrew Falotico, Training and Education Administrator Russell Bateman, and Associate General Counsel Larry Karr, the training covered Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans and their requirements, updates on FTA rulemaking regarding safety plans and risk reduction programs, and checklists to help locals review updated safety plans.