It was a busy and productive week in Washington, DC, as more than 50 Local Presidents/Business Agents and Financial-Secretaries from across the U.S. and Canada attended the ATU New Officers’ training. At this innovative training, attendees learned new strategies to strengthen their Locals and empower their members to get involved and prepare for the battles ahead.
International President John Costa addressed the Local officers about their important role, the challenges they face, and the critical skills they learned this week to build the necessary foundation to best serve their Locals, their members, and our Union. “The job of a Local Officer is not an easy one. When I was elected President of my Local 819, I learned quickly the importance of getting your members involved and engaged. Their support and involvement is critical when it comes to contract negotiations, strikes, organizing drives, and other actions. We saw that firsthand when we visited our Local 689 Fairfax Connector workers on strike on Monday,” Costa told the Local officers. “We hope you enjoyed this week and take the skills and tactics you learned to make your job a bit easier. Thank you for all you do, and please know the International is here to support you.”
Over the week, the Local leaders heard from experts and staff on a wide variety of topics to effectively run their Locals. The topics covered included Local Union Officers & Executive Board Members roles, 13c, Collective Bargaining and Joint Industry Councils, Government Affairs, Politics, ATU-COPE, Organizing, Campaigns, Workforce Development and Apprenticeships, Research, Health and Safety, Strategic Communications, Mental Health Awareness and more.
During the training, attendees boarded two buses to visit and show solidarity with our Local 689 Fairfax Connector workers on strike at a rally outside contract negotiations with Transdev.
Also in attendance at the training were International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo and International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Kirk.
Thank you to our newest Local leaders in attendance for your commitment and dedication to our Union and the work that lies ahead.