That’s a wrap for a successful Making Connections 2024: National Transit Workforce Conference in Baltimore, MD, attended by International President John Costa, International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo, members of the ATU General Executive Board, and more than 70 of our Local leaders and members.
Costa closed out the conference at a plenary Celebrating Our Frontline Workers. “This has been a great conference bringing our members and transit agencies together to make connections on workforce development. Having stronger mentorship and apprenticeship programs are critical to the success of our members and our agencies. I came through a program like this in my career,” said Costa. “When we started this conference, this was my vision to focus on the importance of building strong apprenticeships and mentorships in our industry. It’s good to see the pride in this room. Thank you to everyone who attended this conference.”
Telling their stories at the closing plenary were our Local 265-San Jose, CA, Sister Nichole Gallagher, Local 1070-Indianapolis, IN, Mentorship and Apprenticeship Coordinator Dionna McCane, Local 689-Washington, DC, Executive Board Member Leah Anderson, and Local 1005-Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, Brother Myles Alteri.
Our Local leaders, members, and ATU staff presented on workshops on Funding Workforce Development Programs, Establishing Effective Partnerships with Colleges, and other important topics.
We thank everyone who attended this conference where important connections were made and the critical workforce issues impacting our Locals, our members, and our Union were discussed.
At the conclusion of Making Connections, Costa chaired the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) Board of Directors Meeting to review the success of the conference, put on by ITLC, and discuss the latest issues affecting the transportation industry.