Today, the ATU was in the house at the Making Connections 2024: National Transit Workforce Conference in Baltimore, MD, with International President John Costa, International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo, members of the ATU General Executive Board, and more than 100 Local leaders and members from across our Union.
Local 1300-Baltimore, MD, President/Business Agent Mike McMillian welcomed attendees to Charm City for this important conference and thanked Costa for his leadership and commitment to workforce development programs.
Costa kicked off the conference by participating in an engaging opening plenary industry leadership dialogue on Advancing Public Transportation’s Workforce Development Strategic Goals with FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool, Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority CEO India Birdsong Terry, and LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. The panel discussed worker health and safety, recruitment and retention, workforce skills development, and equity and inclusion.
“You need employees at the table to get things right. Safety is one the most important concerns for my members. Our female members are most at risk. It’s horrible,” said Costa. “Finally, we got some progress with the current Administration. However, redesigning the bus is critical to make it safer for our members and riders. We also need harsher laws to ban riders who assault operators. They do this on airplanes, so why not on public transit? Our members shouldn’t be scared to go to work, and passengers shouldn’t be scared to ride public transit.”
Costa also spoke about workforce development and how, earlier in his career, he learned from more experienced workers who mentored him. With the new technologies in the industry, Costa emphasized how our Union takes apprenticeships, mentorships, and workforce development very seriously to ensure our members are properly trained.
Our Local leaders and ATU staff served on various conference panels and workshops on apprenticeships, workforce development, safety, artificial intelligence and automated vehicles, and labor-management partnerships to talk about their experiences and expertise on the job.