Today in Washington, DC, the ATU’s New Officer Training kicked off with more than 60 President/Business Agents and Financial Secretaries from Locals across North America coming together to learn the skills necessary to effectively run their Locals.
The day started with members hearing from International President John Costa, who spoke to the class about his experience as a new officer and how the International is there to support them.
“As officers, you are responsible for the livelihood of our members and their families. That’s a big job and I’ve been in your shoes at my Local 819-Newark, NJ. You can’t do this job behind a desk; you need to get out to talk to your members and educate them. You need them involved in contract negotiations, strikes, and other actions. We will see that in action today when we visit our Local 689 Fairfax Connector workers on the 5th day of their strike,” Costa told the Local officers. “You will be here for a week to learn the skills and tactics needed to do the job to best represent our members. We will give assistance when you need it. Enjoy the week, and we know you will leave a better leader for your members.”
After the introductory session, attendees boarded two buses to join our Local 689 Fairfax Connector workers on strike at a rally outside contract negotiations with Transdev. With a crowd of hundreds of ATU members, our Union sent a strong message of solidarity that we will not back down until our Fairfax members get the contract they deserve. “I was out here Friday holding the line. Since then, our Union, along with our allies, have been making phone calls to Jeff McKay to demand he take responsibility for this strike. Now, we have leadership here from across North America joining you in solidarity, they’re here to hold the line with you. We’re looking for Transdev to do the right thing.”
Over the week, the Local leaders will hear from experts and staff on a wide variety of topics, including new strategies to strengthen their Locals and empower their members to get involved and prepare for the battles ahead. Secretary-Treasurer Ken Kirk and International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo were also there on the first day of this innovative training. #ATUStrongerTogether