Three Years, One Mission: Empower the ATU
Brothers and sisters, siblings in solidarity, as we gather again for our ATU Convention, united by our shared purpose, bonded by a brotherhood and sisterhood that stretches across borders and decades, we pause to reflect on a journey unlike any we have taken before.
From the steps of the 2022 Convention to the present day, we have traveled through times that have tested our mettle, redefined our mission, and brought out the soul of who we are. It has been my honor to be your International President during this historic journey.
A Movement Strengthened by Crisis
When I assumed the mantle of International President in 2019, I didn’t step into comfort. I stepped into fire. The COVID-19 pandemic swept across our nations like a tidal wave. Our members, the frontline, the lifeline of every city, did not have the luxury of retreat. Transit workers became first responders, risking their lives so that others could live theirs.
Then came the strikes. When words failed and negotiations stalled, when employers refused to recognize the value of our labor, we never hesitated to unleash the most powerful weapon in our arsenal: the strike. Over the past three years, through 13 strikes, ATU members across North America stood strong on picket lines, from transit yards in Canada to bus depots in the United States. These weren’t acts of desperation, they were acts of defiance. Acts of dignity. Whether it was fighting back against poverty wages, unsafe working conditions, or anti-union corporate greed, we made it clear: if they won’t move at the table, we’ll meet them in the streets. And we did, together. With solidarity and the full force of the International and our more than 200,000 members behind every Local, we didn’t just strike, we won.
Organizing in an Age of Adversity
I also knew that the key to our future wasn’t just surviving each crisis, it was building during it, so the ATU went to work, bringing thousands of new members into our ranks. Over the past three years, we’ve had 96 organizing victories. These hard-fought wins added approximately 3,368 new members to the ATU family. Transit yards that had been quiet for years are now centers of worker power. And cities that only saw the ATU in passing now see us at the bargaining table, in the streets, and on the ballot.
We built strength through solidarity, and solidarity through strategy. That’s why our education programs have exploded. Our trainings are alive with leadership, rank-and-file, and young workers who now know: the union isn’t just something you pay dues to—it’s something you belong to.
Over the past three years, we’ve held over 100 different educational events and trained over 7,300 members. An educated union member is a powerful force. Our members understand the systems we work within, the rights we are entitled to, and the leverage we hold. That knowledge makes us strong. That unity makes us unstoppable. And that combination makes us dangerous, in the best possible way, to anyone who seeks to exploit or undermine workers.
Legislative Victories and Political Power
Make no mistake, power is not given. It’s taken, organized, and exercised.
In the last three years alone, we’ve taken the ATU’s voice from the shop floor to Capitol Hill and Parliament. We helped pass historic infrastructure investments that included billions for public transit. We secured new safety regulations for operators. We won language on operator assault protections. And we put our weight behind candidates who put workers first, winning races and ballot initiatives that are reshaping the political landscape and the public transit for working families.
When they try to privatize transit, we fight back. When they try to break unions, we show them unity. And when they try to divide us, we double down on our diversity because every member matters.
Innovation, Inclusion, and a New Generation
I know that if we are to endure, we must evolve. That’s why we’ve led the charge to modernize the ATU, increasing communication, expanding member outreach, and opening the doors to a new generation of leadership. Women, members of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and young workers are not only welcomed, but they are leading. The ATU is not just a voice in labor, but a powerful vision for the 21st-century labor movement.
The Road Ahead
Let us be clear: the fight is not over. Automation looms. Union-busting continues. Wages stagnate while CEO salaries and greed soar. But we are not afraid. Because if the ATU has taught us anything, it’s that we fight not with fear, but together. Not with despair, but with unity. Not with isolation, but with our collective power.
As we look toward the horizon toward greener cities, safer workplaces, stronger contracts, and a world where labor is honored, not exploited, we move forward knowing that the ATU is more than a Union. It’s a movement.
In Solidarity, For All Time
So let the record show that from 2022 to 2025, in the face of storms and struggle, the ATU stood tall. Let it be known that in the hardest of times, we had the hardest of fighters. And let it be remembered that when others faltered, the ATU led.
Here’s to the next chapter of the ATU. Here’s to our movement.