Posts tagged Mass Transit
Layoffs, frustrated public among concerns for union president ahead of SEPTA cuts
August 19, 2025 // "What I'm going to do is send a letter to Chief Bethel and the Chief of Transit Police and ask them, on the 24th, that they man our lines. It's going to be a frustrating time, and I'm worried that the backlash is going to come on my operators - and I'm not going to accept that," he said. Pollitt added that some union members are also concerned about potential layoffs. While workers with more than a year on the job are contractually protected, those with less than a year are not - a group he estimates includes more than 700 employees. However, SEPTA says there are no immediate plans for layoffs. "As we get started, there's no immediate plans for layoffs," said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.
NJ Transit, largest union reach tentative contract deal as engineers’ strike looms
May 9, 2025 // Last week, the head of NJ Transit says the company and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen had a deal but it was rejected by the Union membership. "Their view in my humble opinion, is neither reasonable nor affordable," NJ Transit Chairman Kris Kolluri said. New Jersey Transit says the union wants a salary of $190,000 a year. The union says base pay is $89,000.
If You Like Your Uber, Can You Keep Your Uber?
October 14, 2022 // Democratic administrations favor having fewer independent contractors and a standardized set of benefits. This gives more power to unions to organize workers. If Uber were the employer of all drivers, a union could ask Uber to support unionizing the labor force. It is practically impossible to organize independent contractors. Public sector unions made 90 percent of their contributions to Democratic candidates in the 2020 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.com. With the share of wage and salary workers who belong to unions declining from 20 percent in 1983 to 10 percent in 2021, unions are under pressure to recruit more members to fund union officials’ salaries and member pension plans.
IL: More than 100 members and supporters of CTA unions briefly block Michigan Avenue to protest attacks against operators
December 13, 2021 // In a Friday statement, the CTA said the “safety and security of our employees is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for anyone seeking to harm them.”