In the wake of the tragic fatal shooting of an MTA Mobility bus driver waiting for a bus to go to work, the third murder of a transit worker in the past year, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is demanding better protection for transit workers. “I want to express our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of our fallen Local 1764 Brother Isaac Caldwell as of a result of a senseless act of violence while he was waiting for a bus to go to work to serve the public during this pandemic,” said ATU International President John Costa. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters of Local 1764 as they deal with this terrible tragedy.” Caldwell was employed by Thrifty Transportation, a subcontractor for First Transit, one of the private companies that runs MTA Mobility in Baltimore. “Unfortunately,” the union said, “this brutal killing is not an isolated incident.” Last October, Baltimore bus driver and Local 1300-Baltimore, MD, member Marcus Parks was fatally shot on the job. Also, a member of the Teamsters and an MTA Mobility operator was shot and killed while on his bus in January 2021. “The ATU demands that transit agencies and government officials bring the same sense of regret that they will display in the mourning of this tragic, unnecessary death of our brother to improve protection for their workers and riders,” Costa said. Read more here. That was actor Danny DeVito's rallying cry in support of the nationwide strike by unionized workers at Nabisco who make Oreos, Chips Ahoy!, Newtons and other Nabisco snacks. They’re out on strike in five states -- Richmond, VA, Norcross, GA, Portland, OR, Aurora, CO, and Chicago, IL -- over what they say are unfair demands for concessions in contract negotiations. Workers in Richmond say they worked 16-hour days during the pandemic while Nabisco owner Mondelez made record profits. Now, they say, they're being asked to take crumbs and they’re vowing to strike until they get a fair contract. “Wow, that Gatling history snippet (Today’s Labor History 8/24) is a great reminder of how far some will go to profit,” writes Korey Hartwich (NNU). “Thank you for keeping us aware and educated about the past.”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal.”
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