Mass transit riders and workers teamed up last Saturday to fight for transit justice. At a noontime rally in Adelphi, Maryland, they demanded that elected officials “invest in more transit service, improve existing services, and create living wages and just workplaces for those who keep our region moving.” Amalgamated Transit Union locals 1764 and 689 say that riders with disabilities who rely on MetroAccess are trapped on a transit system that is less efficient and less dependable than Metrorail and Metrobus, but receives far less attention from elected officials. “Vehicle delays, prolonged trips due to irrational add-ons, and inadequate disability training are all issues WMATA and its subcontractors must confront,” the unions said. The ATU, WIN, and MetroAccess riders proposed reforms that they say “will make service safer, more reliable, and restore trust in MetroAccess.”
Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1892, representatives of the Knights of Labor and the United Mine Workers met in St. Louis with 20 other organizations to plan the founding convention of the People’s Party. Their objectives: end political corruption, spread the wealth, and combat the oppression of the rights of workers and farmers. In 1997, Albert Shanker died at age 68. He served as president of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 and of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997. Today’s labor quote is by Albert Shanker "Public schools played a big role in holding our nation together. They brought together children of different races, languages, religions, and cultures and gave them a common language and a sense of common purpose. We have not outgrown our need for this; far from it."
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