CHICAGO - ATU International President Warren S. George
will join Local 241 President Darrell Jefferson and the Rev. Jesse
Jackson,
founder of Rainbow PUSH Coalition at the organization's headquarters, 930
E. 50th St. at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for a mass rally and transit summit.
George, who is also a member of the AFL-CIO executive council, will
reinforce the Local's position for the urgent need of a permanent funding
solution for mass transit to avert further CTA service cuts and lay-offs as
another potential "doomsday" looms October.
Jefferson and Jackson met with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
in Washington, D.C., last week where they outlined the union's position and
recent concessions that amounted to a cost savings of well over a billion
dollars to CTA.
Local 241 will also address HR 2746 (sponsored by Rep. Russ Carnahan), as a
viable remedy for Chicago's transit woes. The bill proposes allowing local
transit agencies to use anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent of money
they receive from the federal government to operate public transportation
systems.
Jefferson, relentless in his efforts in seeking a permanent funding
solution, also met with members of Illinois' congressional delegation on
his trip to D.C., and traveled to Springfield earlier this week to meet
with Illinois state representatives.
ATU Local 241 is the voice of working people employed in the transportation
industry. It is the largest local within the ATU in the United States with
nearly 11,000 members.
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Paul W. Davis
First Trace Communications
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