September 14, 2016

ATU endorses Hillary Clinton for president

Silver Spring, MD – The Amalgamated Transit Union General Executive Board has announced ATU’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. Along with her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, ATU believes she will be a progressive, forward-looking leader who will keep America united while charting a steady course toward a safer, more peaceful world.

“Secretary Clinton’s rallying cry – Stronger Together – is an expression of the fundamental principle that has guided the labor movement’s historic work delivering momentous improvements in Americans’ lives. Similarly, there is so much President Hillary Clinton and all of us will be able to accomplish together,” says ATU International President Larry Hanley.   

“Our nation faces a triple threat of crises: an economic system that denies workers a living wage, poorly financed public transit infrastructure that makes it all but impossible for the poor to find a way to work, and a rising tide of demagoguery that divides us by race and class.  These injustices are the result of the outsized influence the wealthy exert in Congress and state legislatures, which has led to the decline of the middle class and the impoverishment of our people,” Hanley continued.

“Fortunately, we have a champion in Hillary Clinton who will fight to rebuild the middle class by restoring the rights of Labor, and bolster our economy through unprecedented investment in public services like transit,” said Hanley.  

As ATU did in 2012, the union plans an aggressive campaign to mobilize members and riders across the country in support of Clinton and candidates who support public transportation and working families. In 2012, ATU waged an unprecedented GOTV campaign leafleting millions of transit riders, rallying thousands of its members, and joining with candidates to transport voters to the polls.

“We have been heartened by Secretary Clinton’s embrace of the principles expressed by Senator Bernie Sanders, who we endorsed in the primary. Senator Sanders so well expressed the frustrated aspirations of millions of Americans who are demanding a revival of the New Deal-style politics that once lifted us from the depths of poverty. Hillary Clinton has heard our cries and will work every day to make America a more just society that works for everyone,” says Hanley.

“In Frat Boy Donald Trump, we have a candidate who has no core values, who seems to lack even a basic understanding of what is going on in the world, and who believes that lone billionaires like him– not movements like ours – has all the answers.  And, as Secretary Clinton has warned, ‘A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons’,” Hanley continues.

“Hillary Clinton is a candidate we can trust to use her unparalleled global experience to provide the strong, responsible leadership the world needs,” says Hanley. “And so we enthusiastically endorse Hillary Clinton. And join the millions of Americans who say, “I’m With Her,” because she’s with us.”

ATU is the largest labor organization representing transportation workers in United States and Canada. With more than 197,000 members in 253 local unions spread across 47 states and nine provinces, including 3,000 workers at Greyhound Lines, Inc., ATU members work as bus drivers, light rail operators, maintenance and clerical personnel and other transit and municipal employees.

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September 14, 2016      
Today, after receiving the endorsement of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Hillary Clinton issued the following statement:

“I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

“For more than a hundred years, ATU members have kept our cities running, powering our urban economies and helping countless people get to and from work every day. Along the way, they helped build the American middle class by fighting for fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions.

“As President, I will proudly stand with ATU as we work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, and make the minimum wage a living wage. We'll invest in building 21st century infrastructure, including transit infrastructure, and make sure that our transit systems are designed to actually connect working people to jobs and economic opportunity. And we will protect the rights and dignity of all Americans--because we know that we are stronger together.

“The stakes in this election could not be higher for working people. Donald Trump stood on a debate stage and said that wages are "too high" in this country. He opposes policies that would make it easier for people to balance work and family, including paid family leave and ensuring pay for women. He personally hired a union-busting firm to keep workers at his hotel in Las Vegas from organizing. Donald Trump is wrong for workers and he's wrong for America.”