April 13, 2016
Contact: Michael Briggs
Karthik Ganapathy

New York's Public Transit Union Endorses Sanders

NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who rode the subways growing up in New York City, was endorsed on Wednesday by the Transport Workers Union Local 100. The local labor union represents 38,000 workers across New York, including those who operate and maintain the New York City subway system.

“Brothers and sisters, there is no doubt that America needs a jolt, New York needs a jolt, working families need a jolt and business as usual politics are not going to give us the jolt that we need," said TWU Local 100 President John Samuelson. "TWU has been fighting for transport workers for decades. In Bernie Sanders, we see a kindred spirit because Bernie Sanders has been fighting for American workers his entire life."

"At a time when our middle class is disappearing, when we are seeing almost all new income and wealth going to the top one percent, when we have the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of almost any major country on earth, John is right: it is too late for the same old, same old establishment politics," said Sanders.

Sanders highlighted his Rebuild America Plan to invest $1 trillion rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and public transit systems over the next five years. The Democratic Party presidential candidate also promised to make sure that public transit systems would be given the flexibility they need to use this federal funding to cover the cost of operating.

Sanders also said that he would fight to enact the Workplace Democracy Act and expand collective bargaining rights. This bill, which Sanders introduced last year, will make it easier for workers to join a union by allowing the National Labor Relations Board to certify a union if a simple majority of eligible workers sign valid authorization cards. Sanders' plan also requires companies to begin negotiating within 10 days after certification. If no first contract is reached after 90 days, either party can request compulsory mediation. After 30 days of mediation, the parties will submit the remaining issues to binding arbitration.

“Millions of Americans who want to join unions are unable to do so because of the coercive and often illegal behavior of their employers,” Sanders said. “The benefits of joining a union are clear: higher wages, better benefits and a more secure retirement. If we are serious about reducing income and wealth inequality and rebuilding the middle class, we have got to substantially increase the number of union jobs in this country."
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