Published 08 Aug, 2013
The Honorable Peter M. Rogoff
Office of the Admini strator
Federal Transit Administration
East Building. 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Admmistrator Rogoff:
This is to follow up on the recent meeting between the joint ATU-TWU Safety Committee and Vincent Valdes, FT A’s Acting Associate Administrator in the Office of Safety. We have had several meetings with Mr. Valdes in the last year focusing on two issues that we are sure you know are a priority for public transportation employees — transit worker assaults and restroom breaks — and we therefore presented FTA staff with two requests designed to address these matters in the most appropriate way.
First, we urge FT A to host a one-day labor-management nationwide summit focused on transit worker assaults and restroom access exclusively. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with representatives from FTA and APTA in advance of the conference to design a program, and we are hopeful that creative solutions would emerge from the event. Secondly, as the Secretary moves to develop safety standards for all transit systems, it is our understanding that grantees will be required to establish, and have certified, a comprehensive safety plan based on set criteria. We respectfully request that such plans be required to address assault and restroom break matters, and that no plan may be eligible for FTA certification unless it receives the official approval of represented employees of the grantee. Such a process will ensure a credible and enforceable plan that addresses the real safety concerns of all involved.
By now we are certain that we do not have to convince you about the serious nature of the assault issue or the massive increase in incidents in recent years. Similarly. while restroom break access does not get the same coverage in the news media, we can assure you that the health and safety issues confronting our members and the riding public due to the lack of clear and sensible policies at transit systems across the U.S. are staggering.
While we have been concerned with these matters for a very long time and have no shortage of ideas on how to address these critical issues, we have not formally presented them to FT A, as our goal is to move forward in a partnership with transit management so that the entire industry can move to adopt solutions in a swift and efficient manner. As always. thank you for your consideration of our requests. We look forward to discussing these matters with you soon.
Sincerley,
Lawrence J. Hanley, International President, Amalgamated Transit Union
James C. Little, International President, Transport Workers Union