Member Voices
Mike Pucik
Member, ATU Local 757, 757
Mike Pucik, a maintenance employee at Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), began serving as his local’s political coordinator in 2004 during the Presidential election cycle. “It was overwhelming at first, but it gets easier every year,” said Pucik, who also participated in Labor 2006.
An Atmosphere of Activism
“Recruiting other members to volunteer is the hardest part,” he said. “But you just have to keep plugging away at it. Once you get a few members to do it, they tell their friends and co-workers, and eventually you have a pretty solid group of volunteers.” “It really helps having local leadership who are involved and willing to create an atmosphere of activism at the local,” Pucik continued. “The officers of my local are willing to volunteer themselves and that sets a good example for the members.”
Aside from his interest in building his local’s political program, Pucik is active in his local community and other community service projects. He regularly attends town meetings where he voices his opinion on local issues, including issues relating to transit. He also spent a month in Louisiana in 2005 where he worked as a Red Cross volunteer, assisting people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.