Amalgamated Transit Union Praises Defeat of SB5

Media Contacts: David Roscow, 202-537-1645 

Columbus, OH – Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President Larry Hanley issued the following statement in reaction to the defeat of SB5 in Ohio.

 “Today is a great day for the people of Ohio and all middle-class Americans. Today the people of the Buckeye State said ‘No’ to a misguided Banana Republican governor and his millionaire friends in their attempt to take away the rights and voice of public workers and all the hard working people of Ohio.

“The citizens of this great state refused to get suckered-in by the big lie that public workers are the enemies of others.  Today, the people of Ohio said, ‘It stops here.’  No more assaults on middle-class people. No more blaming workers for our financial woes.  No more racing to the bottom.

“Our members across the state came out in force to join thousands of activists to make this victory possible. We applaud their hard work –canvassing door-to-door, phone banks, rallies – over the past few months to defeat this bill.

“Today, we established a beachhead in the battle to defeat the forces working to destroy the rights of all workers across America. We fought back this assault, all of us together, and now we continue the work to rebuild the middle class and create jobs and dignity for all workers.”

About the ATU  

The Amalgamated Transit Union is the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1892, the ATU today is comprised of over 190,000 members in 264 local unions spread across 44 states and nine provinces, including 3,000 workers at Greyhound Lines, Inc. Composed of bus drivers, light rail operators, maintenance and clerical personnel and other transit and municipal employees, the ATU works to promote transit issues and fights for the interests of itshard-working members.