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61st Convention Daily Proceedings - Day Four

Day Four Recap of the
61st International Convention

Int. President Costa, Int. Executive Vice President Trujillo, Int. Secretary-Treasurer Kirk Elected. IVPs elected to three-year terms

International President Costa, International Executive Vice President Trujillo, International Secretary-Treasurer Kirk Elected. IVPs elected to three-year terms

The delegates to the 61st Convention of the Amalgamated Transit Union unanimously voted to re-elect John Costa to serve as international president for the next three years.

“Thank you, family, for being here. Thank you, my ATU Family, thank you for giving me this opportunity once again. And I commit and I’m honored and humble to have it that I will to the best of my ability continue to do what I’m doing, as long as I have the strength and health to fight like hell to get respect for our members and you, to make changes in this industry, to make us safe and not one more of our members deserve to be treated like shit, be spit at, punched at, and be afraid to go to work. Once again, I am very humbled to have your support, honored to have your support, and thank you.”

International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo and International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Kirk were also elected to serve a three-year term.

The 61st Convention of the Amalgamated Transit Union reconvened on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 8:42 a.m.

 

Invocation

The Invocation was delivered by Imam Adnan Rokadia, the Founder And Executive Director of Nafahat.

 

Committee Reports

The reports of Operations Workforce Development, Organizing and Collective Bargaining, and Political Action Convention Committees were presented to the convention and unanimously adopted by the delegates by a voice vote.

 

Credentials Committee Final Report

Credentials Committee Chair Eric Tuck gave the final Credentials Committee report. Tuck reported that the committee found 682 credentials to be in order. Of those delegates, 644 are voting delegates; 38 are non‑voting delegates, consisting of 21 international officers, one delegate from ATU Canada, and two delegates from the Connecticut State Conference Board, and 13 alternates. The report was adopted by unanimous voice vote.

 

Lawrence J. Hanley LifetimeAchievement Award

In honor of our dearly departed International President Larry Hanley, in 2019 the GEB created the Lawrence J. “Larry” Hanley ATU Life Achievement Award to be presented at each convention. The award recognizes individuals who have shown commitment to the ATU’s mission and ideals and who have dedicated a lifetime of service to the ATU, our members, and all working families in the U.S. and Canada. This year’s winner was Jackie Jeter, ATU Women’s Caucus President and retired President/Business Agent of Local 689-Washington, DC. Hanley’s widow Thelma, daughter Monica, and son Larry Jr., joined Costa on stage to present the award.

“I’ve known Jackie for a long time She’s a close friend. Everyone at the ATU knows. Jackie Jeter and she is a force of the nature. She has been a true pioneer of this union and the labor movement,” said Costa in presenting the award. “Jackie, this wasn’t hard when I thought about it and said who’s going to be picked for Larry’s award. Larry loved you.”

 

COPE Awards

Next up, International President Costa and Government Affairs Director Jeff Rosenberg presented our COPE awards for the locals that have stepped up to the plate.

Winners for the Chairman Award for the locals with the highest dollar amount contributed included:

  • Local 519-La Crosse, WI
  • Local 1546-Baton Rouge, LA
  • Local 282-Rochester, NY
  • Local 618-Providence, RI
  • Local 726-Staten Island, NY
  • Local 689-Washington, DC

For the President’s Award given to Locals with the highest percentage of active members enrolled in COPE and the COPE clubs winners included:

  • Local 1209-New London, CT
  • Local 1546-Baton Rouge, LA
  • Local 282-Rochester, NY
  • Local 694-San Antonio, TX
  • Local 726-Staten Island, NY
  • Local 589-Boston, MA

For the Patriot Award, given to the ATU member who contributed the highest dollar amount was awarded to Local 587’s Bill Clifford.

 

International President’s John A. Costa Leadership Award

In addition, a new award, the International President John A. Costa Leadership Award to recognize the elected ATU Leader who contributed the highest amount to ATU-COPE was given to Local 1300-Baltimore, MD, President/Business Agent Mike McMillan.

Next Finally, the International President’s Political Activism Award for efforts in getting members involved in the political process across North America. The winners were:

  • Local 113-Toronto, ON
  • Local 241-Chicago, IL
  • Local 256-Sacramento, CA
  • Local 268-Cleveland, OH
  • Local 308-Chicago, IL
  • Local 589-Boston, MA
  • Local 618-Providence, RI
  • Local 689-Washington, DC
  • Local 758-Tacoma, WA
  • Local 819-Newark, NJ
  • Local 821-Jersey City, NJ
  • Local 822-Paterson, NJ
  • Local 823-Elizabeth, NJ
  • Local 1001-Denver, CO
  • Local 1220-Richmond, VA
  • Local 1267-Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Local 1300-Baltimore, MD
  • Local 1320-Peterborough, ON
  • Local 1342-Buffalo, NY
  • Local 1345-Reading, PA
  • Local 1505-Winnipeg, MB
  • New Jersey State Joint Bargaining Council
  • Texas State Legislative Conference Board

 

Civil Rights and Health andSafety Committees

The Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee and Health and Safety Committees presented their reports to delegates. The reports were adopted by unanimous voice vote of delegates.

 

Pizza Surprise Toast forCassella Retirement

Longtime Local 726-Staten Island, NY, President Danny Cassella, aka “Mr. Pizza,” was surprised with a pizza toast for his retirement. As a slideshow of photos of Cassella over the years played, delegates were served Joe and Pat’s Pizzeria, Cassella’s favorite. “As Danny begins this well-earned retirement, we send him off with not just our thanks, but with the admiration, respect and love for his work,” said International President Costa. “He has made a difference

to this union and his voice has inspired generations and his presence will be deeply missed, missed.”


Nominations and Elections

International President

International Executive Vice President Trujillo assumed the Chair to conduct the election of for international president. John Costa was enthusiastically nominated by Local 819 President Veronica Cobb, and seconded by Local 1277 President Jeff Shaffer, and ATU Canada President John Di Nino. Costa was unopposed and unanimously re-elected by acclamation.

 

International Executive Vice President

International President Costa reassumes the Chair for the election of the IEVP.

Yvette Trujillo was enthusiastically nominated by Local 1001 President Lance Longenbohn and seconded by Local 1091 President Brent Payne and Local 113 Marvin Alfred. Unopposed, she was unanimously re-elected by acclamation.

 

International Secretary-Treasurer

International President Costa opened the nominations for International Secretary-Treasurer.

IST Kenneth Kirk was nominated by Local 85 Vice President and ATU Black Caucus President Karima Howard and seconded by Local 1338 President Donnie Jolly and Local 587 Members and Pride Caucus President Mike Mackay. Kirk was unopposed and unanimously elected by acclamation.

 

International Vice Presidents

The following officers were nominated, ran unopposed, and were unanimously re-elected:

  • Marcellus Barnes as 1st IVP.
  • Gary Johnson as 2nd IVP.
  • Jim Lindsay as 3rd IVP.
  • Manny Sforza as 4th IVP.
  • John Callahan as 5th IVP.
  • Curtis Howard as 6th IVP.
  • Natalie Cruz as 7th IVP.
  • Anthony Garland as 8th IVP.
  • Ray Greaves as 9th IVP.
  • Steve MacDougall as 10th IVP.
  • Ken Wilson as 11th IVP.
  • Amanda Sawyer-Malone as 12th IVP.
  • Delegates also elected the following IVP’s:
  • Arturo Aguilar as 13th IVP.
  • Jacques Chapman as 14th IVP.
  • Mark Henry as 15th IVP.
  • Kenneth Day as 16th IVP.

The following officers were nominated, ran unopposed, and were unanimously elected:

  • Michael Cornelius as 17th IVP.
  • Carly Allen as 18th IVP.

 

AFL-CIO Convention Delegatesand Alternates

International President Costa opened the nominations for the 7 AFL-CIO Convention Delegates and 4 Alternates. As International President, Costa is the first Delegate to the AFL-CIO Convention, The following members were nominated for AFL-CIOConvention Delegates, ran unopposed, and were unanimously elected.

  • Second Delegate, Printus L. Dates, Local 689-Washington, DC
  • Third Delegate, Keith Hill, Local 241-Chicago, IL
  • Fourth Delegate, James Evers, Boston Carmen’sLocal 589
  • Fifth Delegate, Jeff Shaffer, Local 1277-Los Angeles, CA
  • Sixth Delegate, Ross Nicotero, Local 85-Pittsburgh, PA
  • Seventh Delegate, Pennie McCoach, Local 308-Chicago, IL

The following members were nominated for AFL-CIO Convention Alternates, ran unopposed, and were unanimously elected.

  • Alternate Delegate No. 1, Orlando Riley, New Jersey State Council Chair
  • Alternate Delegate No. 2, Lilian Brents, Local 1447-Louisville, KY
  • Alternate Delegate No. 3, Luis Alzate, Local 1056-Flushing, NY
  • Alternate Delegate No. 4, Greg Woodfill, Local 587-Seattle, WA

The convention adjourned at 6:51pm and we will reconvene for the last day, Friday, August 22, at 8:30am.

Day Four of the ATU 61st International Convention

International Solidarity

International President Costa then introduced International Transport Workers’ Federation General-Secretary Steve Cotton, representing 16.5 million transport workers in over 150 countries. “For the ITF, transit is to help build our societies.  Transit is for the public good.  It should not be run as a corporation to make massive financial returns, so we, in the ITF, and all of your sisters and brothers around the world, send you unwavering solidarity to keep this fight, to build opportunities not just for your own membership but the next generation.”

 

Speak Up

Next, International President Costa introduced the President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, Tim Drea. “Solidarity among workers is the only way that we will once again realize the American dream.  Now in Illinois, like many of you, through no fault of your own, transit systems are facing budget shortfalls all across the country…Labor standing up, speaking in one voice, makes a difference, and our voice is so important because if we don’t speak up, who is going to speak up?  We are the last bastion of saving this democracy in the United States.”

Drea’s speech was followed by the Reports of the Paratransit Committee and the Maintenance Workforce Development Committee, which were presented to the convention and unanimously adopted by the delegates by a voice vote.

 

Fighting in the Streets

After the Reports, International President Costa brought ATU Canada President John Di Nino to the stage to introduce another powerhouse speaker, Ontario Federation of Labour President Laura Walton “I have witnessed the reality of the voice and the power of ATU.  I have seen it on the streets in Hamilton, with Local 107 when we were on strike.  I witnessed it in the City of Toronto when Local 113 almost brought the City to its knees,” said Walton.  “And I know that this power is within each and every single one of you and all of your ATU locals throughout Canada and the United States.”

The day ended with a group panoramic photo of all the delegates.

The Convention was then adjourned until 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

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