The ATU Black Caucus 59th Annual Conference is underway in Jersey City, and it's a homecoming for International President John Costa. A Newark boy who started his labor career at NJ Transit as a proud member of ATU Local 819, Costa is back in his home state and didn't hold back when he addressed more than 300 members, kicking off a full day of ATU International workshops focused on organizing for power in the digital age and ensuring Black workers are at the table when decisions about automation and AI are made.
"The attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are real. The rise of automation is real. And the ATU Black Caucus isn't pretending otherwise. There are people in positions of power who want those words to disappear. They think that if they gut the programs, erase the language, and roll back the wins, we'll just go quietly. They don't know this room very well."
"These decisions about automation and AI aren't coming someday," Costa continued. "They're being made right now, in boardrooms and city halls, sometimes without our members in the room. And who gets hurt first when those decisions go wrong? Black workers. That isn't a coincidence. That's a pattern. What about us?"
ATU International staff led two major presentations during the general session: one on AI and technology and what it means for transit workers, and one on workforce development training and the resources available to help members build power on the job.
Joining Costa in Jersey City were International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo, International Secretary Ken Kirk, and International Vice Presidents Marcellus Barnes, Gary Johnson, Natalie Cruz, Anthony Garland, Ray Greaves, Amanda Sawyer-Turner, and Mark Henry, and ATU Canada President John Di Nino.
Black Caucus President Karima Howard and the full executive board led the charge. Because inclusion isn't a checkbox. It means Black workers will help build the future.