Safety is Paramount: How Local 1300-Baltimore, MD Turned PTASP Into Real Protections
When the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule went into effect, ATU Locals across the US gained access to a critical tool for advancing health and safety priorities. With the mandatory establishment of Joint Labor-Management Safety Committees (JLMSC) at large agencies, unions gained a seat at the table they had long been denied. While this legislation has significantly improved opportunities for labor-side input, it has also highlighted the importance of our Locals organizing around health and safety issues. ATU Local 1300-Baltimore, MD, exemplifies this sort of progress.
Organizing for Safety
Local 1300 boasts an impressive number of safety improvements at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), none of which would have been possible without the hard work of the Local and its safety committee members. First and foremost, the Local prioritizes the health and safety concerns voiced by members. The union committee raises these issues at Joint Safety Committee (JSC) meetings with the MTA. To ensure Local concerns are best represented at the JSC, Local 1300 members prepare in advance. Committee members also conduct regular site inspections, reducing the likelihood that critical safety issues slip through the cracks. Additionally, the JSC committee members serve on location-specific safety committees that gather information from frontline workers, identify hazards, and ensure recommendations are implemented. Following committee meetings, the committee reports back on their progress at Local union meetings to ensure all union members stay engaged with health and safety.
Turning Safety Concerns into Action
The list of safety recommendations implemented by MTA through JSC approval is lengthy. When Local 1300 identified issues with security protections at some facilities, the committee recommended the hiring of patrolling security guards. Since implemented by the MTA, trespassing has declined significantly. With input from operators on workplace procedures regarding unruly passengers, the JSC also established and implemented a passenger code of conduct and exclusion policy. During the construction of a new support in the rail system, labor side committee members raised concerns regarding plans to use concrete and other materials liable to weaken in winter weather. Through this committee intervention, building methods changed to correct for this hazard. The JSC also succeeded in addressing unsafe lifts in maintenance shops, a safety hazard that had been previously reported by frontline workers but never addressed.
A Transformational Shift in Safety Culture
The prioritization of safety through the JSC process has been transformational. Local 1300 President/Business Agent Michael McMillan, who acknowledged experiencing some doubt when PTASP first took effect, shared that Local members care more about safety issues now that they are seeing the committee win protections for members. According to McMillan, members take pride in seeing their proposed solutions put in place and enjoy a real sense of accomplishment.
Advice for Other Locals: Persistence Pays Off
For Locals struggling to get their safety committees off the ground, particularly in instances of management resistance, McMillan offered some advice: record and report safety issues, no matter how minute. In time, management will come to the realization that the joint committee saves them work and creates a safer work environment for everyone.
Above all, McMillan stressed a critical message: “Safety is Paramount.”