As transit systems shut down workers battle virus and job loss

As transit systems nationwide cut down trips, mothball buses and close stations to help combat the coronavirus pandemic nationwide, the nation’s mass transit workers face two threats.

TriMet bus drivers call in sick by the dozen, union cites frustration over coronavirus response

The calls were a dramatic increase that came on the tail end of two long, surreal and frustrating weeks for many transit operators who are still showing up during the coronavirus pandemic and despite their concerns about personal safety.

Is Your Grocery Delivery Worth a Worker’s Life?

Workers around the country are walking off the job to protest a lack of protective equipment, safety measures, even soap.

Coronavirus in Worcester: WRTA bus drivers picket, ask for rear-entry boarding to ensure social distancing; most routes now at fewer than 6 riders

Bus drivers picketed with signs outside the Worcester Regional Transit Authority on Monday calling for the administration to require rear-entrance boarding amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Kelowna bus driver assaulted and tested for COVID-19

According to Scott Lovell, the Chairman of the Transit Union's Covid-19 Committee in Kelowna, a bus driver is being tested for Covid-19 after being assaulted.

Reductions to transit service worry some drivers, riders

The drivers said they’re worried the change to less frequent service will mean more crowded buses, exacerbating their existing concerns over both their own safety and that of the public.

Mayor, transit union at odds over Transit Windsor closure

“The mayor may have an issue with the pushback he received from the ATU over the use of non-transit workers to clean buses, but the union was merely protecting its members’ rights,” ...

RIPTA drivers worry about 25 passenger limit during COVID-19 pandemic

Some bus drivers for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) are worried about a directive to allow as many as 25 passengers on their buses.

ATU applauds Congressional passage of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, $25 billion for critical emergency transit funding

Life In Quarantine: Connecticut Couple Awaits COVID-19 Test Result

As COVID-19 spreads further across the state, more people who suspect they might have the virus are seeking testing. Tests remain in high demand as the state struggles to get residents results in less than a week.

‘Just Keep Up the Faith’: Workers Are Stepping Up to Beat the Coronavirus

From hospital wards to bus routes to a ventilator plant in Wisconsin, working-class Americans are giving their all.

Union: TARC drivers want changes to daily operations amid COVID-19 outbreak

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which represents bus drivers and support workers, said protocols and work conditions need to change to help prevent the spread of the new virus.

Transportation Access and Safety for People with Disabilities During and After COVID-19

ATU supports the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities in their demands to the U.S. DOT that transportation service responses to COVID-19 do not discriminate based on disability and the needs of workers and riders with disabilities are met.

ATU applauds Senate passage of Stimulus Bill, $25 billion in critical emergency funding for public transit

“The ATU commends the Senate for including $25 billion in critical emergency funding for transit systems,” says ATU International John Costa. “The House needs to pass this now, before another transit worker is needlessly exposed.”

As businesses close, bus drivers' pit stop options en route dwindle

Right now, bus drivers have limited options for pit stops, including some city community centres that are open only to bus drivers and three LTC locations...