Rev. Al Sharpton, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Reps. Fudge (OH) & Grayson (FL) highlight speakers
Media Contact: David Roscow, 202-487-4990, droscow@atu.org
Washington, DC– Rev. Al Sharpton, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and others will join thousands of transit workers, riders and advocates from 40 states for a May 20 rally on Capitol Hill on National Transit Call Congress Day to galvanize support for more, better and safer transit.
After the rally, the centerpiece in a series of national activities for May Transit Action Month, more than a thousand transit advocates will descend on Capitol Hill offices to visit Members of Congress to urge increased funding for public transit in the nation’s transportation funding law, which is set to expire October 1. Passage, however, has become even more urgent as the national transportation trust fund enabled by the legislation will run out of money to pay for highway and transit projects in August.
Before marching to the halls of Congress to meet with their representatives, transit workers and transit advocates will hear from Rev. Sharpton, Sen. Brown (D-OH), Transport Workers Union International President Harry Lombardo, Amalgamated Transit Union International President Larry Hanley, and other elected officials at the rally in Upper Senate Park.
“With our exploding urban populations, worsening traffic jams, young people forgoing cars, transit ridership at record levels and stressed public transit systems, we need a major urban agenda and investment to address the growing demand for public transit,” said ATU’s Hanley. “Today, National Transit Call Congress Day, workers and transit advocates are reaching out to riders across the country to encourage them to call their Members of Congress to urge investment in public transit. We’re here today not just defending the transit status quo, instead we are fighting to give Americans the type of public transit they deserve.”
What: National Transit Call Congress Day
When: May 20, 2014, Noon-1:30 pm
Where: Senate Park, 200 New Jersey Ave., N.W. Washington, DC
Who: Rev. Al Sharpton (NAN), Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH), Rep. Tim Bishop (NY), Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH),
Rep. Alan Grayson (FL), Harry Lombardo (TWU), Larry Hanley (ATU), Steven Fulop, Mayor of Jersey City,
Transit Workers/Supporters.
About 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 253 local unions spread across 47 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 its hard-working members.