Silver Spring, MD – John Costa, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union, issued the following statement on the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD):
“We were saddened to hear of the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings. Cummings was a giant and a true friend of the ATU and working families across America.
“A sharecropper’s son who rose to become a civil rights champion and a member of Congress, Cummings advocated for the poor and was a powerful and fearless voice for equity and justice for all. Cummings put people before politics, he believed all Americans deserved an equal opportunity and a better quality of life.
“Cummings delivered a memorable and inspirational speech at our 1998 Convention that came to be known as the famous ‘bus’ speech, highlighting how his family relied on the bus to get work, school and church.
“A dignified leader and an honorable man, it is impossible to overestimate how much good Congressman Cummings did for our nation throughout his long and distinguished congressional career. This is a tragic loss for our country, and he will be missed.”