Silver Spring, MD – Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President John Costa issued the following statement regarding the recent Florida U.S. District Court decision to strike down the national mask mandate for transportation.
“Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle from Florida issued a decision tovacate the national mask mandate for transportation. First, we want to urge calm amidst the uncertainty and confusion.
“While many transit agencies have lifted the mask mandate, not all have done so, and the CDCstill recommends wearing masks on public transit and indoor settings to stop the spread of COVID. We encourage our members and riders to check the latest updates from their transit agencies while any new policies are implemented.
“We can also not ignore the fact that the mask mandate required our members to deal with unruly passengers who refused to comply with the mandate as we continue to urge transit agencies to protect our members on the job.”