Day one of the 2026 ATU Legislative Conference was an inspiring and busy day. #OurVoiceOurPower #1u #canlab @AFLCIO youtu.be/iwPaRynt8PY?si=8_wi…

This evening, the 2026 ATU Legislative Conference kicked off with the welcoming reception hosted by International President John Costa. “This is an important conference. Our Union, public transit, and our communities are under attack,” Costa told attendees. “When I first started coming to this conference, only Locals who gave to COPE were invited. I changed that since we need to educate all our Local leaders about the importance of political action and COPE. As you’re going to hear over the next three days, we’ve got major issues going on. It’s going to be an exciting and busy week, but there’s serious work to be done, so get ready.” At the conference, attendees will hear from an esteemed group of speakers, attend a Rally on Capitol Hill, participate in a Lobby Day, and take sessions on State Legislative issues, Health and Safety, Transit Worker Assaults, Autonomous Vehicles, COPE, and other topics.

“Our Voice, Our Power” and “Who Are We? ATU!” echoed in the halls of Congress, as International President John Costa led our 150-strong delegation at a Capitol Hill rally before heading to lobby on behalf of our Union for the final day of our 2026 Legislative Conference. “Congress is going to hear our voices loud and clear. Our stories are powerful. We do the important job of moving people every day. We face serious dangers on the job. We’re the backbone of our communities,” Costa told attendees. “After this rally, we hit the halls of Congress to press our legislators on the serious matters of transit funding, transit worker safety, AI, and the need for an operator on board autonomous vehicles. We’re showing our legislators we aren’t just a Union, we’re a movement, a force to be reckoned with.” At the rally, our friends on Capitol Hill, Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY), Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-NJ), Rep. Shomari Figures (D-AL), and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), delivered strong messages of solidarity. From Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to Tom Barrett (R-MI) to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Rob Bresnan(R-PA), our more than 150 attendees visited more than 200 Members of Congress to push legislators on our Union’s priorities. Thank you to all our members for representing our Union on Capitol Hill today. Over the past three days of our 2026 Legislative Conference, our strength and unity were front and center, as our leaders came together to discuss the challenges facing our Union and our legislative priorities to ensure a stronger, brighter future for our members. #OurVoiceOurPower

Day 3 of the ATU Black Caucus 59th Annual Conference got down to business in Jersey City. With International President John Costa and ATU leadership in the room, the general session moved through a full agenda, from roll call and financial reports to regional rep updates from the Caucus Executive Board. International Secretary Ken Kirk addressed members on the importance of Locals being financially responsible, and IVP Amanda Sawyer-Turner led a session on what members should expect from their International Vice Presidents. Both sessions reflected what the Black Caucus does best: connecting the big picture to the work happening on the ground in Local communities across North America. The Fearless Dancers Empire brought energy to the room before the afternoon closed with honorary awards, and finally, the All-Black Dinner. International President John Costa closed with a message to our members. "Thank you for coming to my home state, New Jersey. The International is here to assist you. I'm so proud of all the IVPs in the room who serve our Locals every single day. The 59th Annual Conference may be done, but the work isn't. Black workers built this movement. You'll help build what comes next." Thank you to Black Caucus President Karima Howard and the full executive board, as well as our International Executive team, International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo, International Secretary Ken Kirk, and International Vice Presidents Gary Johnson, Natalie Cruz, Anthony Garland, Ray Greaves, Amanda Sawyer-Turner, and Mark Henry, for attending.

The ATU Black Caucus 59th Annual Conference is underway in Jersey City, and it's a homecoming for International President John Costa. A Newark boy who started his labor career at NJ Transit as a proud member of ATU Local 819, Costa is back in his home state and didn't hold back when he addressed more than 300 members, kicking off a full day of ATU International workshops focused on organizing for power in the digital age and ensuring Black workers are at the table when decisions about automation and AI are made. "The attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are real. The rise of automation is real. And the ATU Black Caucus isn't pretending otherwise. There are people in positions of power who want those words to disappear. They think that if they gut the programs, erase the language, and roll back the wins, we'll just go quietly. They don't know this room very well." "These decisions about automation and AI aren't coming someday," Costa continued. "They're being made right now, in boardrooms and city halls, sometimes without our members in the room. And who gets hurt first when those decisions go wrong? Black workers. That isn't a coincidence. That's a pattern. What about us?" ATU International staff led two major presentations during the general session: one on AI and technology and what it means for transit workers, and one on workforce development training and the resources available to help members build power on the job. Joining Costa in Jersey City were International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo, International Secretary Ken Kirk, and International Vice Presidents Marcellus Barnes, Gary Johnson, Natalie Cruz, Anthony Garland, Ray Greaves, Amanda Sawyer-Turner, and Mark Henry, and ATU Canada President John Di Nino. Black Caucus President Karima Howard and the full executive board led the charge. Because inclusion isn't a checkbox. It means Black workers will help build the future.

PAY TSA EMPLOYEES.

#EqualPayDay #1u #canlab #UnionStrong

The Transit Workforce Center, the FTA’s national technical assistance center for transit workforce development, helps us achieve our most important goal – to ensure safe, affordable, and efficient public transit for millions of Americans who rely on our service. This bill, which would officially establish the Center in federal law, is long overdue. - ATU International President John Costa vanhollen.senate.gov/news/pr…

Pay TSA Officers and pass the Shutdown Fairness Act to ensure that federal employees aren’t treated as political pawns during future lapses in funding.

Pay TSA ✊

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all from the ATU! #stpatricksday #UnionStrong

🚨RED ALERT Atlanta: Injury crash shuts down Hwy 166/wb past Delowe Drive. Use I-20 instead. #ATLtraffic

Route 50 : Westbound from North Ave Station is cancelled at 6:40 AM, 8:10 AM Eastbound from UPS Distribution Center is cancelled at 7:18 AM

Route 183 : Westbound from Lakewood Station is cancelled at 6:50 AM Eastbound from Campbellton Rd/County Line Rd is cancelled at 7:14 AM

Tornado Warning for DeKalb and Rockdale County until 6:30am.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Hall, Lumpkin, Pickens, Towns, Union and White County until 6:00am.

Tornado Watch until 10 am for all of metro Atlanta and most of North Georgia. I'm tracking the storms live on Channel 2.

Thanks for your support 🙏

As you shop for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations don’t just remember the Irish, support the labor movement by buying union made products. For a full list of union made products visit aflcio.org/StPatricksDay. #StPatricksDay #1u #canlab #UnionStrong

Our Union is setting the standard for mentorships programs under the leadership of International President John Costa to build longterm careers in transit for our members. #OurVoiceOurPower #1u #canlab metro-magazine.com/digital-c…