SILVER SPRING, MD: Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President Larry Hanley issued the following statement following the resignation of Bob Kinnear as president of ATU Local 113 in Toronto.
“With the resignation of Bob Kinnear as their president, today marks a new beginning for the 11,000 members of ATU Local 113. The last six weeks have been extraordinarily difficult for them and their families and, in fact, the entire labour movement. Fortunately, union democracy and international solidarity have prevailed.
“As this traumatizing chapter comes to a close, there is still work to be done and important changes to be made to restore trust within the Local and across the Canadian Labour Congress.
“We denounce the actions of Unifor president Jerry Dias, and CLC President Hassan Yussuff for his violations of the CLC Constitution and taking sides in the struggle.
“ATU International looks forward to working even more closely with members in Toronto and across Canada, who have spent more than 120 years making ATU the bold, progressive union that it is.
“Having witnessed the incredible resolve, intelligence, and commitment of Local 113 members during this volatile moment in their local union’s history, we are confident that ATU Local 113 will emerge stronger and more united than ever. Now, we can get back to focusing on the issues that matter most: winning stronger contracts, resisting anti-worker politicians, and improving transit for our riders.”
The Amalgamated Transit Union is the largest labor organization representing transit workers in North America. Founded in 1892, the ATU today is comprised of over 199,000 members in 253 local unions spread across 44 states and nine provinces. 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.