Transit services in Lethbridge and area got a major boost Saturday with the announcement of $12.55 million in new Federal-Provincial funding.

The City will receive $10.1 million from the province’s GreenTRIP program and $2 million from the federal Public Transportation Infrastructure Fund to support the construction of a downtown regional park ‘n’ ride transit terminal. In addition to the provincial and federal funding, the City of Lethbridge will contribute $4.9 million toward the overall $17 million cost of the transit terminal project.

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Transit workers were illegally locked out for four weeks in the fall of 2014. The provincial Labour Relations Board earlier ruled that the city had to pay workers back for the first two weeks of lost wages — about $651,ooo altogether. The union argued its members should be compensated for the full four weeks of the lockout.

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The TTC has provoked the ire of its largest union by announcing that it will begin randomly testing its employees for drug and alcohol use starting on March 1.
In a news release on Thursday, the transit agency said that it had given formal notice to its workers that it was moving ahead with the plan, which has been in the works for five years.

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Brothers and Sisters,

As your new President, I want to take a moment to reach out to every ATU Member in Canada with a few brief sentiments.

First and foremost, as I step into my role as President of ATU Canada I look forward to working with each and every one of you. It is an incredible honour for me to lead and serve this great union of ours, and to be the first to lead its redefined national organization.

This is a critical time for unions as our members face attacks from the government, our employers and the passengers we carry. We must equip ourselves with the necessary tools to face conflict and successfully navigate the unrelenting pressures. Over the next serval months, ATU Canada will be conducting training courses and seminars across the country on a variety of topics to help better serve our members and the labour movement. By providing resources, dedication and perseverance, together we will better the lives of our members.

As we start a new phase of our journey together, ATU Canada will be there to guide and support you. This new chapter begins with clarity of purpose and sense of mission that will guide this union to delivering excellence. I remain yours in solidarity,

Paul Thorp
President
Amalgamated Transit Union Canada
(ATU Canada)

Brother and Sisters,

During the ATU September Conference in Toronto the Board heard from many of the delegates that they didn’t care for the new colour and logo design for ATU Canada. In response to this, we are holding a contest for a new ATU Canada logo.

The contest is open to all Canadian ATU Members. Anyone interested in participating in the contest is asked to submit their design by January 15, 2016 to president@archive.atucanada.ca.

Please provide your full name and local with your submission. Once the contest closes, the concepts will be posted to a voting page. We will forward this link to all presidents to share on their Local websites and social media accounts.

The winner of the contest will receive an iPad (approximate value $500.00). I have attached some of the concept logos provided by Union Strategies Inc. to help you with your own designs. We look forward to receiving your submissions! Good luck!

I remain yours in solidarity,

Paul Thorp
President
Amalgamated Transit Union Canada (ATU Canada)
president@archive.atucanada.ca

Bell Let’s Talk is a multi-year charitable program dedicated to mental health.

Bell has committed over $100 million to support a wide range of mental health organizations, large and small, from coast to coast to coast.

One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma. It is the number one reason why two-thirds of those living with a mental illness do not seek help.

The annual Bell Let’s Talk awareness campaign and Day opens the national conversation about mental illness to fight the stigma and the dramatic impact of mental health issues all across the country, and none other than Clara Hughes, six-time Olympic medalist, has stepped forward to lead this campaign.

Here’s how you can get involved.

Today, Bell will donate 5¢ more to mental health initiatives for every:
• Text message sent
• Mobile & long distance call made
• Tweet using #BellLetsTalk
• Share of the Facebook image

For more use information, visit the official website here.

On January 27th, Paul Thorp and ATU 107 President Eric Tuck presented McNally with the grand prize – an iPad Mini!

ATU Canada appreciates all the submissions received from members across the country. Thank you for your participation!

ATU Canada

ATU Canada is proud to announce that a brand new logo has been chosen for the newly-formed Canadian organization. It is important to the ATU Canada Executive that the membership, coast to coast, is proud of the logo that represents and unifies them.

Randy McNally, member of ATU Local 107 Hamilton Transit, is the winner by 34 per cent of votes!