New Transit Local in the Fast Lane
Monday, April 30, 2007
Living proof of the power
of organizing, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
Local 1764 has nearly tripled membership in the
last seven months. The local, whose 682 members
work for area transportation companies, is a
brand-new affiliate of the Metro Washington
Council, AFL-CIO, and was chartered just over a
year ago in March 2006. Local 1764 was formed
when ATU Local 1493 – a huge local spanning
much of the Eastern Seaboard – was
reorganized into more locally-based locals a
few years back. Local 1764’s members drive,
repair and maintain buses, mini-buses, vans,
motor coaches and sedans for MV Transit,
Carolina Trailways, Goldline, James River and
the Downtown Circulator.
President Wayne Baker, 54 and a sharp dresser
with an impeccably-trimmed mustache and a ready
smile who’s been driving for 32 years, now
steers the rapidly-growing transit local, which
has gone from just 136 members last September
to nearly 700 today. Baker was the main driver
behind the organizing campaign at MV Transit,
bringing in nearly 500 members who work in the
metro Washington region at facilities in
Capitol Heights, Beltsville and Baltimore. But
Baker’s still not satisfied. “We have the
potential for at least another 700 members at
several other bus companies,” he tells UNION
CITY. Issues facing the local include routine
wage and hour problems and recently the local
has had to contend with a move by MV to
summarily dismiss any driver with a felony
record, even though many of the targeted
drivers have exemplary driving records and have
long since cleared their records. Baker started
driving back in 1973 for Metro predecessor DC
Transit, has worked for a number of transit
companies over the years, still gets behind the
wheel of a tour bus from time to time and --
like Firefighters 36 President Dan
Dugan – loves to ride his 100%
union-made Harley Davidson motorcycle in his
spare time.
-Story/photo by
Chris Garlock