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ATU LOCAL 1395 RESPONDS TO VEOLIA TRANSPORTATION PRESS RELEASE ON ECAT SAFETY AWARD UNION ISSUES COUNTER PRESS RELEASE: AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION LOCAL 1395 1720 WEST FAIRFIELD DRIVE, SUITE 307 PENSACOLA, FLORIDA 32501 PRESS RELEASE ATU Praises ECAT Safety Award Confirms Importance of Experienced, Professional Transit Workers Media Contact: Mike Lowery, (850) 554-6034, Atu1395@aol.com PENSACOLA, FL – Calling experienced, professional and well-trained transit workers critical to passenger safety, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1395 and workers of Escambia County Area Transit praised ECAT for being awarded the 2011 Veolia Transportation Safety Performance Award. “We are not at all surprised by the honor of earning this award,” said Michael Lowery, president and business agent, ATU Local 1395. “As we’ve said all along we have the safest, best, and most professional transit workers right here in Pensacola.” The local union related that their employer, Veolia Transportation, never informed ECAT workers of the award. “We found out about this award through a press release,” Lowery continued. “The critical role bus drivers and other transit workers play in the safety of our transit system on a daily basis was key to winning this award. This top honor is because of the pride and concern we have for our passengers, the people of Pensacola.” The local noted that union workers at ECAT police their own and encourage safety and good customer service at each monthly union meeting. The ATU has also routinely pushed for safety committees and safety equipment with Veolia Transportation but often has to force management to address safety concerns. “During the development of the recent Transportation Development plan workers were shut out of the process and prevented from discussing the next ten-year plan,” said Lowery. “We asked when the actual people who provide the service are going to be included in the discussion for the future plans of ECAT, the response was tell the union workers they can fill out a survey.” Background Information: The award was presented to Mike Ake, Veolia’s Regional VP representing ECAT, at the 2011 Veolia General Managers’ Conference, October 5, in New Orleans, LA. The top honor in each category is given to the system with the best overall bus safety program based on the previous year’s data. ECAT’s low accident and injury frequency was a factor in winning against the other 85 eligible transit systems in Category B (transit systems with a fleet size of 41-80 vehicles).
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