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Season 6, Episode 32

TWU Local 234 President on transit funding and worker safety

TWU Local 234 Gray

 

Guest Name:


Brian Pollitt

Guest Website:


TWU Local 234 

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Brian Pollitt, President of Transport Workers Union Local 234 in Philadelphia, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Local's recently completed contract negotiations with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the importance of transit funding and the challenges transit workers face in ensuring public safety.

Pollitt, who started as a bus driver in 1990, detailed the union's negotiations with SEPTA over a new CBA. The talks centered around transit funding issues, with the union and SEPTA working together to secure necessary resources. Pollitt described the union's strategy, which included rallies, political outreach and the threat of a strike that would have shut down the entire region. This pressure ultimately led to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's intervention, resulting in a one-year contract agreement.

The TWU Local 234 president emphasized the critical need for sustained transit funding. Pollitt explained the current one-year contract is a temporary solution, and the union is already preparing for the next round of negotiations. He stressed the importance of continued lobbying efforts and public rallies to secure long-term funding, not just for SEPTA but for transit systems across Pennsylvania. Pollitt discussed how proper funding impacts both union members and the broader community, ensuring reliable public transportation for those who depend on it most.

Pollitt then addressed the significant safety concerns facing transit workers and passengers in Philadelphia. He described a post-pandemic environment where buses, trolleys and trains have been increasingly overtaken by individuals struggling with mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness. Pollitt argued against the idea of defunding the police, stating that a strong police presence is necessary to deter criminal behavior and protect both workers and riders. He called for increased manpower in the Philadelphia Police Department and SEPTA's transit police to address these safety issues.

Listen to the full episode to hear more insights from Pollitt on the challenges and triumphs of TWU Local 234.


America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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