PPT in the News: The Transit Crisis Isn’t Over

On October 11th, members of the ATU’s Local 85 voted to ratify a contract that included $60 million in concessions over the next four years. Their actions, along with funds from the state and county, averted the devastating 35% service cut that had been slated to take effect in September. However, all of this is only a band-aid for the transit crisis in our region. The ATU did more than their part; now it’s the State’s turn to do theirs.

PPT was at the Convention Center for the vote and subsequent news conference to show our support for transit workers and remind the Greater-Pittsburgh community that we still need an adequate and sustainable source of government funding if we don’t want to be facing more cuts next year.

We still have a long fight ahead of us to make that happen. If you would like to join the group of public transit riders and workers who are organizing a campaign to push for a long-term funding solution to put a stop to the transit crisis once and for all, we invite you to come to our NEXT PPT MEETING: Saturday, October 20th, at 10 am at The Thomas Merton Center (5129 Penn Ave).

Read up on the new ATU contract in the Post-Gazette’s article, “Port Authority Ratifies Contract to Head Off Service Cuts,” which includes a quote from PPT’s own Jonah McAllister!

Check out PPT’s Op-Ed, “Public Transit Still Needs to be Saved,” published in the Post-Gazette!

Meeting on July 21st

Join us for a meeting at 10am at the Thomas Merton Center. We’ll be meeting with members of ATU Local 85.

Meeting with ATU Local 85 and the International President

Today we met at the ATU Local 85 headquarters along with International President, Larry Hanley. We’ve got only a couple months before the bus cuts take effect. We’ll be working closely with the union and PPT has got big plans for September 8th.

Raising the Issue

Over the past couple weeks we’ve passed out 10,000 of our 2nd edition ‘PA Needs Transit’ newspaper.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can download the digital version here: PA Needs Transit

The End Is Near

If you missed our doomday flyering or just want a copy of the flyer, click here.

Recap of 6/8 Save Our Public Transit March

PPT led a spirited demonstration to Save Our Public Transit on Friday, June 8^th in Downtown Pittsburgh. Over 200 transit riders and workers marched together to call for more public transit—not less. Besides demanding a stop to bus cuts, speakers called upon lawmakers to create a dedicated source of funding for transportation and upon corporations and massive “nonprofit” companies like UPMC to pay their “fare” share for our transit system. At the end of the rally, a dozen transit advocates performed nonviolent civil disobedience in a sit-down on Fifth Ave and were arrested. They issued this statement in advance.

Read the Post Gazette’s article here!

Read the report in the City Paper here!

See the Tribune-Review’s recap here!

Watch WTAE’s news coverage here!

Thank you to all the organizations that endorsed and supported this action (ATU, One Pittsburgh, UE, Unite Here, ISO Pittsburgh, WIL, USW, PIIN, Sierra Club Allegheny Group, USW, PSL, IWW, Occupy Pittsburgh, and Thomas Merton Center).

Thank you so much to everyone who showed up to stand together for transit—let’s keep up the fight!

Save Our Public Transit Demonstration 6/8

SAVE OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT!

March & Rally

Friday, June 8th at 3:00 PM

Meet at 11 Stanwix Street (the corner of Stanwix St and Fort Pitt Blvd in Downtown Pittsburgh).

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is about to go into summer recess without any solution to the state’s transportation funding crisis in place–it’s time to send a loud and clear message to our decisionmakers that we demand a dedicated source of funding for public transit now that does not balance the budget on the backs of workers, students, and our most vulnerable citizens while giving tax breaks to corporations.

JOIN PPT along with the ATU Local 85, One Pittsburgh, UFCW Local 23, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, Sierra Club Allegheny Group, Workers International League, United Electrical Workers, United Steelworkers, International Socialist Organization, Thomas Merton Center, Unite Here! and Occupy Pittsburgh TO SAY:

NO to cuts, fare hikes, layoffs, privatization, and union busting!

YES to dedicated funding for public transportation and corporations paying their “fare” share!

CHECK OUT THE POSTER FOR THE EVENT HERE. FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS AND HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!

Community Meetings on Transit 5/19/12

There are two Community Meetings on Transit coming up on Saturday, May 19th.

*The first, hosted by Pittsburghers for Public Transit, is at 1:00 PM at The Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation’s Community Activity Center (113 N Pacific Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15224).

Join PPT and the ATU to discuss the public transportation crisis in Pennsylvania and ways to organize against service cuts in your neighborhood.

*The second, hosted by The Battle of Homestead Foundation, is at 1:30 PM at The Pump House (880 E Waterfront Drive, Munhall PA 15120).

Join representatives from the ATU, UCFW, Unite Here, and PPT for a forum about the transit crisis in Pittsburgh and what can be done about it.

ATU RALLY 4/27

PLEASE JOIN THE AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION’S LOCAL 85 FOR A RALLY TO SAY NO TO THE PORT AUTHORITY’S 35% SERVICE REDUCTION PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER

WHERE: 345 6TH AVE., PITTSBURGH PA
WHEN: FRIDAY, APRIL 27TH, 2012 at 8:45AM

WE WILL ATTEND THE PORT AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING AT WHICH THEY WILL BE VOTING TO APPROVE THE JULY FARE INCREASES AND SEPTEMBER SERVICE CUTS. AFTERWARDS, WE WILL MARCH TO GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT’S OFFICE TO DEMAND THAT HE IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF HIS OWN TRANSPORTATION FUNDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

WE NEED COMMUNITY AND LABOR SUPPORT TO SAVE THIS VITAL SERVICE! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

ANY QUESTIONS – CALL MIKE HARMS at 412-715-5212

National Day of Action to Stop Transit Cuts! Defend Pittsburgh Public Transit!

When: Wednesday April 4th 12:00 PM

Where: City-County Building – 414 Grant Street Downtown Pittsburgh

Pittsburghers for Public Transit, ATU Local 85, and Occupy Pittsburgh will rally against the local proposed cut to transit service and fare hikes while calling attention to the war and financial crimes perpetrated by the US government and Giant Banks stealing money from the public and crushing human rights!

Public transportation is a right and must be accessible to all. Service cuts and fare hikes will have a devastating and disproportionate impact on low-income communities, communities of color, students, workers, seniors and the environment. We say NO TO PRIVATIZATION of our common resources and NO MORE EXCUSES! We will not accept any funding strategies that attempt to divide the 99% against each other or shift the burden onto the backs of the 99%: the poor and working classes. End the wars and tax the rich!

On April 4th, we will stand together to demand public transportation for the 99%. If our call is not answered and the necessary funds redirected, it will only add to the growing body of evidence that our government no longer represents us.

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Exactly one year prior, he delivered a speech against the war in Vietnam and said:

“…America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube.”

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/293768940696383/