On January 22nd, members, leaders, and supporters of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 packed TriMet’s board meeting in downtown Portland. Among the many folks who testified, two TriMet service workers stood up for their apprenticeship program which has made a huge difference for them, and also for their communities.
Gerry Mohr, TriMet Service Worker, and ATU 757 Shop Steward testified on why the apprenticeship program is vital to both workers and the community which TriMet serves.
Another service worker, Chris Tyson, also testified at the Board Meeting. You might remember Chris Tyson from the hard-hitting guest opinion he co-authored about the potential loss of the apprenticeship program.
ATU Local 757 is encouraging TriMet riders and concerned community members to speak up and protect this valuable program. As Chris Tyson wrote in his guest opinion, the ramifications of losing the apprenticeship program would be a significant loss, and a broken promise, to the community:
Ending apprenticeships breaks a promise and is a giant step backward by TriMet. It would remove a pathway to prosperity and could potentially end the opportunity of a career at TriMet for some workers. Apprenticeship is a ladder upward to help workers earn higher wages, afford the basics and provide for a family. That matters for us and it matters for the entire community.
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