(The following appeared on the Chicago Sun-Times website on March 29, 2010.)
CHICAGO — Transit unions representing bus and rail workers are organizing rallies around the country in the next few weeks to push for more federal funding for public transit.
Operation PUSH hosted a rally for more than 500 union workers Saturday, according to Carlos J. Acevedo, maintenance/assistant business agent for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, which represents bus workers.
More rallies are planned this week in Portland, Ore., and New York City.
“The concept is to raise public awareness of how bad the situation has gotten and how much worse it can get,” said Acevedo. “There’s a dire need for funding for public transit.”
The unions are supporting a bill by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) that would allow large public transit agencies to use some of their federal transit funding for operating costs.
Under current law, transit systems in areas with populations of more than 200,000 may not use their federal transit funds for operations.
Last month, the CTA laid off 1,057 workers, primarily from the bus workers union, and cut service to cope with a $95.6 million budget shortfall.
The State of Illinois owes the CTA, Metra and Pace $250 million, and the RTA has warned that more service cuts may be necessary this summer if the money doesn’t come.