ATU Legislative Conference March Washington, DC

The U.S. Transit Crisis and The Longest Undeclared War in U.S. History— On America’s Middle Class and Workers

Corporate America drives down power of workers Public Private

The Corporate Attack on Public Workers Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: “We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots.”

FOX Gets it Wrong Again

Legislative Attacks

“Do public workers make more than private sector workers? THE WRONG QUESTION All workers wages and benefits frozen for 40 years Hourly compensation Hourly wage

38% 64% 3% 12% 23% 181% Wealthiest 0.1% avg. $1.7 million a year 116% 97% 98% 103% 85% Top 0.1%* 1947-' '04 * Top 0.01%* Off the charts! 497% income rise $6 million avg. income Growing Together, Source: Economic Policy Institute Poorest 20% Second 20% Middle 20% Fourth 20% Richest 20% Household Income Growing Apart Percent Increase

We Make It, They Take It Source: EPI analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Tables, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Major Sector Productivity and Costs data. Productivity Real median family income

How much does Defense Spending cost your city? National Priorities Project's "Trade Offs"

How have workers survived? Spouses work Part time jobs Borrow on credit cards Borrow from retirement savings Take out savings/equity in homes THEY HAVEN’T!

The Economy is NOT Like the Weather…

The Economy Is Not Like the Weather The market solves all problems Anything that gets in the way of the market is bad Get government out of the way of the market –Cut taxes –Dismantle government –De-regulate –Privatize Unions are in the way of the market –Weaken, eliminate unions Neo-conservative Ideas Govern America

This is a story of POWER Working families and our unions helped build a powerful American middle class. Corporations are taking power away from workers–we are losing bargaining power at work and in our country. This power grab is key to their corporate agenda for America.

Boxing Workers Into The Corporate Agenda

WHOSE Tax Cut?

Stranded at the Station

One Year's Mass Transit Cuts, 2009 Fare Increases Service and/or Staff Reductions

Privatize: Everything for Sale √ √ √ √ √ √ √ Pittsburgh, PA Las Vegas, NV New Orleans, LA Jefferson Parish, LA Phoenix, AZ Dallas, TX Bridgeport, CT Rockford, IL Savannah, GA San Diego, CA Austin, TX Denver, CO Newark, NJ Union, NJ Marietta, GA Norcross, GA Charleston, SC Sacramento, CA Toronto, ON Colorado Springs, CO Plymouth, MA Brockton, MA Pensacola, FL Raleigh, NC Richmond, VA Knoxville, TN Milwaukee, WI South Bend, IN Lexington, KY Boise, ID Asheville, NC Worcester, MA

The Economy is NOT Like the Weather…

Dismantle the Corporate Agenda Build a Working Families Agenda

Corporate America has a plan. What Is Our Plan?