Part Time CTA Workers: Why Do I Care So Much About Them?

Some of you are confused or in disapproval of my passionate advocacy regarding CTA workers in the Second Chance “Apprentice” Program (as well as Customer Service Assistants (CSA), Flagmen (FTTF), FTT Trackmen and Part Time Bus Operators (PTBO)). 

Some of my fellow Rail Car Repairers even feel threatened by them and wish I would just shut up. Focus on us they say. Many union officials and mismanagers criticize me for and slander my efforts as having “an agenda” and that I am “misinforming” the Second Chancers. 

It is like I cannot have room in my heart for their suffering—and the rest of my coworkers. When it comes to speaking about injustice, I feel like some of you all want me to pick a side. 

I will not pick a side.

I understand your sentiment. I humbly challenge you to debate me on the topic in public or private. Frankly, I think a reasonable person would at least want to discuss my stance—and hear me out—and pass judgement after. 

Regardless, I have created a list of reasons why I am so passionate about Full Time Jobs For All and abolition of the Second Chance “Apprentice” Program (SCP):

1. I was hired on—and suffered as—a CTA Part-Time worker. I was not a Second Chancer per se. I was a CSA and an FTTF. It sucked! But it was the only path available to become a motorman. So I know exactly what it’s like to be exploited at the CTA. I will never forget from where I came.

2. Second Chance is a 40 hour/week job. Any job that allows or requires an employee to work 40 hours—especially on the night shift—must have identical benefits and Contractural provisions as Full-Time Permanent workers (the same goes for the FTTF, CSA and PTBO). Unions established such a thing and it is anti-union to go backwards from it. The Agreements ATU Chocago presidents signed to foster 40-hour Part Time jobs is treasonous. So we the members in the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) are obligated to expose the Truth and fight for it.

3. The CTA and ATU is in some kind of negotiations about an “Apprentice” program for Rail Car Repairers right now. If we bargain for such a thing, don’t you think we need to fix the SCP “Apprentice” scheme so the CTA/ATU doesn’t trick us into agreeing to something we will regret?

4. I have drafted a fresh solution to abolish and replace the SCP. In it is a concrete foundation we can use for the Rail Car Repairer “Apprentice” program. It is based on a tried and true Apprentice-Journeyman union mode. Moreover, it can also be used to establish similar “Apprentice” and Full-Time status for FTTF and CSA. More information about making these jobs Full Time Permanent is in this article I wrote.

 I hope this clears up any doubts. If you still disagree, please explain why in the comments.