“Small actions when added to others make BIG results – GET INVOLVED!”
— Anonymous
For more than a hundred years, ATU Local 241 has been a progressive and driving force in the lives of transit workers in Chicago.
The fruits of, Local 241’s, labor has resulted in our members having wages, a benefit package and working agreement that is unparallel within the transit industry.
For the past century the dedicated union leaders of Local 241 have struggled and fought to bring us to the point where we stand today. What is yet to be accomplished
in years ahead it up YOU. Our union is only as strong as it members. Your involvement and participation is what makes our union work and what makes our union strong.
Your involvement and participation will direct and determine our future. YOU are the most important part of our union.
Union membership represents the truest meaning of unity. Union membership is emblematic of strength and solidarity. Belonging to the Union means that you have a voice in what your wages, working hours and working conditions will be. Collectively, our voices will be heard and respected by Management. The solidarity of belonging
to a union can impact membership in the following ways:
- That we stand together, respectful of one another.
- We are working to build a better tomorrow for future generations.
- You are more than just a number.
- That you have the opportunity to live “The American Dream.”
The benefits of belonging include:
- Wages that on average are 33% higher than non-union workers
- Vacation/Health & Dental Insurance/Sick Benefits/Retirement Benefits
- A grievance procedure that ensures if management takes disciplinary action against you, they must show that their actions are “just” and “merited”
- A safe working environment
- Everyone will be treated fairly, regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
- Benefits along with job security
What is a Union?
A union is an organization of wage earners formed for the purpose of serving their collective interest with respect to wages and working conditions.
Why Unions Matter…
Unions are the moral conscious of employers. Unions are the watchdogs that are committed to fight for and insure justice and dignity for all workers. Unions
work to protect the rights of workers who choose to form unions.
Are Unions Really Needed?
The need for a union considered the fact, if the world were perfect and all employers were fair, honest and shared fully with workers; maybe no. But even
if employers were perfect, workers might still want to organize. Humans organize themselves into groups that make sense to them. Human beings have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Workers care deeply about their jobs and want a voice in workplace decisions.
We live in an economic society devoted more to the bottom-line profit than to people. Most corporate decisions that hurt workers are not driven by a desire to hurt workers; but rather a desire to increase profits or compete in a very competitive global market. Individual workers need an organized voice to challenge the priorities of
companies and our economic system.
In our society, unions are the primary vehicle for worker representation in the workplace. Over the years, unions have proven themselves as advocates for justice
in the workplace and society.
