WHEREAS:

AFSCME Council 6 represents over 3000 workers in the Minnesota Department of Transportation; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME Minnesota represents an even greater number of transportation employees at the county and city levels; and

WHEREAS:

Problems of meeting the new matching requirements of the Federal Transportation Reauthorization Act are causing new fiscal difficulties for department maintenance and inspection services; and

WHEREAS:

Increased fiscal crisis is causing shortages of personpower and materials in maintenance and new interest in contracting out of inspection work; and

WHEREAS:

The Minnesota Legislature and the Governor are stalemated over what mechanisms, if any, should be used to fund both highway and transit needs of the twenty first century; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME represents many, many thousands of state, county and municipal highway and transportation workers nationwide and is seeking to organize others in currently non-organized states and localities; and

WHEREAS:

The International Union has responded to increasing needs of the membership in specific areas of public and non-profit services as these needs arise; and

WHEREAS:

The AFL-CIO has recently created a Transportation Trades Department (TTD) whose purpose is to work with AFL-CIO affiliates with membership in transportation related activities to address the problems and concerns of such workers in the workplace and through legislative and regulatory activities.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME address new issues in transportation resulting from funding cutbacks with the same rigor and determination that other similar problems are addressed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the International Union shall develop additional expertise and also coordinate activity of affiliated councils and locals in developing policy designed to advance the needs of AFSCME members employed in transportation and related occupations; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME work through the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department to actively coordinate AFL-CIO policy concerning the funding crisis in transportation and to publicize the urgent need to address these problems.

SUBMITTED BY:

Mike Hansen, President and Delegate
AFSCME Local 2792, Council 6
Minnesota