image description: A Port Authority Transit worker cleans the driver's console of a red Port Authority Bus. Steph Chambers/Post Gazette Next to the image is a logo that says "PAAC Transit Workers Appreciation Day" with two golden ferns and two red emoji buses.
Today is Transit Worker Appreciation Day.
But the news this week is all about service cuts and worker suspensions due to the Port Authority's vaccine mandate.
PPT is pro-vaccine. The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 is pro-vaccine. The Port Authority is pro-vaccine. We all want safe transit for all users.
But the Port Authority's decision to unilaterally impose a mandate instead of negotiating with its union and exploring other options is making transit less safe and less reliable for riders and workers, as fewer buses get more crowded with passengers.
Riders need BOTH transit service and transit safety. And we are calling on the Port Authority and Local 85 to quickly negotiate a solution that allows more busses to get back on the road safely.
