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Occupy Oakland Announces "Occupy AC Transit" Campaign, 5/16/12: video
Objecting to a never-ending stream of increasing fares, reduced service, and concessions by transit workers, Occupy Oakland and a rank-and-file AC Transit driver held a press conference outside of the Fruitvale BART station on May 16th. Austerity measures by AC Transit fall hardest on those who can least afford it, low-income riders and drivers who are pushed to do more for less, creating a less safe transportation system that ill serves those who need it most. While noting that the campaign intends to escalate over the long term if demands are not met by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Occupy AC Transit initially is asking drivers to show solidarity by honoring bus transfers for the three hours in which transfers were once honored before recent cutbacks. Speaking at the press conference were CC and Mike King of Occupy Oakland and Dave Lyons of AC Transit (full video below).
[pictured above: AC Transit driver Dave Lyons speaks to the assembled media]
Occupy AC Transit press release:
OCCUPY OAKLAND ANNOUNCES THE “OCCUPY AC TRANSIT” CAMPAIGN
May 16, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Wednesday, Occupy Oakland and rank-and-file AC-Transit drivers announced a campaign that will pressure the MTC to make transportation more accessible for low-income communities and to reverse concessions forced on transit workers. This campaign kicks off today by asking drivers to honor transfers for multiple use and up to 3 hours. Riders and drivers stand in solidarity in this demand for a just transportation system.
Next year, another round of fare increases is scheduled to go into effect. This is in addition to service cuts disproportionately applied to poorer communities of color. Many people have to pay two full fares to get to work, and two more to get back. This means many transfers expire while people are waiting for their second bus. Bus riders, especially economically disadvantaged bus riders, increasingly have had to pay more to get less.
Drivers have also had to give more for less. Sometimes a 12-hr shift is barely paused for a break of ten minutes or less. Besides creating an unsafe work environment and an unsafe ride, frustrated drivers and riders end up fighting with each other over transfers or late buses.
Meanwhile, the people ripping everyone off and gutting service – the 1% – are out of reach. The rich 1% could not make money without the support of hundreds of thousands of workers who ride the bus and the transit workers who take them there.
“For years, bus fares have increased while working conditions and pay have steadily declined,” said Mike King of Occupy Oakland. “This reality can only be rectified by riders and drivers standing together and building collective social power to create a just bus system for everyone.”
This effort around transfers is a small step, but will be one of many as we escalate the campaign in the coming months.
For online information, go to http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003741365182 or email us at occupyactransit [at] gmail.com
###
Occupy AC Transit press release:
OCCUPY OAKLAND ANNOUNCES THE “OCCUPY AC TRANSIT” CAMPAIGN
May 16, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Wednesday, Occupy Oakland and rank-and-file AC-Transit drivers announced a campaign that will pressure the MTC to make transportation more accessible for low-income communities and to reverse concessions forced on transit workers. This campaign kicks off today by asking drivers to honor transfers for multiple use and up to 3 hours. Riders and drivers stand in solidarity in this demand for a just transportation system.
Next year, another round of fare increases is scheduled to go into effect. This is in addition to service cuts disproportionately applied to poorer communities of color. Many people have to pay two full fares to get to work, and two more to get back. This means many transfers expire while people are waiting for their second bus. Bus riders, especially economically disadvantaged bus riders, increasingly have had to pay more to get less.
Drivers have also had to give more for less. Sometimes a 12-hr shift is barely paused for a break of ten minutes or less. Besides creating an unsafe work environment and an unsafe ride, frustrated drivers and riders end up fighting with each other over transfers or late buses.
Meanwhile, the people ripping everyone off and gutting service – the 1% – are out of reach. The rich 1% could not make money without the support of hundreds of thousands of workers who ride the bus and the transit workers who take them there.
“For years, bus fares have increased while working conditions and pay have steadily declined,” said Mike King of Occupy Oakland. “This reality can only be rectified by riders and drivers standing together and building collective social power to create a just bus system for everyone.”
This effort around transfers is a small step, but will be one of many as we escalate the campaign in the coming months.
For online information, go to http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003741365182 or email us at occupyactransit [at] gmail.com
###
For more information:
http://indybay.org/occupyoakland
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