Yesterday, Sunday April 5th, a clear and malicious assault was perpetrated against an ATU Local 569 Operator who was faithfully doing her job on her first day back from an illness absence. The Police eventually arrested the perpetrator, who claimed to be COVID-positive, and charged him with assaulting the Operator and the Peace Officers who helped her. His charges should be elevated to attempted murder. Now they will wait out their 14-day house-arrest period, alone because they fear spreading it to their loved ones, wondering if this is really a death sentence.

What KIND of world is this?

Things change quickly. Today Local 569’s first confirmed case of a member with COVID was announced. He arrived back in Canada late in March and has been in isolation since returning. He has not been in the workplace. We wish him a full and speedy recovery and we will reach out to him further when he deems contact appropriate.

Our TPOs and Police are short-handed, overworked and exhausted. The increase of overt aggression and absolute lawlessness on our buses and LRVs HAS TO STOP. These are public transportation vehicles, not mobile homeless shelters. We need City Council to stand forward and declare public transit for essential travel only.

At a time when the world is told to STAY AT HOME, Transit workers, including Operators, Cleaners and Technicians go to work everyday and are being put at risk in unprecedented ways. IT HAS TO STOP.

Please call or text or email your City Councillor and tell her or him that it HAS TO STOP. Edmonton Transit System has to be for essential travel only. Here are their email addresses:

Please tell all Counsellors and the Mayor that you have a family to protect. Tell them ETS is not appropriate for hanging out and partying. Tell them that aggression against Operators or anyone else is not appropriate. Tell them that ETS has to be for ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY and all others should be forcibly removed! Tell them that even one assault is too many and this would not be tolerated in a hospital or a bank. Send our message loud and clear: Enough is Enough. The lawlessness has to stop.

Sisters & Brothers, please be kind to each other. Be Safe, Be Healthy, Be Apart. We are in this together. Together we STAND! Together we WIN.

In solidarity,

Steve Bradshaw

President/Business Agent