Labor & Employment Law

Ron Heintzman Named ATU President

By James Parks

Ron Heintzman

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) executive board appointed Ron Heintzman as the union?s president, succeeding Warren George, who retired after seven years as the union?s leader.  

Heintzman, who was the union?s executive vice president, takes office today. Randy Graham was named executive vice president and becomes the union?s first Canadian executive officer. 

?I am truly honored to lead this great union,? Heintzman said.

These are challenging times with seven out of 10 transit systems in a deficit position, contracting-out of services on the rise and legislative efforts that hurt our members and the transit industry picking up speed. The top priority of my administration will be to stand up to these challenges and to promote public transportation in both the U.S. and Canada.

Heintzman and Graham will serve until new elections are held at ATU?s convention in September.

A native of Oregon, Heintzman was elected as president of ATU Local 757 in Portland in 1988 and served five terms. He served seven years as an ATU vice president before being named executive vice president in 2009. As executive vice president, he oversaw   the organizing and strategic planning departments.

Graham’s union career began in 1971, when he helped organize the drivers of a school bus company in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1986, he was elected local president of his 2,000-member local?a post he held for the next nine years until his election in 1995 as a vice president of the ATU.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on July 01, 2010 (boomark / email).