< 1 min readThe leaders of this city should be ashamed that they have allowed the suffering of Tucson Bus Riders to go on for almost four weeks. The Tucson Bus Riders Union has had many community leaders look at the City’s contract with Professional Transit Management. They all have told us that it is blatantly obvious that city officials can do much more to end this strike. Because of this desperate situation, The Bus Riders Union has determined that direct action is long overdue. It is time we lay our bodies on the line. Will the cops arrest us for not paying

2 min readMuch thanks to all the bus riders and their supporters, Fr. David Guzman O.C.D. and the Guadalupanas from Santa Cruz Church, and Mi Familia Vota. The Rosary out in front of the Ronstadt Transit Center was beautiful. The sight of the City Hall first floor conference room filled to capacity with bus riders sharing their stories of bus strike struggle with Mayor Rothschild and City Manager Miguel Ortega was also a sight to behold. Thanks to them for listening.    After listening to numerous stories of bus rider hardship, City Manager Miguel Ortega put aside his prepared remark, which he

< 1 min readDear friends of Casa Maria, Please attend this event on Monday. We really need people to come and especially march to the meeting with the mayor and city manager. If anyone has any ideas on how to settle this strike, by all means call (520) 624-0312. The bus riding public is really suffering. -Brian Flagg

5 min readIt is an attack on poor people, people of color and the entire bus riding public. People are losing their jobs because they can’t get to work. If something like this affected the foothills like this strike affects the Southside, something would have been done about it.  If this strike affected the lives of rich people the way it affects the lives of poor people, a solution would have already been found. We urge the Teamsters to continue to offer new plans and new concessions so as to settle this strike right now. But the Teamsters are not the real

4 min readby Cesar Aguirre The hot dogs were delicious, the turn-out was great, the music was loud and the line was long. Everyone was waiting in the heat to join the Tucson Bus Riders Union and the Teamsters, enduring the humidity left behind by the morning’s drizzles, intensified by the scorching desert sun. Councilwoman Regina Romero was there to support. My girls were excited to participate . We walked the picket on Friday afternoon and were able to have a great conversation about the strike and why we support the strikers. On our way to the picket line on Friday my

2 min readby Brian Flagg Tim Stellers’ column in Sunday’s Daily Star (http://tucson.com/news/local/columnists/steller/steller-council-could-have-helped-avert-bus-strike/article_cf85fb57-8986-5dae-839e-a913ebba70e4.html) was an attack on the Bus Riders Union and the majority of the City Council who have, for the most part, supported the transit system, bus riders and poor people. His column was a crude attempt to pit working people against poor people. Steller claims that if the council would have previously raised fares and cut many more routes they would now have the money to pay more to bus drivers and mechanics and thus avoid the current strike. The quotes attribute to Teamster President Andy Marshall in the

< 1 min read  Tuesday, Aug. 11 @ 4:30 pm at Ronstadt Sun Tran, the City, and the Powers That Be can find $200 million for the useless trolley but can find nothing for the bus drivers and mechanics? They need to find the money NOW so as to end the strike and stop the suffering of the bus riding public. Come and dine on HOT DOGS and join the picket line in solidarity with the members of Teamsters Local 104. Sponsored by the Tucson Bus Riders Union. More info at: (520) 626-0312 ¡APOYE A LOS MECÁNICOS Y CONDUCTORES DE CAMION PARA PONER