Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), National Local Union 1700 represents the interests of some 4,000 active employees (and more than 600 retirees) on the job and on important economic issues. We are a democratic organization whose officers are directly elected by our dues-paying members.

Most of our members work as drivers or mechanics for Greyhound Lines, a subsidiary of Laidlaw, Inc. We also represent Greyhound terminal workers in Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, and Jackson, MS; drivers at Miami Dedicated Fleet, a Greyhound subsidiary; drivers at Southeastern Stages; cleaners who work for Aramark; and Unicco tire shop workers.

National Local Union 1700 is a labor union with a unique structure. It was chartered in Chicago as a local union with direct affiliation to the Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO/CLC, in 1994 to succeed the 25 local unions that comprised the Amalgamated Council of Greyhound Local Unions.

Our bylaws provide for presidential designation of the charter city. Currently New York City is the charter city. Monthly charter city membership meetings are held in New York City on the second Monday of each month.

In addition to the President, here are two other national officers on our Executive Board: executive vice president (a part-time position) and financial secretary/treasurer.

The national local union is divided into six regions, each of which is represented by an elected Vice President/Assistant Business Agent who designates a city in his or her region to be the subcharter city for that region. Currently Washington, DC is the subcharter city for Region 1; Knoxville for Region 2; Cleveland for Region 3; Memphis for Region 4; Denver for Region 5; and Los Angeles for Region 6. Monthly subcharter city membership meetings are held during the week following the charter city meeting. Membership meetings at all other locations are held bimonthly whenever possible.

There is one national mechanic representative who is appointed by the executive board.

The ATU Local 1700 organization has five basic functions:

• Negotiate contracts with employers
• Organize new members into our union
• Educate members about economic issues affecting them both on the job and off
• Mobilize current members to act
• Educate members about how our union functions and how they benefit from it