On Sunday, August 11th, 2024, California Transit Works held its first-ever in-person Regional Coordinators Meeting at the San Joaquin Regional Transportation District (SJRTD).

This historic event brought together ATU Peer Mentoring Coordinators, Maintenance Representatives, and ATU Workforce Development Coordinators from nine different ATU locals and ten different Labor-Management Partnerships (LMP) throughout California, including Locals 1575, 256, 192, 1574, 265, 1225, 1277, 1704, and 1756. This meeting continued the conversations and themes from the Annual Conference, “Mentors in Motion: Inspiring Each Other, Building Community,” held earlier this year in January.

Following in the CTW tradition of worker voice, the participants led the conversation and reinforced ATU’s support for Workforce Development. The meeting featured a series of workshops aimed at fostering discussions around the coordinators’ roles, their program responsibilities, and strategies for navigating their Labor-Management Partnerships (LMP), among other topics.

While the role of the coordinator may seem straightforward and simple, it is, in reality, more complex and involves many different layers with varying degrees of difficulty. The day’s interactions and activities provided coordinators with new skill sets and insights essential for developing, implementing, and maintaining the various programs they lead, including mentorship, apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship programs.

By the conclusion of the event, participants had cultivated a supportive network and a space for collaboration. Comments such as, “I have a newfound outlook for this position! When is our next meeting?” and “This meeting just rejuvenated me!” reflected the positive impact of the gathering on those who attended.

This meeting further opened the door for coordinators throughout the country to become part of a vast network, enabling them to share their experiences and insights from their journey.

A special thank you to SJRTD and ATU 256: “San Joaquin Driving Force” for hosting the event and giving our participants a tour of your facility!