* Some background is here if you need it. Press release…

The following is a joint statement from Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter and Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s proposed legislation to fully fund public transit in Northeastern Illinois and consolidate its transit service boards.

Public transit is a critical public service that connects workers to their workplace, school, healthcare and their daily lives. According to the Economic Policy Institute, transportation ranks among the largest monthly expenditures for families of four, on par with food, childcare, housing and healthcare. Maintaining reliable and safe public transit is critical for the working families who power nearly every sector of our local economy. Therefore, finding a solution that fully funds transit is one of our top priorities.

We agree with CMAP’s call for the Illinois General Assembly to increase state funding for transit in Northeastern Illinois, as CTA, METRA, and PACE are essential to the regional economy.

However, we must caution that consolidating our vital regional transit boards into a singular centralized entity would erect a web of bureaucratic barriers between the workers who both operate and utilize our public transit system and the board members tasked with overseeing its success. We cannot support a proposal that erodes the direct communication channels that currently exist to provide the public with a voice in our public transit system.

We look forward to continuing conversations about optimizing our public transit system and commend Senator Ram Villivalam and Representative Eva Dina Delgado for taking the lead on shaping legislation that will affect Illinoisans for generations to come.

Labor is committed to fully funding our public transit agencies to increase the economic mobility of workers in our region. Any reforms to the current structure of these agencies must be done in a thoughtful manner that supports the workers who operate these lines and the public our transit system serves. We’re committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver a solution that addresses the impending fiscal cliff and prioritizes maintaining and improving a safe and reliable transit service for all.

* Related…

* CTA, Metra and Pace could be merged into one transit agency under bill proposed in Springfield: State legislators are proposing legislation that would create a transit agency to oversee public transit across northeastern Illinois and provide an additional $1.5 billion in annual funding for public transportation. State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, have introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which would create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority to oversee all public transit operations and replace the Regional Transportation Authority.

* Illinois Lawmakers Unveil Proposal to Merge CTA, Metra and Pace; Plan Would Replace RTA and Add $1.5B in New Funding: “The upcoming fiscal cliff facing transit is a moment that demands we reimagine transit so it is the first choice for people to travel, not a service of last resort,” said Derek Douglas, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. “To achieve this goal, we need reforms. We cannot just throw more money at the same system at the same problems and expect a different result.”

* Illinois lawmakers unveil plan to combine Metra, CTA and Pace into one: “The intent behind the consolidation is more about being a more responsive transit agency, to make sure that we’re not kind of in our own little silos providing certain services,” said state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, a Democrat representing the Northwest Side.

…Adding… Illinois Transportation Labor Association Chairman J.J. Balonek…

“The Illinois Transportation Labor Association (ITLA) strongly supports proposals for additional funding for transportation in Northern Illinois and believes the funds are critical to making sure access to public transportation is available to residents throughout the region. However, any changes to the current structure need to protect the rights that members of labor have secured in over a century of holding employers accountable. ITLA supports a voting labor member on any transit board to ensure our voices are heard. We are looking forward to working together with the stakeholders as this vital legislation evolves.”

The ITLA is a group of transportation labor unions advocating for labor reform in Illinois. ITLA represents thousands of Illinois transit workers across the state.