The Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing transit workers in the state, has endorsed Jennifer Carroll Foy in the Democratic primary for governor in Virginia.
“Jennifer Carroll Foy has been a true champion of working people throughout her career. She will fight to rebuild the middle class, bolster public transit, restore the rights of labor, and help Virginia recover from this devastating pandemic,” ATU International President John Costa said. “As one of the first Black women to graduate from the Virginia Military Institute and serving as a public defender, we know Jennifer Carroll Foy will be a governor for all Virginians.”
With members working for transit systems in Northern Virginia, Richmond, Norfolk, Lynchburg and Roanoke, Costa pledged that the ATU will be out in full force in support of Foy.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our effort to elect Jennifer Carroll Foy,” Costa said. “We will be registering our members to vote, encouraging them to vote, engaging riders, and taking part in other actions in the all-out effort to elect Jennifer Carroll Foy.”
Raymond Jackson, president of ATU Local 689, representing WMATA workers in Northern Virginia and throughout the Washington DC area, added, “Jennifer Carroll Foy has been an unapologetic and fearless advocate for working families in Virginia. She knows the challenges working people face because she has lived them.
“She has championed legislation to raise the minimum wage, expand healthcare for Virginians, and support public transportation,” Jackson said. “With this pandemic and economic crisis laying bare the inequities that persist in our Commonwealth, working families need and deserve a fighter like Jennifer Carroll Foy as our next governor.”
“I am honored to receive the support of the workers of the Amalgamated Transit Union and Local 689,” Carroll Foy said. “I know what it’s like to struggle to get by working a minimum wage job without quality benefits. That’s why I fought to ensure Virginians make a living wage, expand access to healthcare, and improve working conditions for all Virginians. As Governor, the wellbeing of working families will always be my number one priority.”