Kinnear named president of Amalgamated Transit Union Canada

Last week, Bob Kinnear was elected president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Canada.

As the organization's president, Kinnear will represent union members' interests to all levels of government, ATU officials said in a press release.

"Public transit is one of Canada's most pressing economic and environmental issues, and it is time we had a national transit strategy," Kinnear said. "There will be billions of new dollars flowing from governments to transit in the coming years, and we as a union have to work with others to ensure that every city in Canada gets the transit system they need and deserve."

He currently serves as president of the ATU Local 113, which represents operations and maintenance workers at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and York Region Transit.

He began working for the TTC in 1998 in the maintenance department and later served as a bus and subway operator and collector. In January 2004, Kinnear took office as leader of the International Union's largest local.

The next president of the ATU Local 113 will be chosen at a local union election in early December, ATU officials said.