We are ATU 256

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 256, commonly known as ATU 256, is one of Sacramento’s oldest and most influential labor organizations representing public transit workers. Chartered in 1902, the union originally represented streetcar and trolley operators during Sacramento’s early electric railway era. Over time, as public transportation evolved from streetcars to buses and eventually light rail, ATU 256 expanded alongside the city’s transit system.

Today, ATU 256 represents operators, maintenance employees, clerical staff, paratransit workers, and other transit professionals connected to agencies such as Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT), Elk Grove Transit, and related regional transportation services. The union advocates for wages, workplace safety, retirement protections, healthcare, scheduling rights, and collective bargaining agreements for transit employees throughout the Sacramento region.

Historically, Local 256 played an important role during Sacramento’s transition from privately operated transit companies into the publicly operated Sacramento Regional Transit District formed in the 1970s. A historical labor document filed with California’s Public Employment Relations Board explains that Local 256 represented Sacramento transit workers before the creation of SacRT and continued representing workers as new transportation technologies, including light rail, were introduced.

The union remains active in labor negotiations, safety campaigns, apprenticeship and mentorship programs, and political advocacy involving public transportation funding and worker protections. In recent years, ATU 256 has publicly advocated for improved transit safety, staffing levels, and operator retention while also participating in programs designed to mentor and support newly hired transit operators.