WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
American
Americancities
citiesspend
spendabout
about$5.4
$5.4Billion
Billioneach
eachyear
yeartotobuy
buybuses
busesand
andtrains
trainsfor
forpublic
public
transportation
systems.
Much
of
this
taxpayer
money
goes
to
big
global
companies
who
transportation systems. Much of this taxpayer money goes to global companies who
manufacture
manufacturesignificant
significantportions
portionsofofour
ourbuses
busesand
andtrains
trainsoverseas,
overseas,bypassing
bypassingmillions
millionsofof
unemployed
Americans
and
struggling
communities.
unemployed Americans and struggling communities.
Meanwhile,
Meanwhile,air
airpollution
pollutionfrom
fromold,
old,dirty
dirtybuses
busesand
andtrains
trainsdisrupts
disruptsour
ourclimate
climateand
andharms
harmspublic
public
health.
We
need
to
replace
old
vehicles
with
clean,
efficient
ones.
health. We need to replace old vehicles with clean, efficient ones.
Here
HereininCITY/STATE/REGION,
CITY/STATE/REGION,TRANSIT
TRANSITAGENCY
AGENCYhas
hasthe
thepower
powertotospend
spendour
ourtax
taxdollars
dollarstotobuy
buy
new
buses/light
rail/
subway
trains/streetcars
like
the
ones
on
LOCAL
TRANSIT
LINE.
new buses/light rail/ subway trains/streetcars like the ones on LOCAL TRANSIT LINE.InInFUTURE
TIME
PERIOD,
are expected
spend an
$X – all taxpayer
– to
buy new
FUTURE
TIMEthey
PERIOD,
they are to
expected
to estimated
spend an estimated
$X – alldollars
taxpayer
dollars
– to
vehicles.
CITY/STATE/REGION
residents
want
to
be
sure
TRANSIT
AGENCY
and
CITY
buy new vehicles. CITY/STATE/REGION residents want to be sure TRANSIT AGENCY and CITY
COUNCIL/MAYOR
COUNCIL/MAYORmake
makethese
thesetransit
transitdollars
dollarsgo
gothe
thedistance.
distance.
WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY?
Jobs to Move America is a national coalition uniting more than 30 community, labor, faith, civil
rights, philanthropic, academic and environmental groups, including X, Y, Z LOCAL GROUPS.
The Jobs to Move America coalition wants to make our transit dollars go the distance, to build
cleaner transit systems; to create and retain good manufacturing American jobs; and to
generate opportunities for unemployed Americans like veterans, single parents, and residents
of low-income neighborhoods.
In CITY/STATE/REGION, A, B,C LOCAL GROUPS have formed the CITY/STATE/REGION Jobs to
Move America coalition. We want TRANSIT AGENCY and CITY COUNCIL/MAYOR to use these
transit dollars wisely, to create better results: good jobs, cleaner equipment and more
opportunity for low income people- [OR DESCRIBE LOCAL GOALS].
With Jobs to Move America, our communities can harness billions of taxpayer dollars to
upgrade our transit networks with clean, new trains and buses, made in America!
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
Based on annual spending levels of about $5.4 billion, bus and rail car purchases could support
up to 53,000 good American jobs.(1)
Jobs to Move America coalition has developed a tool box of policy resources for public transit
agencies to use, to make our transit dollars go the distance. One of these policy resources,
the U.S. Employment Plan, encourages bus and train manufacturing companies to create good
American jobs through the process of awarding multimillion-dollar contracts, which are paid for
with taxpayer funds.
The U.S. Employment Plan has 3 parts:
 Disclosure: requires transportation manufacturing companies to detail the number and
quality of American jobs on a contract.
 Evaluation: provides several legal methods for public transit agencies to evaluate
competing proposals from manufacturing companies based on their disclosures, rewarding
companies for creating good American jobs, locating facilities in the U.S., and generating
opportunities for unemployed workers through recruiting and training efforts.
 Implementation: contractually obligates companies to implement their American jobs
plans, and allows community groups to work with the companies and hold them
accountable to their commitments.
Jobs to Move America’s policy toolbox also includes resources incenting workforce training,
greater opportunities for disadvantaged people and small businesses, and cleaner vehicles.
(1) Jobs figures are measured in jobs years and based on LAANE calculations using a methodology developed
by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/research_brief/PERI_transit_domestic_content.pdf
HELP CREATE JOBS TO MOVE AMERICA
Connect with the Jobs to Move America coalition and your city’s transit officials to make our
transit dollars go the distance, at http://www.jobstomoveamerica.org/connect/
To get involved in Jobs to Move America in CITY/STATE/REGION, please contact:
 NAME. TITLE, ORGANIZATION, PHONE, EMAIL
To join the Jobs to Move America coalition, please contact
 Rudy Gonzalves, California Director, 213-977-9400 x 101, rgonzalves@laane.org
For information on Jobs to Move America policy and for academic resources, please contact:
 Linda Nguyen-Perez, Regional Projects Director, 213-977-9400 x119,
lnguyen@laane.org, and
 Erika Thi Patterson, Researcher and Policy Analyst, 213-977-9400 x120,
epatterson@laane.org
For media inquiries, please contact
 Nadine Levyfield, Communications Specialist, 213-977-9400 x112,
nlevyfield@laane.org