Gainesville Florida transit union pays for one day passes to focus attention on the Federal transportation bill

According to "Transit union paying for daily bus passes next week to bring attention to transportation bill" in the Gainesville Sun, the local union is paying the cost of those using daily transit passes on Wednesday next week, as a way to promote the importance of transit and the federal transportation bill authorization process. From the article:

ATU Local 1579 President Mary Frances Folz-Donahue said the union is funding a fare-free rider appreciation day to highlight the ongoing talks in Washington, D.C., on whether to reauthorize the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and, more broadly, how significant federal funding is for the operational and capital needs of RTS.

I have always wondered why the local transit union doesn't seem to inclined to manage and focus on the relationship with riders, to build a broader base of support for transit and transit workers.  See:

-- Sunday March 18 is International Bus Driver Appreciation Day
-- "When the union label may be terrifying: transit edition

By contrast, in San Francisco, the local transit workers unions are vociferously focused on maintaining financial support for transit--sometimes with criticism because their policies tend to support modes like buses that require more personnel rather than modes like rail which require fewer people to run. But as a result the local transit service in San Francisco is funded about as well as it could be, given various constraints and other financial commitments.

But they do strike, and transit strikes don't build support for unions amongst the riding public.