DEBORAH COSEY-LANE

All aboard and meet Deborah Cosey-Lane. Deborah — who joined WMC’s board in 2018 — has worked for the Chicago Transit Authority for more than 27 years. During her tenure she has held a variety of positions including conductor, switchman, ticket agent, janitor, and flagman. For the past 11 years, she has worked as a CTA rail operator. Currently, she works the Red Line driving riders north and south through the city.

“I love the fact that everyday people trust me to get them to their various destinations,” Deborah says. “Watching this city move is amazing!”

Deborah became enamored with trains while growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois, where her family lived near freight train tracks.

“We used to just sit there sometimes at night and just watch them go by,” she remembers, “As a kid, we were just so happy to hear the train come. I was fascinated by it.”

Although she works in a male-dominated profession — Deborah estimates that 70 percent of CTA rail operators are male — she finds her work empowering.

“As females, we see the good and bad,” Deborah says. “At times we are doctors, lawyers, fireman, policeman. It can be very challenging, but it is also rewarding. Yes, I feel I can take on the world.”

A strong fighter for the labor movement, Deborah is also the secretary-treasurer of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 308. The union branch, which has 3,000 active members, is the sole and exclusive bargaining agency for CTA employees.

Both Deborah’s extensive involvement in the labor movement and her work with WMC is driven by her desire to assist and enlighten others, she says.

“I want to spend every waking moment helping people understand that life will only give you what you learn and what you apply,” Deborah says. “Wisdom will only intercede in the absence of knowledge. Anything else is uncivilized.”

In May, the Illinois Democratic Women named Deborah its Outstanding Democratic Women of the Year.

Deborah is also well-known for her amazing voice and often sings at both public and private events around the city.

“I thank God every day for love, wisdom, knowledge, favor, grace and my voice,” Deborah says. “God has given me the power to uplift and inspire others through words, deeds and song!”