50 Years of Service: Celebrating Joe Uherc

This July, we honor a truly remarkable milestone: 50 years of service from Facilities Maintainer Joe Uherc. Hired on July 31, 1975,

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 Joe has been with GCRTA for nearly its entire history. He began his career just months after GCRTA was officially formed, transitioning from CTS in late 1974. His longevity and dedication reflect not only his personal work ethic, but the legacy of transit in Cleveland as a family, a community, and a place to build a life.

Joe was hired as a "hustler grade three" – responsible for caring for and moving buses around the yard. He was one of the first younger hires during a time of major transition. “All there was left here with CTS was old men,” he said, laughing at the memory. “I was one of the first youngsters they had in a long time.”

Throughout the decades, Joe worked at nearly every facility: Triskett, Central Bus, Brooklyn, the old Hayden building, Rail, and Downtown. He saw GCRTA grow, change, and evolve through major milestones — from the infamous blizzard of ’78 to the opening of the Waterfront Line, to countless bus rodeos, Labor Day parades where employees passed out candy to neighborhood kids, and several company transitions. “There’s good times and bad times always,” he shared. “But it’s been a great company. Decent wages, decent benefits, and the union’s been real good to us.”

Joe's story is also one of family legacy. His father and brother worked at GCRTA. His daughter, Leah, is now a janitor at the Central Bus Maintenance Facility. Their story mirrors that of many multi-generational families in Cleveland, where GCRTA has been more than just a job — it’s been a constant.

Joe's talents stretch far beyond transit maintenance, as does his bond with his GCRTA coworkers. In the late 1970s, he was a founding member of Strychnine, a Cleveland-based punk and hard rock band he started with Gary and Sam Helton — brothers and mechanics who worked at Rail and Central Bus.

Their 1978 single “Jack the Ripper” backed with “Crazy Women” was released on Music Adventures Records. In recent years, the band gained cult recognition in the underground garage and punk scene, with original vinyl copies of the record later selling for as much as $1,000 among collectors.

The band’s full lineup included:

• “Crazy” Joe Uherc – Rhythm Guitar
• Weasle Strychnine – Vocals
• Duce Helton (Gary Helton) – Bass Guitar, Vocals
• Bruno Helton (Sam Helton) – Lead Guitar
• Spike McCormack – Drums

Recorded at After Dark Studios and pressed by QCA Custom Pressing, Strychnine remains a rare but beloved piece of Cleveland’s punk history. Joe still receives occasional royalties and holds onto memories of those years.

“We were kinda like a punk rock band,” he said. “I had to step away to take care of my parents, but I still play at home.”

Joe also remembers Gary was the very person who encouraged him to apply for a job at GCRTA in 1975. He recalls Gary saying there were lots of openings after the transit tax passed and suggested he take the test. “I went from $1.75 to $5.19 in one day — and then $5.34 the next,” Joe said. “That was the union.”

Though he’s nearing the end of his career, Joe isn’t quite ready to hang up his uniform yet. His wife, a cancer survivor, relies on his insurance. “The benefits are amazing,” he said. “That’s why I’m still here.”

When asked what advice he’d give to younger generations, Joe doesn’t hesitate. “RTA should go to the high schools, to the trade schools,” he said. “Kids need to know the wages, the benefits, the retirement. A lot of us were told to go into office jobs, but now people are leaving them to come learn skilled trades.”

Joe’s career is filled with stories — from evacuating buildings due to gas leaks to passing out coffee during snowstorms to repairing the equipment that keeps our city moving. But when asked to sum it up?

“It’s not anything extraordinary. It’s just 50 years of working… but the thing is, people will always need public transportation. Things change, but some things stay the same.”

Joe, thank you for five decades of service, humor, grit, and heart. Your story reminds us that we are all a part of the community we work to connect every day.