Letters To Congress

March 16, 2023 The Honorable Maria Cantwell Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation United States Senate 254 Russell Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Ted Cruz Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation United States Senate 254 Russell Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chair Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz: On behalf of the AFL-CIO […]

The Honorable Brian Schatz Chair Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Senate Appropriations Committee United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable David Price Chair Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee House Appropriations Committee United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Susan Collins Ranking Member Transportation, […]

On behalf of workers across the airline industry, we are writing to encourage you to support the bipartisan Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 7321) when it comes up for a vote on the House floor. This legislation removes incentives for airlines to offshore maintenance jobs by closing safety loopholes which allow US-aircraft to be repaired on lower safety standards at FAA-certified facilities abroad.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I offer my strong support for Robert Primus to serve another term on the Surface Transportation Board (STB). I urge the Members of the Senate Commerce Committee to favorably report his nomination out of the Committee and encourage his confirmation by the full Senate.

In 1996, Congress established the STB as the successor to the Interstate Commerce Commission and tasked it with the economic regulation of freight rail. The STB operated in alignment with the U.S. Department of Transportation until Congress deemed it a wholly independent federal agency through the 2015 STB Reauthorization Act.

Dear Senator: On behalf of the undersigned unions representing professional airline pilots and thousands of aviation workers who support strong safety standards, I urge you to oppose any legislation that increases the pilot retirement age. In 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), under the direction of Congress, implemented the Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act […]

Dear Representative: As the House continues consideration of H.R. 8294 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2023, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO urges you to support the final bill and oppose the following amendments. […]

Dear Representative,

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), representing 37 labor unions across all modes of transportation, and USA Maritime, a coalition of American ship operators, maritime labor organizations, and maritime trade associations, we urge you to oppose an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act led by Representatives Jackie Walorski, Jim Costa, Michelle Fischbach and Mariannette Miller-Meeks that would eliminate Ship American “cargo preference” rules essential to our U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S.-flag shipping industry. This amendment is similar to H. Con. Res. 92 and companion to S. Con. Res. 37 and 38, which Senators Joni Ernst and Chris Coons introduced in May.

Dear Senator: I am writing on behalf of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO. TTD is the largest transportation labor federation in the nation and notably represents all of the rail unions and workers in this country. We appreciate the May 23rd letter that you and your colleagues sent to the Surface Transportation […]

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), representing workers across nearly every position in the passenger rail network, I write to request that Congress fully fund Amtrak operations for FY2023, consistent with the FY2023 annual appropriations authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This includes $1.1 billion for the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and $2.2 billion for the National Network (NN), a total of $3.3 billion in grant funding.

With the passage of the IIJA, Congress committed to deliver world-class intercity passenger rail, and to support and preserve good jobs building, operating, and maintaining Amtrak’s network. Now, it is time for Congress to fulfill that promise by providing full funding in accordance with IIJA’s FY2023 authorization.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), representing 37 labor unions across all modes of transportation and USA Maritime, a coalition of American ship operators, maritime labor organizations, and maritime trade associations, we urge you to oppose H. Con. Res. 92. This resolution, led by Representatives Jackie Walorski, Jim Costa, Michelle Fischbach and Danny Davis, would eliminate Ship American “cargo preference” rules that are essential to our U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S.-flag shipping industry. This unnecessary resolution would waive a requirement that 50% of U.S. food-aid exports must be shipped on U.S.-flagged ships, thereby waiving Ship American rules worldwide to the detriment of the U.S. maritime workforce. To be clear, this means that the federal government would cede U.S. food-aid and shipping interests to foreign flag ships by eliminating 100% of the U.S. ships that are available to transport food-aid at fair and reasonable rates.