Safety

Keeping our government accountable for the safety of working people is often a tough job, but it is essential for industries across the transportation sector. Aviation is no exception. Earlier this week, TTD President Edward Wytkind went on America’s Workforce Radio to discuss two longstanding issues that place our aviation workforce at risk on a […]

The 40-hour work week? Check. A federal minimum wage? Yup. Ensuring our kids aren’t slaving away in dangerous factories? That, too. Standards that working Americans have come to expect — and that have given millions a chance at better wages and working conditions — can be traced back to historic legislation enacted 78 years ago […]

Other than the lobby for the behemoth, multi-billion dollar railroad companies, almost no one believes we should permit up to 20,000-ton freight trains, many filled with things that blow up, to travel across America with a single crew member at the controls. The American people hate this idea. Across the country, in small towns and […]

Nearly two years after the tragic death of Gerardo Hernandez, the first Transportation Security Officer (TSO) killed in the line of duty, President Obama signed into law common-sense legislation that requires the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to make sure airports and high-risk surface transportation hubs have adequate plans in place to deal with shootings […]

Each year, thousands of transportation workers are hurt or killed on the job. These women and men devote their lives to keeping our transportation system — the backbone of the U.S. economy — running, and they deserve far better. This Tuesday, April 28 is Workers Memorial Day: a time to remember those workers who have […]

As published by Keith Laing in The Hill.   Senate to consider extending deadline for automating trains The Senate committee that oversees transportation issues is scheduled to mark up a measure on Wednesday that would extend a deadline for U.S. railways to equip their trains with automated control systems by five years. Current law requires that […]

Washington, DC—Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement about the Senate markup of the Positive Train Control (PTC) extension bill:  “A five-year extension of the deadline by which Positive Train Control (PTC) technology must be implemented cannot be considered in a vacuum or in isolation. Rail employees, first responders, […]

It may come as a surprise to some that one of the fastest-growing modes of transportation in the U.S. is intercity bus. After decades of declining ridership, intercity bus service has rebounded in a big way, boasting eight consecutive years of consistent growth. Driving this comeback are service modernization efforts, growing onboard amenities, and additional […]

As published in Progressive Railroading.   TTD lays out transportation agenda, re-elects Wytkind, Willis The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) last weekend held its winter convention, during which its affiliates laid out recommendations for the U.S. transportation system in 2015 and marked the organization’s 25th anniversary. “[This year] must be about holding those we elected accountable […]

As published by Sean Kilcarr in Fleet Owner.   Groups lay out transportation agenda items for 2015 A variety of groups, from unions to safety-themed organizations, laid out their transportation agendas for the rest of the year – especially where highway funding and electronic logging devices (ELDs) are concerned. The primary focus of the Transportation Trades […]