WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, issued the following statement today upon U.S. Senate confirmation of Linda Puchala as a Member of the National Mediation Board:
“This is an important day for rail and airline workers in this country. With the confirmation of Linda Puchala as a member of the National Mediation Board (NMB), the three-member board will again live up to the mission for which it was created: to uphold the rights of workers to bargain collectively and form and join unions.
“Unlike the Bush NMB era of hostility toward the rights of workers, we look forward to a National Mediation Board that fosters productive collective bargaining relationships and rejects employer conduct aimed at thwarting the rights of employees to unionize. With this appointment, President Obama has again demonstrated his belief that the right to form unions and bargain collectively is critical to rebuilding the economy and a strong middle class.
“Puchala is a true professional in the field of labor-management relations. Transportation unions look forward to not only her vast experience but her dedication to inspiring labor and management to resolve their disputes at the bargaining table.”
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The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, represents 32 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit ttd.org.
