Washington, DC – Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in support of the INVEST in America Act:
“We applaud the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for putting the needs of working families first by reintroducing the INVEST in America Act. This legislation builds on legislation introduced and passed by the House of Representatives last year by providing additional, unprecedented investments into our nation’s highway, rail, and transit systems. Moreover, by including strong labor protections across the entire bill, the INVEST in America Act ensures our country can compete in a global, 21st century economy, while creating and sustaining good jobs in construction, operations, maintenance, design, and manufacturing.
“The INVEST in America Act includes a number of key priorities TTD unions have long fought for, including: concrete tools to mitigate the scourge of assaults against transit and passenger rail workers; the establishment of a national public transportation workforce training center; a federal requirement mandating two qualified crewmembers on most freight trains; a national strategy to improve grade-crossing safety; and assurances that U.S. laws and regulations will apply to cross-border rail operations.
“This bill also includes expanded and strong Buy America rules, important worker and service reforms at Amtrak, and policies to help ensure that new technologies will not come at the expense of good union jobs. Finally, the broad and appropriate application of long-standing labor protections to investments included in the bill will ensure that transportation spending continues to create good and safe jobs in this sector.
“We thank Chairs DeFazio, Holmes Norton, and Payne Jr. for their leadership in crafting legislation that addresses the long-overlooked needs of our transportation network and frontline workers. We urge all members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to support this historic infrastructure investment plan.”