WASHINGTON – Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, released the following statement after President Biden announced his intent to nominate Ron Batory as a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors:
“As the largest transportation labor federation in the country, representing thousands of unionized rail workers, we have a vested interest in ensuring good stewardship of our nation’s passenger rail system. Therefore, we must express our disappointment over Mr. Batory’s nomination to be a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors. Mr. Batory is no friend to America’s rail workers. As Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration during the Trump Administration, he attacked two-person crew laws in various states and approved a record amount of waivers allowing the rail industry to ignore federal safety requirements.
“Let us be clear: while Mr. Batory would never be our choice, we recognize that federal law requires the Board to have three members from the minority party, in this case the Republican Party. Since the law also requires the President to consult with the Senate Minority Leader when making minority party appointments, the breadcrumb trail for this transparently anti-labor nominee leads directly to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s doorstep.
“Minority Leader McConnell owns this choice. Not President Biden. Despite our concerns, we remain committed to working with our federal partners, including Amtrak’s Board of Directors, to guarantee the success of our national rail network and the economic wellbeing of the rail workforce.”