WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following statement was offered by Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of courage and conviction is no less relevant today than it ever was. His prophetic teachings continue to inspire generations of Americans to fight for social and economic justice, for better lives, and for a better America.
“On the holiday to remember Dr. King, it is right that Transportation Labor renew its commitment to fight the battles that need fighting. Years of neglect have ushered in an era of ignored needs and weakened rights of workers, and a focus on a privileged few at the expense of many.
“We must always choose the right path, never the path of least resistance.
“It is up to us to choose between investing in our economy and infrastructure or watching it crumble beneath us; between justice for all or privilege for the few; between a voice for all Americans or domination by the powerful; and between restoring the American dream or acquiescing to the destruction of our middle class.
“Dr. King famously stated that ‘the time is always right to do what is right,’ and that ‘our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.’
“As we honor Dr. King, let his words continue to inspire our work to lift the lives of working men and women.”
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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.
This press release on TTD letterhead