MoveAmerica Blog

TTD’s rail unions represent frontline workers across America’s passenger rail network, including those who operate trains, maintain and repair equipment, provide quality customer service both on and off-board, and who construct facilities. There is no one who knows Amtrak like these men and women, and you will not find a greater advocate for passenger rail […]

While testifying before the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit last week, TTD president Larry Willis highlighted the exploitive business model found in the ride-hailing industry and urged lawmakers to hold companies like Uber, Lyft, and Via accountable. Larry’s remarks centered around a report released by TTD which found the ride-hailing industry’s relatively affordable and […]

There are immediate steps lawmakers can take to both buffer against fear of an economic slowdown and rebalance America’s economy in favor of working people. Chief among them: massive investments in our transportation system and infrastructure.

Last fall, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 — proof that Washington can still get things done and that bipartisan agreement is achievable on key transportation issues. This long-term reauthorization bill made critical investments in our nation’s airports and air traffic control network, and supported the work of FAA employees dedicated to safe […]

Nearly a year after the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 was passed, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still have not implemented key components of this legislation – components that will improve safety for passengers and workers alike. This Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation will hold a hearing […]

Ten years ago, American Airlines was heralded for bucking trends by not outsourcing its aircraft maintenance work to foreign repair stations. Now, 30,000 ground workers at American and their unions, the Transport Workers Union and International Machinists Union, are fighting to keep it that way. Since 2015, ground workers, including aircraft mechanics, have been negotiating […]

In June, unions representing a wide range of crafts of railroad workers testified before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the state of the rail workforce and worker safety in the industry. Without fail, each labor witness spoke to safety issues that freight carriers and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are at best choosing to ignore, and at worst actively exacerbating.

Earlier this month I had the honor of speaking at the Convention of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, or SMART, where I focused on the power of solidarity — a message that is especially important as the nation prepares to celebrate Labor Day. The belief that working people are […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGzrz00i_jU&feature=youtu.be “I’m not sure where the source comes from that I’m hostile to Amtrak … simply because I voted no on some funding votes.” – Todd Rokita, July 24, 2019 That was the response former Congressman Todd Rokita gave to lawmakers when they questioned why he repeatedly voted to defund Amtrak, our national passenger rail […]

The belief that the carrier’s regional expansion must come at the expense of its national network isn’t just concerning – this idea goes against Amtrak’s own mission and purpose.