News and Media

President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan calls for a major investment in EVs and electrified transit, with a focus on what a senior administration official described as “infrastructure for the future.” But the labor groups said as public transportation agencies forge ahead with plans to electrify their vehicles, transit workers, including operators and mechanics, are not being prepared to transition to an electric future away from traditional diesel-powered vehicles.

In an interview, ATU International President John Costa said only about 3% of the group’s membership is trained on the technology and how to maintain it safely, even as agencies increasingly turn to EVs. The differences between traditional vehicles and EVs include the different personal protective equipment required to maintain them, the use of rubberized tools and the difference in motors. Operators must also be retrained, as a new style of driving is required to reduce strain on the battery from braking, he said.

Washington, DC—Today, the leaders of the unions representing America’s public transit workforce and the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), laid out five key policies Congress and the federal government must follow as the U.S. seeks to reduce its carbon footprint by transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, including battery-electric buses. The policies come on the heels of […]

Democratic leaders on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced legislation Thursday that would require the transportation secretary to develop an aviation-sector plan for managing disease outbreaks.

The Healthy Flights Act of 2021 — introduced by Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), the committee’s chairman; and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the aviation subcommittee chairman — also makes clear that the Federal Aviation Administration has the authority to impose requirements to protect passengers and airline workers during public health emergencies. In addition, it would require that people wear masks on airplanes and in airports, and that airline employees and some FAA personnel be given personal protective equipment during public health emergencies linked to respiratory diseases.

Labor leaders outline commitments FIFA, host cities must make to protect workers Washington, DC—As the United States, Canada, and Mexico prepare to host the 2026 men’s World Cup, the leaders of 33 transportation unions put FIFA, soccer’s governing body, on notice: we will not tolerate anti-worker policies and transportation services that undermine good jobs or […]

Washington, DC — As the U.S. begins to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Committee of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), gathered today to assess the immediate, short-term, and long-term needs of transportation workers and the systems they operate. Recognizing that the key to sustained economic recovery for working families rests […]

Washington, DC — Today, union attorney Deirdre Hamilton was nominated by the President to serve on the National Mediation Board (NMB), the government body that facilitates labor-management relations in the aviation and rail industries. The 33-member union Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), which represents millions of workers across the aviation, rail and broader transportation sectors, […]

As reported by Kate Davidson and Amara Omeokwe for The Wall Street Journal President Biden’s $2.3 trillion plan to invest in infrastructure, clean energy and caregiving over the coming decade would be a boon for construction workers, truck drivers, electricians and home health aides. Both critics and supporters of the initiative say it will also […]

Washington, DC – Greg Regan, president of the 33 union Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement applauding President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion proposal for investing in infrastructure, tackling climate change, and making America more equitable: “President Biden’s American Jobs Plan would make generational investments in our nation’s transportation system, and […]

As reported by Kate Ackley and Jessica Wehrman for Roll Call As President Joe Biden lays out a multitrillion-dollar plan Wednesday in Pittsburgh to remake the nation’s infrastructure, lobbying interests across sectors and spanning the ideological spectrum are forming tenuous alliances to prod Congress to act. The debate is expected to dominate the K Street […]

As Reported by John Gallagher for Freightwaves Two prominent labor unions want the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reject the Trump administration’s automated vehicle (AV) strategy for relying too much on the viewpoint from industry without enough attention paid to potential damage to worker safety and jobs. The 38-page Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan (AVCP), […]