News and Media

Washington, DC – Greg Regan, Secretary-Treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement applauding passage of a COVID economic relief package: “We applaud those Democrats and Republicans in Congress who came together in a bipartisan manner to support working families when they needed it the most.

As Reported by Mark Gruenberg for People’s World Transportation unions and LGBTQ groups are lauding President-Elect Joe Biden’s nomination of former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be Secretary of Transportation once Biden takes over the Oval Office on Jan. 20. If confirmed, Buttigieg would be the first-ever openly gay U.S. Cabinet member. Meanwhile, […]

Washington, DC — Greg Regan, Secretary-Treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement following the nomination of Pete Buttigieg to serve as Secretary of Transportation: “Transportation labor congratulates Pete Buttigieg on his nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation. He understands that working people keep America moving, and his desire to support […]

  Washington, DC — Yesterday, with his wife and daughter by his side, TTD president Larry Willis, 53, succumbed to injuries sustained on November 22 in a tragic biking accident. TTD Secretary-Treasurer Greg Regan issues this statement of mourning and remembrance: “We mourn today the shocking loss of a brother and fierce advocate for working […]

Washington, DC – Facing a worsening public health and economic crisis, widespread gender and racial inequality, and an economy that overwhelmingly favors the wealthy, the leaders of 33 transportation unions gathered today to set an aggressive agenda for the new Congress and incoming Biden administration. The meeting of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Trades […]

Washington, DC – Larry Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement following the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris:   “The American people have spoken, and they have clearly and decisively chosen unity over divisiveness, leadership over chaos, and working-class values over corporate greed. On behalf of the millions […]

As Reported by Keith Laing for Bloomberg
The tunnel, with an estimated cost of more than $11 billion, would carry Amtrak and New Jersey Transit commuter trains under the Hudson River as part of the Gateway Program. Supporters say the project has languished amid feuding between President Donald Trump and Democratic governors in New York and New Jersey — though the administration says it is working to complete an environmental review.

As Reported by Lena H. Sun, Michael Laris and Lori Aratani for The Washington Post
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday strongly recommended in newly issued guidelines that all passengers and workers on planes, trains, buses and other public transportation wear masks to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. The guidance was issued following pressure from the airline industry and amid surging cases of the coronavirus and strong evidence on the effectiveness of masks in curbing transmission, according to CDC officials. The recommendations fall short of what transportation industry leaders and unions had sought, and come long after evidence in favor of mask-wearing was well established.

As reported by Sheila Kaplan  for the New York Times: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drafted a sweeping order last month requiring all passengers and employees to wear masks on all forms of public and commercial transportation in the United States, but it was blocked by the White House, according to two federal health officials.

As Reported by Ted Reed for Forbes
That reluctance is unsurprising, said John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union, which represents 150,000 transport workers including about 65,000 employed in the airline industry. On Oct. 9, the U.S. Department of Transportation rejected a petition from the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO to require masks for passengers on commercial passenger transportation. The federal agencies “won’t step up,” Samuelsen said Wednesday. “They won’t create an across the board mandate on anything related to Covid-19 related safety measures or worker protection.”