News and Media

Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, issued this statement on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRRA): “Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders on both sides of the aisle have proven today that it is still possible in Washington to work together in advancing legislation that is good for the […]

As published by Keith Laing in The Hill   Unions mobilize against hair drug testing for truck drivers The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department (TTD) is trying to clip a proposal to test truck drivers’ hair for traces of drugs instead of checking their urine. Supporters of the proposal, which is included in a highway bill […]

Washington, DC — Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued the following statement on the El Faro cargo ship tragedy: “We offer our deepest condolences to the families of El Faro’s 33 crew members, and to all those who called these experienced, dedicated mariners friends and co-workers. These were skilled mariners […]

Washington, DC — Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued the following statement on a bipartisan bill that extends the deadline for implementation of positive train control (PTC) technology: “TTD supports bipartisan legislation – introduced today by the leadership of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee – that extends the statutory deadline […]

As published by Keith Laing in The Hill     Unions back NYC rail tunnel plan The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department (TTD) is backing a plan that calls for the federal government to pay for half of the cost of building a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey. New Jersey Gov. Chris […]

Washington, DC — Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued the following statement on the progress to build a new Hudson River Rail Tunnel: “We are pleased that Governors Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo have advanced a joint plan — in a letter to President Obama — to build a desperately […]

Washington, DC — The following statement was issued by Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), in advance of the Labor Day holiday: “For far too long, our country has distanced itself from the true meaning of Labor Day. Labor Day can’t be just another federal holiday – it must be a […]

Ed Wytkind, President of TTD, discusses issues that affect over-the-road drivers, including driver fatigue and a proposal by Congress that would allow employers to test hair specimen of bus, truck and other transportation employees on The Rick Smith Show. “One of the biggest ways to solve the driver fatigue problem is to not make drivers exempt from the Fair […]

As published by Keith Laing in The Hill   What ever happened to Norwegian Air’s open skies bid? Norwegian Airlines’s bid to gain more access to airports in the U.S. and European Union was the talk of the aviation industry in 2014, but it appears to have stalled this year. The company is attempting to gain access […]

Did you miss TTD President Ed Wytkind discussing our country’s driver fatigue crisis on America’s Work Force Radio on Monday? You’re in luck — you can listen to the show here. The NTSB findings into the Tracy Morgan crash put a spotlight on what we already know: driver fatigue is a serious problem that plagues […]