News and Media

[As published by Kevin Robillard in Politico] The FCC took a step Thursday toward allowing cellphone calls in the air — but not before the Transportation Department announced it will consider using its own authority to ban them. The move sets up a future sought by many members of Congress and the traveling public: Airline […]

WASHINGTON, DC—Statement by Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind on the departure of DOT Deputy Secretary John Porcari, effective Dec. 31: “John Porcari has been a steady and effective leader throughout his nearly five years as President Obama’s DOT deputy secretary. He implemented a historic transportation economic recovery package that helped the nation […]

WASHINGTON, DC—The threat of unscrupulous school bus contractors transporting our nation’s students and the working conditions of drivers are among the topics featured at today’s School Bus Summit hosted by the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD). “During this summit we will drill down on the challenges faced by school bus drivers in a fast-changing industry […]

[As published by Edward Wytkind and John Previsich in the Nov. 24 Altoona Mirror] In the first half of the 20th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the most heavily traveled railroad in the United States, and at one point it was the largest publicly traded corporation in the world. Times have changed, but Pennsylvanians, including those […]

[As published by Nathan Hurst in CQ Roll Call] U.S. airlines and the unions for the carriers’ employees are lining up behind legislation that would bar the Homeland Security Department from opening a U.S. customs facility at the airport in Abu Dhabi until a study on its impact can be completed. At issue are claims […]

A poll conducted by a transportation union found that 58 percent of voters in Kentucky have a favorable opinion of Amtrak. The poll, which was conducted by the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) union, found voters in Kentucky supported Amtrak by a 58percent to 10 percent margin, despite the rail company having few […]

Middle-Class U.S. Airline Jobs at Risk WASHINGTON, DC—Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) issues this statement on the Meehan-DeFazio bill to stop wasteful spending by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on pre-clearance facilities that disadvantage U.S. airlines and undermine middle-class jobs. “We strongly support […]

[As published by TTD President Edward Wytkind and SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich in Kentucky.com] Passenger rail has a long, proud history in Kentucky and Amtrak in particular enjoys support from Kentuckians, regardless of their political views. That’s the clear message of a recent poll that finds bipartisan support for maintaining or expanding Amtrak […]

WASHINGTON, DC—On this Veterans Day, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) unites with its 32 member unions to honor those Americans who make sacrifices every day in service to the nation—the active duty military and veterans. Upon coming home or ending their service, these men and women face the challenge of finding good-paying jobs in […]

[As posted by Ed Wytkind in The Huffington Post] These are sobering times if you believe that returning to the days when America actually built things and modernized its economy is critical to our future. From sequestration to the recent government shutdown and inaction on a real job investment platform, 2013 has been the year […]