Press Releases and Statements

WASHINGTON — More than 30 U.S. transportation labor union leaders gathered at a legislative summit to set key policy goals that will improve the safety and well-being of the nation’s transportation systems and the workers who build, operate, and maintain them. Attendees welcomed keynote remarks from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and National Transportation Safety Board […]

WASHINGTON—During the pandemic, Congress temporarily paused arbitrary federal reductions to rail worker unemployment and sickness insurance program benefits, until 30 days after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. When Congress passed legislation declaring an end to the Covid-19 national emergency, which President Biden signed on April 10, it set in motion the 30-day countdown to […]

WASHINGTON – Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), issued this statement after the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a safety advisory regarding  accident mitigation and train length: “We welcome recent rail safety actions from the Federal Railroad Administration, including the safety advisory drawing attention to the complexities of […]

WASHINGTON — Today, 14 U.S. rail labor organizations, representing more than 100,000 freight rail workers, launched a public safety campaign demanding that U.S. freight rail corporations halt all stock buybacks until safety improves across the industry. The No Stock Buybacks campaign, and the accompanying petition, is available at NoStockBuybacks.org. Since 2015, the six publicly-traded U.S. […]

WASHINGTON —  Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Chief Deputy Whip and a senior member of the House Budget Committee, alongside Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act, which would remove sequestration constraints on […]

WASHINGTON — Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), released this statement as the House Aviation Subcommittee holds a hearing on “FAA Reauthorization: Examining the Current and Future Challenges Facing the Aerospace Workforce“: “Today, the nation’s largest transportation labor federation, representing 37 unions and millions of workers […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Nobody wants to experience a nightmare at 30,000 feet, trapped in close quarters aboard an aircraft with a violent passenger who is brawling their way into the ‘air rage passenger hall of shame.’  But sky-high levels of disgraceful violence directed at flight crews and fellow passengers has become rampant.  Now, a bipartisan group of […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19) today introduced the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act. This bipartisan legislation establishes a global safety standard for American aircraft repairs and removes the incentive to offshore aircraft maintenance jobs. Rep. Molinaro introduced this bill alongside U.S. Reps. Julie Brownley (D-CA-26), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), John Garamendi (D-CA-8) and 22 other Members […]

WASHINGTON — Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), released this statement after the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a notice to encourage high-speed rail project sponsors to voluntarily submit their domestic sourcing and workforce plans for review prior to the awarding of any federal funds: “We applaud […]

WASHINGTON — Today, the Ohio Democratic congressional delegation announced the introduction of the bipartisan Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act, led by Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) and Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-06): “Public safety transcends political parties and congressional boundaries, which is why I am proud to co-lead the RAIL Act — bipartisan, commonsense legislation to prevent […]