Press Releases and Statements

WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued this statement in support of U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx’s effort to highlight the importance of investing in America’s surface transportation needs, and applauded the Secretary’s effort to engage transportation labor: “In today’s economy, where there are too few jobs and […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), today commends the Federal Railroad Administration on its intention to issue a new rule on two-person train crew requirements. “We know, through years of experience and too many tragic accidents that it takes two qualified crew members to safely operate trains – […]

Washington DC – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), responded to the long overdue extension of the transit tax benefit included in today’s Senate mark-up of a tax package: “Congress effectively implemented a tax increase on working people on January 1 when it failed to avert the roll-back of transit tax […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind issues this statement on the European Union (EU) Parliament’s decision against proceeding, at least until 2016, with its plan to charge a climate tax on non-EU airlines flying in and out of Europe: “We’re pleased that the EU Parliament will not implement a heavy-handed, […]

Washington, DC –  TTD President Edward Wytkind hailed the passage of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 today, calling it a victory for the U.S. Merchant Marine, middle class jobs and the broader economy. “The passage of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 is good news for workers, the […]

Washington, DC – Twenty-two unions with the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO weighed in on an ongoing and escalating debate about the future of international air travel today. The unions called on U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to reject Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) application for a foreign air carrier permit now pending before the U.S. […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued the following statement in support of the aviation safety and security reforms advanced today by J. David Cox, President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), at a field hearing held by the House Homeland Security Committee in Los Angeles, […]

WASHINGTON, DC—The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) today responded to a request for comments from the Department of Transportation (DOT), and urged DOT to ban voice calls on all flights within, to or from the U.S. TTD argued that allowing passengers to make in-flight phone calls would be inherently disruptive to the cabin environment and […]

WASHINGTON, DC—Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind issues this statement regarding the FAA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on drug and alcohol testing at aircraft maintenance facilities outside the U.S.: “Federal aviation regulators took an important step yesterday in an effort to ensure that foreign aircraft repair stations that work on U.S. […]

WASHINGTON, DC—A bipartisan group of 38 Senators today urged the Department of Transportation to ensure U.S. airline jobs are protected, and U.S. law and aviation trade agreements are not violated, when considering Norwegian Air International’s application for a foreign air carrier permit. Led by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), […]