TTD in the news

Rail unions want railroads to take some of the billions they’re using every year to buy back their stock and spend it to improve safety in the wake of several high-profile derailments and hire more workers.

The 12 unions that represent all of the more than 100,000 workers across the industry said Friday that collectively the six biggest freight railroads spent over $165 billion on buybacks — well above the $119 billion they spent on upgrading and maintaining their track and equipment between 2015 and last year. At the same time, their safety record worsened as they cut costs and eliminated nearly one-third of all rail jobs.

“I think it has become increasingly apparent that the priorities of the railroads are out of whack,” said Greg Regan, president of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department coalition that includes all the rail unions.

U.S. labor unions called on railroad operators to halt all stock buybacks until they improve safety and abandon their lean operating model, which regulators and shippers say has led to deterioration in the quality of service.

The unions have blamed Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), a concept that encourages running longer trains on fixed schedule with lesser staffing, for worsening working conditions for employees, while shoring up profit for railroads.

Railroads, however, say PSR helps provide predictable and consistent service to customers.

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 the unemployment insurance program for […]

Amid reported difficulty recruiting employees who can pass drug tests, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) is one of the organizations hoping a new testing method gains approval for transportation workers.

Oral fluid testing was approved as scientifically valid by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Science in 2019 and is under consideration by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), which issued a proposed rulemaking last year. A final rulemaking, initially expected in December 2022, was never issued.

If approved by the DOT, the Coast Guard would also have to approve the testing for it to be valid on the nation’s waterways.

Reported by Ian Kullgren for Bloomberg Law.

Several large US unions saw double-digit growth in 2022 at the same time employers were weathering a tight labor market and a wave of worker dissatisfaction, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis of new federal filings from the previous calendar year.

Annual union disclosures to the US Department of Labor offer the most detailed look yet at how labor groups have flourished—and struggled—in the post-pandemic economy. More than 50 groups that filed membership and financial disclosures in the past month reported a collective net membership increase of 3%, slightly higher than what the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January, though the results vary by industry.

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 […]

America’s Workforce Podcast.

Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO joined the America’s Work Force Union and provided updates following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. He also discussed the impact the derailment is having on the entire rail industry and problems with the Federal Aviation Administration that currently does not have a leader.

As more federal hearings and meetings take place regarding the East Palestine derailment, Regan feels it has become clear that the rail agencies are not as transparent as they claim. Many local residents and the union members who were charged with the cleanup task following the derailment have become sick. Unfortunately, there are no explanations for the symptoms these men and women have developed. Adding to the mystery, Regan said there are no examples of how this disaster will affect the area in the long term.

Reported by Alex Daugherty for Politico.

The collapse of President Joe Biden’s effort to fill the top job at the Federal Aviation Administration leaves the administration starting from scratch with an agency that has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader for nearly a year.

But a Republican lawmaker who helped sink Biden’s nominee says the president has an obvious solution — hand the job to the acting chief who has been running the agency since April.

Acting Administrator Billy Nolen, a former airline pilot who led the FAA’s safety office, has already gotten a public endorsement from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who predicted during a hearing this month that he would “get confirmed quickly.” Some people in the aviation industry have also called Nolen an obvious choice, given his experience as a pilot and safety executive and his pledges to address a recent spike in near-collisions among planes.

Reported by Dan Zukowski for SmartCitiesDive.

To encourage the development of high-speed rail systems, the Federal Railroad Administration wants to establish a “streamlined process” for federal reviews of grant funding applications, according to a notice posted Wednesday in the Federal Register.

The Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program is making $4.6 billion available for projects outside the Northeast Corridor, including but not limited to high-speed rail. Applications are due April 21. The FRA is inviting project developers to submit their domestic sourcing and workforce plans now, instead of during the grant application and funding process.

Washington, DC – 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. Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), John Garamendi (D-CA-8) and 22 other Members of […]