Letters To Congress

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker U.S. House of Representatives H-232, the Capitol Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries Democratic Leader U.S. House of Representatives H-204, the Capitol Washington, DC 20515 July 14, 2023 Dear Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries, The undersigned labor organizations representing airline workers write to urge that you allow for a […]

Dear Representative: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I’m writing to express our serious concerns about the drastic cuts to transportation programs in the House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY24 bill. Although TTD commends the inclusion of much-needed investments in FAA’s operations and maintenance budget to […]

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), and the totality of rail labor as represented by our affiliated unions, I write to request that Congress provide Amtrak with $3.65 billion in the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill. That level is consistent with Congress’ authorized level in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Providing Amtrak with this level of funding will ensure that our national passenger rail system has the staffing and operating capacity necessary to maintain current service and move forward with the BIL’s generational investments.

Amtrak’s overall financial performance in FY2022 improved significantly, continuing its trend of recovery since the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Total ridership in the seven-month period ending on April 30th was 84% of 2019 levels and ticket revenues were 95% of 2019 levels.[2] Ridership on certain routes in states like Virginia is at an all-time high.[3] Responding to increased demand, Amtrak hired roughly 3,700 new employees in FY2022 and is working to hire more than 4,000 employees in FY2023 so it can start or expand rail service in many states. Now is the time for Congress to help Amtrak continue to build on this progress, not undermine it.

As representatives of the freight and passenger railroad industry and the highly-trained, hardworking railroad workforce, we urge you to support the swift passage of H.R.2785/S.1274, the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act (REEF Act). This common-sense, bipartisan bill would eliminate sequester cuts to railroad unemployment and sickness benefits that have unfairly short-changed railroad workers and their families for over a decade.

Railroad workers play a critical role in keeping the passenger and freight rail network safe and our economy moving. They deserve to access the full value of the benefits they have earned. Currently, Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) benefits are the only federal unemployment insurance and sickness benefits program subject to sequestration. Every other American’s unemployment, disability, or sickness benefits are not subject to the same cuts.

June 14, 2023 Dear Senator:  On behalf of the undersigned labor organizations representing tens of thousands of aviation employees, we write to urge you to vote in favor of the amendment Klobuchar 1 during the  Commerce, Science, & Transportation Executive Committee mark up tomorrow.   Transportation workers know all too well the consequences of predatory business […]

Dear Representative: As the Committee continues consideration of the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) urges you to oppose the poison pill amendment outlined below. As the largest transportation labor federation representing 37 unions and millions of workers across the United States, safety is at the […]

June 12, 2023 Dear Representatives, As you move to mark up the FAA reauthorization legislation, we write to reiterate labor’s interest in moving a bipartisan bill that is safety-focused. Finalizing a reauthorization bill before the current authorization expires is critical to continued aviation operations, and ensuring that the legislation affirms the U.S. as the gold […]

On behalf of the undersigned labor organizations representing employees of airlines and airline contractors, we write to declare in no uncertain terms our opposition to efforts to amend the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA) or otherwise statutorily preempt state and municipal labor and related policy for airline workers.

In 1978 Congress limited ADA preemption so as not to foreclose state and local regulation of traditional areas of state concern regarding labor and employee issues as applied to aviation workers. By expressly tailoring preemption of state law only to circumstances where the states directly regulate customer-centric prices, routes, and airline service, Congress balanced the industry’s need for uniformity in its relation to the traveling public while respecting the states’ traditional ability to protect and support its citizens. Our members, like workers throughout the economy, avail themselves of the benefits provided by state and local governments to care for sick spouses, children, and to address medical concerns outside the protections provided by their collective bargaining agreements. These long-established protections should not be arbitrarily foreclosed. As Congress recently observed in the railroad industry, transportation workers care significantly about matters unrelated to pay, and the flexibility to provide and care for oneself and family is necessary for a stable industry. Attempts to expand the intent and statutory framework of federal preemption or to swallow up and preclude these important state law rights will negate this significant progress.

April 26, 2023 Oppose H.R. 2811 Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 Dear Representative:  On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), and the millions of transportation workers that we represent, I urge you to oppose the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) when it is put to a vote in the […]

As the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee considers the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2023, we write to express our views on a provision that would require the employment of U.S. workers in the development and operation of the emerging offshore wind industry.

Last Congress, the House of Representatives passed the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022, with overwhelming bipartisan support. Specifically, Section 518 of this legislation would require that foreign vessels utilize either U.S. mariners or citizens of the vessel’s flag state while operating in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Similar to the current provision, this language represents an important policy discussion about the need for offshore wind developers to make long-term investments in hiring U.S. workers, particularly in the installation, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind turbines.