Policy

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you to oppose an amendment filed by Senator John McCain to S.1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act. This ideologically driven amendment, which seeks to repeal components of the Jones Act, would outsource American jobs; jeopardize our domestic shipping industry; undermine our nation’s economic, national and homeland security and has no place during a debate over energy policy.

TTD and our affiliates strongly oppose efforts to overturn the decades-old policy that prohibits passengers from using mobile wireless devices to make voice calls while in-flight. As thoroughly explained in our filings to proceedings promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Transportation (DOT), we believe the introduction of in-flight voice calls pose unnecessary safety issues and security risks to passengers and flight crews, including flight attendants and pilots.[2] Overturning this longstanding policy also creates another unnecessary distraction in an inherently disruptive cabin environment that could create adversarial interactions between passengers.

At the request of Amtrak and CAHSRA, FRA seeks to waive its Buy America standard in order to allow the final assembly of up to four HSR trainset prototypes to take place outside the U.S.  Given the limitations on the domestic production and testing of HSR trainset prototypes as identified in the notice, we will not oppose this narrow waiver to help expand HSR in the U.S. while simultaneously developing domestic production facilities.

On behalf of hundreds of thousands U.S. aviation workers, we ask that you include the House-passed Westmoreland-DeFazio amendment language in any year-end appropriations measure.  This provision, included in the FY 2015 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD), simply requires the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement is implemented in full accordance with U.S. law and terms and conditions of the agreement.  An identical amendment was also introduced by Senators Klobuchar (D-MN), Blunt (R-MO), Schatz (D-HI) and Moran (R-KS) and other Senators prior to consideration of the Senate FY 2015 THUD bill.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I write in response to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) notice of a new Information Collection Request (ICR), “The Impact of Driver Compensation on Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Safety.” By way of background, TTD consists of 32 affiliate unions that represent workers in every mode of transportation, including those employed in the CMV industry. We therefore have a vested interested in this proceeding.[1] We also endorse the comments filed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I write to comment on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Hazardous Materials, Oil Spill Response Plans (OSRPs) for High-Hazard Flammable Trains (HHFTs). By way of background, TTD consists of 32 affiliate unions representing workers across the transportation spectrum, including the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) whose members answer the call when transportation-related emergencies occur. We therefore have a vested interest in this proceeding.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I write to comment on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Hazardous Materials, Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for High-Hazard Flammable Trains (HHFTs). By way of background, TTD consists of 32 affiliate unions including those that represent workers employed in the railroad industry and the first responders who answer the call when rail accidents occur.[1] We also note that two of our affiliates, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) and the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Transportation Division, have each filed comments in this proceeding.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I write to comment on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Notice of Intent to pursue a Negotiated Rulemaking to implement section 32304 of MAP-21. This mandate calls on the Secretary to establish minimum entry-level driver training (ELDT) requirements for individuals who operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). By way of background, TTD consists of 32 affiliate unions that represent workers in all modes of transportation, including a wide range of workers of who hold commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and operate a variety of CMVs.[1] We therefore have a vested interest in this rulemaking. In addition to this filing, some of our affiliate unions have commented as well, and we express support for those submissions.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge your support for the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2014 (PRRIA) when it is considered by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee later this week. This important legislation funds and sustains a key component of our national transportation system, and we commend Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Rahall, Subcommittee Chairman Denham and Subcommittee Ranking Member Brown for their leadership in crafting this bipartisan, compromise legislation.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you to sign a bipartisan letter led by Reps. David McKinley (R-WV) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) to federal regulators supporting the current ban on voice calls onboard commercial aircraft. In addition, this letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) urges these agencies to work collaboratively to address safety and security concerns raised by the introduction of expanded wireless capabilities before they are permitted in-flight.