Policy

Dear Senator, On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you to vote against the McCain amendment (#3384) when it is offered to the Hurricane Disaster Relief Appropriations Act.  This amendment would place arbitrary and ill-advised limits on the relief funding provided to Amtrak in the bill and would severely hamper the […]

November 15, 2012 Mr. Jack Wells Chief Economist Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC  20590 RE: Interim Guidance on State Freight Plans and State Freight Advisory Committees Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0168 Dear Mr. Wells: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I am writing to comment on the Department of Transportation’s […]

November 19, 2012 The Honorable Harry Reid Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, DC  20510 Dear Senator Reid: As you consider your agenda for the final weeks of the 112th Congress, I ask that you schedule a vote to confirm Acting Administrator Michael Huerta as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Mr. Huerta has […]

November 19, 2012 The Honorable Michael P. Huerta Acting Administrator Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC  20591 RE:      Repair Stations Docket No. FAA-2006-26408 Notice No. 12-03 Dear Acting Administrator Huerta: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I am happy to comment on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Notice […]

Victor Mendez, Administrator U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. E87-303 Washington, D.C.  20590 Dear Administrator Mendez: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I write in support of the request for the Department of Transportation to waive the Buy America requirements for iron and steel used in […]

The Committee has had countless hearings and discussions on Amtrak – even a trip to the local McDonald’s was squeezed in before the August recess. These events have been mainly used to demonize Amtrak and its dedicated workforce and to promote controversial privatization proposals that have garnered little support. To quote the great Yogi Berra, today’s hearing is like “déjà vu all over again.” TTD and a number of our rail affiliates have been called to this Committee room time and time again to debate the so-called merits of privatizing Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, outsourcing food and beverage service to companies ill-equipped to take on such responsibilities, or to simply close down routes that don’t make a profit. We have reminded members that no passenger operation in the world can operate without government subsidy and passenger rail service must be a part of our inter-connected multi-modal transportation system.

The Honorable Janet Napolitano Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528Dear Secretary Napolitano: I am writing in regard to a letter sent to you earlier this week by several aviation industry associations urging timely completion of a final rule on aircraft repair station security.  While we agree that action on new security rules […]

Mr. David Tochen General Counsel Office of the General Counsel National Transportation Safety Board 490 L’Enfant Plaza Washington, D.C. 20594   RE:     Plan for Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules            National Transportation Safety Board            Docket No. NTSB-GC-2012-001   Dear Mr. Tochen, On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I am writing to […]

COMMENTS OF THE TRANSPORTATION TRADES DEPARTMENT, AFL-CIO __________________________ BEFORE THE NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD ON REPRESENTATION DISPUTES PROPOSED RULES DOCKET NO. C-7034 August 6, 2012              The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (“TTD”) hereby submits its comments regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) issued by the National Mediation Board (“NMB” or “Board”) on May 15, 2012, […]

Dear Senator: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO I urge you to support the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011 (S. 1956).  This legislation would allow the Secretary of Transportation to combat the harmful effects of the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and ensure that U.S. airlines are […]