Policy

After eight years of stonewalling by Amtrak management, nine unions were able to reach tentative collective bargaining agreements with the company on January 18, 2008.  With the remaining unions at Amtrak reaching similar agreements with the company, Congress must now ensure that the passenger carrier has sufficient funding to meet its contractual obligations to its […]

Congress and our Government must protect the public interest as the major airlines threaten to launch another era of mergers and consolidations.  Transportation labor is deeply concerned that a new wave of mergers could cascade into a massive restructuring that harms workers, passengers and the air transportation needs of communities across the nation. While news […]

Chairman David E. Price Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Room B-307 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515   Dear Chairman Price:   As you know, there are a variety of troubling cutbacks in President Bush’s 2009 budget.  I write today to address one of these issues, the cuts in the Port Security Grant Program. […]

Dear Representative:   On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) I urge you to support H.R. 2768, the Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act (“S-MINER Act”) when the House considers this bill today.  This legislation will provide the nation’s mine workers critically important health and safety protections designed to prevent crippling […]

Dear Senator: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you to support S. 294, a bill to reauthorize Amtrak, and oppose the Sununu amendment which would effectively dismantle and end our national passenger railroad. For years Amtrak has been forced to limp from one financial crisis to the next and asked […]

Dear Senator: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) and the flight crews represented by our affiliated unions, I am writing to urge you to cosponsor the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act (S. 2059).  This legislation will finally address an anomaly that has prevented airline flight crews from qualifying for coverage under […]

Dear Representative: When the House considers H.R. 2095, the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act, we urge you to support this important legislation.  It has been over a decade since rail safety laws were updated and it is long past time that this industry and its workers see improvements. For years, transportation labor has called for […]

Ms. Ann Comer Chief, Division of Statutory Programs Office of Labor-Management Standards Employment Standards Administration U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue, NW Room N–5112 Washington, DC  20210 Re: Amendment to Guidelines for Processing Applications for Assistance to Conform to Sections 3013(h) and 3031 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act–A Legacy for […]

The Honorable Michael Chertoff Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C.  20528 Dear Secretary Chertoff: We write to express our concerns about the possible collection and retention of information indicating the union affiliation of air passengers and the use of that information to determine whether a person poses a terrorism security risk.  We agree […]

Dear Representative: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) and the hundreds of thousands of aviation and related workers represented by our affiliated unions, I write to urge you to support the FAA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2881) when it is considered today.  While we shared our specific concerns related to amendments to this […]