Policy

WRITTEN STATEMENT OF EDWARD WYTKIND, PRESIDENT TRANSPORTATION TRADES DEPARTMENT, AFL-CIO ______________________________________________ HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS,  PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDERAL RAIL SAFETY PROGRAM Chairwoman Brown, Ranking Member Shuster and members of the Subcommittee, let me first thank you for the opportunity to testify this afternoon and to present the views and […]

STATEMENT OF EDWARD WYTKIND, PRESIDENT TRANSPORTATION TRADES DEPARTMENT, AFL-CIO BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY ON RAIL AND TRANSIT SECURITY TRAINING Chairman Lungren, Ranking Member Sanchez, and Members of the Subcommittee, on behalf of the 31 member unions of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I want to thank you for the opportunity to […]

The safety of our nation’s highways depends upon the highly trained and experienced men and women who operate commercial motor vehicles.  Our public roads are their workplaces, and arguably no one has more interest in promoting the highest possible standards of safety.  Yet under current federal regulations, an individual stands to have his or her […]

Studies and first hand accounts continue to document poor air quality onboard aircraft, heightening concern for crew members and the flying public. While poor air quality affects everyone, the impact of contaminated and poor cabin air especially affects flight attendants since the cabin is their workplace.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), aircraft manufacturers, and the […]

The future of Amtrak has reached an important crossroad.  Amtrak’s unqualified Board is pushing the Administration’s “reforms” to dismantle Amtrak through risky privatization and outsourcing proposals.  Congress is debating the company’s next annual appropriation while a long-term funding bill gains momentum in the Senate led by Senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).  And […]

Ms. Mary Peters Secretary-Designate U.S. Department of Transportation 400 Seventh Street, NW Washington, DC  20590 Dear Ms. Peters: If confirmed as the next Secretary of Transportation, you will inherit enormous responsibilities as the nation’s chief steward of America’s multi-modal transportation system.  Because our members in the aviation industry care deeply about their professions and about […]

September 14, 2006 On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, the International Longshoremen’s Association, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, I am writing to urge you to vote no on an amendment to the port security bill, H.R. 4954, to be offered by Senator Isakson that would shield port employers from liability for […]

Dear Senator: As the Senate works to complete debate on port security legislation, H.R. 4954, I urge your support for a bi-partisan amendment, led by Senator John Kerry, to ensure strong security training requirements for longshore and other port workers. Properly preparing hundreds of thousands of port workers for the event of a terrorist threat […]

The Honorable Daniel Inouye, Co-Chair Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee 508 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC  20510 Dear Senator Inouye: With the Senate moving rapidly to complete port security legislation, H.R. 4954, I wanted to express our deep concern regarding the weak worker security training provisions currently included in the Senate bill. Since the […]

Dear Senator: When the Appropriations Committee considers the FY 2007 TTHUD bill later today, Senators Inouye, Dorgan and Specter will offer an amendment to prevent the Department of Transportation (DOT) from finalizing or implementing its proposal to permit foreign interests, including foreign airlines, to control U.S. airlines.  On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO […]