Policy Statements

The safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials and toxic chemicals is a vital national interest, particularly in a post 9/11 world. It is critical that the safety laws surrounding hazmat transportation are maintained and enforced, and that employees in this perilous environment are well prepared for and protected from the risks they face on…

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A scathing report recently issued by the Inspector General (IG) at the U.S. Department of Transportation confirms what transportation workers have known for years -the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) must be more aggressive in policing safety at the nation’s railroads.Transportation labor has long argued that the FRA is too cozy with the industry it regulates…

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As Amtrak prepares to fight for its very existence, its own Board of Directors has abandoned its fiduciary responsibility and instead appears willing, at the direction of the White House, to put the carrier into bankruptcy. While the Board’s strategy to dismantle Amtrak from within is being directed by an Administration that has long sought…

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Over three years have passed since the horrific events of 9/11, yet amazingly too little has been done to secure our nation’s transportation network from another terrorist attack. Sufficient resources have not been allocated, common-sense requirements have not been imposed, and too often employees and their unions have not been enlisted as true partners in…

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At the behest of the railroad industry, Bush appointees to the National Mediation Board (NMB) are poised to use the thin bureaucratic smokescreen of new “filing fees” to suppress rail workers from speaking out on critical issues of working conditions, safety, and pay. Transportation labor strongly condemns this egregious and misguided effort to silence workers.For…

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The reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) is at a critical juncture.  President Bush continues to publicize his staunch opposition to a fully-funded reauthorization bill, and most recently has threatened to veto any legislation over $270 billion.  Despite this intense political pressure from the White House, Congress must pass a…

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The U.S. aviation industry and its employees continue to recover from the severe economic effects of the September 11 attacks.  While the major air carriers are showing limited signs of improvement, they are still struggling in a strained U.S. economy to return to profitability and at the same time meet the increased security costs necessitated…

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America’s workers are suffering through what ivory tower economists like to call a “jobless recovery.”  Those who would tell out of work transportation and manufacturing workers that the economy is recovering fail to recognize that the 3 million workers who have been laid-off since 2001 are still looking for good jobs with no relief in…

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It is deeply troubling that part of the debate over reforming the U.S. Postal Service has – thanks to  some ill-advised recommendations of a presidential commission – become a forum for some to advance proposals that would severely undermine the collective bargaining rights of postal employees.  Congress must reject the poorly conceived collective bargaining recommendations…

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Offshore oil and natural gas exploration is pushing deeper into the Gulf of Mexico – often up to 200 miles off the coast with plans to go even farther – yet air traffic infrastructure to support the helicopter flights that service these operations has not kept up.  Insufficient facilities and equipment exist in the Gulf…

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