TTD in the news

As Reported by John L. Dorman for Business Insider: The US Department of Transportation on Friday turned down a petition by a group of labor unions who sought a federal mask requirement for passengers riding on major modes of transit, including airplanes, buses, trains.

As reported by Ian Duncan for the Washington Post Labor unions representing transportation workers formally asked the U.S. Department of Transportation this week to issue an emergency rule ordering passengers to wear masks on planes, buses and trains or be denied a ride. Larry Willis, the president of the Transportation Trades Department, a coalition of […]

As reported by Leslie Josephs for CNBC Unions representing tens of thousands of airline employees asked lawmakers on Thursday for $32 billion in additional government aid to maintain their jobs through the end of March, as air travel demand remains low because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. passenger and cargo airlines, as well as airline […]

Listen as TTD president Larry Willis joins David Westin, host of Bloomberg Radio’s Balance of Power, to discuss what transportation workers need to keep themselves and their passengers safe as economies reopen. Balance of Power focuses on the politics and policies being shaped by the agenda of President Trump’s administration.   Listen to the full […]

As reported by Jessica Wehrman in Roll Call Three days after transportation workers complained to a House panel about the lack of enforceable standards to protect workers and passengers from COVID-19, the federal government announced it would distribute nearly 100 million cloth facial coverings to aviation, transit and passenger rail transportation sectors for passengers to […]

As reported by Jessica Wehrman in RollCall Three months into the coronavirus outbreak, transportation workers say they’re desperate for the Department of Transportation to create enforceable standards to protect them from this and future pandemics. But the DOT’s response, they say, has been consistent: It is not their job. Now, though, an increasing number of […]

As reported by Ted Mann in the Wall Street Journal   WASHINGTON—Amtrak plans to restart its Acela express service between Washington and Boston on June 1, a first step in the national railroad’s return from a near-shutdown after the coronavirus crushed rider demand nationwide. But how soon riders might return is an open question, Amtrak […]

As reported by Larry Higgs at NJ.com Transit officials, including those from New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia agencies, joined others to ask for $33 billion in the next CARES act to help them recover financially and resume full service when the coronavirus pandemic ends. Officials representing five transit agencies and three transit unions made the request during a […]

As reported by Joanna Marsh in Freight Waves. The Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO is asking Administrator Ron Batory of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to ensure that the freight railroads are using furloughed workers first before seeking a waiver to be exempt from safety-related regulations. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, FRA had declared emergency relief provisions […]

As reported by Laura Bliss in CityLab. The life of a transit worker was never easy in the United States. Then along came coronavirus. To enable the livelihoods of other essential workers, thousands of bus drivers, track repairers, yard masters, cleaners and others are still showing up to their jobs amid the pandemic. But the […]