WASHINGTON, DC—Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues the following statement in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“There may never again be an individual who will do as much as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., did to ensure both our economic and personal freedoms in his life-long quest for equality for all. Dr. King always believed that strong, growing unions provided working people with the clearest path into the middle class.
“Dr. King’s war on poverty and vision for a full employment economy are as important today as they were when he graced this nation with his passion and leadership.
“It is easy to imagine Dr. King joining forces with transportation labor today to push for long-term investments in our transportation system and infrastructure. He would have seen those investments as smart policies that put millions to work, modernize our cities and pull tens of thousands out of poverty.
“Dr. King would undoubtedly have faced down the ugly politics in our country that are slowing economic progress for millions of Americans and threatening the economy. He would have been outspoken about how the decline of unionization in America is hollowing out the middle class.
“Dr. King’s legacy teaches us that we can never become complacent in fighting for what is right for the working people we are honored to represent. We commit to do exactly that as we advance an aggressive agenda focused on creating transportation jobs and rebuilding the labor movement into the force that Dr. King once said ‘transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.’”
CONTACT: Jennifer Michels, jenniferm@ttd.org, 703.395.2195