WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued the following statement in reaction to the appointment of Rep. Ray LaHood as Transportation Secretary.
“Transportation labor congratulates Rep. Ray LaHood on his appointment by President-elect Obama to serve as the nation’s next Secretary of Transportation.
“During his career in Congress, Rep. LaHood sought to bring civility and bipartisanship to the House and earned a well-deserved reputation as a leader who worked with both sides of the aisle. It was this approach that led Rep. LaHood to break from his own leadership and stand with transportation workers on a number of important issues.
“Our transportation system and its workers face daunting challenges. Chronic under-investment in our transportation infrastructure must be reversed; the rights of workers must be restored and strengthened; trade policies affecting our industry must protect American jobs; and long overdue safety and security improvements must be implemented. President-elect Obama has vowed to take on these challenges and to embark on an unprecedented effort to put people back to work and rebuild our nation’s decaying infrastructure.
“We look forward to working with the President-elect and his Transportation Secretary to restore our transportation system as an engine of economic growth and job creation.”
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The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, represents 32 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit ttd.org.
