WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, issued the following statement today in reaction to the Obama Administration’s intent to nominate Deborah Hersman to be reappointed to and named Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board:
“Transportation labor applauds the President’s nomination of Deborah Hersman to serve as Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). As recent events remind us, transportation accidents do happen and workers and the public are best served by an aggressive NTSB with an unwavering commitment to safety.
“Ms. Hersman’s detailed knowledge and extensive experience in transportation safety make her the ideal candidate to lead the NTSB. She understands the vital mission of the agency and has always understood that transportation workers are a vital resource in the ongoing effort to learn from and avoid transportation accidents.
“Ms. Hersman has also been a strong advocate for key safety reforms, including combating worker fatigue and raising awareness about dangers posed by inadequately regulating transportation companies.
“As its Chair, Ms. Hersman would run the agency tasked with learning important lessons from transportation accidents and ensuring they are not repeated. Transportation unions support Ms. Hersman’s nomination and urge the U.S. Senate to confirm her.”
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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 www.ttd.org.
