WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, issued the following statement in anticipation of Labor Day:
“As Americans observe Labor Day this year, some may have a lot more to celebrate than others. In the midst of a recession where high unemployment and slow job growth persist, transportation workers are calling on their elected leaders to create an economy that works for everyone, not just for the well off and the well connected.
“Last year Americans knew it was time for a change as the economy was severely deteriorating. Years of deregulation, outsourcing, attacks on unions and collective bargaining, and disinvestment in the nation’s infrastructure created an economic firestorm and a less hopeful America. We lived under a creed of greed that enriched those at the top but ignored the needs of millions of working Americans who were suffering.
“One of the first things President Obama and the new Congress did to address the collapsing economy was to pass an economic recovery bill that made new investments in our transportation infrastructure and is putting Americans back to work. Passing long overdue legislation investing in our surface, air and maritime transportation needs would continue that momentum and create millions of family-supporting jobs.
“On this Labor Day, we recommit ourselves to giving voice to transportation workers who form the backbone of our freight and passenger transportation system, the lifeline of our national economy. And we will fight with everything we have for an economy that works for everyone.”
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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.
