WASHINGTON, DC—On this Veterans Day, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) unites with its 32 member unions to honor those Americans who make sacrifices every day in service to the nation—the active duty military and veterans. Upon coming home or ending their service, these men and women face the challenge of finding good-paying jobs in uncertain economic times. TTD supports job-creating initiatives that seek to train and employ veterans.
As part of this effort, TTD has joined the Jobs to Move America Coalition to maximize U.S. manufacturing job creation as transportation agencies spend billions of dollars in the next few years replacing aging bus and rail car fleets. Led by Los Angeles-based LAANE, this ground-breaking initiative–designed to put transportation manufacturing dollars to work in our own economy–is being implemented around the country.
“One of the greatest ways we can thank our veterans, the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day, is to make sure they have jobs when they come home and have the training they need to compete for those jobs,” said TTD President Edward Wytkind. “This historic coalition brings together the labor movement and allied advocacy groups to connect veterans and other workers, such as those living in disadvantaged communities, with middle-class jobs.”
Under LAANE’s U.S. employment plan, created with input from leading economists, veterans groups, transit agencies, labor and community groups, U.S. companies bidding on major transit agency procurement projects are incentivized to focus their bids on U.S. job creation and expand opportunities for veterans and other workers suffering in an anemic job market.
“Let’s honor service to our country by creating good-paying, skilled manufacturing jobs for America’s veterans,” said Madeline Janis, the coalition’s campaign director. “The Jobs to Move America plan will maximize the value of taxpayer dollars spent today on buses and trains, to create good jobs and opportunities for veterans and other unemployed Americans, tomorrow.”
CONTACT: Jennifer Michels, jenniferm@ttd.org, 202.628.9262, 703.395.2195