Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued the following statement today regarding a letter sent by 77 members of Congress to Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Tom Wheeler: “Today, 77 members of […]

TTD’s rail safety agenda got a boost last week when Senator Richard Blumenthal, along with three other Senators, included several reforms that rail labor has long championed in their Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2014. Some 130,000 miles of freight rail tracks crisscross the United States, driving the economy, supporting more than 175,000 employees, and […]

[As published on August 27, 2014 by Linda Kor in Arizona Journal] Concerns over public safety and railroad jobs are prompting members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Union to reach out to the public for support for H.R. 3040, also known as the Safe Freight Act. The effort is to ensure that no […]

Earlier today, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President J. David Cox, Sr. reminded a House Security committee of a simple fact: while Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) are too often blamed for screening procedures set by TSA management, these federal workers play a crucial role in ensuring that U.S. skies are as secure as possible. […]

Washington, D.C. – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) issues the following statement in reaction to the resignation of Anne Ferro as chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) on Friday: “TTD extends our gratitude to Anne Ferro for her five years of unwavering commitment to improving motor carrier […]

The clock is ticking toward a March 1 deadline when federal “sequestration” cuts will take effect unless Congress acts.  If the cuts do go through, our economy will take a hit but our National Airspace System (NAS), in particular, will be imperiled.  We can’t let that happen, and there is a way you can help. […]

Mr. Gene Kirkendall Part 121 Air Carrier Operations Branch (AFS-220) Flight Standards Service Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue S.W. Washington, DC  20591     RE:     Policy Statement on Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Aircraft  Cabin Crewmembers                Docket No. FAA-2012-0953 Dear Mr. Kirkendall: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I am pleased […]

WASHINGTON, DC—Bus operators that blatantly and repeatedly disregard federal safety laws should have their operating authority revoked or suspended, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) said in comments filed today in support of a new rule proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). “With […]

Things happen on Amtrak trains.  And when they do, no one wants unqualified front-line workers to be first-responders. Unfortunately, if Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and some of her allies in the House have their way, fly-by-night contractors could replace Amtrak food and beverage service employees who are trained for all emergencies.  Yes these House members […]

When we think of countries with the most hazardous working conditions, grueling 14-hour work days that put a worker’s own safety—as well as the public’s—at risk, we usually envision some sweatshop on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, when it comes to unsafe job sites, the United States of America has plenty to fix. […]