Transit

TTD’s Executive Committee has long taken the position that when our government invests in transportation infrastructure and rolling stock, these expenditures must be leveraged to achieve the greatest possible economic impact and U.S. job growth.  For this reason we have consistently and effectively advocated for the inclusion of strong Buy America provisions in federal transportation […]

It may be tempting to treat the recent government shutdown like a nightmare and just wake up and move on as if it never happened.  Unfortunately, the damage caused by this reckless stunt is all too real while the lessons of this sad chapter in American history must be clearly understood so we don’t repeat […]

Our economic strength is intrinsically linked to the condition of our transportation infrastructure. When channels are too shallow to receive large vessels, or railroads are located miles away from ports, unnecessary delays and congestion cause the flow of commerce to slow and cost our economy billions. As a result, our ability to compete in the international market and meet President Obama’s goal of doubling exports by 2015 is undermined. Thus, the national discussion about the state of our freight transportation system isn’t just another transportation policy debate; it’s about providing American businesses the infrastructure they need to distribute their products to the rest of the world and ensuring the U.S. remains a dominant force in the global marketplace.

WASHINGTON, DC—Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind issues this statement on the House Republican budget unveiled by House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI): “There is no question that the Ryan Budget plan released today would devastate our transportation system and destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process while locking […]

WASHINGTON, DC—Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind issues this statement on the negative impacts to transportation of yesterday’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government running through September 30, 2013: “At a time when our transportation system is suffering from chronic neglect, the House-passed […]

 ORLANDO, FL—Seeking to end a stalemate on long-term federal support for public transit and highway investments, AFL-CIO transportation unions are calling for a bipartisan solution to fix a “broken and outdated funding system” for these critical national investments. In a policy statement unanimously adopted by the Executive Committee of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), […]

[By Keith Laing of The Hill] Transportation unions are urging President Obama to appoint a staunch defender of federal road and transit funding to replace outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. LaHood announced he was retiring this week, forgoing a second term and setting off a scramble among observers to figure out who might replace him […]

The federal government does many things, but its primary duty is to protect the American people from threats, both at home and abroad.  That is why the House GOP’s inaction on aiding suffering people along the East Coast who have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy was referred to as a “cruel knife in the back,” […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in support of the Hurricane Disaster Relief Appropriations Act pending in the U.S. Senate: “I urge the Senate to quickly pass emergency legislation that will help regions devastated by Hurricane Sandy recover from this historic storm and fortify the […]

Tonight Americans will hear about moving forward with an economy that is “built to last” at the Democratic National Convention.  No doubt anyone watching will hear plenty about how the President has focused his energy on expanding the middle class – from saving the auto industry to ensuring America has the world’s finest transportation system […]