Author Archives: aroucad@tcunion.org

TCU talks PSR, Amtrak at 2019 IAM Legislative Conference

This week, the 2019 IAM Legislative Conference was held at the Hyatt Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The conference was one of the best-attended in years, with hundreds of members, local leaders and officers packing the conference hall to hear from a long list of congressional leaders and presidential candidates. IAM International President Bob Martinez

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ASWC, TCU rallies at Chicago’s Union Station

Yesterday, union members and officials rallied in front of Chicago’s Union Station to show their opposition to Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson’s union-busting activities. The three unions leading the rally comprise the Amtrak Service Workers Council (ASWC), and include TCU/IAM, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Unite-HERE Local 23. Rally-goers were joined by Chicago-based Representatives Dan

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TCU, ASWC unions lobby Congress on Amtrak issues

Last week, officials and members from TCU/IAM, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Unite-HERE banded together to lobby Congress on issues facing our members at Amtrak. Each union focused their meetings on Members of Congress whose districts are near Amtrak onboard service crew bases. For TCU, however, our lobbying efforts ran the full gamut of

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TTD: FRA rejects Kansas City Southern’s brake test waiver, Stops cross-border crews

Washington, DC – Larry I. Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in response to the Federal Railroad Administration rejecting a request from Kansas City Southern Railway to conduct safety-sensitive brake tests in Mexico: “We learned yesterday that the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) denied a request by Kansas City Southern

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Recap: TCU members rally, Elected officials back workers

This week saw an extraordinary outcry from California’s congressional delegation demanding that Amtrak keep its Riverside call center open, and 500 TCU/IAM members employed. Combined, the three letters sent this week amount to 40 California members of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the state’s two U.S. Senators – all with essentially the

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TCU Members Rally in Riverside to Save Jobs, Stop Outsourcing

TCU/IAM National Vice President Jack Dinsdale leading a rally to protest to closure and outsourcing of 500 jobs at Amtrak’s Riverside, CA call center. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Yesterday, TCU/IAM members from Amtrak’s Riverside call center rallied to save their jobs.

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TCU Members Vote!

This election is crucial for TCU/IAM members as we have a chance to elect our friends that will write critical legislation next Congress. On the ballot this November are a number of key issues for TCU/IAM members: Railroad Jobs (Clerks, Carmen, Intermodal, and others) Amtrak Jobs (Clerks, On-board Service, Carmen, and Supervisors), Long-Distance Train Service,

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FRA to renew Rail Safety Advisory Committee

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced that it will be re-establishing the Rail Safety Advisory Committee – commonly known as ‘RSAC.’ The committee’s charter was recently dissolved in order to redesign the charter’s memberships and voting-eligibility. Rail labor unions have been assured that their voting ability and weights will not be reduced. Rather, the

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TTD: Freight rail safety, jobs must not be jeopardized in pursuit of profits

The following is an article by Transportation Trades Department (TTD, AFL-CIO) President Larry Willis. TCU/IAM is an affiliate of TTD’s Rail Labor Division.   SEP 20, 2018 MOVEAMERICA BLOG, RAIL FREIGHT RAIL SAFETY, JOBS MUST NOT BE JEOPARDIZED IN PURSUIT OF PROFITS By Larry I. Willis There is little disagreement among lawmakers, frontline workers, government agencies, and even

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