UPDATE (1/3/17): DOT Secretary Chao sent letters to the respective leaders of the nation’s railroads asking them to increase the pace at which they are installing PTC. Click HERE to read the letters. Last Thursday, two top Democrats from the Transportation Committee and the Railroads Subcommittee chided both the rail industry as well as the
On January 1, 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will update its drug testing regulations for all transportation workers, including railroads, aviation and transit.
Yesterday, the Senate Commerce Committee voted largely along party lines to approve Lynn Westmoreland for a five-year term on the Amtrak Board of Directors. Final approval of Mr. Westmoreland will now head to the full Senate where he’s likely to get confirmed. It’s unclear when the final vote will occur. A few weeks ago, TCU posted
On Wednesday night, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Trump’s package of three nominees to the National Mediation Board (NMB). With these confirmations, the Board is now officially in Republican control and their decisions will be decidedly pro-management for the near future. The NMB is the agency charged with settling labor disputes in
The 2017 AFL-CIO Convention wrapped up yesterday, and with it the adoption of a number of resolutions meant to guide the organization – and the labor movement – as it continues to fight for working families. Click HERE to see all the resolutions passed. Some of the highlights: Resolution #1 – A Worker’s Bill of
Recently, the Jones Act has come under heavy scrutiny from those in the press and across the political spectrum. TCU believes that the Jones Act is good for the United States because it strengthens and supports both our national economy and our national defense. In short, the Jones Act is a law that says if
President Trump has nominated former Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) to serve a five-year term on Amtrak’s Board of Directors. This is very concerning to anyone that supports, rides, or works on Amtrak as Mr. Westmoreland has a long history of voting against the nation’s passenger rail carrier: On March 4th, 2015, he voted for the McClintock
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) joined together with TTD’s Rail Labor Division (which includes TCU) in supporting increased funding for the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). The letter was addressed to Chairman Roy Blunt and Ranking Member Patty Murray of the Senate’s Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee. The RRB has been woefully underfunded for years. This has
The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) released a report this week detailing the complex nature of Amtrak’s national network while highlighting the necessity of long-distance trains. The report includes a section on jobs (see screenshot below) as well as a table (see appendix) outlining the various stations across the country that would close if
On Wednesday evening, the House of Representatives voted on various amendments to the Transportation Appropriations bill, including one from Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) to defund Amtrak. Thankfully, the amendment failed with 128 voting in favor versus 293 voting against. This vote serves as a litmus test to who is really on our side. Voting to defund
