April 3, 2008 —IVP Joel Parker testified this morning before the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies, stressing the need to fund the second retroactive pay installment for Amtrak workers. Observing were International President Bob Scardelletti and National Legislative Assistant Director Tony Padilla. More At left, IVP Parker is seen testifying. In photo
TCU Assistant Legislative Director Tony Padilla reports that after 15 hours of fervent debate and votes on the nation’s budget for FY2009, on March 14, 2008 the House and Senate adopted a Budget Resolution that sets the stage for Appropriations for FY2009. Senate Chairman Kent Conrad and Senator Frank Lautenberg were able to include funding
TCU stands with the IAM in loudly protesting the decision by the Air Force to bypass U.S. union manufacturer Boeing to award a $40 billion contract to European corporations Airbus and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.). As the Machinists report, if Air Force officials were betting the outrage over the deal would die
February 6, 2008—President George W. Bush has presented Congress with a $3.1 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2009 and once again he proposes cutting Amtrak to a level that would cripple the service. The Bush Budget proposes 40% less than what Amtrak received for FY 2008. Amtrak received $1.325 billion for FY 2008. The President
That members of Congress were willing to stand with union workers at Amtrak was vitally important in the days leading up to reaching agreement. All of the nine involved unions sent their best legislative representatives to Capitol Hill in the days preceding the negotiating sessions that resulted in the events of January 18. They took the case
The Legislative Watch is prepared by TCU National Legislative Director and IVP Bob Davis. Here is the most recent issue. Final Report, 110th Congress, released. Click here for the report issued January 2009.
RCPL Is Now MNPL With TCU’s affiliation with the Machinists, our political action committee, the Responsible Citizens’ Political League, has been merged into the IAM’s Machinists Non-Partisan Political League–MNPL. The purpose of the MNPL is the same as RCPL. Through it the voluntary contributions of our members are channeled to support political candidates who will
The Legislative Department As National Legislative Director, International Vice President Robert Davis oversees TCU’s legislative and political action programs. The Legislative Department’s challenge is to protect the gains our members have made over the years and to work for legislation to further improve conditions in the workplace and in
The fight to secure full funding for Amtrak and to preserve the nationwide passenger rail system continues in Congress.TCU’s Legislative Department has redoubled its efforts to assure that Amtrak survives and that members keep their jobs. In meeting after meeting with Senators and Representatives “we have explained that America must have a nationwide rail passenger
A House member (including the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico and non-voting delegates of the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa) may introduce any one of several types of bills and resolutions by handing it to the clerk of the House or placing it in a box called the hopper. A
