If the measures in the Surface Transportation Bill (H.R. 7) are passed more than 2000 Amtrak on-board workers will lose their jobs. At a time when Amtrak ridership is at record highs, cuts in services and privatizing those positions will adversely affect service, safety and security on every train.
These hard working middle-class workers are the backbone of the country and enjoy the protection of the Railway Labor Act and Railroad Retirement; privatization will exclude those protections.
Click here and tell your Representative to SAVE OUR JOBS!
The proposed measures will also direct Amtrak appropriations to be used to cover the losses of the private contractor. Basically giving taxpayer dollars to the contractor to cover losses and taking it away from Amtrak at the same time. This measure would be a no-brainer for the contractor…bid on this contract if you can’t make money the taxpayers will give it back to you!
Many other troubling proposals are included:
- Major cuts to Amtrak making states put any grant funded rail project up for bid
- Restricting the outside legal counsel Amtrak can use.
- Transit Agencies would lose their dedicated source of funding by removing the gas tax revenue from mass-transit; this would shift the burden to the cash-strapped states.
- Eliminates OSHA protections for hazmat workers, workers that design, manufacture and test hazmat packages, and workers on sites where hazmat is stored
- Dramatically lowers the bar for hazmat exemptions by allowing companies with poor safety records to receive exemptions, and making permanent more than 5,000 hazmat exemptions issued over the past six years.
Even the Democratic analysis released by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure points out the many troubling issues that this bill will cause.
Click here and tell your Representative to SAVE OUR JOBS!
Click here to read the letter from TCU to every member of the House.
Click here to read the summary released be the House Committee.
Click here to read the related release from the Transportation Trades Department (TTD, AFL-CIO)
Click here to read the release from the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP).
Chicago area TCU/IAM Amtrak and METRA Reps welcome to attend press conference Monday Feb 13th on this topic click here for information.