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
On Thursday, Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson told the House Railroads Subcommittee that they will suspend service on certain lines if Positive Train Control (PTC) is not installed and ready. Anderson did not specify which lines may be suspended, and an Amtrak spokesperson later confirmed that “it’s too early to speculate,” according to the Seattle Times.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ripped into President Trump’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for its prolonged failure to implement proper safety rules and guidelines regarding worker fatigue and sleep apnea. The NTSB’s special investigative report details its findings on two accidents: New Jersey Transit’s accident in Hoboken, NJ, in September, 2016, and the Long
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
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report regarding the August 2nd accident of a CSX train in Pennsylvania, which included the derailment of 33 cars. The accident ignited 3 hazardous materials tank cars carrying propane and molten sulfur, and resulted in the evacuation of approximately 1000 residents in a nearby town,
On Sunday, Ed Wytkind, the President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, wrote a letter-to-the-editor of the Wall Street Journal in response to their previous editorial that largely bashed Amtrak. The article is behind a paywall so we’ve pasted the text of the letter below. Give Amtrak the Resources It Needs to Be Great We need
The House Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee held a hearing today on safety regulations throughout the railroad industry. Testifying on behalf of rail labor was John Tolman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The debate was – at times – fierce between proponents of safety regulations and those that want
On Wednesday, Congress moved to extend the Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline by three years, clearing the way for railroads to continue operations as they work to properly install, test, and fully implement the new safety network. The bipartisan legislation that was worked out between House and Senate committee staff was attached to the Surface
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Sarah Feinberg as Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Feinberg had been serving as Acting Administrator for the past nine months. Ed Wytkind, President of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), issued a statement applauding her confirmation: “…In the nine months that Feinberg has served as Acting Administrator,
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) Calls For PTC Extension TCU was in attendance as a bipartisan group of lawmakers held a press conference to call for an immediate extension of the Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline, slated to go into effect at the end of the year. Leading the event was Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) and
