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As Amtrak moves into make it or break it territory, the leader of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department is calling on the rail lines board of directors to step down. The Bush administration has called for a breakup of the company so it could be run more like the nation's airlines, while the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed two bills on Wednesday that would inject $6 billion into Amtrak to improve it's infrastructure and service. TTD President Edward Wytkind says Amtrak's board is made up of large donors to the Bush administration and instead of protecting the rail have are instead serving the politician who appointed them. TTD spokesperson Michael Buckley explains:

[Buckley]: The board has abandoned it's responsibility to do what's best for the railroad and it's responsibility to serve it's passengers and protect the interests of the workers who are very dedicated to the railroad.

More than 20,000 workers are employed by Amtrak. Buckley says if too many of those employees lose their jobs, it could cause a pension crisis for the rail industry.

[Buckley2]: It would be yet another retirement system put in jeopardy by this White House.