Workers Independent News - TTD

Amtrak board of directors asked to step down

Mon, 02 May 2005 21:26:09 -0700

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:

Congressional amendment expanding trucker work days to as much as 16 hours withdrawn

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:20:47 -0800

The AFL-CIO is hailing a victory on an attempt by Walmart and other corporations to keep truckers working up to 16 hours in a day. A congressional amendment allowing those work hours has been withdrawn. Michael Buckley, Communications Director for the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department, says 16 hour days would be bad for truckers and potentially bad for traffic safety:

[Michael Buckley 1]: "We think it's a great victory for workers and labor unions and highway safety advocates. What Walmart wanted to do is to extend the length of truck drivers days to as much as sixteen hours, which is really unconscionable from a workers standpoint. We're fightin' hard to hang on to the eight hour day. We certainly don't want to make it a sixteen hour day."

President Bush Proposes Slashing Amtrak Funding

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:25:31 -0800

In his new budget proposal, President George W. Bush has completely eliminated funding for Amtrak.

[Buckley]: The Bush administration has long been out to dismantle Amtrak. But this is really a new low where they have come right out and zeroed out it’s budget.

Michael Buckley is Communications Director for the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department. He says the TTD believes privatizing the railway is a bad decision.

[Buckley2]: It’s very reckless and irresponsible policy choice. It would put 22,000 workers out of jobs, it would strand millions of passengers across the country, it would send many more cars to already congested highways.