LaHood, Oberstar meet with transportation unionTransportation union leaders met in their annual winter meeting and discussed their priority issues with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Leaders of the 32 unions that comprise the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, discussed transportation investment, safety and security issues, and forged an agenda for 2009.Three important reauthorization bills – for the Federal Aviation Administration, Surface Transportation and Hazardous Materials – were discussed in detail, as well as “Buy America” policies. Policy statements were agreed to for each and are available at www.ttd.org. Highlights of the statements include:Surface Transportation Reauthorization BillTTD unions believe that the current funding model for surface transportation is unsustainable. The gas tax has not been increased in 16 years. During that same time, the tax has lost one-third of its purchasing power due to inflation and cost of living increases. Meanwhile, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that it will cost $2.2 trillion over five years to bring our infrastructure into “good” condition only.Priority issues that must be resolved by the Surface Transportation bill include:• Significantly increasing investments in transit, highways and our intermodal transportation system by raising the federal gas tax and considering other revenue-raising measures; • Reforming mass transit funding so it can also be used for operating purposes; • Protecting the rights and jobs of workers with regard to Public Private Partnerships and other innovative financing; • Ensuring application of 13(c) transit worker protections and Davis-Bacon in all programs;• Increasing worker training to improve on-the-job safety and job security; and• Adopting safety measures that protect workers and the public, such as increasing the penalty for assaulting transit operators. Hazardous Materials Reauthorization Bill Every day, 1.2 million hazardous material shipments are moved by rail, air, sea and highway. Current laws must be enforced and new legislation must address issues that have arisen since the last bill was passed. Thorough training must be improved for transportation employees as well as firefighters. Trains transporting hazmat should never be staffed with fewer than two crew members. And bulk shipment of lithium batteries should be prohibited on any aircraft.Buy America PoliciesThe U.S. is embarking on a massive initiative to rebuild and expand our transportation infrastructure and create millions of jobs through the economic recovery legislation. If the goal of this legislation is to create jobs, then we must embrace strong Buy America policies. It makes no sense, for example, to invest billions in transit systems without ensuring the locomotives, rail cars and buses are built in America. The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, represents 32 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries.
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