Published 08 Sep, 2011
Tonight we acknowledge President Obama’s bold call to Congress to stop the political circus and finally work on creating jobs, and protecting the livelihood of our workers.
With both the FAA and Surface Transportation bill’s expiration dates on the horizon we were encouraged by the President’s emphasis on protecting the collective bargaining rights of everyday Americans on the job as well as significant investments through a robust infrastructure bank. Congress needs to pay attention and work with the President on the initiatives he outlined this evening.
The 200,000 members of the TWU in the air, rail, and transit industries move this nation, and deserve to be treated fairly and justly. As, the President stated we “reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and their safety” and no hardworking family should live in fear of one day finding a pink slip in the mail.
Americans need transportation that is dependable and accessible with consistent service, adequate routes using trustworthy and safe equipment. Funding that provides the ability for transportation services to safely and effectively operate and ensure the ability to maintain access to jobs, medical care and other human needs. Systems must be safe, reliable, and brought to a state of good repair. Routes must be dependable, consistent and accessible for all.
We call on Congress to be serious about not short serving the workers they represent. Together, we must move expeditiously not only on the American Jobs Act but also by strengthening existing programs and moving forward on pending reauthorizations.