Category: Washington
Rail safety concerns? Questions? FRA all ears
CHICAGO — Here is an opportunity to voice your rail safety concerns directly to the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. A 90-minute town hall meeting on rail safety will be held Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Chicago. FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo will take que [...]New RRB labor member; NMB nominees await Senate
WASHINGTON – A former secretary-treasurer of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen – Walt Barrows – is the new labor member of the Railroad Retirement Board following his Senate confirmation Sept. 27. He succeeds Butch Speakman, who chose to retire. Barrows began his railroad [...]
Door reopened slightly on high-speed rail funding
WASHINGTON – Just when federal funding for high-speed rail appeared dead as a rusted rail spike, Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin of Illinois exercised his clout and reopened the door – if only slightly. On Sept. 20, the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee vote [...]
Congress and the road ahead
By James StemUTU National Legislative Director Congress is back from its August recess and eyes are focused on the “Super Committee” of House and Senate members charged with finding $1.5 trillion in budget cuts over the next 10 years. Should that committee fail to agree ̵ [...]Funding lapse will halt RLA Section 3 cases Sept. 30
WASHINGTON – Most Railway Labor Act Section 3 arbitration cases will grind to a halt Sept. 30 if Congress does not pass a new appropriation for the National Mediation Board. The federal government’s fiscal year ends Sept. 30 and Congress has not passed an appropriation to fun [...]Bus, transit and EAS funding extended
WASHINGTON – Federal Transit Administration bus-project and other transit funding – in danger owing to political squabbling — will remain in place at least through March 31, 2012, following House and Senate action to extend temporarily, for the eighth time since 2009, h [...]UTU Fla. SLD in thick of fight to end gerrymandering
In Florida last week, the people prevailed as a federal district court ruled Florida voters have every right to restrict the state legislature’s ability to redraw the election map willy-nilly to favor incumbent members of Congress and the state legislature. UTU Florida State [...]