SMART Union
President Barack Obama has renominated Therese McMillan as the next administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) after the U.S. Senate failed to act on her nomination in the last Congress.
McMillan has served as the agency’s acting administrator since Peter Rogoff was appointed under secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation early last year. McMillan has been the FTA’s deputy administrator since 2009.
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By Bonnie Morr
Vice President, Bus Department
Many of our bus locals have responded to a survey focusing on the health conditions of bus operators. This is a very important step in identifying some of the health issues that we face while on the job.
The Transit Bus Operator Workplace Health and Wellness Survey, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is an effort to understand health, safety and wellness issues faced by bus operators, and to learn how employers and labor unions are addressing these challenges.
Also responding to the survey were more than 200 transit companies.
Specifically, the survey sought responses on:
* The current state of bus operator health and wellness.
* Health promotion programs and policies.
* The union local’s perspectives on bus operator wellness and workplace health promotion programs, policies and activities.
* Identification of who does what to contribute to bus operator health promotion.
* Opinions on how health promotion and wellness affect the work environment, driver retention and transit operations.
All information gathered in this survey will remain confidential, and the results will not indicate specific locals, employers or employees.
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, highway taxes that fund transit programs.
The House and Senate also agreed Sept. 15 to a new four-month extension of Federal Aviation Administration taxes that fund the Essential Air Services program vital to regional airlines that employ UTU-represented pilots and flight attendants. It was the 22nd temporary extension for this program since 2007.
The president said he will sign the temporary extensions into law, allowing more time for the House and Senate to continue attempts at reaching compromise on a permanent extension of transit and EAS programs that have been stalled for years.
The highway bill extension ensures that more than $4 billion from the Highway Trust Fund for Federal Transit Administration formula and bus programs will remain available for spending through March 31. Disagreement between the House and Senate on the number of years to authorize a new highway/transit spending bill is the reason for that stall.
A permanent FAA reauthorization, which includes the EAS program, is stalled over an inability to agree on future EAS subsidies, and an attempt by House Republicans to include in the bill a provision overturning a 2010 National Mediation Board rulemaking. That rulemaking changed the rules for representation elections from counting those not voting as “no” votes, to determining outcomes based only on those voting.
The Federal Transit Administration has placed a hold on $900 million in federal grants destined to Houston’s light-rail transit system – Houston Metro — for alleged violation of “Buy America” procurement regulations, reports the Bureau of National Affairs in its BNA Transportation Watch.
BNA quoted the transit systems’ officials as saying they would rebid procurement contracts that previously had been signed with a rail car manufacturer headquartered in Spain.