6-Term ATDA President Leo McCann, who first took the office in 1999, announced his retirement at the Organization’s recent 34th General Assembly in Las Vegas, Nevada. The retirement became effective on October 17, capping a 24-year tenure that makes McCann the longest-serving ATDA President in the Organization’s 106-year history.
Having guided the ATDA for a generation, President McCann passes on a sterling legacy of leadership that continues to benefit American rail workers to this day. As an instrumental figure in shaping the Railroad Retirement Reform Act of 2001, McCann played a key role in the reinstitution of the popular 60-year retirement threshold for those with 30 years of Railroad Retirement service. His work also helped to achieve enhanced Railroad Retirement survivor benefits and helped to lower the Railroad Retirement vesting requirement from 10 years to 5. He was also an important voice in preventing Rail Carriers from exporting Train Dispatching work to Canada when they attempted to do so at the turn of the 21st century.
Although President McCann now enters retirement, his work to defend American Rail Laborers will continue. Effective 1/1/24, he will serve as the Labor Member of the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust. As the ATDA moves forward, it honors the past, present, and future work President McCann has done to defend its members and advance the cause of Rail Labor.