Phoenix, Arizona – On December 10-11, 2024, American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) representatives from both the local and national levels took part in Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) West/East meetings in Phoenix, Arizona. ATDA participants included Vice President Kevin Porter, CPKC General Chairman Jesse Kottner, and CSX General Chairman Ben Craft.
Designed to facilitate interaction between craft labor representation and FRA leadership, the meetings put ATDA representatives face-to-face with FRA subject matter experts. The event featured presentations on relevant railroading issues, including C3RS and Artificial Intelligence, along with interactive question-and-answer sessions. Additionally, it facilitated dialogue between ATDA representatives and the other craft unions in attendance. Altogether, this served to bolster ATDA’s perspective on issues that currently or may soon impact the Organization’s members.
Commenting on ATDA’s participation at the meetings, Vice President Kevin Porter said, “It’s important that our Organization gets to have this type of direct interaction with the FRA. The perspective gained by the attending craft representatives will benefit labor as we advocate for our members into the future.”
CPKC General Chairman Jesse Kottner further emphasized the event’s value by saying, “This was a great opportunity to discuss safety, emerging technologies, and regulation with the FRA. Thank you to President Dowell for making this possible.”
CSX General Chairman Ben Craft agreed, saying, “First of all, thanks to ATDA President Dowell for affording this opportunity to gain insight on key issues. I’d also like to thank Vice President Kevin Porter for his perspective throughout the event. I also found it invaluable to hear from our brothers and sisters in other crafts and learn about the ways we can strengthen solidarity as we address current issues.”