June 02, 2026
ATDA took several actions in June to strengthen our legislative position. First, President Dowell, Secretary Treasurer Sikes, and I made our way to Minneapolis to attend the 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention. President Dowell was our delegate, where he introduced the ATDA as an affiliated member of the AFL-CIO and voted on proposed resolutions that set the agenda for the labor movement. During our time there, we had the chance to connect with several unions on a multitude of issues, including at an Executive Council meeting of the Transportation Trades Department. This event provided the opportunity to amplify our priorities and come together as a federation to set the agenda for the next five years.
Later in the month I met with the Republican Governance Group, which is a group of House Republican congresspeople. These Representatives are open and interested in labor issues and have expressed commitment to achieving working outcomes. Having conversations and connections with these members allows us to expand our influence and ensure that our issues are heard on both sides of the political aisle.
On Capitol Hill, there were continued meetings with members of the House to discuss the recent surface bill, as well as conversations with members of the Senate on the role they play in advancing our interests. ATDA made our position on the bill very clear by sending a letter to the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, stating that we do not support the House-committee-passed-version of the Surface Reauthorization Bill, as it does not do enough for train dispatchers and has very problematic provisions that would negatively impact the labor community.
At the end of the month, we hosted a meeting at ATDA HQ in Cleveland with BNSF executives and rail labor leadership. As I am sure you saw, there was recently a critical safety failure within the dispatching software at BNSF. You can read our recent press release on that here. This meeting provided a platform for ATDA and other labor organizations to clearly communicate to BNSF that such errors are completely unacceptable and directly advocate for the safety of our members and all rail workers.
Together, our June activities represent real movement as we work to amplify the interests of ATDA members within the Legislative arena. As we approach the end of this year's Congress, the pace of activity will certainly pick up. I will continue to keep you posted on our activity as that happens.
Please do not hesitate to reach out.
In solidarity,
Jeffrey
