Transportation Workers to Bush: ‘Enough Is Enough’

Thousands of transportation workers in red and blue shirts and their supporters rallied on the National Mall May 17 for an end to federal policies that put profits ahead of safety and security and corporate needs ahead of workers. The workers came from all across the country, including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam, to tell lawmakers and the Bush administration: “Enough Is Enough.”

The Transportation Day of Action, led by the Machinists (IAM), put transportation workers’ issues on the 2008 political agenda. Workers from 26 unions told presidential candidates they will hold elected officials accountable for correcting the problems caused after years of neglect and partisanship by the Bush White House.

“This nation’s air and rail workers suffered one grievous assault after another under the present administration,” IAM President Tom Buffenbarger told the crowd.

Hundreds of thousands of workers lost jobs, pensions and health care while CEOs and senior executives gorged themselves with outrageous compensation packages. It’s time for a president who isn’t deaf and blind to this kind of rampant injustice.

Victor Ghidoni, a member of IAM Local 743 in Windsor Locks, Conn., who took part in the rally, agrees. “Enough is enough,” he said. “Transportation workers have taken big hits since 9/11. The big problem is George Bush. He’s just supplying his rich buddies. There’ll be no middle class if we get the same as him in 2008.”

Five Democratic presidential candidates—Joe Biden, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson—told the crowd they will look after working people’s agenda in 2008 and beyond. In addition to the candidates, a dozen members of Congress and former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater spoke.

“The sacrifices, contributions and needs of transportation workers are lost on the Bush administration,” said IAM Vice President Robert Roach. “Airlines dumped more than $12 billion in pensions on the federal government. There are still more than a hundred thousand airline workers without real retirement security. Today we begin our search for a president who will work with transportation labor to provide the secure jobs, pensions and benefits workers deserve.”

Transportation workers are asking the 2008 presidential candidates to promise to:

• Appoint individuals who support workers’ rights to national labor boards, such as the National Mediation Board (NMB), which oversees labor issues in the rail and airline industries.

• Protect and defend workers’ pensions. During the slew of airline bankruptcies in the past six years, 195,500 workers have lost their pension plans. After years of taking smaller paychecks to put more money into pension accounts, these airline employees saw their accounts liquidated. By terminating these employee pensions, airlines have shed more than $20 billion in costs.

• Promote and enhance Amtrak, America’s passenger rail system. Amtrak is chronically underfunded. Amtrak employees have not received a wage increase since before Sept. 11. The Bush administration’s push to privatize the system has left the rail carrier’s continued existence in jeopardy.

• Support aviation legislation that ensures good jobs in the private and public sectors, honors workers’ bargaining rights and strengthens the safety and security of the aviation system.

• Fight for laws that would make security training mandatory for front-line transportation workers.

• Counter the effects of globalization on the transportation industry, which include outsourced jobs and threatened safety and security standards.

• Boost investment in our public transportation, highway system and ports.

A big part of workers’ agenda is jobs and trade, says Paul Duff, also a member of IAM Local 743. “Everybody is complaining that taxes are going up and the cost of living is going up,” he said. “But nobody’s making any money because all the jobs are being shipped overseas.”

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka told the crowd that working people are responsible for electing the new Congress and that we will hold them accountable.

“We’re here today to remind the members of the new Congress we elected last year that Labor 2008 is already under way,” Trumka said. “We’re here to remind them of the pledges of support they made on issues vital to the transportation workers who keep our country moving every day. We’re here to remind them of their commitments of support for our working families agenda: good jobs, decent wages, fair trade, better schools, secure retirement, affordable health care and the freedom of every worker to make their own decision to join a union.”

For Grover Pankey of the Railroad Signalmen in Upland, Calif., the rally was all about the future.

“This is not for us today. It’s for our children and future generations. America is a great place and it’s great because people like us work and rally to hold America to its roots.”

“This nation’s air and rail workers suffered one grievous assault after another under the present administration,” said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger. “Hundreds of thousands of workers lost jobs, pensions and health care while CEO’s and senior executives gorged themselves with outrageous compensation packages. It’s time for a president who isn’t deaf and blind to this kind of rampant injustice.”

Ohio Congressmember Dennis Kucinich said, “I’m ready to be the person who puts labor’s flag right on the White House’s lawn.” New York Senator Hillary Clinton asked the crowd, “Are you ready for a president who is actively pro-labor and is going to appoint people who actually care about workers rights?” Kucinich also called for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney. “He should be removed from office,” he said. “I challenge all other candidates to say the same thing.”

Many members of IAM Local Lodges 1414, 1781 and 1782 from the Bay Area attended the Day of Action, along with San Mateo County Central Labor Council Political Director Christa Indriolo.

More than 100 pilots from the Airline Pilots Association joined other unions at the IAM’s 2007 Transportation Workers’ Day of Action.