Statement: American Rescue Plan Will Provide Critical Boost to Transport Workers Amid COVID-19 Recovery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2021
Contact: Travis Reuther, treuther@twu.org

American Rescue Plan Will Provide Critical Boost to Transport Workers Amid COVID-19 Recovery

The TWU Fought for Maximum Worker Protections on Every Dollar of Funding for Transit, Rail, and Airline Sectors

Following the President signing the American Rescue Plan into law, this statement should be attributed to Transport Union Workers of America (TWU) International President John Samuelsen:

“The American Rescue Plan is a groundbreaking piece of legislation that comes at a critical time for workers in this country, many of whom have been risking their lives on a daily basis since last year. After more than 12 months of tragedy and loss, those workers are the only reason that the USA still has a functioning society today. As we have said since the beginning of the pandemic, there is no recovery without making those workers whole again. The American Rescue Plan goes a long way toward making that a reality.

“In addition to direct payments to those who have been hit hardest, the bill contains a significant amount of money for the transport sector, including $30.4 billion for transit systems, $15 billion for the airline Payroll Support Program, and $1.7 billion for Amtrak. This money will save thousands of good union jobs. The TWU fought hard to make sure that every penny comes with the strongest possible worker protections that will ensure that our members and other workers get the help they desperately deserve.

“Make no mistake, this bill is a huge victory for the trade union movement, and it is our hope that this historic effort will not be a one-off. We look forward to working with lawmakers to ensure that future relief efforts are focused where they should be – on workers.”

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The TWU represents more than 150,000 members across the airline, railroad, transit, universities, utilities, and services sectors.