Edward Wytkind is the President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), a Washington, D.C.-based labor organization representing several million workers in the private and public sectors of the aviation, mass transit, rail, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. TTD is the transportation policy and legislative arm of its parent organization, the National AFL-CIO, which represents 10 million workers in the United States.
Immediately prior to his election in the fall of 2003 by the Executive Committee, Wytkind served as TTD Executive Director for 13 years. One of Wytkind's primary duties is to work together with TTD's 32 member unions representing transportation labor's collective interests before the United States Congress, the executive branch and independent agencies of the Federal government including the U.S. Department of Transportation and its transit, aviation, railroad, highway, research and special programs, and other modal agencies, the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Mediation Board, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Surface Transportation Board and the White House. Wytkind also regularly testifies before Congress and provides a transportation labor perspective to conventions, conferences and other labor, industry and government meetings. Wytkind has also served as a transportation advisor in previous presidential elections and transitions. He has also been a guest lecturer at several universities.
Wytkind is currently appointed by the U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Labor to serve on the Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and Trade Policy, which consults the President and Congress on trade policy issues including proposed agreements and treaties. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies, as well as the Eno Transportation Foundation's Board of Advisors. Previously, Wytkind served on the Board of Directors for the Transit Development Corporation and worked with public and private transit industry representatives to advance a strong federally supported transit research agenda.
Wytkind, 47, is from Los Angeles, California, and today holds membership in the Office and Professional Employees International Union. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is married to Lorrie McHugh-Wytkind. They reside in suburban Washington, D.C., with their son and daughter.
As we weather the storm of job loss and unemployment, transportation workers are beginning to feel the benefits of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As transportation projects roll out, this critical legislation is starting to take effect. Workers in transportation construction are seeing significant job creation, which will grow significantly in the next several months. In all 50 states, four territories, and the District of Columbia, a total of 5,079 transit and highway projects have been put out to bid. These projects total $16.7 billion, representing 49% of the funds available for these types of projects. Not only have… Read more
Nothing is more important to transportation workers than the safety of our roads, bridges, transit and rail systems, and ports. Not only are airplanes, buses, trains and vessels our members’ workplaces, we have a responsibility for passengers. We know that our transportation systems simply cannot function unless they are safe and secure. There is no question that more can and must be done to increase safety in all modes of transportation. TTD and our unions have an aggressive agenda to meet this objective. Providing front-line transportation workers with the tools they need to operate safely – whether it is the right training,… Read more
Despite record ridership, mass transit systems across America are in crisis. When the cost of gas spiked last summer, ridership soared and high volumes have continued ever since. But the weak economy is causing huge shortfalls in state and local revenues. Transit agencies are facing the budget ax just when their services are in highest demand. In cities and regions across the country, mass transit agencies are being forced to not only cut jobs, but eliminate the services so many commuters need to get to their jobs. Employee and service cuts can easily translate into a corresponding number of commuters… Read more
Chairman Oberstar is working to strengthen what has been U.S. policy for decades, while globalization is posing new challenges in aviation. We applaud his actions, because longstanding U.S. ownership and control rules are under siege from European interests. The European Union is aggressively encouraging the U.S. to change its ownership and control rules as part of the second stage talks of our Open Skies agreement. In fact, the EU has even threatened to withdraw from the existing “First Stage Agreement” if it is not satisfied with U.S. actions. U.S. negotiators should reject these tactics. Decisions about fleet acquisition, jobs,… Read more
There’s always been a large role for the private sector in building our transportation system, but to push Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as the solution to our nation’s severe transportation investment shortfalls is ideology at its worst. We recognize that PPPs, when the public interest is properly protected, will play a role in future transportation financing. But we must remember that only a small fraction of transportation projects are even candidates for this funding mechanism – typically some form of dedicated revenue and potential profit are needed to induce the private sector to participate. We cannot build and maintain a national, intermodal… Read more
Many nations have made transportation infrastructure investments a priority. It is time for our political leaders to again use these vital investments as an engine for economic and job growth. America’s economic renewal and global competitiveness depend on a comprehensive infrastructure investment strategy. While America engages in the same old, tired debate, our international economic competitors get it: they are employing massive multi-billion dollar plans to improve and modernize their transportation systems. Congress should heed the calls of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar and fully fund the transportation stimulus provisions. But in the current economic recovery legislation, transit and rail have… Read more
Is this a new era for public transit? You bet. Transit ridership is skyrocketing. Americans took public transportation over 10 billion times last year – the highest ridership in five decades. Not only are more people riding public transportation, they’re voting for it. Since 2001, transit ballot measures passed about 70 percent of the time. The popularity of passenger rail continues to grow as well, with Amtrak enjoying six straight years of record ridership. Americans need more transportation choices, not fewer. And they don’t need those with an ideological bent against public transit giving them theoretical reasons why more public investment won’t work. I don’t have… Read more
Related Link: http://www.ttd.org
