The TWU Is Encouraged by Stimulus Agreement, Urges Congress to Provide Additional Funding for State and Local Governments

TWU issued the following response to the deal reached by Congressional leaders in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

“The TWU worked hard to ensure this package protects our members’ jobs — and I’m happy to report that we achieved that goal,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen.

“Furloughed airline workers will return to work and transit agencies must keep their entire workforce on the job thanks to this agreement. This bipartisan legislation was carefully crafted with significant input from the trade union movement, and for that we thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer.

“While we strongly support this bill, we are disappointed that Congress failed to provide additional aid to state and local governments reeling from the economic effects of this pandemic. The bill also provides less than half of what public transit needs. Our elected leaders must prioritize support for frontline essential workers through these programs as soon as the new Congress convenes in January.”

The agreement provides a critical boost to all transportation sectors at a time when our country needs these systems the most. The bipartisan legislation contains roughly $900 billion in pandemic relief, including $15 billion for airlines through the payroll support program, $14 billion for transit funding, $1 billion for Amtrak, and $2 billion for school buses and other neglected modes of transportation. All of this funding comes with unprecedentedly strong labor protections, ensuring that workers are the primary beneficiaries of federal support.