This is the monthly edition of the Transport Workers Union’s Transportation Technology Newsletter. We aim to inform and educate our members, the labor movement, the public and policymakers about developments in transportation technology – and what the TWU is doing to ensure that new technology doesn’t undermine safety or harm the livelihoods of hard-working blue-collar workers. For suggestions and questions, please email ewytkind@gmail.com or adaugherty@twu.org.

ITEM OF THE MONTH

CLEAN IT UP: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a recent letter they have “documented a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders.” NHTSA referenced specific examples, many highlighted by the TWU, of autonomous vehicles driving into active emergency scenes, blocking ambulances and firefighters, and failing to recognize safety alerts such as flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a call to action in the letter urging AV companies to immediately clean up their operations or get off the road.

“To state it bluntly: an AV that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the general public,” Morrison wrote. “Every second matters when law enforcement officers, firefighters, or paramedics are answering a call because lives are on the line. That is why human drivers who impede these operations are subject to fines and even jail time. So, when an AV disrupts first responders or impedes an emergency vehicle, it ceases to be a minor software anomaly. The technology driving alongside them must support their efforts and get out of the way, not disrupt their life saving mission or compound the dangers they face.”

Days after NHTSA issued their letter, Zoox recalled its fleet of 105 robotaxis after they determined they could not detect heavy smoke, potentially impeding emergency personnel, Reuters reports. The company admitted on June 20 an unoccupied Zoox vehicle encountered heavy smoke at an active emergency scene and entered the scene instead of leaving.

“We have raised the alarm for years on the constant dangers of robotaxis performing actions that would cause human drivers to face heavy fines or even potential jail time,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “NHTSA’s letter is a strong warning to Big Tech that public roads are not laboratories and if their technology can’t get out of the way for first responders, it doesn’t belong on our streets.”

Even notable supporters of AVs like San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie are changing their tune. Lurie asked regulators in California to bolster rules after Waymo vehicles caused widespread gridlock on July 4, TechCrunch reports. The vehicles ran out of power, blocked streets, and trapped transit vehicles. Lurie proposed that autonomous vehicle companies must be required to immediately remove or relocate robotaxis from active travel lanes, share real-time operations data with local agencies, know the locations of immobile robotaxis with a plan to recover them, and demonstrate through testing they can handle large influxes of people and traffic.

“What happened in San Francisco earlier this month is unacceptable,” TWU Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate said. “Waymos essentially turned San Francisco’s Fourth of July celebration into a nightmare for the traveling public. When even pro-robotaxi politicians are sounding the alarm, it should be a wakeup call for everyone that their deployment nationwide would be a disaster.”

BABY YOU’RE A FIREWORK: And in the midst of the July 4th gridlock, a Waymo car with passengers inside was filmed traveling over a lit firework. Rose Peterson, who was in the Waymo, told NBC News the car “didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate, it just literally went on like nothing happened.” A second unoccupied Waymo vehicle in San Francisco caught fire after driving over a firework – and the company responded with the corporate-speak of saying they are “evaluating and learning” from the incidents.

WHAT ELSE IS COOKING

VERTIPORTS COMING? They take off and land like a helicopter and fly like a plane and now New York City plans to build the vertiport infrastructure needed to launch electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVOTL) flying taxis by the end of the year, Smart Cities Dive reports. The vertiports will be modified versions of existing heliports in the city.

Two emerging air taxi operators, Joby and Archer, are gearing up for 2026-2027 launches in states approved by the Federal Aviation Administration including New York and New Jersey. Joby showed off its new air taxi aircraft in April in flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport and heliports at West 30th Street and East 34th Street, claiming “7 minute” trips from the city to the airport. Archer announced it will partner with BETA Technologies and Macquarie Capital to launch ACES, America’s Consortium for Electric Skyways, to “electrify up to 250 air taxi sites” at the nation’s largest airports and metro areas over the next decade.

TOYOTA, JOBY JOIN UP: Toyota is throwing its weight behind Joby’s planned entry into the air taxi market with a joint venture to build Joby’s S4 Series electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVOTL) aircraft. Toyota, which Wall Street values at $261 billion, will hold a 51 percent interest in the new venture in what is now its ninth year as a Joby investor. Major airline and aerospace companies are betting big on the eVOTL market. Joby has secured equity investments from Delta Air Lines; United is an Archer and Eve investor; Vertical Aerospace enjoys equity backing from American, Virgin Atlantic and Japan Airlines, and Boeing has invested heavily in Wisk Aero.

DC UNIONS OPPOSE WAYMO: A group of labor unions testified against a Washington, DC Council bill that would allow robotaxis to operate in the city. Waymo is currently testing vehicles on DC roads with human drivers. Unions representing rideshare workers noted that take-home pay for drivers in cities where robotaxis currently operate has dropped, along with trips per hour.

The DC bill is also a proxy war between Waymo and Uber. Uber opposes the bill, arguing it hands Waymo a near-monopoly over driverless operations in DC. It isn’t clear yet if the bill will move forward before Mayor Muriel Bowser departs office. DC Councilmember Janesse Lewis George, who almost assuredly will be the next mayor, said during her campaign that DC is “not ready” for Waymo.

WHAT WE’RE READING:

Waymo’s Newest Robotaxi is Chinese-made, Built to Make Money, and Now Accepting Riders. TechCrunch.

Volkswagen Has Entered the Robotaxi Race. Business Insider.

Robotaxis are Turning Passengers Into Horrible and Entitled Menaces to Society. Futurism.

Remote Supervisors Can Oversee Three Autonomous Aircraft at a Time, Wisk Study Concludes. Aerospace America.

Waymo car caught driving in wrong lane amid World Cup traffic in LA. ABC 7.

This is the monthly edition of the Transport Workers Union’s Transportation Technology Newsletter. We aim to inform and educate our members, the labor movement, the public and policymakers about developments in transportation technology – and what the TWU is doing to ensure that new technology doesn’t undermine safety or harm the livelihoods of hard-working blue-collar workers. For suggestions and questions, please email ewytkind@gmail.com or adaugherty@twu.org.

ITEM OF THE MONTH

BIG IN JAPAN: Humanoid, robot baggage handlers are undergoing a trial run at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, according to the Guardian and CNBC, with the Chinese-made robots performing baggage handling and cabin cleaning duties. The publications note that Japan Airlines, which operates flights to and from the United States, is facing labor pressure from an aging domestic workforce. But the robots are currently unable to perform many tasks on the job that require dexterity.

Marc Einstein, research director from Counterpoint Research, said the programming and reasoning skills in the humanoid robots are lacking and “they’re just not very smart yet.” The TWU, which represents Ramp Workers at Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and more, strongly opposes any attempts in the U.S. to outsource human labor to robots.

“The bosses at every airline will be watching closely what happens in Japan to see how they can cut jobs. But the TWU will fight any attempt to replace skilled workers with foreign-made, insufficient robot technology,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “Just like we see with driverless cars, the technology might be able to perform basic job functions but fails epically when tasked with the challenging, real world situations TWU Ramp Workers face everyday at airports across the country.”

The World Economic Forum, in a recent blog post, described robot hand dexterity as the “last mile of robotic automation.” The WEF writes “Dexterity – the fine, contact-rich manipulation people perform without conscious thought – is the part of physical work machines still struggle with most. It is, precisely, the last mile of automation. Close it, and physical AI becomes economically transformative; leave it open, and humanoids remain impressive demonstrations rather than dependable workers.”

“It is clear that robots cannot replace human judgement, whether that’s split second decisions made on the ramp or while driving a bus in traffic,” said TWU Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate. “We will not stand aside as companies try to slash labor costs with robots that are not ready for the intense working environments transport workers face.”

WHAT ELSE IS COOKING

UBER ROBOTAXIS IN HOUSTON: Uber robotaxis are coming to Houston in mid-2027, Electrek reports, with riders using the company’s app to hail rides through the autonomous driving company Nuro. The company is currently testing vehicles on Houston’s roads, where TWU Local 260 represents workers at the Houston METRO bus and light rail system.

“Uber and Nuro see Houston as their test laboratory for autonomous transit,” Tate said. “It’s clear that cities around Texas where autonomous vehicles operate are faced with significant headaches, like Waymo robotaxis driving past stopped school buses in Austin. Houston, and TWU members who keep the city moving, will be worse off with autonomous vehicles using the city as a testing ground.”

Uber and Nuro, with vehicles built by Lucid, are attempting to expand rapidly. The company recently launched operations in the San Francisco Bay area and are planning to put 35,000 autonomous SUVs in dozens of markets in the coming years.

WAYMO OBSTACLES: The New York Times reports that Waymo is facing significant headways to operate in three of the country’s largest markets: New York, Chicago, and Washington DC. The Times reports that organized labor, including the TWU, has emerged as “some of Waymo’s most vocal opponents. And Waymo’s attempts to court those unions have had little success.”

A proposal from Waymo to create a fund for displaced workers in Illinois went nowhere in the state legislature. Janesse Lewis George, who is almost certain to be Washington DC’s next mayor, has publicly stated that the nation’s capital is “not ready” for Waymo. And the TWU was significantly involved in efforts to defeat a proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul to expand the use of autonomous vehicles in New York State while working closely with New York Mayor Zorhan Mamdani to end the small-scale testing of autonomous vehicles on NYC streets that began under former mayor Eric Adams.

“The TWU and working people across the country are taking a stand – and winning,” Samuelsen said. “Autonomous vehicles were unleashed in the Bay Area and across much of the Sun Belt with little regard for how they would affect safety, workers, and the traveling public. What is happening in New York and other major cities across the country is a testament to the power of workers standing together to demand better instead of bowing to the wishes of Big Tech billionaires.”

GET OFF THE HIGHWAY: Waymo recalled its fleet of robotaxis to restrict them from driving on highways, TechCrunch reports, because of issues with how the vehicles behave around construction zones. The company identified at least 13 instances of Waymos driving into highway sections that were closed for construction. Six incidents happened in Phoenix and seven happened in the Bay Area.

This is the latest in a series of embarrassing recalls for Waymo. In May, Waymo service was suspended in Atlanta because the vehicles drove into flooded roads. A previous recall was issued after Waymos drove around stopped school buses while children were entering and exiting. And previous recalls have been issued for Waymos colliding with chains, gates, and telephone poles. And a Waymo user recently posted on LinkedIn that a robotaxi had deliberately locked seatbelts and he was forced to leave the vehicle.

“If a human driver did all of the things that Waymos have done on our roads in recent months they would have lost their license a long time ago,” Tate said. “Any politician or local government being courted by Waymo to unleash their vehicles on public roads only needs to spend five minutes reading about their serious safety issues to conclude that the traveling public shouldn’t be put in danger for job-killing tech that isn’t ready for primetime.”

SWEDEN BUS FAIL: Sweden’s premature launch of full-size Turkish-made autonomous buses on its roads had a crash landing, literally. On the day the service was inaugurated with actual passengers onboard, May 25, the 52-passenger driverless bus was rear-ended by a tram as the vehicle was abruptly braking, a common problem with this flawed technology.

“The Transport Workers Union has warned for years that this technology isn’t ready to unleash on our roads,” Tate said. “As we are seeing in the robotaxi sector, these so-called driverless vehicles crash, speed by parked school buses, drive into active crime scenes, and get confused by construction zones. It is time for government officials to stop this dangerous experimentation with passengers.”

This incident reignites a global debate about whether driverless vehicles of any size are able to navigate congested urban driving conditions at a time when robotaxis are causing chaos, constantly managing recalls, and exposing travelers to elevated safety risks on a daily basis.

PEPSI DEPLOYS DRIVERLESS TRUCKS: Gatik autonomous trucks will traverse Pepsi’s North American supply chain, according to a multi-year partnership announced this month by the beverage giant. Pepsi has deployed Gatik driverless trucks since 2022, with 41 rigs on the roads without an operator onboard in Texas, Arizona and Arkansas.

Pepsi boasts that it operates the largest deployment of fully autonomous delivery trucks in the United States, investing $600 million in the effort.

WHAT WE’RE READING:

Driverless Trucks Take Good Jobs Away From Americans. Wall Street Journal Opinion.

Use of Autonomous Wheelchairs Grows at Airports. Alaska News Source.

Volkswagen’s MOIA, Beep Push Autonomous Vehicles in Public Transit. Beep.

Trapped in a Haywire Waymo: SF Passenger Recounts Terrifying Construction Zone Ordeal. ABC7 San Francisco.

Transport Workers Union Local 1 members who maintain and operate the Akron-Metro bus system voted 269 to 1 today to authorize a strike.

The vote empowers Local 1 leaders to call a service-halting strike at the date and time of their choosing. The workers’ contract with Akron-Metro expired on June 1, 2024. Negotiations and an arbitrator’s recommendation have failed to bring the two sides together.

“Akron Metro CEO Dawn Distler and Board President Mark Derrig have treated us with the utmost contempt and disrespect,” Local 1 President Wayne Cole said. “We haven’t had a raise in more than three years. They want to increase our out-of-pocket healthcare costs by $2,000 a year. And they don’t think Juneteenth is important enough to make it a holiday. Enough is enough. We’re not taking it anymore.”

Another sticking point angering workers: CEO Distler received annual raises and bonuses totaling more than $70,000 while workers have received no increases during the ongoing affordability crisis with rising inflation.

Cole also questioned how Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, who appoints half of the Akron Metro board, has not made settling the contract dispute a top priority.

“He has an opportunity to stand up for blue-collar Akron, or side with the two-faced Akron bosses who talk a good game but really don’t give a damn about transit workers,” Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen said.

Local 1 represents more than 300 Bus Operators, Vehicle Service Workers, and Clerical Workers.

“The Transport Workers Union of America has Local 1’s back, and we will continue to do whatever we can to help secure a fair contract,” Samuelsen said. “Whatever is needed, we will provide, whether that’s more resources, more union boots on the ground, more public outreach explaining just how terrible Akron Metro management has been, or anything else, we’re going to deliver.”

Local 1 is required to give 10 days’ notice prior to starting a strike. Negotiations are expected to resume tomorrow.

TWU International Actively Assisting Local 1 as Members Fight the Bosses in Akron.

Akron Metro’s Bus Operators and other transit workers voted 294 to 2 to reject an “insulting and outrageous” three-year contract proposal that includes two years without raises. The proposal would also force TWU Local 1 families to pay $2,000 more annually for healthcare.

The vote, tallied on Tuesday, June 9, brought TWU Local 1 closer to a possible bus strike that would idle buses that now carry 22,000 daily riders in Akron and surrounding communities.

A state arbitrator issued the non-binding contract proposal on June 5. The Akron Metro Board accepted it Monday night, June 8, with one dissenting vote.

“My members are irate and more united than ever,” Local 1 President Wayne Cole said. “This proposal is insulting, outrageous, and 100% unacceptable. By endorsing this proposal, Akron Metro threw a whole lot of fuel onto the fire.”

Local 1 represents 315 Bus Operators, Vehicle Service Operators, and Clerical Workers at the transit agency. Their contract with Akron Metro expired in 2024.

Here are the details of the proposed three-year agreement effective June 2024:

• ZERO raise for 2024. No retroactive raises.
• ZERO raise 2025. No retroactive raises.
• 300% increase for family health insurance.
• 4% raise for 2026 – almost entirely wiped out by higher insurance premiums. The typical Bus Operator with a family would pay $2,075 more a year annually for healthcare

With the higher insurance costs, the real wage increase for a Bus Operator with a family would be less than 1%. A proposed $3,500 lump-sum payment is a one-time gimmick that does not increase workers’ hourly rates, union officers said. Much of it would be gobbled up by taxes.

“The full force and capabilities of the International Transport Workers Union, with 165,000 members nationwide, are being deployed to defend our hardworking blue-collar members in Akron against this vicious attack on their livelihoods,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “It’s unbelievable that the Democratic officials who control the Akron Metro Board and transit agency would declare war on working families like this. The party is looking to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Beating up on transit workers in Ohio is appalling on a human level but also is the equivalent of political malpractice.”

Workers are incensed that they’ve gone three years without a raise while Akron-Metro CEO Dawn Distler not only received annual raises, but bonus payments totaling more than $70,000.

After the vote, TWU International TUUS Division Director Willie Brown said the TWU would plan for a strike authorization vote. That would empower Local 1 leaders to call a walkout at a time of their choosing. They would have to give 10-days’ notice before walking off the job under Ohio law.

The International has been very active assisting Local 1, holding strike training sessions, attending membership meetings to give them updates, creating a webpage and running a media campaign including television and print newspaper ads blasting Akron Metro bosses for their mistreatment of workers. International President John Samuelsen, Secretary-Treasurer Jerome Lafragola and others have made trips to Ohio to give advice and direction.

This is the monthly edition of the Transport Workers Union’s Transportation Technology Newsletter. We aim to inform and educate our members, the labor movement, the public and policymakers about developments in transportation technology – and what the TWU is doing to ensure that new technology doesn’t undermine safety or harm the livelihoods of hard-working blue-collar workers. For suggestions and questions, please email ewytkind@gmail.com or adaugherty@twu.org.

ITEM OF THE MONTH

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION WIN:  The bipartisan Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill introduced by Representatives Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) is a massive win for workers fighting to preserve jobs and increase safety as autonomous vehicle technology develops beyond robotaxis to transit buses, motorcoaches, school buses and other commercial vehicles, TWU International President John Samuelsen said.

This bill would set, for the first time, a national federal standard for such commercial AVs to guarantee they are safe before they are put on our streets. This standard includes human oversight and the ability for humans to intervene, as necessary, to keep these vehicles safe.

“This is a massive win for workers and the riding public,” Samuelsen said. “The bill sets critically important guardrails for the next wave of autonomous vehicles and advances our top priorities: protecting the employment of our members and ensuring the Wild West chaos that has occurred with the roll out of robotaxis is not repeated. We’ve said from the very beginning that technology should assist Bus Operators, not recklessly replace them and throw them into unemployment.”

The bill also directs the DOT to establish a second set of operating rules to address safety-related duties performed by Bus Operators other than operating the vehicle. The bill directly requires qualified drivers to operate yellow school buses and hazmat vehicles.

TWU Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate said, “The human component of public transportation cannot be replaced by a robot or algorithm. They do a hell of a lot more than operate buses. They are another set of eyes and ears for law enforcement and medical first responders, assist the disabled boarding and exiting, give directions and much more, including on occasion comforting and aiding pregnant mothers going into labor before reaching the hospital. They are invaluable.”

WHAT ELSE IS COOKING 

FLOODING THE ZONE: The New York Times reports that Waymo is recalling software in thousands of robotaxis because they could be allowed to drive into flooded roads, according to concerns raised by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On April 20, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle entered a flooded road in San Antonio and continued to drive on despite the road being “untraversible” according to NHTSA. A Waymo spokesperson characterized the serious safety threat as an “identified area of improvement,” seriously downplaying the issue.

“It is absurd that Waymo and other robotaxis think that software updates and referring to vehicles driving into floods is an ‘area of improvement,’” Tate said. “The traveling public should not be used as lab rats while these tech companies put their riders and everyone around them at risk.”

DRIVING IN CIRCLES: A neighborhood in suburban Atlanta saw dozens of unoccupied Waymos circling their cul de sacs, WSBTV reports, the latest example of public nuisances caused by the robotaxis, which have previously honked their horns overnight in a San Francisco parking lot. Residents complained that over 50 Waymos at a time have entered cul de sacs early in the morning and in one instance blocked roads after a resident put up a sign to try to get them to alter their route.

“It might look humorous to see dozens of Waymos driving on a residential street, but it is a public nuisance and a safety issue,” Samuelsen said. “These companies are never held accountable for behavior that would get human drivers a ticket and public roads should not be free storage for these billion dollar companies waiting for their next tech bro passenger.”

AIR TAXIS COMING TO NYC? Joby Aviation plans to launch air taxi service in New York City between Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport. The company says it plans to inaugurate service by the end of the year, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Joby will deploy all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVOTL) that take off and land vertically like a helicopter and fly like an airplane. Joby claims its aircraft, which carry four passengers and a pilot, will shorten trips from Manhattan to JFK International Airport to a few minutes. Joby is utilizing existing Manhattan heliports for the flights.

Consistent with TWU’s push for aggressive federal regulation of autonomous vehicles, TWU has argued to federal transportation and aviation regulators that eVOTL air taxis and any emerging advanced air mobility technologies must face “rigorous scrutiny and regulation” and that a “laissez-faire approach to safety regulation” would put the flying public at risk.

MORE DRIVERLESS BUSES: Norway is unleashing a full size driverless buses on its roads operated by Vy, a national state-owned transit company, and Kolumbus, a regional transit authority. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is lifting the requirement in limited areas that human operators be onboard the 52-passenger capacity Turkish-built Karsan buses. The next phase of approval would greenlight widespread deployment on public roads.

“Forcing passengers to fend for themselves in a bus without a human operator onboard is irresponsible and dangerous,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “In the US we are seeing autonomous vehicles drive into crime scenes and emergencies and speed by school buses in violation of road safety laws. And remotely supervised robotaxis including those operated by Tesla are crashing – regulators around the world should reject this flawed and menacing attempt to replace licensed onboard drivers.”

WHAT WE’RE READING

Driverless Cars Get Green Light from NJ Senate Panel. New Jersey Monitor. 

Uber pouring $10 billion into robotaxis? Electrek. 

Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary deploying driverless rigs across US Sun Belt. CNBC. 

Amazon’s Zoox testing robotaxis in 10 cities. Smart Cities Dive. 

The bipartisan Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill introduced by Representatives Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) is a massive win for workers fighting to preserve jobs and increase safety as autonomous vehicle technology develops beyond robotaxis to transit buses, motorcoaches, school buses and other commercial vehicles, TWU International President John Samuelsen said today.

This bill would set, for the first time, a national federal standard for such commercial AVs to guarantee they are safe before they are put on our streets. This standard includes human oversight and the ability for humans to intervene, as necessary, to keep these vehicles safe.

“This is a massive win for workers and the riding public,” Samuelsen said. “The bill sets critically important guardrails for the next wave of autonomous vehicles and advances our top priorities: protecting the employment of our members and ensuring the Wild West chaos that has occurred with the roll out of robotaxis is not repeated. We’ve said from the very beginning that technology should assist Bus Operators, not recklessly replace them and throw them into unemployment. This bill is a big step forward in ensuring that people, working men and women, remain central figures in providing public transit and school transportation.”

The bill also directs the DOT to establish a second set of operating rules to address safety-related duties performed by Bus Operators other than operating the vehicle. The bill directly requires qualified drivers to operate yellow school buses and hazmat vehicles.

TWU Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate said, “The human component of public transportation cannot be replaced by a robot or algorithm. They do a hell of a lot more than operate buses. They are another set of eyes and ears for law enforcement and medical first responders, assist the disabled boarding and exiting, give directions and much more, including on occasion comforting and aiding pregnant mothers going into labor before reaching the hospital. They are invaluable.”

In stark contrast to the great work done to address AV safety, this bill ignores the plummeting safety standards on freight railroads. More than 3 years after the derailment in East Palestine, OH showcased the incredible safety failures in the industry, this bill would do nothing to address the key causes of that accident and thousands of others since.

“Qualified car inspectors, mechanics, engineers, and conductors could prevent deaths on the railroad every day if they had the right safety rules in place,” said TWU Rail Division Director John Feltz. “It is shameful that Congress hasn’t yet banned maximum inspection times for car inspectors to conduct their work or taken any action to even acknowledge the horrific derailments and accidents happening every day across the country.”

As this bill moves through the committee’s review process, the TWU will be seeking significant improvements in the rail title to improve rail safety and protect workers on the job.

]]> https://www.twu.org/scholarship-winners-announced/ Thu, 07 May 2026 17:37:24 +0000 https://www.twu.org/?p=11301 The Transport Workers Union has conducted its annual scholarship drawing, and 32 winners have been randomly selected for a monetary award, International Executive Vice President Alex Garcia announced today, May 7, 2026.

The Transport Workers Union has conducted its annual scholarship drawing, and 32 winners have been randomly selected for a monetary award, International Executive Vice President Alex Garcia announced today, May 7, 2026.

The winners will receive a combined $112,000 to help pay for college. Recipients of the TWU’s Michael J. Quill scholarship will each get $4,800 over four years of their continuing education, totaling $72,000. Another $40,000 in scholarships is being provided by four sponsors: Acrisure, M3 Technology, Pitta LLP, and Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno LLC.

“Special thanks to our scholarship sponsors and best wishes to all the winners,” Garcia said in the announcement. The drawing was held on Wednesday, May 6, at the TWU of America headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The list of winners is here: scholarship info

 

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More than 150 TWU activists and officers lobbied on Capitol Hill on May 5 to build support for federal legislation that would benefit union members and their families – including a bill that would allow all overtime earners to pay less in federal income taxes.

Teams of TWU members and officers from locals across the country swarmed through the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate office buildings for scheduled meetings as part of this year’s three-day Legislative & Committee on Political Education Conference. They were armed with talking points highlighting the merits of the “No Tax on Overtime for All Workers Act.”  The legislation would extend eligibility for a new federal tax exemption pertaining to overtime income to an additional 3 million workers, including more than 100,000 TWU members.

“This is a top priority for us,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “We are laser-focused on the economic security of our members, and this legislation would save working families thousands of dollars a year.”

TWU International President John Samuelsen, (photo above, left) kicked off the conference by addressing participants. International Executive Vice President Alex Garcia, Secretary-Treasurer Jerome Lafragola, and Administrative Vice President Mike Mayes (photo above, right) joined TWU’s member lobbyists on Capitol Hill. (Conference photos can be found on the TWU’s Flickr page.

The One Big Beautiful Bill that Congress passed last year included a provision exempting hourly workers from paying federal income taxes on a portion of their overtime earnings: up to $12,500 for single filers and up to $25,000 for married couples filing jointly. This could mean up to $6,000 in savings. The portion of overtime earnings exempt from taxes is the premium: the “extra” half that is added to the base hourly rate. For someone with a base hourly rate of $30, the premium for one hour OT would be $15.

But the bill was poorly drafted. It relied on an outdated federal definition of overtime dating back to 1938. While most hourly workers qualify, the flawed language in the BBB excludes scores of workers in the airline, railroad, trucking, and delivery industries from eligibility for the benefit.

“It’s extremely important that we talk to members of Congress and their staff, here in Washington and in their home districts,” TWU International Executive Vice President Alex Garcia said. “This is why we need a strong COPE program with TWU members contributing and participating – so we can bring about changes that will improve their lives.”

Congress members need to be educated and prodded, International Secretary-Treasurer Jerome Lafragola said.

“The only way you can get anyone to do anything in politics is to advocate on your behalf. Basically, you’re educating elected officials on the issues that affect you and your daily work life and advocating for or against a certain action.”

Before heading to the Hill, activists spend a full day attending workshops and informational presentations on all the TWU’s top legislative priorities, as well as a discussion on labor and politics featuring President Samuelsen and Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania.

Legislative and COPE Conference is a joint event of the TWU Government Affairs Department and COPE.

TWU Government Affairs Director Zack Tatz and COPE Director Andrew Rangolin

(Conference photos can be found on the TWU’s Flickr page)

Read about Amtrak executive bonus payments being redirected to workers, the Transit Division tackling technology, the new Local 578 contract – and more.

Other features: The TWU’s charitable tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the TWU member who responds to calls of stray dogs, trespassing raccoons, coyote pups – and even urban alligators.