Teamsters Praise New Funding For High Speed Rail Projects

Statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Jan 29, 2010, 12:09 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa issued the following statement regarding President Obama's announcement about the distribution of $8 billion for high speed rail projects in the United States:

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"We represent the skilled railroad workers who build and maintain our nation's railroad tracks and operate our freight and passenger rail network nationwide. These highly skilled Teamsters possess the skills, training and safety qualifications necessary to build, maintain and operate these new high speed rail lines and safely handle the trains along the routes.

"High speed rail is a crucial investment in our future and building these rail lines will create good jobs and provide working families with security.

"The growth and expansion of our country was partly determined by the first railroads that crossed the nation. We see high speed rail as a modern extension of those first projects.

"I, along with Freddie Simpson, President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes and Paul Sorrow, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, look forward to continuing our work with the Obama administration to preserve rail jobs and expand work opportunities for members of the Teamster Rail Conference."

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded in 1903 and represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Teamsters Rail Conference represents more than 70,000 railroad workers, including locomotive engineers and trainmen who operate the trains and maintenance of way workers who build and repair tracks, switches, and related rail infrastructure on freight, passenger and commuter rail lines across the United States.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters