Transportation Trades Department AFL-CIO Pushes Safety Reforms

On the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO (TTD), outlined a three-front safety agenda that TTD is promoting. The plan includes aviation technology upgrades following a deadly and reportedly preventable collision near Washington, D.C.; new protections for transit workers facing rising assaults; and a stronger federal framework for autonomous vehicles.

Regan emphasized that safety policy must keep pace with operational realities in busy airspace and transit systems, while also ensuring that new technology is deployed under enforceable standards rather than broad exemptions. He also argued that as automation expands, its impact on the workforce must be addressed, alongside safety, training and job transitions.

• Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, is urging Congress to modernize aviation safety by advancing the ROTOR Act and accelerating the adoption of proven situational-awareness technology.
• Transit worker assaults are driving a new safety push, including the RIDER Safety Act and expanded Transit Ambassador programs designed to prevent incidents and de-escalate conflict.
• Autonomous vehicle deployment is outpacing safety oversight, and labor leaders are pressing for national standards that protect roadway safety and jobs.

Transportation workers are pressing lawmakers to treat safety as infrastructure, not an afterthought. That was the message from Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, during his monthly check-in on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast. Regan leads a department representing more than three dozen transportation unions across aviation, rail, transit, maritime and related sectors. During the conversation, he detailed a legislative agenda that spans aviation collision prevention, transit system security and federal oversight of autonomous vehicles.

Regan’s argument was straightforward: the nation already has the tools to reduce risk in the air and on the ground, but policy and funding have not kept pace with what frontline workers and safety investigators have flagged for years.

TTD Backs ROTOR Act Aviation Safety

Regan pointed to the ROTOR Act — Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform — as a near-term step toward improving aviation safety through technology.

The discussion centered on a fatal collision in Washington, D.C. that occurred roughly a year earlier. Regan said the incident was widely viewed as preventable and highlighted the role of situational awareness and aircraft-to-aircraft communication in congested airspace.

Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA), he noted, is among the busiest commercial airports in the country. It also operates in complex airspace where military and civilian aircraft can share corridors. In that environment, Regan said, ensuring aircraft are equipped with the right technology is critical to preventing conflicts before they become emergencies.

ROTOR Act (H.R. 6222) and NTSB Safety Recommendations

Regan said the ROTOR Act has already passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House.

He acknowledged that the legislation does not address every factor identified by the National Transportation Safety Board in its post-incident work. The bill was drafted before the NTSB issued its full set of recommendations. Still, Regan argued that it would cover some of the most consequential safety improvements by advancing technology that enhances in-air awareness.

He also noted that some House members have raised concerns about how requirements could affect private aircraft, often referred to as general aviation. Regan’s position was that the bill should move forward now, with additional safety improvements pursued in parallel as investigators and regulators refine the full picture.

Transit Unions Support RIDER Safety Act to Reduce Worker Assaults

Regan then turned to public transit, where he described an “upsetting” rise in assaults against workers — particularly bus drivers and transit operators.

He framed the RIDER Safety Act as a response focused on passenger and worker safety, with an emphasis on prevention. The bill, he said, would encourage the use of Transit Ambassadors in stations and across transit systems.

The ambassador model is designed to de-escalate situations, assist passengers and provide a visible presence that can deter incidents before they escalate. The goal is not to expand punitive enforcement but to reduce the need for it by intervening early and creating a safer environment for everyone on board, he said.

Transit Ambassador Programs and De-Escalation Safety Strategy

Regan cited the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system as an example of a system that has implemented a Transit Ambassador Program.

Programs like BART’s have demonstrated effectiveness, including significant reductions in incidents on public transit, he said. The policy goal, he argued, is to create a federal framework that helps transit agencies adopt proven approaches, establish consistent standards and access dedicated funding.

When asked whether ambassadors would function as law enforcement, Regan drew a clear distinction: ambassadors are uniformed transit employees, not armed officers. Their role is to provide assistance, identify potential safety issues and help prevent situations from escalating into emergencies.

Surface Transportation Reauthorization and AFL-CIO Safety Priorities

Regan said the most logical pathway for advancing transit safety legislation is through the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization.

With major surface transportation policies set to be renewed by year’s end, modernization should include common-sense safety provisions that reflect what workers and riders experience daily, he said.

Reauthorization is not only about expanding service or upgrading equipment. It is also the moment to embed worker safety into the federal policy framework governing public transportation, Regan said.

Autonomous Vehicles, Federal Safety Standards and Worker Jobs

Autonomous vehicles were the third major discussion topic, and Regan’s message was cautionary.

The country is approaching a point where federal action will be necessary to ensure consistent safety oversight, he said. While states have begun to regulate autonomous vehicle activity, Regan argued that a patchwork approach is insufficient for a technology that crosses jurisdictions and interacts with national roadway systems.

Regan criticized an industry approach that relies heavily on exemptions and waivers — effectively removing restrictions to speed deployment. He argued that safety regulations should not be designed to maximize rollout speed. Instead, autonomous vehicles should be held to clear standards aligned with the broader safety culture that governs transportation, he said.

Waymo, Cruise and Public Roadway Safety Oversight

Regan pointed to recent incidents highlighted by TTD, including investigations into autonomous vehicles that allegedly violated school bus stopping laws and a separate incident where a driverless vehicle entered an active emergency scene.

The industry may be working to improve performance, but policymakers must focus on the public interest, which Regan said includes roadway safety, predictable behavior around vulnerable road users and accountability when systems fail.

TTD Calls for Workforce Planning

Regan also emphasized that automation policy cannot ignore jobs.

If policymakers can foresee disruptive impacts on transportation employment, He argued that they should plan accordingly through workforce development, training pathways and transition strategies. In his view, the goal is not to block innovation but to ensure technology is integrated safely and responsibly — without hollowing out a major part of the economy or leaving workers behind.

What Comes Next for Transportation Safety Legislation

Moving forward, Regan suggested a pragmatic approach: move what can move now, then keep building.

For aviation, he urged the House to act on the ROTOR Act while continuing to evaluate additional safety improvements. For transit, he argued that reauthorization should include worker protection measures, such as the RIDER Safety Act, and funding for proven de-escalation programs. For autonomous vehicles, he called for federal leadership to set enforceable standards and treat safety and workforce impacts as inseparable.

Across all three issues, Regan’s message was consistent: transportation systems run on workers, and safety policy should reflect that reality.

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