TCU National Legislative Director David Arouca.
July 24, 2024 – TCU’s National Legislative Director, David Arouca, testified before a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on the significant challenges the carmen craft is facing in the railroad industry today. Brother Arouca highlighted the issues our members consistently raise to us: the railroads are not giving them enough time to do their jobs safely and that railroads are using other crafts to perform the work of a carmen because they “do not want to know how defective their trains are.”
Panel of witnesses (including Brother Arouca) testifying before a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.
Brother Arouca also answered several questions from Members of Congress throughout the hearing, showcasing to Members that precision scheduled railroading is to blame for many of the safety shortcomings of the industry and that TCU/BRC welcomes new, innovative technology but needs to be properly regulated to ensure safety.
TCU National President Artie Maratea said, “TCU is grateful for Brother Arouca leading this federal advocacy effort to improve the safety of our carmen. His efforts, along with TCU and BRC members around the country calling, writing, and meeting with their Members of Congress, is why rail safety legislation now has the most momentum it has had since the East Palestine disaster in February 2023. We will continue the fight to eliminate the dangerous practice of placing impossible time limits on rail car inspections and ensuring that qualified mechanical inspectors are doing the job they are not only federally mandated to perform but also the one they are the most trained and equipped to do.”