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AFL-CIO Transportation Trade Department president Ed Wytkind on repairing damage to transportation systems after Hurricane Sandy.
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And -- throughout the morning hear about these said long bus lines and parts of New York city's that's in Brooklyn New York today look at this distraught people trying to get into work we've had a long gas lines that Michael talked about.
Across the northeast and and a number of different states trying to get our.
That's a public transit systems back online has been done quite a task the law has done pretty well here.
In New York to get the -- subway up and running at least in part today.
And depth part of the effort to get things back up and running is being led by Ed Winter into C AFL CIO president for transportation trades in dubbed.
-- what do you see what are the biggest challenges -- just in terms is almost a similar question to what Michael was talking about with equipment.
Getting your membership involved and and getting people to these places one of the challenges.
What are the Johnson of come up this week.
Challenges of an incredible the the biggest challenge has been getting people where they need to be.
We you know our members are citizens just like everyone else and they have their own problems back home but we -- have -- hundreds of people that are sleeping and bus depots.
So that they don't have to go home and they can get this restoration work on.
-- we were talking about that earlier this morning and I think a lot of people forget about that.
Until -- in the area that's affected so we've all covered.
Storms are talked about them and other disasters when they happened other areas but when you're here you start to realize how you have to make decisions based on your own family and you're dealing with -- Of damage that may or may not happen to your own house so for the workers.
That's obviously an issue as well they live in the communities have you relied on people coming in from out of town -- I mean I know after 9/11 that was a big help us out.
There's something here firstly organizing.
Well no I'm not personally organized and our our unions -- represent that we.
Yet they're being dispatched from other states as well -- -- liquid it will.
Look at -- at the signal systems on our railroads is a good example perfect storm clock you've got for exams.
Who removed from the long -- rail try to clear for that railroad to start operating again.
-- hospitals that war losing power and lost power so we -- transit union members from TW and ATU.
Qureshi transporting patients that were in these hospitals they can get out of harm's way.
And be able to continue to get care and a facility.
-- action has power.
-- -- a lot of progress we think about it I noticed that take forever but there's been some progress I'm sure it's your membership contributing to a lot of that but.
We've seen it here in New York the last couple days and a mile long and all things gonna take but we're -- -- Incredible progress yeah I mean literally in 24 hours you have part of the subway system running in the New York City right.
You have most of the bus service up and running in places like Connecticut and they'll be up and running completely by the end of the day today.
Yeah there's.
There's incredible progress and I think we use the word restoration.
To define what we're doing it's not really the right -- the right word is these are people risking their own.
Lives in many cases in the beginning of this disaster relief.
Who were there on the ground helping people in any way they can -- -- -- but the freight rumors are doing they don't run the passenger systems.
But they're providing assistance and our members work for the freight reverence giving them generators providing equipment.
And supplies making sure that we can get the systems back up and running it's an incredible effort and the work force has -- just.
As good as I've ever seen in my 120 plus years join us.
Lots of good news and and along the shore areas have been hit so hard it's gonna take.
Much much longer times a lot of work still to be done -- -- from the AFL CIO thank you sir appreciate it thank you.
