Happening Now
Rail Passengers Statement on Shooting in Tucson, AZ
October 4, 2021
Rail Passengers Association CEO Jim Mathews issued the following statement on the shooting incident on the Amtrak Sunset Limited in Tucson, AZ:
"My heart sank today as I saw yet another episode of senseless violence, this time not just at the station but onboard the train. Early reports suggest that at least one of the responding officers was killed. Rail Passengers offers its condolences to everyone affected, and urges the public to keep the crew and passengers in their thoughts. Although incidents like this are exceedingly rare, overall levels of violence on board trains have been rising through the summer, just as they have on airliners and buses. In fact, in July we understand that the number of incidents on board Amtrak trains was twice as high as in previous months. Even before this incident, our Association was working alongside railway labor to tighten protections for onboard crews and passengers. Today's tragic shooting shows that can't let up on those efforts."
"On behalf of Amtrak’s onboard service staff, I want to thank the Rail Passengers Association for honoring their hard work with this award. The past couple years have indeed been difficult for Amtrak onboard service staff – coping with furloughs and job insecurity, adapting to changing protocols and services, not to mention the unfortunate events such as a tragic derailment and a fatal shooting. Nevertheless, our dedicated members at Amtrak have handled these hurdles with the care, attention and diligence for which they’re known. We thank Rail Passengers for their acknowledgement of our members’ hard work and, as always, look forward to seeing you on the rails."
Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
December 21, 2021, on the Association awarding its 2021 Golden Spike Award to the Frontline Amtrak Employees.
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