Hoffa Supports Rep. Tonko Bill To Create More Rest Areas for Tired Truckers
WASHINGTON, March 17- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today announced the Teamsters' support for Jason's Law, which would help alleviate the shortage of parking for tired long-haul truckers.
The bill is named after Jason Rivenburg, a long-haul truck driver who was murdered last year after he stopped to rest at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina. A news conference was scheduled today by the bill's sponsor, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Jason Rivenburg's widow Hope.
"For many of our members, the highway is their workplace and we want to make sure it's safe," Hoffa said. "It's unusual for Teamsters to sleep in their trucks because they're covered by a good union contract, but if they do get tired they should have a safe place to pull over. And tired truckers pose as much of a threat to Teamster drivers as they do to the rest of the driving public.
"Whether it's keeping dangerous Mexican trucks off the highway or making sure tired drivers have a protected place to rest, safety is a top priority for us."
Hoffa thanked Rep. Tonko and Rep. Erick Paulsen, R-Minn., for sponsoring the legislation.
The bill, H.R. 2156, would authorize funds for constructing safe new rest areas where commercial truckers can park. It would also help pay for expansion and safety improvements at existing rest areas.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced a companion bill (S.971) in the U.S. Senate.
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
No comments:
Post a Comment