American Train Dispatchers Association

American Train Dispatchers Association
American Train Dispatchers Department
Train Dispatchers
Founded	1917
Headquarters	1370 Ontario Street, Suite 1040, Cleveland, Ohio 44113, USA
Location	United States;
Members	2,718
Key people	L E Dowell, President
Affiliations	AFL–CIO
Website	National Site, Regional Site

The American Train Dispatchers Association (Train Dispatchers) is an American trade union representing railroad workers. The Train Dispatchers belong to the AFL–CIO as one of the organization's smallest members.

Jurisdictions

ATDA operates mostly as a craft union representing railroad dispatchers. Specialized forms of dispatchers including trick train dispatchers, night chief dispatchers and assistant chief dispatchers are also members of the union.^[1]

The organization also represents the crafts that provide power to electrified trains, mostly on commuter lines. The titles in this jurisdiction are power supervisors, power directors and load dispatchers.

On short line railroads, the organization acts as more of an industrial union and also represents trainmen, enginemen, maintenance of way employees, mechanics and clerical staff.

Employers

The Train Dispatchers hold collective bargaining agreements with the following companies:^[2]

History

The union was founded in 1917 at a convention in Spokane, Washington. An earlier organization called the Train Dispatchers Association of America preceded the establishment of the ATDA by 27 years.^[3] During the Great Railroad Strike of 1922, the Train Dispatchers did not participate but neither would they perform work of other unions.^[4]