WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following was conveyed to Amtrak employees nationwide in a special advisory from Amtrak President and CEO David L. Gunn on June 26, 2002.
Dear Amtrak Co-workers:
We reached a tentative agreement last night with the Department of Transportation to resolve our short-term financial problem. The details need to be worked out, but if we’re successful, and I hope we are, there will be no shutdown of service this summer.
The DOT will give us an immediate loan of about $100 million. For the balance of what we need, the Bush Administration and Amtrak will seek Congressional action.
A number of conditions to this plan need to be worked out, but many are things you know I’ve already started, like better financial accountability and transparency, and monthly financial reporting to Congress and the DOT. While you may have heard that there will be a wage freeze, it will only apply to senior management.
We hope to finish the agreement in the next day or two so that I can go back to doing what I enjoy best — running the railroad — and you don’t have to keep reading these letters from me every day. You have continued to stay focused on your jobs, make safe operations your top priority and I thank you for that.
Sincerely,
David L. Gunn
PS — I will send you the agreement when it is done.