| American Train Dispatchers Association | |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Affiliation: | AFL–CIO |
| Members: | 2,718 |
| Founded: | 1917 |
| Headquarters: | 1370 Ontario Street, Suite 1040, Cleveland, Ohio 44113, USA |
| Key People: | L E Dowell, President |
| Website: | National Site, Regional Site |
| Full Name: | American Train Dispatchers Department |
| Native Name: | Train Dispatchers |
The American Train Dispatchers Association or 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.
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.
The Train Dispatchers hold collective bargaining agreements with the following companies:[2]
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]