Hold onto your conductor hats— the Trump administration just pulled a holiday surprise by steering Amtrak’s executive bonus cash straight into the pockets of hardworking frontline employees.
According to Fox Business, in a move announced on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has shifted a hefty chunk of leadership bonuses at Amtrak to award $900 each to over 18,000 unionized workers during this festive season.
This isn’t just a random act of kindness; it’s a calculated jab at what the DOT calls “exorbitant” bonus structures from the Biden-Buttigieg era that favored senior staff over the folks who keep the trains running.
The agreement, hammered out with Amtrak’s management and board of directors, redirects roughly half of the executive payouts to those on the ground, a decision spurred by the Trump administration’s push for fairness.
DOT officials didn’t mince words, pointing out that Amtrak enjoyed a record year in ridership and revenue, yet the old bonus setup left frontline workers with little to show for it.
Under Secretary Sean Duffy, the DOT is now eyeing a broader restructuring of bonus levels to keep them competitive and ensure employees aren’t shortchanged while executives cash in.
“Christmas is coming a little early,” quipped U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, clearly relishing the timing of this holiday-season windfall for Amtrak’s rank and file.
But let’s not pretend this is just about spreading cheer— it’s a deliberate signal that the Trump team prioritizes the working class over what they see as bloated bureaucratic perks.
Duffy doubled down, declaring, “The Trump administration is delivering LOWER COSTS and BIGGER PAYCHECKS,” a line that sounds like a campaign slogan but hits home for those 18,000 workers seeing an extra $900.
Not everyone’s on board with the DOT’s narrative, as a spokesperson for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg dismissed the criticism of past policies as “nonsense.”
That one-word retort might sting, but it doesn’t change the fact that thousands of Amtrak employees are getting a tangible boost while the debate rages on.
Meanwhile, Fox Business reached out to Buttigieg and former President Biden for further comment, though it’s unclear if they’ll weigh in on this holiday hot potato.
Let’s zoom out— Amtrak’s record-breaking performance in ridership and revenue should be a win for everyone, not just the suits in the corner offices. This redirection feels like a rare moment of common sense in a world often obsessed with rewarding the top brass while ignoring the engine of any operation: the workers.
While some may see this as a political stunt, the $900 checks in the hands of frontline staff are real, and the message is clear— the Trump administration wants to rewrite the rules on who gets the gold at year’s end.