Daily Headlines
Are railroad layoffs compromising safety and service?
Recent layoffs by Class 1 railroads Union Pacific (UP) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) have not only raised alarms that safety may be compromised but shippers are complaining service has been poor. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently weighed in.
Va. governor vetoes bill requiring two crew members on trains
Virginia’s legislative effort to require two crew members on all trains died after the governor vetoed the legislation on Friday.
Bill to end cuts to railroad unemployment insurance advances in Senate
The Senate Budget Committee has unanimously voted to advance a bill that would permanently exempt railroad workers’ unemployment and sickness insurance benefits from sequestration cuts, and end current cuts.
More BNSF employees laid off in Lincoln in second round of furloughs
More BNSF workers in Lincoln may have lost their jobs after another round of furloughs were announced. At least 10 conductors were set to be furloughed from their positions in Lincoln on Wednesday.
Vent and burn of tank cars in East Palestine was not justified, NTSB testifies
The decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the toxic chemical inside them after a freight train derailed in Eastern Ohio last year wasn’t justified, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress Wednesday.
NTSB needs more funding for rail and air safety probes, chair says
The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board will tell the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday the agency needs more funding and warn cuts could put probes into aviation and rail accidents at risk.
NS alone should pay for cleanup of East Palestine derailment, judge says
Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled. The decision issued March 6 threw out the railroad’s claim that the companies that made chemicals that spilled and owned tank cars that ruptured should share the cost of the cleanup.
NTSB investigating collision, derailment involving three NS trains in Pa.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board continued work Sunday to determine why three freight trains collided and derailed near Steel City, Pa., on March 2.
Latest freight railroad layoffs and Wall Street pressure renew concerns about safety and service
The latest rail layoffs this week, combined with an investment fund’s ongoing campaign for control of Norfolk Southern, are renewing concerns among unions and regulators about the effects all the cuts might have on safety and service.
Mass furloughs reported at BNSF operations in 4 states
The furloughs were announced Tuesday, with 362 workers reportedly losing their jobs, according to the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) with the AFL-CIO.
Rail safety bill heads to governor’s desk in Virginia
As the federal government considers requiring two crew members on all trains, similar legislation to increase rail safety statewide passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.
Misreporting masks true scale of rail suicides in U.S., experts claim
High-profile train derailments may capture public attention, but a more silent crisis looms over America’s railroads, with suicides potentially constituting the majority of fatalities, a revelation that suggests a significant underreporting issue.
FRA raises red flag over worker furloughs at UP
Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose yesterday told Union Pacific Railroad CEO Jim Vena that the company’s furloughs of maintenance of equipment (MoE) workers jeopardizes the safety of railroad workers and the public.
Following furloughs, rail workers demand immediate federal safety inspections of BNSF locomotives and rail cars
Shop Craft Unions at the BNSF Railway are urgently calling upon the FRA to initiate unannounced focus inspections on all locomotives and rail cars owned and leased by BNSF Railway, and immediately issue non-compliance orders requiring BNSF to fix all found defects before being permitted to use such equipment, citing concerns over numerous defects that are allegedly being ignored and neglected by BNSF management.
Analysis: Rail industry’s future hinges on outcome of proxy fight at Norfolk Southern
The proxy battle that activist investor Ancora Holdings is waging against Norfolk Southern isn’t just about the direction NS should take and who should run the company. It’s a fight for the future of the railroad industry.
STB chairman rips activist investors for threatening viability of railroad industry
The activist investors targeting Norfolk Southern pose a threat to the railroad industry and the U.S. economy and may prompt new regulations, outgoing Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman told a shipper conference on February 29.
Amid proxy battle, NS CEO notes support from rail labor, customers, regulators
NS CEO Alan Shaw said that customers, other railroads, regulators, and rail labor all support the NS “better way forward” strategy.
Biden Administration announces $9.8 billion to bolster public transit agencies
In a significant move that underscores the Biden administration’s commitment to revamping the United States’ infrastructure, a whopping $9.8 billion in federal funds has been earmarked to support public transit agencies.
Keolis commuter rail workers protest wages, benefits
More than a dozen Keolis workers packed into an MBTA Board meeting on February 29 to describe low pay and lackluster benefits.
AAR: Rail traffic up in week ending Feb. 24
Total carloads for the week ending February 24 were 224,251 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,405 containers and trailers, up 12.6 percent compared to 2023.
BLET News
Get Involved: Unions are Not a Spectator Sport
This fall, the BLET will hold elections for all Local Division Offices. The process kicks off with nominations being held at each Division’s first regular meeting in September. All eligible members are encouraged to run for office. The IBT Constitution provides that...
End of An Era: Amtrak General Chairman Mark Kenny retires
Division 11 Member Mark B. Kenny retired on December 31, 2023, bringing an end to more than a quarter century as Chairman of the Amtrak/KCS/VRE/Caltrain General Committee of Adjustment. Brother Kenny was elected to seven consecutive terms as General Chairman (1998,...
Registration now open for BLET’s Kansas City regional meeting
Registration is now open for the BLET’s Western Regional Meeting, which will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, the week of June 3, 2024. Guests will stay at the Marriott Kansas City Downtown (200 West 12th St., Kansas City, MO, 65105, telephone: (816) 421-6800)....
Arkansas: BLET members ratify new contract with Missouri & Northern Arkansas
On March 20, a majority of BLET members ratified a new contract with the Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad (M&NA) by a vote of 42-10. The on-property agreement governs rates of pay, benefits, and work rules for approximately 57 operating employees. The...
Utah: BLET members ratify new agreement with Utah Railway
BLET members ratified a new five-year contract with the Utah Railway on March 20. The agreement was ratified by a vote of 30-6. It governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for approximately 42 operating employees. General wage increases will total 41% (46.7%...
BLET mourns the sudden loss of D.C. Office staffer Carlos Barrett Sr.
The BLET and IBT family were shocked and heartbroken by the sudden passing of Carlos Barrett Sr, who was tragically killed on March 15 in a hit-and-run accident in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He has worked as the Administrative Assistant at the BLET National...
Annual meeting: BLET General Chairmen’s Association
The BLET’s National General Chairmen’s Association (NGCA) held its annual meeting at BLET National Division Headquarters on March 20. The General Chairmen exchanged important information regarding the upcoming round of national contract negotiations and conducted...
New Jersey: Ray Vigil reelected State Legislative Board Chairman
Brother Ray Vigil was reelected Chairman at the New Jersey State Legislative Board’s quadrennial meeting on March 12, 2024. A Norfolk Southern locomotive engineer, Brother Vigil is a member of BLET Division 226 (Newark, N.J.). He was elected 1st Vice Chairman in 2020,...
Celebrating Women’s History Month: Eliza Murfey invented early train axle lubrication technology
Eliza Murfey was an 1800s American inventor who focused on the mechanics of railroads. She created a device, called packing, that was used to lubricate a train’s axles with oil. This helped to reduce derailments caused by seized axles, an important safety innovation....
Rail unions hold major rally to urge passage of Railway Safety Act
A fellow Rail Conference member from the BMWED (wearing red) joined BLET members (from left to right) Ulises Flotte, Div. 20, Ryan Snow, BLET California State Legislative Board Chairman, Jerry Padilla, Div. 660, and Jacob Klatt, BLET Div. 126, at the rally in Los...