June 21, 2022 | 2-man Crews, Contract Negotiations, Headlines
(Source: Progressive Farmer, June 20, 2022) The contract talks involve approximately 140,000 railroad workers who are members of 13 rail unions. Workers are frustrated they have not received raises since 2019, and they want their pay to increase enough to offset...
June 15, 2022 | 2-man Crews, FRA, Headlines
(Source: Bloomberg Government, June 14, 2022) Republicans and railroads urged President Joe Biden’s rail chief Tuesday against a rule that could require at least two crew members on freight trains. Republicans and industry representatives contend that a crew-size...
June 1, 2022 | 2-man Crews, News
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 1 — The BLET-backed two person crew bill — S3953B — has been passed by both the New York State Assembly and Senate, and members who live in New York state are urged to contact Governor Kathy Hochul’s office and ask her to sign the bill into...
May 20, 2022 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation
(Source: Progressive Railroading, May 19, 2022) Legislation that would require certain trains and locomotives to have a crew size of not less than two people was introduced earlier this month in the New York State Senate with a companion bill in the Assembly....
May 11, 2022 | 2-man Crews, News, Take Action
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 11 — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is mobilizing its members in the State of New York to lobby in favor of a statewide two-person crew bill. Earlier this month, S3953B was introduced in the State Senate and a...
May 11, 2022 | 2-man Crews, BNSF, Headlines, Positive Train Control
(Source: Trains Magazine, May 11, 2022) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Service and labor issues are generally the defining issues for current public appearances by railroad officials, and so it was Tuesday when BNSF Railway CEO Katie Farmer spoke to the North American Rail...
March 30, 2022 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Technology
(Source: Trains Magazine analysis by Bill Stephens, March 28, 2022) WASHINGTON, D.C. — There’s no question that autonomous trucks pose a threat to the railroad industry. They’re not here quite yet, but TuSimple is proving the concept with driverless rigs that are...
March 23, 2022 | 2-man Crews, News, PSR
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 23 — A video of BLET President Dennis Pierce’s recent testimony before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous materials is now available. The 13-minute video is a condensed version of the entire hearing, which shows...
March 16, 2022 | 2-man Crews, Contract Negotiations, Headlines, SMART-TD
(Source: SMART Transportation Division press release, March 15, 2022) CLEVELAND, Ohio — Class I railroad carriers BNSF and NS declared an impasse this week in the mandatory bargaining over crew size under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act (RLA). In declaring an...
March 4, 2022 | 2-man Crews, News, SMART-TD
The Fight for Two-Person Crews The following is an advance copy of a message from Dennis Pierce, BLET National President that will be included in the upcoming BLET Journal publication: I recently attended a Town Hall meeting with the membership of Division 28 in...
