March 19, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin vetoed a two-person crew bill on March 8, but the fight isn’t over yet. BLET Virginia State Legislative Board Chairman Tim Craver said supporters of the measure are seeking to enlist enough members of both chambers to overturn the veto....
March 15, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Retirement, Take Action
BLET members have sent more than 2,500 messages in support of the bipartisan REEF Act (S. 1274) to members of the United States Senate since the bill was passed by the Senate Budget Committee on March 6. The Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act, or the REEF Act,...
March 14, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation
(Source: Virginia Mercury, March 12, 2024) Virginia’s legislative effort to require two crew members on all trains died after the governor vetoed the legislation on Friday, March 8. Following multiple train derailments in recent years, considerations of a similar...
March 8, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Retirement
(Source: Trains.com, March 6, 2024) 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. Industry and labor...
March 7, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Retirement, Take Action
A BLET-backed bill currently making its way through the United States Senate would restore full unemployment and sickness benefits to all railroad workers. For more than 10 years now, individual railroad workers have unfairly had these benefits reduced by about $200...
March 4, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation
(Source: Virginia Mercury, March 2, 2024) 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. Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News,...
February 27, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
Many BLET members were on hand along with Ohio Rep. Sean Brennan to throw their support behind HB 381 that would rename a northeast Ohio highway interchange to honor fallen Brother Lou Shuster. Ohio Ohio State Legislative Board Chairman John Esterly reports that the...
February 22, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
Virginia BLET Virginia State Legislative Board Chairman Tim Craver reports progress on the state’s two-person crew bill. Both bills — SB 143 and HB 385 — have passed their respective chambers after their third reading earlier this month. Both are in the legislature’s...
February 15, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, UP
(Source: The Gazette, February 11, 2024) As Colorado lawmakers this month prepare to do something that Congress has been incapable of for more than a year — debate meaningful rail-safety legislation — Union Pacific, state regulators and officials in Grand County are...
February 14, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
A filibuster stretching over three days derailed a proposal in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature to require two-person train crews. State Sen. Mike Jacobson sponsored the proposal, which had been introduced multiple times in recent years. This was the first time...
