February 6, 2025 | C3RS, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety, TTD
(Source: Press release from the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, February 4, 2025) On February 3, rail union leaders gathered for a virtual media briefing to call for safety reforms across the freight rail industry on the two-year anniversary of the toxic...
February 6, 2025 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains.com, February 6, 2025) U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) has reintroduced two bills stemming from the East Palestine derailment of 2023 — one broadening the definition of a “high-hazard flammable train” and setting reporting requirements for railroads...
February 3, 2025 | Derailment, East Palestine-NS, News, Railroad Safety, Teamsters, Top News
Monday, Feb. 3 marks two years since the toxic train wreck and fire caused by the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train in East Palestine, Ohio. Shortly after the wreck and a visit by then-candidate Donald Trump to the crash site, then-Senator J.D. Vance...
February 3, 2025 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: National Public Radio, February 3, 2025) Two years after a Norfolk Southern train derailment spewed a toxic cloud that drove thousands from their homes, freight trains with the same chemicals central to that disaster roll through town — with few steps taken...
January 23, 2025 | Legislation, News, Railroad Safety, Top News
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (seated) after signing the “Stop, Look, and Listen” bill, with Rep. Michele Grim and BLET Ohio SLB Chairman John Esterly. ____________________ In mid-January, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an important rail safety bill into law — the...
January 22, 2025 | East Palestine-NS, FRA, Headlines, Organizing, Railroad Safety, Remote Control
(Source: Bloomberg, January 16, 2025) The Federal Railroad Administration is eyeing a test of a self-driving train car on Georgia railroads, which has sparked similar outrage from union leaders who are still reeling from the East Palestine train derailment, where...
January 16, 2025 | FRA, News, Railroad Safety, Top News
Class I railroads are failing workers and making railroads less safe due to overly harsh employee discipline policies. That’s according to the December 20 letters from the heads of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Occupational Safety and Health...
January 9, 2025 | 2-man Crews, Fatality, Headlines, NS, Railroad Safety
(Source: The State, January 6, 2025) The wreck released about 60 tons of chlorine, which formed a toxic cloud that moved over Graniteville, killing nine people who breathed in the hazardous fumes. In addition to the nine deaths, more than 500 people went to the...
December 20, 2024 | Derailment, Fatality, News, Railroad Safety, SLB Elections, Top News, UP
Locomotive engineer Clay Burt, a member of BLET Division 212 in Sweetwater, Texas, was severely injured and passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital. Images: courtesy of Reeves County Texas ____________________ Two Union Pacific train crew members were...
December 16, 2024 | News, Railroad Safety, Teamsters, Top News
BLET members and their families are advised that the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund has begun accepting applications for the 2025 award year. The Fund awards financial scholarships to the sons, daughters and financial dependents of Teamster members...
