CLEVELAND, July 30 — On July 21, the King County Labor Council in Seattle, Wash., adopted a resolution calling for all railroads within county limits to use fully qualified and federally certified locomotive engineers to operate all locomotives.
Further, the King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, called on the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to move forward with proposed rulemaking — (CR-102) under Docket #TR-040151 — that would provide point protection for train movements, ensuring the safety of Washington State citizens.
Mike Elliott, First Vice-Chairman of the BLET’s Washington State Legislative Board, recognized Will Amaya, Legislative Representative of BLET Division 518 (Seattle), for his efforts in securing passage of the resolution.
“This is a very significant development and we have Will Amaya to thank for his many hours of hard work in making the resolution a reality,” Brother Elliott said. “Brother Amaya really made this whole thing happen. He drafted the resolution, lobbied for support and got our friends in labor to help get the resolution before the King County Labor Council for consideration. Thank you, King County Labor Council, and thank you, Will Amaya.”
Eighteen AFL-CIO State Federations have passed resolutions opposing remote control locomotive operations across the country, as have various state and county AFL-CIO bodies. Additionally, 61 communities have passed remote control locomotive safety resolutions.
A copy of the resolution is available at:
https://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/kingcounty.pdf