Brother B.J. Trumble (pictured above), Chairman of the BLET’s Michigan State Legislative Board, reports that three important rail safety bills are advancing in the Michigan House of Representatives. The three bills (No. 4915, No. 4917 and No. 4918) would establish the following:
• Bill No. 4915 would allow employees and/or their designated union representatives to be present during investigations/inspections; and• Known collectively as the Amtrak Assault Bill, No. 4917 and No. 4918 would stiffen penalties for anyone who assaults a transportation worker and would make it a felony (instead of a misdemeanor) to assault a transportation worker, including locomotive engineers. Chairman Trumble said he and other rail union officials testified on behalf of the bills in front of the House Criminal Justice Committee on October 10. Trumble said the Amtrak Assault Bill became necessary after an Amtrak conductor was attacked in the state because a train was late, and another conductor was shot in Detroit. Trumble said his testimony focused on the perspective of locomotive engineers, who often face verbal threats and potential assaults from angry citizens who have climbed onto freight locomotives when trains have blocked highway/rail grade crossings. Additionally, Trumble said two-person crew bills have been introduced in the Michigan House and Senate. However, they are on hold pending resolution of a lawsuit in Ohio, where the Association of American Railroads sued the state after it passed a two-person crew bill earlier this year. Brother Trumble said Bills 4915, 4917 and 4918 appear to have strong bipartisan support. He thanked State Representative Samantha Steckloff (D-19th District) for sponsoring the legislation.