Rail Industry News
Q&A: Reporting events than can affect Railroad Retirement benefits
Rights to benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act also carry responsibilities for reporting events that may affect the payment of these benefits to the employee or to members of the employee’s family.
COVID-19 vaccine mandates and Unemployment and Sickness Benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA)
The Railroad Retirement Board has prepared a list of frequently asked questions regarding those situations in which an employer’s vaccine mandate has adversely affected an employment situation.
Get the latest labor news from the Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters updates the news section of its website each day with the latest regarding the Teamsters, domestic and global labor and trade issues, state and living wage battles, social justice, the War on Workers, and many other important...
Woman sentenced to prison for “shunt” attack on BNSF track in Washington
A 28-year-old Bellingham, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release for committing an act of violence against a railroad carrier,
STB extends comment period for CP-KCS environmental review
The public now has until Jan. 3, 2022 to provide comments on the scope of environmental review for the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) reported on Dec. 17.
Karen Hedlund confirmed to STB
By unanimous consent, Democrat Karen J. Hedlund was confirmed by the Senate late Dec. 16 to the five-member Surface Transportation Board (STB).
Analysis: Do railroad mergers match their rosy growth projections?
Do railroad mergers live up to the hype? It’s a question that’s been rattling around in my head as federal regulators review the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, the first between Class I railroads in two decades.
CN to name new CEO next month as Vena drops out of the running
Canadian National Railway Co. said Jim Vena, a former executive favored by shareholder TCI Fund Management Ltd. to take over the company, has dropped of the running to replace Chief Executive Officer Jean-Jacques Ruest.
OIG: Amtrak HR staff shortage creates hiring challenges
Amtrak’s human resources department does not have sufficient leadership or staff to effectively recruit, screen, hire and onboard new employees, which will likely hinder the railroad’s plans to add 2,500 to 3,500 employees this fiscal year, an Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) report last week found.
Riders pay tribute to beloved Metra conductor
“I was born in a train,” Metra Union Pacific West Line conductor J.J. Keigley said with a serious expression before breaking into a laugh. But the joke was a little bittersweet for the 73-year-old, retiring after 54 years.
Governors weigh in on Vegas-Victorville high-speed rail progress
With Christmas and New Year celebrations both landing on a weekends this year, the Interstate 15 will likely see some backup near the Nevada-California border.
Q&A: Reporting events than can affect Railroad Retirement benefits
Rights to benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act also carry responsibilities for reporting events that may affect the payment of these benefits to the employee or to members of the employee’s family.
COVID-19 vaccine mandates and Unemployment and Sickness Benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA)
The Railroad Retirement Board has prepared a list of frequently asked questions regarding those situations in which an employer’s vaccine mandate has adversely affected an employment situation.
Get the latest labor news from the Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters updates the news section of its website each day with the latest regarding the Teamsters, domestic and global labor and trade issues, state and living wage battles, social justice, the War on Workers, and many other important...
CP, KCS now shipping heavy Canadian crude to Gulf Coast
The bitumen-by-rail project to produce and transport a type of heavy Canadian crude oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast is now fully operational, according to project organizers US Development Group (USD) and Gibson Energy.
CP-KCS merger would triple number of trains through Quad-Cities
A pending railroad merger would nearly triple the number of trains per day traveling through the Iowa Quad-Cities, raising concerns among Davenport and Bettendorf leaders about noise, safety and the implications for future riverfront development and access.
STB clears path for Uinta Basin Railway project
In a decision issued December 15, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) granted the exemption sought by the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition to construct the 85-mile line to connect oilfields in western Utah to the national rail network at a junction with Union Pacific at Kyune, Utah, subject to environmental mitigation conditions proposed by the STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis.
High winds blamed for BNSF derailment in Oklahoma
High winds are being cited as the cause of a derailment of a BNSF Railway intermodal train near Enid on December 15.
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending December 11, 2021
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,366 carloads and intermodal units, down 6 percent compared with the same week last year.
UP to report Q4 2021 earnings on January 20, 2022
Union Pacific Corporation will release fourth quarter 2021 financial and operating results on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. ET. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:45 a.m. ET.
BLET News
In the Line of Duty: Michael Kempf
BLET member Michael Kempf, a member of BLET Division 35 in Jacksonville, Fla., was killed when his Amtrak train collided with a CSX train tied down in a siding near Columbia, S.C., on February 4, 2018. Brother Kempf was 54 years old. Also killed in the crash was 36-year-old conductor Michael Cella.
Heitkamp introduces two-person crew bill in U.S. Senate
On January 30, 2018, Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced S. 2360, a bill that would mandate a minimum crew size for freight trains in the United States.
BLET picks Cornerstone to manage its Short Term Disability plan
The BLET is pleased to announce that Cornerstone Benefits Management and their affiliates have been selected as the Third Party Administrator for the BLET Short-Term Disability (Part A and B) Benefit with MetLife, which was created pursuant to Article IV, Part A, Section 5 of the December 16, 2003 National Agreement.
BLET Statement on Not-Guilty Verdict in Lac-Megantic Trial
The following is a statement from Dennis R. Pierce, National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and President of the Teamsters Rail Conference. Although it remains a travesty that criminal charges were ever filed, justice was served in the unanimous not guilty verdict issued by jurors in the Lac-Megantic trial in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on January 19, 2018.
2018 BLET Scholarship Directory
Each year, the BLET National Division compiles a list of scholarship opportunities available to the children of BLET members. Numerous financial aid opportunities are published here in the 2018 BLET Scholarship Directory.
Open enrollment extended to January 15 at midnight for Aflac Critical Illness and Accident benefits
Due to overwhelming membership interest, Aflac has granted an extension to the Open Enrollment period for the new BLET National Aflac Critical Illness and Accident benefits — first announced on September 6, 2017. All active members are now eligible for the new benefits and can enroll through midnight on January 15, 2018.
James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund begins accepting applications from sons and daughters of Teamsters for 2018
The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for 2018. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2018.
Registration continues for February’s LM-2 class
Space remains for the BLET Education and Training Department’s upcoming class for Secretary-Treasurers who file LM-2 reports for their General Committee of Adjustment (GCA), Division or State Legislative Board. The class will be held in San Diego, California, from February 13-15, 2018.
Space remains for S-T training class in January
A limited number of spaces remain for the BLET Education and Training Department’s upcoming training class for Secretary-Treasurers. The class will be held at the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio, from January 22-25, 2018.
BLET distributes gifts from Perrien Fund in Hurricane Harvey relief effort
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the BLET’s National Division Advisory Board approved an expansion of its Gary Perrien Fund to provide financial assistance to members living in Texas and Louisiana who had suffered losses from the storm. Thanks to the generosity of BLET members and officers, the Perrien Fund raised more than $91,000, which was distributed to impacted members in the days before Christmas.
