Rail Industry News
Group seeks funds to study congestion relief along Cleveland-Chicago rail route
A bipartisan group of legislators from Ohio, Illinois and Indiana is supporting a request from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) for a grant to study how to relieve passenger and freight congestion along the 341-mile rail corridor between Chicago and Cleveland.
Via Rail showcases first Siemens test train
In September, VIA Rail Canada took delivery of the first of 32 new Siemens trainsets, and on Nov. 30, revealed it to the public; testing starts in December.
CN exec discussed B.C. flooding issues
We’ve all been watching the situation in British Columbia unravel, as this significant weather event continues to transpire and wreak havoc. David Przednowek, assistant vice president for grain with CN Rail, joined RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney to shed some light on what the railways are dealing with on the ground.
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending November 20, 2021
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 508,309 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
State appeals court rejects long-standing challenge to California bullet train
The last pending civil lawsuit seeking to stop the California high-speed rail project hit a wall Tuesday when a state appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling that the project did not violate the California Constitution by adopting a segmented approach to building the system.
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.
Medicare Part B Premiums for 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the standard monthly Part B premium will be $170.10 in 2022, an increase of $21.60 from $148.50 in 2021.
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...
Unions counter Metra COVID vaccine mandate
CLEVELAND, Ohio, November 24, 2021 — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) have responded to the suit Metra filed...
STB grants Amtrak access to CSX yard in Mobile, Ala.
The STB on Monday issued a decision honoring Amtrak’s request for an order allowing it access to CSX’s Choctaw Yard in Mobile, Ala., to conduct a survey to determine a possible site for a layover track for trains on the proposed New Orleans-Mobile route.
Bipartisan infrastructure law includes new safety measures for railroads
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684 (117), was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021. In addition to $66 billion in funding for passenger and freight railroads, the law contains a number of new railroad safety measures to be implemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation acting through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
CN shuts Vancouver service in latest setback for exporters
Flooding in southern B.C. continues to present logistical challenges for exporters as Canadian National Railway shut its service along the key freight corridor because of heavy precipitation.
Saskatchewan moves to amend Constitution amid civil trial with Canadian Pacific
The basis of a lawsuit between Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. and the Saskatchewan government moves to the floor of the provincial legislature Monday, before possibly heading to Ottawa in a bid to amend the Constitution.
Transport Canada amends grade crossing regulations
The amendments are designed to preserve core safety objectives while providing financial relief to public and private authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic by extending compliance deadlines and ensuring that low-risk crossings are not subject to an undue burden, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.
Lift off for Howard Street Tunnel expansion project
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan led public- and private-sector leaders in breaking ground on the $466 million Howard Street Tunnel expansion project, which will reconstruct the 126-year-old freight rail tunnel to accommodate double-stacked container trains to and from the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.
KCS announces Holiday Express challenge grant to benefit salvation army in 21 communities
Kansas City Southern (KCS) announced in September that it would celebrate the 21st anniversary of its KCS Holiday Express program with a fundraiser to benefit The Salvation Army in 21 communities on its U.S. rail network. To date this year, the KCS Holiday Express project has raised nearly $120,000 for this cause. The company is now issuing a challenge grant to raise even more.
TSA names surface transportation security committee members
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently appointed six new surface transportation industry leaders to serve on the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee (STSAC).
Medicare Part B Premiums for 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the standard monthly Part B premium will be $170.10 in 2022, an increase of $21.60 from $148.50 in 2021.
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...
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.
BLET News
Veterans Day 2017
By Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President Veterans Day is of particular importance to the membership of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Our Brotherhood was founded on May 8, 1863, and many of our earliest members were veterans of the Civil War.
Don’t be fooled by bombastic rhetoric… vote YES on tentative national contract
By Gil L. Gore, BLET National Vice President Looking at our proposed National Agreement out for ratification and the political rhetoric emerging from the same reminds me of the lyrics to an old Kenny Rogers song The Gambler… “Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’ is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep… Cause every hand””””s a winner and every hand””””s a loser.” The same holds true for this round of national bargaining.
BLET mails ballots for Tentative National Agreement
Balloting has begun for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s (BLET) tentative national agreement with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for over 25,000 locomotive engineers and trainmen.
Final notice: Deadline is October 31 for Health FSA open enrollment
Time is running out for BLET members who want to sign up for the Health Flexible Spending Account Plan (Health FSA). Open enrollment for the 2018 Plan Year ends at midnight Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
BLET extends condolences to National President Pierce
The BLET National Division extends deepest condolences to National President Dennis R. Pierce and family on the passing of his father.
Matt Parker reelected Nevada State Legislative Board Chairman
Matthew B. Parker was reelected by acclamation to his second term as Chairman of the Nevada State Legislative Board at the Board’s quadrennial meeting in Reno, Nevada, September 20-21, 2017.
Cleveland-area rail workers, retirees asked to climb aboard to help with display
The Great Lakes Science Center is looking for current and retired rail workers to come aboard and volunteer to help with “All Aboard! The Science of Trains,” a railway display exhibit running Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, through Feb. 19, 2018, at the museum, 601 Erieside Ave. in Cleveland.
Health FSA open enrollment for 2018 continues through October 31
Open enrollment for the Health Flexible Spending Account Plan (FSA) 2018 benefit year is available for just over two more weeks, concluding on October 31, 2017. It is important to note that members must enroll in the Health FSA every year — FSA enrollment is not automatic each year so interested members should act soon so they do not miss out on enrollment for the 2018 Plan Year.
Coordinated Bargaining Group condemns interference in its ratification process
On October 6, 2017, the six Rail Unions comprising the Coordinated Bargaining Group (CBG) announced that they had reached a Tentative National Agreement with the Nation’s Freight Rail Carriers. Shortly after that announcement, a Union belonging to a different bargaining coalition began a campaign of misinformation, misrepresentation and outright falsehood in an effort to disrupt and undermine the democratic ratification process of the CBG Unions. This anti-union activity has included public letters replete with falsehoods, leaflets at TY&E on-duty points, also filled with falsehoods, and a social media campaign intended to negatively influence the ratification process of the CBG Unions. We can no longer stand by and allow this anti-union interference and disruption to go unchecked.
BLET shares summary of Tentative National Agreement
In response to membership questions regarding the Tentative National Agreement, the BLET is making available a summary of its main points and some examples of its application.
