Rail Industry News
Following furloughs, rail workers demand immediate federal safety inspections of BNSF locomotives and rail cars
Shop Craft Unions at the BNSF Railway are urgently calling upon the FRA to initiate unannounced focus inspections on all locomotives and rail cars owned and leased by BNSF Railway, and immediately issue non-compliance orders requiring BNSF to fix all found defects before being permitted to use such equipment, citing concerns over numerous defects that are allegedly being ignored and neglected by BNSF management.
Analysis: Rail industry’s future hinges on outcome of proxy fight at Norfolk Southern
The proxy battle that activist investor Ancora Holdings is waging against Norfolk Southern isn’t just about the direction NS should take and who should run the company. It’s a fight for the future of the railroad industry.
STB chairman rips activist investors for threatening viability of railroad industry
The activist investors targeting Norfolk Southern pose a threat to the railroad industry and the U.S. economy and may prompt new regulations, outgoing Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman told a shipper conference on February 29.
Amid proxy battle, NS CEO notes support from rail labor, customers, regulators
NS CEO Alan Shaw said that customers, other railroads, regulators, and rail labor all support the NS “better way forward” strategy.
Biden Administration announces $9.8 billion to bolster public transit agencies
In a significant move that underscores the Biden administration’s commitment to revamping the United States’ infrastructure, a whopping $9.8 billion in federal funds has been earmarked to support public transit agencies.
Keolis commuter rail workers protest wages, benefits
More than a dozen Keolis workers packed into an MBTA Board meeting on February 29 to describe low pay and lackluster benefits.
AAR: Rail traffic up in week ending Feb. 24
Total carloads for the week ending February 24 were 224,251 carloads, up 2.6 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,405 containers and trailers, up 12.6 percent compared to 2023.
BLET critical of activist investor’s takeover plan at Norfolk Southern
The BLET’s three General Chairmen who represent members at Norfolk Southern have issued a statement supporting the current management team at NS in the railroad’s looming proxy battle with activist investor Ancora Holdings.
STB Chair Oberman: NS takeover could be a “huge detriment” to rail industry
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman is concerned about the potential of activist investors succeeding in their effort to replace Norfolk Southern Corp.’s top leadership in favor of a short-term strategy of cost-cutting and workforce reductions to boost profits.
NTSB preliminary report: NS engineer Chris Wilson was killed when his locomotive was hit by rolling railcars
BLET Division 423 member Chris Wilson suffered fatal injuries when his Norfolk Southern locomotive was struck by a group of 35 railcars rolling on an adjacent track, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary accident report released on February 28.
BNSF cuts shop positions in Kansas and Nebraska, offers workers incentives to transfer to locations that are hiring
BNSF Railway has cut jobs from mechanical shops in Kansas and Nebraska and has offered affected workers positions at facilities where it is hiring. The railroad did not say where jobs were cut or how many positions were eliminated. But local news reports said that more than 100 positions were cut at BNSF shops in Alliance and Havelock, Neb., and in Topeka, Kan.
Buffett’s 2024 annual letter to investors highlights railroad workers
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett’s widely read annual letter to investors, released on Saturday alongside the company’s 2023 financial results, included a long passage on railroads in general and BNSF Railway in particular.
BNSF posts lower revenue, income in Q4 2023
BNSF Railway Co. announced total revenue for fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 decreased 6% and 8%, respectively, compared with the same periods in the previous year.
Boosting wages, protecting jobs: Teamsters reach major new agreement with Anheuser-Busch
On Feb. 28, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a five-year tentative agreement significantly raising pay, improving health care and retirement benefits, and providing critical job security for all 5,000 Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch breweries nationwide.
STB’s Robert Primus: Deja vu, all over again
And just when you think our freight-rail network and national supply chain are back on solid ground, we now face yet another assault from those who view the Class Is as short-term cash cows.
TCRC raises safety concerns following 3 B.C. derailments in less than 2 months
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents more than 9,000 rail workers across Canada, is raising concerns about safety following three freight train collisions in B.C. in less than two months.
AAR: Rail traffic up during week ending February 17, 2024
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 474,226 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
FRA says Norfolk Southern must focus on safety despite investor activism
The head of the Federal Railroad Administration on Wednesday urged Norfolk Southern to focus on safety after a group of activist investors proposed replacing the company’s top management.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference warns that work stoppage looms after CN, CPKC seek conciliation
Teamsters Canada president Francois Laporte said demands by Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. are “non-negotiable.”
President Biden visits East Palestine, calls derailment “an act of greed”
President Biden visited the small Ohio town of East Palestine on Friday, a little more than a year after a Norfolk Southern train derailed there and spilled hazardous chemicals. “Let me be clear. While there are acts of God, this was an act of greed that was 100% preventable,” he said.
BLET News
A special message from BLET National President Mark Wallace
It’s my honor and privilege to serve as the new National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Like many of you, I come from a family of railroaders. My father started his railroad career 65 years ago and the BLET has been an important...
Pittsburgh: BLET reaches tentative contract with Union Railroad
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh, Pa. The deal governs pay, benefits, and work rules. If approved by the members, the contract will run through July of 2028 and provides for a $500 signing bonus and general wage...
New Orleans: General Chairmen conclude annual meeting
Members of the BLET’s National General Chairmen’s Association (NGCA) concluded their 2025 annual meeting on April 24. The NGCA meets annually for the purpose of carrying on concerted movements related to wages, working conditions, education, training, sharing...
New York: It’s time to settle LIRR contract
Trains don’t run themselves — that’s the message from BLET members to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and members of the State Senate and Assembly. The BLET, along with four other rail unions — BRS, IAM, TCU, and IBEW — are involved in contract negotiations with the...
Illinois State Legislative Board conducts training for Division Legislative Representatives
Seated, from left: Brandon Stewart, Div. 96 and Illinois SLB 1st Vice Chairman; Cory Martin Illinois SLB Chairman; Reggie Hill, Div. 131; and Al Denton, Div. 118. Standing, from left: Chez Walker, Div. 404; Anthony Davis, Div. 815; Chuck Grigsby, Div. 602 and Illinois...
Workers Memorial Day 2025: Commemorating workers who died on the job, including two BLET members
Each year on April 28, unions including the BLET recognize Workers Memorial Day and remember American workers who have suffered and died on the job. On Workers Memorial Day the BLET honors two of our members who tragically passed away while on the job in the past...
Register today: Hotel reservations for Daytona Beach regional meeting must be made by May 14
“Start your engines…” Daytona Beach, Florida — famous for wide beaches and auto racing — is the site of the union’s 2025 Eastern Regional Meeting. BLET members are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible for the meeting, which is scheduled for the...
Utah: Tariff war with China hurts BLET members at UP, PHL after closure of iron ore mine
Citing the recent tariff trade war with China, an iron ore mine in Utah closed so suddenly that workers found out on Facebook that they no longer had jobs. The mine had supplied Chinese steelmakers with iron ore. The indefinite closure of Iron Ore LLC’s mine in Cedar...
Breaking News: Eddie Hall to retire as BLET President effective May 1; First Vice President Mark Wallace to become National President, VP Gary Best elected First Vice President
Eddie Hall is retiring as National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) effective May 1, 2025. In accordance with the BLET Bylaws, First Vice President Mark Wallace will assume the office of National President upon Hall’s...
Arizona: BLET Division 28 hosts annual Spring BBQ and Old Timers Picnic
Old friends reconnected and new memories were made on Saturday, April 12, as members of BLET Division 28 hosted their Spring BBQ and Old Timers Picnic in Tucson, Ariz. The annual event brought together over 200 family members, friends, and guests who celebrated the...
