Rail Industry News
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...
Railroad retiree earnings limits will increase in 2022
Railroad retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2022 without having their benefits reduced due to increased limits indexed to average national wage increases.
BNSF earnings improve on volume, revenue increases during Q3 2021
BNSF Railway’s third-quarter profits increased on the strength of higher intermodal, industrial products, and coal volume.
Rail organizations applaud passage of infrastructure bill
Major rail groups have applauded Friday’s passage of a major infrastructure bill by the U.S. House of Representatives, which will include major funding for freight and passenger projects. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Amtrak chief outlines expansion plans with infrastructure spending
Amtrak’s CEO Bill Flynn said that funding from the $1.2 infrastructure bill that passed on Friday would spur the largest expansion in the railroad’s history, outlining some of the cities likely to see increased service.
Oklahoma family sues BNSF after father dies while emergency vehicles stuck behind train
An Oklahoma family is suing the BNSF Railway company after a family member died from a heart attack while the emergency vehicles coming to his aid were stuck behind a train at the only entrance to their street.
CP outlines closure plans for U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis after KCS merger
Canadian Pacific Railway recently outlined the fate of its U.S. headquarters and workers in downtown Minneapolis as it seeks regulatory approval to merge with Kansas City Southern.
CN orders Wabtec FLXdrive locomotive
CN is buying a Wabtec FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive for use on the Bessemer & Lake Erie (B&LE) portion of its network in Pennsylvania.
Operation Lifesaver awards $107,000 in grant funding to transit agencies
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) yesterday announced it will distribute $107,000 in grants to six transit agencies to fund rail-safety public awareness and education campaigns.
Railroad retiree earnings limits will increase in 2022
Railroad retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2022 without having their benefits reduced due to increased limits indexed to average national wage increases.
Railroad Retirement benefits set to increase in 2022
Most railroad retirement annuities, like social security benefits, will increase in January 2022 due to a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2020 to the corresponding period of the current year.
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...
Intermodal down for 13th straight week as AAR reports rail traffic for October and the week ending October 30, 2021
Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in October 2021 were 2,024,528, down 2.8 percent, or 57,890 carloads and intermodal units from October 2020.
CSX, NS say Gulf Coast passenger service would “devastate” freight operations
CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern say addition of Amtrak trains along the Gulf Coast would cause a “systematic failure” in their ability to provide freight service, based on traffic modeling, and would “devastate first-mile last-mile service to freight customers in the region,” according to a filing with the Surface Transportation Board.
Alabama State Port Authority says Amtrak’s return “would be calamitous”
The potential harm to the Alabama State Docks “would be calamitous” in Mobile if Amtrak is allowed to restart passenger rail and operate 28 train trips per week connecting the Alabama Port City with New Orleans, a filing before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board says.
Jury award for fired railroad worker reinstated
A federal appeals court Thursday ordered reinstatement of a $500,000 jury award to a terminated railroad worker and reversed the lower court judge’s ruling in favor of the railroad, in a case revolving around a safety issue.
Editorial: Put passengers, communities first in Metra-Union Pacific dispute
If the Union Pacific does stop operating commuter service itself, the railroad needs to do it in a way that is fair to Metra, local communities and the passengers.
CTA, Pace, and Metra are fighting over federal COVID stimulus funding split
There’s a cash conflict going on between Chicagoland’s three main transit agencies.
Stopped NS trains continue to anger Alabama residents, hurt local businesses
A Norfolk Southern Train continues to block a major artery in and out of the city. Businesses and motorists report a train has been stalled on the tracks near the crossing at South Chalkville Road for more than a day now.
Train cars reeking of trash plague Mechanicville
For months, the smell of slowly decaying garbage has loomed over the backyards of West Street.
BLET News
Teamsters offer disaster relief assistance in Mississippi
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund is offering assistance to members living in Mississippi after severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding caused major damage to homes and property from January 20-21, 2017.
Webinar training available for Secretary-Treasurers who file LM-3, LM-4 reports
All BLET Secretary-Treasurers are advised that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) is offering free webinars on March 1 and March 6 regarding the use of the OLMS Electronic Forms System (EFS) for filers of the Form LM-3 and Form LM-4.
BLET Education & Training Dept. announces Training Schedule for Spring 2017
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s Education & Training Department is announcing its Spring Training Schedule for 2017, and all officers and members are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
RRB announces dates for March-June 2017 informational conferences
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has announced a schedule of dates for the agency’s spring 2017 informational conferences.
Union Proud, Union Strong
By Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President In my last Newsletter message, I issued a Call to Arms for all BLET members to join in our fight for a fair national contract for Class 1 freight members. In the days and weeks since that call, the National Division has received many responses, and in this month’s message, I would like to discuss a theme that appeared in a few of those responses, and how we move forward.
2017 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 2017 BLET Scholarship Directory.
BLET, SMART TD members urged to call Congress in support of two-person crew bill
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Rail Air and Transportation Workers (SMART TD) are urging their respective memberships to contact members of the House of Representatives about co-sponsoring The Safe Freight Act of 2017 (H.R. 233), a bill that would mandate two-person train crews on freight trains — one certified locomotive engineer and one certified conductor.
Supreme Court denies review of BLET victory on two-person train crews
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has secured another significant victory for rail workers — this time from the highest court in the United States — in the Union’s ongoing campaign to protect two-person train crews. On January 9, the United States Supreme Court denied a petition filed by the Wheeling and Lake Erie (W&LE) asking that the nation’s highest court review and set aside the 2015 finding by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that the railroad’s use of managers in place of Union conductors was a major dispute under the Railway Labor Act.
Unions seek to overturn punitive New Jersey substance abuse law
Two railroad labor unions have jointly filed a lawsuit to overturn a punitive New Jersey law that prohibits New Jersey Transit locomotive engineers from operating trains if their personal motor vehicle driver’s license is suspended.
Former BLET VP & NLR Ed McCulloch, 1922-2016
Former BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Edward L. McCulloch passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2016. He was 94 years old.
