Rail Industry News
Amtrak’s new Baltimore tunnel to be named after Frederick Douglass
(Source: Mass Transit Magazine, June 21, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction on the Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) tunnel started 150 years ago and, as federal, state and local officials eye its replacement, they gathered June 18 to commemorate its history and...
Schumer urges feds to approve $3.4 million grant to expand Alstom manufacturing facilities
(Source: Press release from the office of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, June 22, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A longtime advocate for Southern Tier-based Alstom, one of the leading train manufacturers in the nation, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on a...
STB briefed on freight rail cybersecurity issues
(Source: Progressive Railroading, June 22, 2021) The Surface Transportation Board (STB) met recently with members of the cybersecurity team at the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to receive a briefing on AAR’s cybersecurity work and the rail industry’s...
Political efforts spell policy success for Teamsters
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, June 22, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Teamsters are capitalizing on their 2020 election efforts after spending the last two years getting pro-worker candidates elected and putting in place a program that...
Teamsters announce coordinated nationwide project to unionize Amazon
(Source: Vice, June 22, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one of the country's largest and most powerful unions, has said in an official resolution obtained by Motherboard that unionizing and building worker power at Amazon is the...
Biden lauds Hoffa, Teamsters for policy leadership
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, June 22, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden hailed the work of the Teamsters and the leadership of outgoing General President Jim Hoffa in a greeting he gave during the opening day of the union’s...
Promises made, promises kept: Hoffa addresses 30th International Convention
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, June 22, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa welcomed the delegates and guests to the first day of the union’s 30th International Convention. In his five-year report, Hoffa...
Fatal CP derailment prompts petitions urging Canadian government to end private railway policing
(Source: CBC News, June 22, 2021) CALGARY — The Canadian government now has a 45-day deadline to take a stand on railway safety, says an NDP MP. Two petitions aimed at holding rail companies accountable for the safety of their employees, the public and environment...
CP threatened lawsuit against safety watchdog after investigator spoke out about deadly crash
(Source: CBC News, June 21, 2021) CALGARY — The lead safety investigator for a deadly derailment in the mountains of eastern B.C. was pulled off the case after Canadian Pacific Railway threatened to sue him and his bosses for suggesting the RCMP should look into...
Cancer cluster update: Plans to clean up toxic UP site in Houston
(Source: Television station KHOU, June 21, 2021) HOUSTON — Texas environmental officials held their first public meeting on plans to clean up a toxic site owned by Union Pacific Railroad. State officials have identified cancer clusters among the residents who live, or...
Uncooperative cows block NS tracks in Bluefield, W.Va.
(Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph, June 21, 2021) BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Trains were stopped Monday evening when three cows managed to get onto the railroad tracks going through the City of Bluefield. Full story: Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Legal limbo delays UP layoff plans at Palestine car shop
(Source: Television station KLTV, June 21, 2021) PALESTINE, Texas — An ongoing legal battle has delayed plans to lay off workers at Union Pacific’s Palestine railcar shop. The railroad intended to cut almost 60 jobs by Monday, June 14, but the game of legal limbo...
Bewilderment as NJ Transit funding not increased in new state budget
(Source: www.nj.com, June 22, 2021) NEWARK, N.J. — A flabbergasted Loretta Weinberg, one of New Jersey’s highest-ranking lawmakers, said Monday it’s “absolutely mind-blowing” and a case of “bad government” the new state budget deal crafted by her fellow Democratic...
Balancing public, private interests before the STB
(Source: Railway Age column by David Peter Alan, June 21, 2021) NEW YORK — For several months, Railway Age has reported extensively on Amtrak’s efforts to begin running two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, and the strong opposition to the plan voiced...
Train crew size legislation should be a safety measure, not a partisan issue
(Source: Freight Waves opinion column by Matt Parker and Jason Doering, June 19, 2021. Parker is a professional locomotive engineer and serves as chairman of the Nevada State Legislative Board for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Doering is a...
Q&A: Railroad Retirement survivor benefits
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, May 27, 2021) CHICAGO — Monthly benefits may be payable under the Railroad Retirement Act to the surviving widow(er), children, and certain other dependents of a railroad employee if the employee was “insured” under...
Amtrak’s regional rail expansion faces hurdle from freight trains
(Source: Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The seven major freight carriers have long resisted calls to make more room on their tracks for trains carrying people rather than coal, grain and steel. Current and former federal officials say the...
KCS to release Q2 2021 earnings on July 16
(Source: Kansas City Southern press release, June 18, 2021) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern (KCS) will release its second quarter 2021 financial results on Friday, July 16, 2021, before the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. KCS will also hold...
CSX pilloried by major shippers who have concern about staffing levels
(Source: Jacksonville Business Journal, June 21, 2021) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The complaints come as volumes carried by the Jacksonville-based railroad near levels seen before the pandemic. Full story: Jacksonville Business Journal
Class I execs respond to shippers’ rail service concerns
(Source: Progressive Railroading, June 18, 2021) Four Class I executives have responded to Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman’s May 27 letter that expressed his concerns about recent rail service problems reported by shippers. Full story:...
BLET News
National Division launches 2014 convention website
The BLET National Division has launched a new website — www.ble-t.org/convention — to provide key information to delegates, vendors and guests attending the union’s Third National Convention coming up in late September 2014.
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton addresses BLET members at 74th annual IWC in Minneapolis
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (D) discussed the safety of transporting crude oil by rail as he addressed approximately 150 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and their families during opening ceremonies of the union’s 74th annual International Western Convention (IWC) here in Minneapolis this morning.
Standard Building to be sold
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has sold its landmark Standard Building to Weston, Northeast Ohio’s largest privately held industrial building owner and manager, in a deal that is scheduled to close on Monday, June 30.
BLET, Operation Lifesaver condemn ‘train hopping’ article
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. has taken the lead in condemning a recent magazine article that glorifies railroad trespassing and train hopping. Dennis R. Pierce, National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said the BLET supports Operation Lifesaver’s position and also objected to the article.
President Pierce addresses BMWED national convention
More than 400 delegates representing the members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference began their third Regular Convention in Las Vegas yesterday. The delegates and guests filled the convention hall to hear keynote speeches by Teamsters General President James Hoffa, Teamsters Rail Conference Director John Murphy and Teamsters Rail Conference President Dennis Pierce.
Ballots mailed in tentative BLET, CN-Wisconsin Central agreement
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has reached a tentative contract agreement with Canadian National’s Wisconsin Central (CN-WC) subsidiary. BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce announced that ballots were mailed yesterday to active members of the BLET employed by CN-WC who are eligible to vote in the ratification of this agreement.
BLET’s 87th annual Southeastern Meeting Association begins in Savannah, Ga.
More than 200 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and their families were in attendance this morning for opening ceremonies of the 87th annual Southeastern Meeting Association (SMA) in Savannah, Ga.
President Obama halts SEPTA strike, orders PEB
Action by the White House ended — at least for the time being — a strike by members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) that shut down commuter rail service in the Philadelphia metropolitan area on June 14.
Teamsters, Rail Conference demand crackdown on cheap Korean steel imports
Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa and top leaders with the Teamsters Rail Conference are calling on the Department of Commerce to fully weigh the concerns of the U.S. steel industry as it continues its anti-dumping probe into cheap imports being brought into this country by South Korea and eight other nations.
BLET members ratify new contract at Metra
Over 96% of voting members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with Metra on May 19. The agreement covers approximately 200 members.
