Rail Industry News
Farm Bureau says staffing shortages on rail lines continue to hurt Nebraska agriculture
While the tentative agreement means Nebraska’s agriculture sector avoided the worst of the effects, they still see the impacts of the ongoing staffing crisis on rail lines first hand, said Nebraska Farm Bureau’s president Mark McHargue.
Public urged to help Stop Track Tragedies during Rail Safety Week 2022 and beyond
Every year, 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured when they engage in unsafe behavior around tracks and trains. In the U.S. alone, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every 3 hours.
Colorado police put suspect in patrol car parked on rail crossing; it’s then hit by a train
A 20-year-old woman was seriously injured when police put her in the back of a patrol car that was parked on a rail crossing, and the car ended up being hit by a train, reports say.
Error by pilot, captain is likely cause of train-barge collision, NTSB says
The failure of the pilot and caption of a tow vessel to correctly identify a caution area on a river chart was the probable cause of a November 2021 collision between the towing vessel Baxter Southern and a BNSF coal train near Galland, Iowa, the National Transportation Safety Board determined in an accident report released Thursday.
Port of Savannah logs record cargo in August
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced the Port of Savannah logged another record month in the port’s history with 575,513 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo handled in August, up 18.5% compared to August 2021.
Railroad companies almost inflicted an economic disaster on the U.S.
What was missing from many recent headlines? The actual reason for the conflict between railroad workers and their employers. The potential strike or lockout was not because of any dispute over pay, but because of inhumane attendance policies that currently mean railroad engineers and conductors are either working or “on call” 90 percent of the time.
Railroad strike averted after marathon talks reach tentative deal
Unions and management reached a tentative deal early Thursday, averting a freight railroad strike that had threatened to cripple US supply chains and push prices higher for many goods.
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on rail deal: It didn’t start as “necessarily a lovefest”
While Walsh described his main role as facilitating conversation, he also acknowledged that, at times, he had to do “a little persuasion” to nudge both sides closer to an agreement.
How an attendance policy led the U.S. to the brink of a nationwide railroad strike
Like so many essential workers in the pandemic, the engineers and conductors who drive the nation’s freight trains have had it.
Workers say railroads’ efficiency push became too much
To defuse a labor dispute that brought the nation to the brink of a potentially catastrophic railroad strike, negotiators had to resolve a key issue: schedules that workers say were punishing, upending their personal lives and driving colleagues from the industry.
Class I railroads work to resume operations
The U.S. operations of the Class I railroads are working to resume operations “immediately” now that a tentative deal has been reached to avoid a strike by union members on Friday.
North American rail volume down through first 36 weeks of 2022
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) now has 36 weeks of traffic data for 2022 (ending Sept. 10). Total North American carload and intermodal traffic dipped 2.4% from the same point last year — with decreases in the U.S. and Canada, and an increase in Mexico.
CSX’s Foote to retire
CSX on Sept. 15 reported that as “part of a planned succession process,” Joseph R. Hinrichs will become President and CEO, succeeding James M. Foote, effective Sept. 26.
Largest railroad labor unions say they will strike if quality of life is not addressed in new contract
Two of the largest railroad unions in negotiations with railroad carriers have drawn a line in the sand: they are demanding more quality of life provisions are put into the contract, covering attendance policies, vacation and sick days, or they will strike. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART Transportation Division represent half of railroad union workers.
Railroad strike negotiations held up by battle over sick time policies
The top labor negotiator in talks to avert a railroad strike accused BNSF and Union Pacific of holding up progress. Specifically, Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, or BLET, said the companies rejected the union’s proposal for sick time policies.
3 more unions reach tentative agreements with freight railroads
Three more railroad unions have reached tentative agreements with U.S. freight railroads on a new labor contract, announced the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC).
Railroad strike: Supply chain concerns grow as deadline nears
Workers say the industry has imposed increasingly punitive scheduling practices that remain a major issue as rail companies’ labor forces have shrunk.
White House presses unions, railroads to avoid shutdown
The Biden administration urged railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a railroad work stoppage, saying on Monday it would pose “an unacceptable outcome” to the U.S. economy that could cost $2 billion a day.
Senators’ legislation seeks to avert freight rail stoppage
Sens. Richard M. Burr and Roger Wicker introduced a joint resolution Monday that would require unions and freight railroads to accept the recommendations of a presidential emergency board to avert a strike or lockout that could come as early as Friday.
BNSF to shut gates to temperature-controlled intermodal traffic
BNSF Railway will stop accepting temperature-controlled intermodal traffic as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, as it prepares for a possible work stoppage, the railroad said in a notice to customers on Monday night.
BLET News
Deadline approaches for BLET’s Denver regional meeting
Those planning to attend the BLET’s upcoming regional meeting in Denver, Colorado, are reminded that the deadline to make hotel reservations is Friday, May 13, 2022. The meeting will be held June 13-17, 2022.
Registration opens for BLET’s Baltimore regional meeting, August 1-5, 2022
Registration is now open for the BLET regional meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, August 1-5, 2022.
Barbara McLaughlin, 1934-2022
Barbara McLaughlin, the wife of late BLE International President Ronald P. McLaughlin, passed away on April 16, 2022. She was 87 years old. Ron McLaughlin served the former Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers as International President from 1991-1996, and he passed away at the age of 92 on November 12, 2021. The couple was married for more than 67 years.
BLET California State Legislative Board welcomes President Pierce, rallies by BLET’s mobile billboard
In San Diego today, members of the BLET’s California State Legislative Board, National President Dennis Pierce, and numerous other special guests rallied by a mobile billboard that is part of the union’s outreach campaign demanding that railroads invest in train crews and safety.
Speak out now: Railroad attendance policies unsafe
BLET members and their families are urged to alert the White House and their members of Congress about the dangerous attendance policies imposed by Class I freight railroads by using the BLET’s new legislative outreach platform — “Take Action” — which been activated for the first time for use in this campaign.
VP Wallace outlines PSR problems, offers solutions at STB hearing
BLET National Vice President Mark L. Wallace testified yesterday on behalf of the BLET at a hearing before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board titled “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service.”
BLET National President Pierce, Vice President and NLR Verna meet with Ohio SLB officers, members and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
On Monday, April 25, 2022, BLET National President Pierce and Vice President and National Legislative Representative Vince Verna attended the opening sessions of the quadrennial meeting of BLET’s Ohio State Legislative Board (SLB) in Columbus, Ohio. Brendan Sullivan, BLET Director of Legislative Affairs, was also in attendance
BLET National Division files comments for STB hearing, Vice President Mark Wallace to testify
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 25 — On Friday, April 22, 2022, the BLET National Division submitted written comments in advance of the upcoming Surface Transportation Board (STB) hearing scheduled for April 26 and 27, 2022. The in-person hearing, titled “Urgent Issues in...
CBC Unions reject lump-sum offers, seek proffer of arbitration
The Coordinated Bargaining Coalition released the following statement on April 25, 2022: On January 24, 2022, after more than two years of bargaining with the major U.S. Class I railroads, the 10 Rail Unions bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition...
BLET’s Fifth National Convention
The BLET’s national conventions are held quadrennially, or once every four years. Approximately 475 delegates will represent more than 33,000 active locomotive engineers and trainmen throughout the United States.
