The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen wants the Federal Railroad Administration to issue an emergency order prohibiting freight train lengths greater than 7,500 feet.
BNSF has reached a sick leave and work-rest agreement with BLET; CSX and SMART-TD have partnered to extend CSX’s conductor trainee program.
Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a deal that will provide locomotive engineers with up to seven days of paid sick leave.
Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have struck a deal that addresses how train engineers might have a better work-life balance.
Norfolk Southern and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a deal over sick leave.
Unions representing locomotive engineers and train conductors are still working through some sticking points with railroads regarding work schedules, sources told FreightWaves.
A Nevada bill restricting train lengths has been introduced, while Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill that mandates freight train crew sizes of at least two people.
Canadian railway CN and the union Unifor have reached a tentative collective deal, thus averting a potential strike. BNSF and Canadian Pacific also have reached agreements.
“While the Railway Safety Act of 2023 has potential, railroad workers are concerned with what is glaringly left out of the bill and what aspects are left to the DOT and FRA to draft, implement, and administer,” said Matt Weaver of Railroad Workers United.
Rail trade groups’ and rail unions’ responses to NTSB’s preliminary report on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment offer different views on what the next steps should be.
One railroad union has voted to ratify its labor agreement while another has split its vote, raising the prospect of a rail strike.
Freight railroads are attempting to rapidly resume normal operations now that a deal has been reached to avoid a strike on Friday.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen voted to strike if they deem it necessary as the unions and railroads fail to reach a contract agreement.
BNSF has made some changes to the attendance policy that it implemented in February, but unions say the changes don’t go far enough to prevent worker fatigue.
BLET and SMART-TD have decided to pursue binding arbitration in front of a third-party board instead of an appeal.
A U.S. district court determined that objections by two unions over BNSF’s new attendance standards qualify as being a minor dispute under federal law, meaning that it would be illegal for the unions to strike over the issue.
Two rail unions have sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Martin Walsh criticizing the attendance policies of BNSF and other Class I railroads.
Members of BLET and SMART-TD plan to continue pursuing legal action despite a federal judge’s temporary restraining order barring them from striking.
Judge Mark T. Pittmann agreed to BNSF’s request calling for a temporary restraining order that would prevent union employees from striking as both sides potentially negotiate over BNSF’s new attendance program.
Ten unions want a mediator to assist with negotiations for a new labor agreement between the unions and U.S. freight railroads. The railroads agree.
The western U.S. railroad is asking a district court in Dallas to prevent two rail unions from striking over changes to BNSF’s attendance program, saying a strike would result in significant disruptions.
BLET and SMART-TD say the attendance program is overly restrictive and repudiates numerous collective bargaining agreements in place.
Continúan las demandas contra Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern y BNSF
A federal district court has ruled that two rail unions must work with Chicago commuter rail Metra as it pursues a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Two bills in the Michigan Legislature are calling for freight train crews to consist of at least two people.
Two unions representing railroad employees want the federal court to make BNSF negotiate with the unions over implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Lawsuits between two Class I railroads and three unions have been consolidated into one proceeding in federal court, with a request to fold an additional lawsuit from BNSF into the proceeding.
BNSF is suing four railroad unions over its ability to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. BNSF says it needs to comply with President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.
BLET, SMART-TD and Norfolk Southern continue to fight in federal court over the vaccine mandate and NS’ practice of using train engineers as conductors.
Following UP’s recent actions, Norfolk Southern takes the unions to court over its ability to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine.
Union Pacific and several rail unions are arguing that the other party has failed to properly negotiate how UP should comply with President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Two rail unions contend that NS is forcing some locomotive engineers to perform train conductor and brakeman duties following NS’ efforts to reduce its workforce.
Train engineer Matt Parker of the BLET discusses why precision scheduled railroading isn’t about precision, but about profits.
A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Tuesday vacated the Federal Railroad Administration’s May 2019 order on train crew size, saying the agency didn’t conduct an adequate public review prior to the order.
The Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration administrator seek answers about Class I rail performance, while labor groups question furlough-related actions.
Arbitrators determined that KCS has the ability to use its Mexican crew members instead of its U.S.-based crews on a nine-mile stretch between the U.S. border and the Laredo rail yard.
Infrastructure provisions passed the U.S. House of Representatives, but they may have trouble finding support in Republican-controlled Senate.
The Federal Railroad Administration and Volpe are in the middle of conducting a survey on how railroaders gather and share information about occupational safety.
Labor groups praise bill’s contents but key freight rail group is “disappointed.”
The groups want the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure that railroads’ requests to waive certain regulations stem from a true labor shortage.
The state’s governor Jay Inslee signed into law a bill that says a freight train crew must have at least two crew members.
Two unions’ petition to the Federal Railroad Administration contends that some Class I railroads have been slow to respond to calls for better workplace sanitation amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen wants freight and passenger railroads to temporarily alter their sick leave policies and provide stronger sanitizing materials.
Rail union workers are at odds with other members of the freight rail industry over how cross-border rail operations are run at Laredo, Texas.
