The U.S. freight rail industry got schooled in 2023 on issues including the three R’s: rail safety, reciprocal switching and relationships.
A decline in rail volumes has led Union Pacific to store locomotives — which in turn has led to furloughs of at least 94 employees, according to a union official.
The heads of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers want swift action on the rail safety bill that passed the Senate Commerce Committee last month.
Calls to remove Surface Transportation Board Chairman Marty Oberman are misguided in light of regulatory efforts that Oberman and the current board have undertaken, labor groups tell President Joe Biden.
NS employees received a letter signed by President and CEO Alan Shaw and the presidents of 12 unions pledging collaboration to improve rail safety.
The unions blast the Class I railroads’ public statements on the railroads’ efforts to bolster employee head count in a filing to the Surface Transportation Board.
The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO wants Congress to pass a rail safety bill that addresses train crew sizes, train lengths and inspection times.
Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD, the union group representing train conductors that work at NS, have reached a tentative agreement that addresses scheduling issues and sick leave.
Unions representing locomotive engineers and train conductors are still working through some sticking points with railroads regarding work schedules, sources told FreightWaves.
The International Association of Machinists and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen have each reached sick leave agreements with Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC).
“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.
Three rail unions representing mechanical workers say BNSF violated federal labor laws because of the way it has handled the staffing for its locomotive maintenance program. The unions also argue that BNSF has been deferring maintenance and adhering to a minimum standard.
Union members representing those working in mechanical, intermodal and facility management at Canadian railway CN voted to go on strike should talks between the parties fail to reach an agreement.
New sick leave policies are in place at CSX for maintenance-of-way employees and railway carmen.
The Federal Railroad Administration heard starkly different opinions from some railroads and unions about whether the agency should mandate freight train crews of at least two people.
The unions and the freight railroads must repair their relationship and collaborate on improving service if the industry wants to thrive and take more market share, observers told FreightWaves.
Concerns that not all of the unions will agree to ratify their labor agreements have caused rail shippers and other transportation industry stakeholders to push President Joe Biden to act.
BRS follows the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, which earlier this month rejected the tentative labor agreement.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee signaled that freight railroads will reject the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division’s counteroffer on a new labor deal.
The National Conference of Firemen & Oilers voted by a nearly 59% margin to approve its labor agreement with the freight railroads.
Rail workers with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have voted to ratify the union’s labor agreement with U.S. Class I railroads.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19 has reached a new agreement with the U.S. Class railroads, one that modifies an agreement initially rejected by the group.
Just because a labor agreement is in sight between the railroads and the unions, that doesn’t mean rail service will instantly improve, shippers told FreightWaves.
Freight railroads are attempting to rapidly resume normal operations now that a deal has been reached to avoid a strike on Friday.
Ahead of a strike that could occur after midnight Friday, U.S. freight railroads are winding down operations and the White House is preparing contingency plans.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, whose ranks total nearly 5,000 members, has voted to reject the tentative labor agreement between it and the Class I railroads. But two unions voted to ratify their agreements.
Uncertainties over whether union members will go on strike next Friday are causing the U.S. Class I railroads to embargo certain shipments and tell customers to expect delays.
The Association of American Railroads estimates that a nationwide strike could cost about $2 billion each day, while shippers groups rally Congress to intervene in the event a strike seems imminent.
Two more unions, whose membership totals about 6,000 freight rail employees, have tentatively agreed to a new labor contract that calls for substantial wage increases.
Three railroad unions plan to send their members a tentative labor agreement for ratification. However, there are still nine unions that have yet to strike a deal.
Railroad union representatives have been reticent publicly about how they plan to proceed with contract talks following last week’s recommendations from an independent board.
The presidential emergency board is charged with examining the sticking points in the stalled contract negotiations between U.S. freight railroads and their unions.
Precision scheduled railroading again took center stage during a roundtable concerning rail service.
The National Mediation Board has ended mediation between the freight railroads and unions over a new labor agreement and is offering arbitration, both sides say.
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.
Two unions representing railroad employees want the federal court to make BNSF negotiate with the unions over implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
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.
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.
With no end in sight to the pandemic in North America, BMWED says railroads should enhance worker safety.
The Class I railroads furlough workers in times of lower volumes but unions think the cuts have been too deep as a result of precision scheduled railroading.
