Rail & Labor News from RWU
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Weekly Digest Number 39 - September 26th, 2023 | |
Welcome to the RWU Rail & Labor News! This news bulletin is produced and emailed out each Tuesday morning. We hope you find each week's news and information useful. If so, please share with co-workers, friends, and colleagues. If you like, you can sign them up to get all the news from RWU HERE. Or forward them the link. Note: If you read over this news bulletin each week, you will be sure to never miss the important news of what is going on in the railroad world from a worker's perspective!
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Editor's Note: Three CSX employees have been killed now since the start of summer in three separate incidents. And while the Norfolk Southern rightfully deserves all of the scrutiny and criticism the DOT and FRA dish out, perhaps it would be wise for the feds to focus some of their attention on the safety "culture" of this dangerous and irresponsible Class One as well. | |
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Trains Magazine September 18, 2023
A CSX Transportation carman killed early Sunday morning when he was struck by moving equipment in Walbridge Yard. CSX identified the carman as Fred Anderson, 56, who had worked for the railroad for 19 years. He is survived by his wife and an adult son. The accident – the third fatal incident in a CSX yard since June – occurred at around 3:40 a.m. in the yard near Toledo.
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Editor's Note: It is fascinating how the railroad corporate "new speak" repackages things like basic sick leave into "modernizing the work environment." The BNSF and the rest of the Class Ones had 2 1/2 fruitless years at the bargaining table to agree with the rail unions for a "modernization of the workplace" and stonewalled the entire time, giving in on not a single objective of the unions to do just this. Thanks to every rail worker that raised hell last Fall about the PEB and lackluster Tentative Agreements, some minor progress is finally being made | |
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Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
BNSF on Sept. 18 reported reaching a tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) that includes paid sick days. The agreement, which builds on existing BNSF paid time off and sickness benefits, is subject to ratification and part of “larger discussions about modernizing the work environment,” according to the Class I railroad.
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Marybeth Luczak September 18
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members have ratified a new five-year on-property agreement governing rates of pay, benefits and work rules at Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary New England Central Railroad (NECR), the union reported Sept. 15. Covering approximately 40 operating employees, the deal runs through Dec. 31, 2027, according to BLET. It provides general wage increases of 22% over the life of the contract: 9% in 2023; 4% in 2024, 3% in 2025, 3% in 2026, and 3% in 2027. Also included is a $2,000 signing bonus.
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Editor's Note: The MBTA has become the basket case of commuter rail operations in the U.S. Endless subcontracting of work and service has contributed greatly in creating an unsafe network of public transit. | |
Editor's Note: This can probably only be good, but it's ridiculous that we're only finally getting away from paper forms for dangerous goods in 2023. | |
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Progressive Railroading 9/20
The Association of American Railroads, working with member company Norfolk Southern Railway, recently integrated AskRail into emergency management agencies (EMAs) dispatching services in Columbiana County, Ohio, and Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Launched in 2014, the AskRail app was developed in partnership with the emergency response community to provide accurate, timely data about the hazardous materials transported in rail cars.
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Editor's Note: Does this billion dollars get booked against the "savings" of PSR? What are we missing about Class One board member compensation that incentivizes them to create the conditions for an East Palestine? | |
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Joanna Marsh · Thursday, September 21, 2023
President Joe Biden has issued an executive order designed to ensure that Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) “continues meeting its obligations to the community” following the Feb. 3 derailment of an NS train in East Palestine, Ohio. The Wednesday order also directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency to appoint a federal disaster recovery coordinator to oversee long-term public and private recovery efforts.
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Editor's Note: How robust of a hotbox detector program could NS have with all this money? | |
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Progressive Railroading
Norfolk Southern Railway announced Monday it would offer an interim value assurance program (VAP) to compensate East Palestine, Ohio, homeowners for any loss in residential property value following the Feb. 3 NS train derailment.
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Editor's Note: It's demoralizing to have your supervisors demanding that you break safety rules. How brave should you have to be just to do your job and not endanger people? | |
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By Collin Woodard Published September 8, 2023
You would think that if you worked as a track inspector for a railroad company, reporting defects would make you good at your job.
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Editor's Note: Our friends at Solutionary Rail are spearheading the fight against a hugely expensive "high speed rail" diversion from achievable, difference-making progress with conventional passenger rail. | |
Solutionary Rail
The people of the Pacific Northwest need common sense rail transportation solutions that serve public interests in a time of climate crisis. We DO NOT need, nor can we afford, boondoggle projects like the "Ultra" high speed rail project. Urge WSDOT to Implement Existing Plan for 110mph trains & hourly service on Amtrak Cascades.
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Editor's Note: To allow for cleanup, “...a major commuter artery through the city, was shut down for four days.” And we know who bears the costs of that... | |
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Jennifer McLawhorn September 20
An inspection by CN found part of the crossing that collapsed earlier this year had seen a “significant drop in condition.” Now, CBC News has reported that “an inspection by CN rail found components of the crossing [in Kingston, Ontario] had seen a ‘significant drop’ in condition,” months before a derailment and bridge collapse. According to the report, this is the third derailment in as many years.
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Editor's Note: RWU's own Ron Kaminkow along with Historian Peter Rachleff explain the ragged state of the North American rail industry in an interview with former NPR reporter Daniel Zwerdling. | |
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Shipler & Zwerdling
Do you realize that America’s railroads are probably the worst in the industrialized world? Historian Peter Rachleff and train engineer Ron Kaminkow, who’s also a labor leader, guide us through the colorful, brutal history of America’s railroads - built by “oligarchs” on the backs of Black convicts, slaves and Chinese laborers.
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE LABOR MOVEMENT | |
Editor's Note: RWU is grateful for the mention in this article. See the link for our Statement of Support. | |
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On September 15, the United Auto Workers union (UAW) began a coordinated strike against the three major U.S. automakers. The UAW targeted one plant each at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, involving almost 13,000 workers. Railroad Workers United — an inter-union, cross-craft solidarity group of railroad workers and supporters — published a special bulletin just before the UAW strike deadline, titled “Their Strike is Our Strike: Railroaders Support the Auto Workers.”
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Editor's Note: The creative tactics the union is using to pressure the Big Three to conceding a good contract should be watched closely by every railroad worker. While the Railway Labor Act is a different set of laws than what we work under, the rail unions can learn from this labor struggle and use similar pressure tactics in our next round of national bargaining. | |
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September 22, 2023 / Luis Feliz Leon, Lisa Xu
The clock has ticked and tocked for two of the Big 3 automakers. At noon 5,000 more members of the Auto Workers (UAW) at 38 parts distribution centers for Stellantis and General Motors are walking off the job. The facilities are spread across 20 states.
They join 13,000 workers at assembly plants in Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri who have been out for a week—for a total of 18,000 Big 3 auto workers on picket lines nationwide. (See a map of all struck facilities here.)
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Editor's Note: Covid pulled the rug out from under conventional work relationships. Workers are seeing what's possible when they stand against management, especially in the "service" industries. | |
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September 21, 2023 John Ruch
For decades, one of the world’s largest airlines has also been one of the most successful at staving off unionization by its employees. That may soon change, thanks to an innovative campaign that could have repercussions far beyond the airline industry. Organizers on a three-union campaign to unionize Delta’s U.S. workers put the number of potential recruits at over 50,000...
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RWU 2023 Membership Drive! | |
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For nearly 16 years now, RWU has been taking the lead in building railroad worker solidarity and activism. Last Fall, RWU launched a successful Vote NO campaign that encouraged and inspired rails from all crafts to vote down the national Tentative Agreements in freight, reached between carriers and union officials. Dozens of RWU activists went public and blew the whistle on the carriers' antics, calling them out for their profiteering, lack of maintenance and inspections, short-staffing, draconian attendance policies, and all the rest. In doing so, we helped create a movement that ultimately would bring paid sick leave to rail workers of all crafts among the Class One carriers.
To build a movement that is truly successful, we need YOU! All railroad workers from ALL crafts and ALL union, from ALL carriers are urged to JOIN RWU TODAY!
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