Rail & Labor News from RWU
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Weekly Digest Number 43 - October 22nd, 2024 | |
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. Got a hot tip? Please forward the article and a link to raillabornews@gmail.com. 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! | |
THIS WEEK'S RAIL AND LABOR NEWS | |
via Reddit October 14th
"Dear Sirs and Brothers,
This notice is to inform you that the Tentative Agreement reached with CSX regarding Train Service Employees on the Northern Mid-Atlantic District has been rejected by a 65% majority vote of the membership. I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who participated in the ratification process, and I truly appreciate the valuable feedback we received from our members. Our members have made their voices heard, and we have more work ahead of us. I will keep you all updated on any developments in further negotiations.
Fraternally, Rick Lee"
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Editor's Note: Tragedy struck New Jersey Transit as a fallen tree on the River Line resulted in the death of a train operator and left at least 20 passengers injured. The incident, which occurred early in the morning, highlights the ongoing risks faced by rail workers on the front lines. While investigations are underway, this serves as a grim reminder of the critical need for enhanced safety measures and infrastructure maintenance across our rail systems—an issue too often sidelined in favor of cost-cutting. | |
Progressive Railroading / October 14th
A New Jersey Transit train operator was killed, and at least 20 passengers were injured this morning when the train they were on ran into a tree that had fallen across the tracks on the River Line. The station reported the incident occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Eastern time in Mansfield, Burlington County, New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed in a social media post on X that the train operator died and that an investigation has been launched into the accident.
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Editor's Note: In a significant victory for rail workers’ rights, a federal judge has ordered CSX Transportation to pay over $450,000 to two workers wrongfully terminated for reporting safety concerns. The decision reinforces the importance of whistleblower protections, especially in an industry where safety issues are often downplayed. Railroad workers must continue to speak up and hold carriers accountable, ensuring that safety takes precedence over profit—because without a collective voice, these abuses will persist unchecked. | |
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U.S. Department of Labor / October 14th
A federal administrative law judge has ruled that CSX Transportation must pay $453,510 to two railroad workers who were wrongfully terminated for exercising their federally protected rights to report workplace safety concerns and reinstate them. The decision by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges follows a whistleblower investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration of CSX Transportation’s actions in November 2017 after the workers reported a blue flag on the tracks at a Waycross, Georgia, railyard, signaling they could not move their train safely. In response, the company removed them from the assignment and fired them. OSHA determined that CSX’s response violated federal protections for workers who raised safety issues. The sum cited in the judge’s order includes $248,856 in back wages plus compound daily interest, $100,000 for emotional distress, and $100,000 for punitive damages for the two workers. CSX Transportation must also pay one of the workers $4,654 for the health insurance premiums paid after their termination. CSX Transportation must also reinstate the workers to their previous positions and seniority if they had not suffered the wrongful termination and pay their reasonable attorney’s fees and litigation expenses.
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Editor's Note: The Rail Passenger Fairness Act, introduced by Representatives Deluzio and Boyle, addresses the persistent issue of Amtrak delays caused by freight railroads ignoring their legal obligation to give passenger trains priority. This bill aims to hold freight railroads accountable by giving Amtrak the power to take legal action, ensuring that passenger trains run on time. With broad union support, this legislation could bring much-needed relief to Amtrak’s on-time performance while safeguarding public trust in rail service. | |
Progressive Railroading / October 14th
U.S. Reps. Last week, Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Brendan Boyle (D-Pa) introduced the Rail Passenger Fairness Act legislation to help Amtrak improve on-time performance nationwide. The bill would allow Amtrak to take freight railroads to court to enforce current law requiring freight trains to give Amtrak trains preference when operating on those freight-rail lines. If the bill becomes law, it would help reduce Amtrak delays, hold freight railroad corporations accountable, and save public money.
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Editor's Note: As we all know there are lies, damn lies and statistics. These numbers are very misleading. For many of those weeks in 2024, where rail traffic was "up", carload traffic was down, just like last year. Intermodal is what has generally propped up the numbers this year. But intermodal was in the toilet last year, so these glowing reports of "positive territory" for the Class Ones this past 10 months is largely due to the fact that the carriers are simply recovering some of the lost ground in the intermodal sector after last year's dismal performance. | |
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Trains / October 14th
U.S. weekly rail traffic has dropped below 2023 levels for the first time in more than nine months. For the week ending Oct. 5, total U.S. traffic was 486,187 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.5% decline from the same week a year earlier. It was the first time since the week ending Jan. 20 — the third week of 2024 — that volume had decreased from the corresponding week in 2023 (The week ending May 4 had a total volume that was level with the same week in 2023). The week’s traffic included 225,280 carloads, down 3.5%, and 260,907 containers and trailers, down 1.7%. Through 40 weeks of 2024, carload traffic is down 3.3% from the same period in 2023, while intermodal volume is up 9.1%. Overall, traffic is up 3.1% compared to the first 40 weeks a year ago.
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Editor's Note: This is exciting news for advocates on public ownership of the rail industry in the U.S. and Canada. While there are fledgling movements in both countries - including the efforts of Public Rail Now spawned by RWU - the push for public rail ownership south of the border is moving full steam ahead. | |
 |  | MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Congress has passed legislation which would reverse railroad privatization laws enacted in the 1990s and give the government more control over rail operations, particularly in terms of passenger rail. Mexico News Daily reports the Senate passed the bill 123-0 on Wednesday. Because the legislation is a constitutional reform, it still must be ratified by at least 17 of Mexico’s 32 states to become law. La Jornada reports the bill would give the government the right to use railway lines to provide passenger service, with the president allowed to award concessions to public companies or individuals toward that goal. Companies holding concessions for freight operations would receive preference as passenger operators, according to Infobae. It also makes railways a matter of priority for national development.The Senate’s website says that the legislation notes less than 1% of national passenger travel results by train, which reflects an underutilization of the rail infrastructure.
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Editor's Note: It's still the early days of North American freight rail electrification but we may be getting some clarity on the most effective technology (discontinuous catenary with modest battery capability on board locomotives) and roll-out strategies. REC always puts together a compelling mix of rail and electric transmission players. | |
WORKSHOP: Rail Electrification Coaltion's Fall Workshop on Rail Electrification | |
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October 24th, 2024
Join Us In-Person If Possible
Location: National Electrical Manufacturers Association
1300 North 17th Street
Arlington, VA 22209
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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High Speed Rail Alliance
Do you care about the climate crisis and see trains as part of the solution? In 2023, the Sierra Club outlined a detailed series of recommendations to improve both passenger and freight rail and expand rail electrification. This resource shows how investing in rail can help create good jobs, provide equitable mobility, reduce traffic congestion, and cut climate emissions. In this talk, Sierra Club staff Katherine García and Yassi Kavezade, who were part of the team that published the report, provide an overview of their advocacy and the importance of investing in rail in the U.S. Learn about upcoming webinars hosted by the Alliance: https://www.hsrail.org/events/ Become a member of the High Speed Rail Alliance: https://www.hsrail.org/join-us/ The High Speed Rail Alliance is a 501(C)(3) non-profit, supported by individual members like you, who want fast, frequent, and affordable trains throughout North America.
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High Speed Rail Alliance
With America’s first two true high-speed rail projects underway in California and Nevada—and with Congress appropriating tens of billions of dollars in new railroad funding in recent years—this is an exciting moment for high-speed rail. But to sustain and build on the momentum, “we need to address the intercity rail market with a holistic vision for rail across the country.” That’s one conclusion of a recent report by the Transit Costs Project at New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management. In this talk, we’ll hear from Professor Eric Goldwyn, lead author of the "How to Improve Domestic High-Speed Rail Project Delivery” report.
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE LABOR MOVEMENT | |
Each week, RWU includes a few articles about advances and developments in the larger labor movement that are of interest to railroad workers. Got an artcile to submit for possible inclusion next week? Email it along to raillabornews@gmail.com. Thank you! | |
Editor's Note: Great to see more and more workers taking the bull by the horns, rejecting Tentative Agreements, and voting for more. RWU played a key role in the VOTE NO efforts on the railroads in 2022, where the majority of represented workers voted to reject the tentative contracts that were offered up and proceed to a strike. We would like to think that this high profile movement has inspired other workers in other sectors to do the same. | |
Fed up with inflation and seizing a moment of labor power, workers at Boeing, AT&T and Southwest reject deals negotiated by union bosses
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Frustrated by inflation eating into their paychecks and empowered by the United Auto Workers’ successful strikes last year, union members are sending a message to their own leaders: Do better. In recent months, members have voted down contracts at Boeing, Textron and other companies after their unions’ negotiating committees spent months hammering out deals for them to ratify.
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Editor's Note: Workers along the supply chain continue to flex their muscles and exercise power. In the context of such labor unrest and huge potential gains, it is sad to see the U.S. rail unions - divided worse than ever - "bargain" Tentative Agreements carrier-by-carrier and union-by-union with no effort whatsoever to push for more. | |
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Employers warned an overtime strike by union dockworkers at the Port of Montreal could lead to a shutdown of cargo operations at the eastern Canada maritime hub. The work stoppage by Longshoremen’s Union Local 375 began Thursday after terminals and shipping lines asked the union to withdraw its overtime strike notice. It advised that assigned employees who were unable to work would not be paid for the hours they could have worked. The union, an affiliate of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, represents approximately 1,200 dockworkers. Bargaining on a new contract with federal mediators reached a stalemate over scheduling and a reduction in hours for senior forepersons, according to reports. The Maritime Employers Association representing shipping lines, terminals and other businesses said even a limited job action could bring cargo handling to a halt.
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Editor's Note: As the climate changes, so do the conditions of employment. Union contracts and safety regulations need to keep up if workplaces are to be safe and fit to work in. | |
| |  | At least six workers in a Tennessee plastics factory are dead or missing after managers allegedly told them not to evacuate despite urgent warnings of severe flash flooding. What does this tragedy say about the unique threat that workers face from climate change and related adverse weather events? Climate change is not a hoax, as some politicians continue to argue. It is very real as we witnessed most recently the past several days as a climate change-fueled hurricane wreaked havoc and death from Florida as far north as eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Hundreds are confirmed dead and many more are still missing. Hurricanes, floods, heat, fires and other severe weather phenomena have the potential of hitting everyone. Some — who may live on the coast or in a fire-prone areas — may be more at risk than city-dwellers, but Hurricane Helene has shown us that few locations are immune, even for people who thought they were protected because they lived in an inland city like Asheville or up in the mountains far from the hurricane-prone coasts.
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WEEKLY DERAILMENT DEPARTMENT | |
Each Tuesday in this news bulletin, RWU does our best to present a picture of what has been happening over the course of the previous week in terms of derailments in North America, and investigation determinations of previous accidents. NOTE: This list is by no means comprehensive. Smaller and less consequential mishaps are generally not reported here. If the wreck results in injury or fatality, or is especially damaging/extreme, a full article will appear as a feature in the dozen or so rail articles above. Know of a train wreck? Please feel free to forward a link to raillabornews@gmail.com for possible inclusion next week. Thanks! |
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