Rail & Labor News from RWU
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Weekly Digest Number 49 - December 5th, 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: Despite the admonishment of the Surface Transportation Board, despite the short-staffing and snarled traffic, despite the discrediting of PSR, despite terrible customer service and all the rest, UP sees fit to furlough even MORE workers. The new CEO is simply carrying on in the same fashion despite all of the smoke and mirrors. | |
BMWED / Nov 28
At the holiday season, Union Pacific heartlessly sends employees home due to a road THEY chose. It doesn’t have to be this way, but the decisions Vena has made have completely ruined U.P.’s reputation and continue to deplete all company morale. But hey, at least he’ll get his hefty bonus.
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Editor's Note: The authors of this op-ed get it right. We have existing railroad routes in place already in the U.S. - in fact 140,000 miles' worth - and can upgrade them relatively quickly and cheaply compared to super expensive from-the-ground-up high speed rail. We need to start moving cars and trucks off of highways NOW, and can do that with investment in our existing railroad rights-of-way. | |
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There are two visions for future passenger rail in Washington: Cascadia High Speed Rail and Amtrak Cascades. Because they run at different speeds, the cost, infrastructure and land requirements are vastly different. We oppose the proposed HSR plan and recommend Amtrak Cascades as a wiser use of land.
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Editor's Note: While Railroad Workers United supports real safety legislation that mandates minimum crew size, shorter and less heavy trains, hotbox detector regulation, and end to crew fatigue and all the rest, this bill - like the myriad others before Congress - is ridden with loopholes and allowances of waivers that would allow the Class One carriers to avoid most of the regulation written into the bill. | |
Editor's Note: It always gets back to how much actionable data is shared and what happens in the real world... will federally aggregated data improve the service plans of the Class Ones? Load matching services have been around for a while and have likely skimmed the cream. It's not easy to put shippers together for the same reasons people don't carpool. It's too easy to be a little less efficient to make things a lot more convenient. | |
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Carolina Worrell / Nov 28
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Nov. 27 announced the launch of the Office of Modal Freight Infrastructure and Police (Multimodal Freight Office) to “oversee the maintenance and improvement of the nation’s freight network and supply chains.”
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Editor's Note: The AAR and the Class One carriers are opposed to any regulation of the rail industry whatsoever because they want the "flexibility" to do exactly as they please and make as much money in the short run as possible. | |
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Bill Stephens | November 29
The Association of American Railroads says there are so many factors outside of railroads’ control that it is simply impossible to prevent service problems. And the AAR adds that measuring on-time performance, variations in transit times, and local service quality are poor ways to judge the level of service railroads are providing to their customers.
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Editor's Note: In the wake of the East Palestine disaster, more and more municipalities and states will be filing such lawsuits. Rather than ensure safe train operations, look to the carriers to simply spend millions fighting these legal battles. | |
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Joanna Marsh / November 30
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Eastern U.S. Class I rail carrier CSX over the train derailment that occurred in eastern Kentucky the day before Thanksgiving. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, alleges that local community members experienced symptoms such as difficulty breathing and sore throats because two rail cars carrying molten sulfur derailed and caught fire, resulting in the spread of toxic fumes in the area.
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Editor's Note: This is no doubt good news. However, the lack of equipment on most of the nation's long-distance trains is severely limiting Amtrak's ability to serve passengers in these corridors. Many trains are sold out and countless passengers are being turned away due to lack of space on trains. Amtrak MUST order new equipment for these trains at once! | |
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Progressive Railroading / Dec 1st
Amtrak yesterday reported a 24.6% increase in ridership and a 20% increase in total operating revenue in fiscal-year 2023 compared with the same period a year ago. Service resumed on all routes that were suspended during the pandemic and more trains were added to the Northeast Regional, Piedmont and Amtrak Cascades routes. Multiple state-supported Amtrak services also drove ridership gains while setting monthly or annual ridership records, including the Amtrak Downeaster and services in Virginia and North Carolina.
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Editor's Note: While this conference is geared towards rail passengers, rail workers are certainly invited and welcome. RWU is a member organization of both the Rail Users Network and the Rail Passengers Association. We encourage all rails to join either of these groups (or other advocacy organizations) and help build support for a robust passenger rail network. We make the trains run, we are on the front lines, we know the rail industry. We can play an invaluable role in assisting these folks! | |
Editor's Note: The rail industry in North America must transition to clean energy by stringing overhead catenary like much of the rest of the world's railways are doing. Our friends at Solutionary Rail and the Sierra Club have lots of wisdom about electrification. | |
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Recognizing that the rail sector generates 2% of U.S. transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Department of Energy (DOE) has released the "Progression to Net-Zero Emission Propulsion Technologies for the Rail Sector" request for information (RFI) to understand applicable decarbonization strategies. The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, other stakeholders, and the public on issues related to alternative propulsion technology advancement within the rail sector and achieving net-zero GHG emissions.
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE LABOR MOVEMENT | |
Editor's Note: While it is of course not always possible to do so, working class people should make a point of buying made-in-the-USA UNION MADE products. See the helpful guide here. | |
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Union-Made Holiday Gift Guide
Find that perfect holiday gift that carries a union label and is made in America. Shipping gifts this year? Make sure to ship using a union carrier like the U.S. Postal Service or UPS.
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Editor's Note: This is exciting and long overdue. It is time for every union in the country to stop voicing platitudes and to commit to organizing the non-union sector. And that includes rail. While rail is still the most organized sector of the economy, there are hundreds of smaller short line and regional railroads out there operating non-union. Unfortunately, with 12 different craft unions in rail it does not make the job easy. Here's an idea: What about building a single "Railroad Workers Union" to get the job done?! | |
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HAMILTON NOLAN / NOVEMBER 30
The United Auto Workers announced a new campaign to organize 150,000 new members at non-union shops. Every other major union should follow suit. What do labor unions need to do to actually roll back inequality in a way that would improve your life? They need to organize millions of new working people.
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Editor's Note: More and more unions and worker organizations are decrying the mass destruction, carnage and death in Gaza and are calling for an immediate and lasting cease fire. | |
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MINDY ISSER / DECEMBER 1
The announcement at a news conference where protesters have been on a hunger strike outside of the White House marks a major development for labor and the larger call for a cease-fire.
Brandon Mancilla, Director of United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A, which represents 50,000 active and retired workers within the larger UAW, announced the union’s call for a cease-fire publicly on Friday at a news conference outside of the White House where organizers and activists have been on a hunger strike.
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Editor's Note: "The episode is asking why unions are back, scoring organizing wins and capturing the public's imagination. They answer that question by using the structure of my airline book. The production is crazy good, and I am so proud of it. Spread the word!" | |
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By Rund Abdelfatah , Ramtin Arablouei , Peter Balonon-Rosen , Julie Caine , Casey Miner , Lawrence Wu , Cristina Kim , Anya Steinberg , Devin Katayama , Irene Noguchi , Thomas Lu / Nov 23
Hot Labor Summer has continued into fall as workers in industries from retail and carmaking to healthcare and Hollywood have organized and gone on strike. Public support for the U.S. labor movement is close to the highest it's been in 60 years.
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Editor's Note: Coming in the wake of the victories at the Big Three automakers, the UAW is well poised to win tens of thousands of non-union auto workers into the fold. The Auto Workers is setting a fine example for all unions to emulate! | |
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UAW News / Nov 29
Today, thousands of autoworkers at more than a dozen automakers launched campaigns to join the UAW. From Toyota to Tesla, from California to South Carolina, America's autoworkers are standing up to win their fair share of the auto industry's record profits. Read all about it and spread the word.
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Editor's Note: Building an internal caucus is key to challenging cautious and conservative union leadership that is out of touch with the rank & file. In the last few years, both Teamsters and Auto Workers have replaced old regimes with new younger, vigorous, progressive leaderships. Rail workers can do it too! Please attend this important workshop and learn how to change and rebuild your rail union! | |
Weekly Derailment Department | | | | |
