Rail & Labor News from RWU
| | Weekly Digest Number 25 - June 17th, 2025 | | 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 | | Editor's Note: These "woes" at CPKC are vaguely reminiscent of those suffered by Union Pacific in 1995 after assuming ownership of Southern Pacific; and in 1999 of Norfolk Southern assuming ownership of half of Conrail, and other less traumatic but still horrendous "melt-downs" in the wake of mega corporate rail mergers in the last quarter century. | |
Freight Waves / June 11th
The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger has gone smoothly over the past two years — until a long-planned computer system cutover last month in former Kansas City Southern territory in the U.S.
CPKC Chief Operating Officer Mark Redd says the cutover — during which CP’s operations system replaced the old KCS system and processes — led to localized service problems in Louisiana, eastern Texas, and parts of Mississippi. “We’ve struggled just a bit with some of the operating features,” he told an investor conference this morning.
The biggest impact has been to local customer switching service, Redd says. “We deeply regret some issues that we’ve had,” he says, noting that the railroad has been working closely with shippers.
| | Editor's Note: Following a five-year standoff and a three-day strike in May, NJ Transit engineers have overwhelmingly ratified a new seven-year agreement. The deal raises wages above $50 per hour and includes retroactive pay and a signing bonus. With 89 percent turnout and 95 percent voting in favor, this shows what is possible when workers are willing to act and leadership doesn’t stand in the way. | |
Trains Magazine / June 10th
NJ Transit engineers have ratified a new agreement, ending a five-year contract dispute including a three-day strike in May.
Neither side immediately released details of the seven-year deal, retroactive to 2020. But the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said it includes a pay increase that will raise hourly wages to more than $50 per hour, along with retroactive wages and a signing bonus.
Some 89% of the engineers participated in the ratification vote, with 398 (95%) voting in favor and 21 against.
| | Editor's Note: This episode of Reconnect America offers a sharp look at how Amtrak was set up to fail from the start by leaving infrastructure in the hands of freight railroads. The result is a system where passenger trains are delayed, public funds are extorted, and private freight carriers keep control without accountability. A timely reminder that real passenger rail reform starts with who owns the tracks. | |
Solutionary Rail / June 5th
[A recent episode of the Reconnect America series] delves into the creation of Amtrak in 1970 and investigates why Amtrak failed to preserve the robust passenger rail system that it took over from the private sector.
One of the factors we explored was the decision to leave U.S. rail infrastructure under the ownership of freight railroad corporations, who retained responsibility for managing the flow of traffic. As a result, Amtrak trains suffer horrendous delays at the hands of their hosts, who have a vested interest in giving priority to their own trains over Amtrak’s.
The freight railroads, in turn, often blame the problem on a lack of infrastructural capacity, and use the slightest potential increase in Amtrak service as a pretext to extort the public into dumping wildly overinflated sums of money into their capital projects.
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| Editor's Note: For a President who in his first term attempted to "zero out" Amtrak funding, and whose DOGE czar called for privatizing Amtrak a few months ago, this is a curious development. Is Trump attempting to compete with "Amtrak Joe" Biden? Is the idea to cut Northeast Corridor funding because this is "Blue state" territory, and increase funding elsewhere as this is more likely "Red state" country? | |
Trains Magazine / June 9th
Although the Trump Administration’s budget for fiscal 2026 provided little rationale for boosting Amtrak’s National Network funding by almost 23% while decreasing Northeast Corridor money by 25.5%, the proposal provides insight for Congress and company leadership on what their priorities should be.
The recent release of budget details [see “Trump budget calls for 25% cut…,” Trains News Wire, June 2, 2025], is the document Amtrak’s management and board of directors said they were waiting for before issuing an annual Grant and Legislative Request to lawmakers. [See “Trump budget, Congress mum …,” News Wire, May 2, 2025]. As of today, that plan is still being crafted.
| | Editor's Note: Railroad Workers United supports the development of a robust passenger rail network in North America. Funding these 15 new routes would go a long way to achieving this goal. Unfortunately, in most all cases, these routes -- or any new service -- would traverse mainline trackage of the Class One railroads, who have shown their vehement opposition to passenger rail (unless they are compensated billions of dollars to run a single train on a single route). This is the biggest obstacle to achieving this worthy goal. | |
Railway Age / June 9th
For the first time in the Amtrak era, we are close to a true nationwide vision that includes the entirety of the lower 48 states. The combined visions of the Amtrak ConnectsUS map, the Corridor ID Program and the FRA Amtrak Long-Distance Service Study provide a comprehensive vision of what passenger rail should look like. This is long-overdue, despite some gaps. Each route is critical to the success of the National Network. We must support all routes and connections.
While we currently have much momentum, we must guard against the pitfalls of the past to ensure that these recommendations come to fruition.
In 1992, the FRA designated five high speed rail corridors nationally, but Congress didn’t fund them or develop them further. The “Floridian Passenger Rail Service Reestablishment Act of 1993” went nowhere. In 2009, the FRA again designated 10 high-speed rail corridors.
| | Editor's Note: Union Pacific continues to lean into tech as a substitute for real accountability, touting APIs and real-time updates as signs of progress. But flashy tools mean little without investment in people, safety, and infrastructure. No app can fix a broken operating model driven by cost-cutting and Wall Street expectations. | |
Freight Waves / June 10th
Union Pacific is implementing a multifaceted technology strategy that focuses on safety, service, and operational excellence, and a customer-focused approach where real-time information is now a standard expectation.
In a webinar for customers, Kenny Rocker, executive vice president of marketing and sales, highlighted the role of API (application programming Interface) solutions in enhancing customer communication. APIs allow software systems to talk to each other and request data and functionality.
This adoption of technology allows customers to receive real-time updates on their shipments, Rocker said, providing crucial insights into location and status.
| | Editor's Note: Despite neighboring states passing two-person crew laws, Oregon remains on the sidelines—thanks in part to Rep. Paul Evans. Though once a supporter, Evans backed away when it mattered, claiming the issue was already resolved federally. It’s a familiar pattern: lawmakers talking safety until the rail lobby enters the room. | |
SMART-TD / June 9th
Three states bordering Oregon (California, Washington, and Nevada) have passed two-person crew (2-PC) laws.
Oregon State Representative Paul Evans (D) has voiced support for 2-PC in the past, signaling a readiness to join neighboring states in safeguarding critical logistics infrastructure in his state. When the time came, however, he refused to support the legislation.
He claimed that Oregon has no use for the law, because he naively assumed the issue has already been resolved at the federal level.
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SMART-TD / June 16th
It is with heavy hearts and great sorrow that we announce the passing of Brother Robert Allen “Robbie” Gardner, a cherished member of SMART-TD Local 524 and a proud conductor on the Union Pacific Railroad. Brother Gardner passed away while working a local out of UP’s yard in Lufkin, Texas, on June 9, 2025, at the young age of 43.
To honor his memory and support the family he leaves behind, Brother Dorian Fortner, Vice President of Local 524, has organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help ease the burden of his final expenses. We urge all members who are able to help support his family, and to show the love and unity that Robert always embodied.
| | 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: Join hundreds of rank and file workers from countless unions and industries to discuss what to put forward an agenda for working people, not the rich. All ail workers are encouraged to take part! | |
Labor Notes / Event on June 17th
Following the presidential election, CEOs are eager to use 2025 to bust our unions and divide working people like we've never seen. From public workers to the building trades to everyone striving to win their first union, we all have a ton on the line.
It's time to get organized to fight.
This national online workshop will dig into specific practices we can engage in as organizers to meet this moment. Labor Notes will provide a training on overcoming fear and division in your workplace, to help build the kind of member solidarity that can unite whole communities and beat back the boss attacks and the billionaires.
| | Editor's Note: While this workshop is generic and applicable to any kind of workplace and industry, rail workers are invited to take part and can learn a lot about the basics of fighting for -- and winning -- a good contract. | |
Labor Notes / Event on July 7th
What's the secret of winning a strong contract? Hint: You won't find it at the negotiations table!
Save the date for a two-part workshop from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Mondays, July 7 and July 14, on how to build a successful contract campaign and harness the power of the rank-and-file membership to win the strongest possible contract.
We will cover the basics of building a Contract Action Team (CAT), putting together an escalating campaign (potentially culminating in a strike), and dynamics between the bargaining committee, CAT, and the membership.
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In These Times / June 4th
The U.S. House recently passed a massive Trump budget bill that will cut trillions in taxes for the ultra-wealthy while eviscerating Medicaid, SNAP, and other services for working Americans. It now moves to the Senate.
This bill has been called a massive transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. It will also entrench racial economic inequality, subsidizing dynastic wealth for the majority white top 0.1 percent while defunding the public-sector jobs and benefits that have long sustained the Black middle class.
| | 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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