A new labor agreement between U.S. freight railroads and the railroad unions may not appear anytime soon, both sides hinted late Tuesday following a federal regulator’s decision to halt mediation efforts.
Freight railroads, including the Class I railroads, and the railroad unions have been embroiled in disagreements over a contract since January 2020, with the National Mediation Board (NMB) stepping in earlier this year to mediate. The NMB is an independent federal agency that mediates labor...
Service disruptions at the Class I railroads have come to a head in recent weeks, and shippers and the unions representing rail workers are clamoring for changes to the freight rail industry of a magnitude to match the disruptions.
Some examples of subpar rail service: Excessive dwell times at the origin, resulting in the doubling of transit times between the Midwest and West Coast for grain shippers and tardy arrivals that pressure flour and feed mills and ethanol plants to temporarily cease...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/should-the-freight-rail-industry-be-overhauled
The Coordinated Bargaining Coalition has rejected the offer from the Class I railroads to advance payments to union members amid an ongoing impasse at the negotiating table.
The coalition, which represents the 10 rail unions negotiating with the Class I railroads over a new labor agreement, on Monday reiterated its stance from January that arbitration would be the best step moving forward. At that time, the unions applied to the National Mediation Board (NMB) for a federal mediator because of...
The group representing the Class I railroads in contract negotiations with U.S. rail unions is proposing advance payments, but one union rebuffed the offer, calling the amount inadequate.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) is offering advance payments to members of the rail unions currently participating in the negotiations.
The advance payments would address impacts that rail employees have encountered from the COVID-19 pandemic. They are being offered because the contract...
As part of a broader effort to repair the relationship between the railroads and the unions, CSX is advancing monthly advance payments on future wage adjustments to union employees as both parties continue to undergo labor negotiations.
CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) made the tentative agreement with trainmen and yardmasters with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, Transportation Division (SMART-TD). The railroad said it would reach out to other labor representatives to reach similar...
The Surface Transportation Board has scheduled a hearing for April 26-27 in response to a letter sent by the National Grain and Feed Association about worsening rail service.
The March 24 letter has gotten support from various rail unions and other stakeholders in recent days. These stakeholders are also asking the STB to examine the causes behind the service delays.
Here’s a roundup of what’s been said recently:
Unions criticize headcount reductions, blame service issues on lack of adequate...https://www.freightwaves.com/news/industries-dependent-upon-the-railroads-service-are-forsaken
Democratic leaders with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure are urging the Federal Railroad Administration to address worker fatigue as well as the attendance policies of the Class I railroads.
In a Wednesday letter to FRA Administrator Amit Bose, committee Chairman Peter DeFazio of Oregon and Rep. Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey, chairman of the Subcommittee on...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-roundup-lawmakers-want-worker-fatigue-addressed
The truckers’ protests at the U.S.-Canadian border began over COVID-19 vaccine mandates: Canadian workers needed to be vaccinated crossing into the United States and vice versa.
North American freight rail operations also cross the border, but there hasn’t been the same level of dissent among rail workers. The rail unions and some of the Class I railroads did go to court over rail companies’ implementation of the vaccine mandate for federal contractors — a mandate that has since been stalled by...
Trinity Industries’ (NYSE: TRN) arm TrinityRail has announced two new service offerings: a technology platform aimed at helping North American rail shippers track railcar fleets and the acquisition of Bay Worx Rail, a company that uses advanced robotics to clean tank cars.
The technology platform, Trinsight, will provide real-time intelligence of the location, conditions and status of rail equipment, TrinityRail said....
Union members affiliated with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way – Employes Division (BMWED) can’t strike against Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) over their concerns about how Union Pacific (UP) has handled the COVID-19 pandemic among its workforce.
In a Thursday decision by Judge Brian C. Buescher of the U.S. District Court in Nebraska, Buescher sided with UP’s request asking for a preliminary injunction that would prevent BMWED from taking actions that would disrupt operations, such as picketing...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/court-sides-with-union-pacific-thwarting-potential-strikes