Railroad Workers United

Rail workers say safety legislation doesn’t go far enough

Rail union groups are lending support to federal officials’ calls to reform rail safety but say even more steps can be taken to implement and bolster safe practices.

Railroad Workers United (RWU), an interunion group consisting of craft employees, said the Railway Safety Act proposed by a bipartisan group of five senators last week is a good first step by calling for restrictions on train length and weight, train crew staffing minimums, the regulation of wayside detectors and restrictions on the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-workers-say-safety-legislation-doesnt-go-far-enough

Trade groups, unions differ in responses to NTSB report on NS derailment

Responding to the preliminary report and comments from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) about the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near East Palestine, Ohio, rail trade groups and unions agreed it’s important not to spread misinformation.

However, there appear to be differences over what the next steps should be, particularly as it pertains to the pace of potential reforms. Statements by the parties illustrate how the discussion surrounding rail safety could shape up...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trade-groups-unions-differ-in-responses-to-ntsb-report-on-ns-derailment

Rail unions seek greater federal oversight to make operations safer

The fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in Ohio last week has prompted some rail unions to press the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to increase its oversight of the freight railroads’ safety operations.

Since rank-and-file employees are the ones close to actual operations, one way to enable federal oversight is through requiring the seven Class I railroads to adopt the confidential close call reporting system, which would provide workers with a venue to anonymously report...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-unions-seek-greater-federal-oversight-to-make-operations-safer

Why Railroad Workers United wants US rail infrastructure publicly owned

Railroad Workers United (RWU), an independent group of union members who represent different crafts in the industry, in early October adopted a resolution supporting public ownership of railroad infrastructure in the U.S.

The resolution, adopted at the group’s annual convention, is RWU’s response to what it calls a lack of desire by the freight railroads to expand the rail network and invest in it beyond regular maintenance. RWU believes that the railroads have focused too much on reducing their...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/why-railroad-workers-united-wants-us-rail-infrastructure-publicly-owned

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