The rail unions bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition* (CBC) and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way/SMART Mechanical Coalition are calling on the National Mediation Board (NMB) to “put forth a proffer of arbitration,” following the second week of compulsory joint NMB-mediated negotiations with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC). Now, negotiations are […]
Questions about the current language have arisen amid rail service issues By Joanna Marsh for freightwaves.com When a U.S. freight railroad engages with a rail shipper of bulk commodities to haul goods, the railroad must abide by terms expressed in federal code. That federal code is known as the common carrier obligation. According to the definition for […]
By capitalpress.com It’s been a rough couple of years for ag shippers. Truck and driver shortages, port delays in the U.S. and Asia and spotty service from railroads. The list goes on. Except for one thing. While the supply chain has always been subject to longshore union slowdowns or other factors, the ability of railroads […]
By Chase Gunnoe for trains.com Getting cars to their destination is a mutual goal; customer input should be welcomed Railroads measure key operating metrics through railcar velocities. Class I railroads gauge operating performance by how many miles a railcar travels in a day on its network, the average speed of regularly scheduled trains, and average […]
By progressiverailroading.com U.S. freight-rail traffic decreased 5.4% to 505,120 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending May 14 compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroadsdata. Railroads logged 230,128 carloads, down 5.2%, and 274,992 containers and trailers, down 5.5%. Three of the 10 carload commodity groups that the AAR tracks […]
By: AJOT.com The Federal Railroad Administration today released its Annual Enforcement Report summarizing regulatory compliance inspections and audits that FRA or state inspectors participating in FRA’s rail safety program conducted during the past fiscal year (FY), as well as civil penalty enforcement actions arising from them. In FY 2021, over 70,000 inspections were conducted to assess railroad […]
After hundreds of railroaders quit, BNSF has modified its new attendance policy effective June 1. Union detractors remain unmoved. by Justin Franz for montanafreepress.org Montana’s largest railroad company is making changes to a controversial new employee attendance policy after receiving pushback from railroaders and unions. But even with the changes, labor officials remain unimpressed and […]
Written by Frank N. Wilner, Capitol Hill Contributing Editor for railwayage.com The National Mediation Board (NMB) has agreed to give the nation’s 12 railroad labor unions, representing some 125,000 unionized rail workers, an opportunity May 24-26 to demonstrate their commitment to a voluntarily negotiated settlement with most of the nation’s railroads over changes in wages, […]
By David Lassen for trains.com Post-pandemic hiring woes show a need to rethink the nature of rail jobs, CEO says The 40 or so union rail employees picketing outside the site of the National Rail Shippers Conference, unhappy over their lack of a new national contract, might have been surprised by the message delivered inside […]
By David Shepardson for reuters.com U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak said on Monday it is boosting train service ahead of an expected busy summer travel season and as rail demand returns, with high gasoline prices encouraging more people to take trains. Amtrak said it planned to operate about 80% of pre-pandemic level Northeast Regional train departures […]