News Archive
FMCSA, OSHA strengthening worker protections
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the coordination and cooper [...]NS sues to block disclosure of crude oil shipments
WASHINGTON – A major hauler of crude oil by rail has sued the state of Maryland to stop the public release of information about the shipments, according to court documents. The suit was filed Wednesday, the same day the U.S. Department of Transportation announced proposed rul [...]Seattle City Council seeks DOT emergency order
SEATTLE – City Councilmember Mike O’Brien and all eight of his council colleagues signed a letter calling for the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to issue an emergency order prohibiting the shipment of Bakken crude oil in legacy DOT-111 tank train cars. Bakken is highl [...]BNSF loses freight to Union Pacific amid rail delays
DALLAS – BNSF Railway Co., the only U.S. railroad ordered by the regulator (Surface Transportation Board) to provide weekly service updates, is losing market share to Union Pacific Corp., its main competitor, as train speeds slow and on-time deliveries drop. The shift in mark [...]
Via We Party Patriots: Right- and Left-Leaning Publications Omit Unions from Apprenticeship Articles Despite Massive Investment
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the benefits of apprenticeships, noting the positive effect they have on the careers of those who participate. The article seeks to provide examples of those who have benefited from apprenticeship across numerous fields, [...]RRB announces additional pre-retirement seminars
Additional locations have now been added to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) schedule of Pre-Retirement Seminars for railroad employees and their spouses. Designed for railroad employees and spouses planning to retire within five years or less, the seminars will fam [...]
Simon’s direction at LIRR leads to win-win deal
After over four years of battling with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority during a difficult and highly publicized contract dispute, SMART Transportation Division members have prevailed on Long Island. The MTA was seeking net zero wage increases, major pension r [...]BNSF train carrying N.D. crude oil derails in Seattle
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe train carrying crude oil derailed as it left a railyard in north Seattle on Thursday, but there were no reports of a spill or injuries, BNSF said in a statement. Four railcars came off the tracks at around 2 a.m. PDT (0900 GMT), three of which w [...]