Class Is sue SMART-TD over minimum train crew issue

Class Is and a few other freight railroads are suing the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air Rail and Transportation Workers' Transportation Division (SMART-TD) to force the union to negotiate over the size of train crews in upcoming collective bargaining talks, Law360.com reported last week.

The case was filed Oct. 3 in federal court in the Northern District of Texas. BNSF Railway Co., CSX and the other railroads said the the union has refused to negotiate over the "crew consist" issue, arguing that such negotiations are prohibited under existing contracts, Law360.com reported.

The railroads said the dispute should be resolved through arbitration. According to a statement by the railroads' lead attorney, proposals for the current bargining round can be exchanged starting Nov. 1, when the railroads hope to share their ideas for the future of train crews.

In their lawsuit, the railroads stated they will be "will be unable to progress the bargaining in the face of SMART-TD's ... tactics to delay or obstruct any negotiations over crew consist. Every day that the railroads are unable to obtain new agreements is another day that they are unable to realize the benefits of more efficient and productive operations, and there is no way for the railroads to recover those lost potential savings," Law360.com reported.

The railroads' suit is not the first time that rail carriers have tried to "attack" the crew consist issue, SMART officials said in a press release.

"This latest attempt is nothing new, and it will once again be met with a vigorous defense," said SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson.