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Rail News: Labor
Yesterday, the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC) submitted a proposal to the U.S. Class Is recommending the railroads stabilize their workforces in each craft to ensure there’s an adequate number of employees to meet growing freight-traffic demand.
The Association of American Railroads projects demand will increase 67 percent by 2020, “yet the carriers have failed to maintain a workforce sufficient to maintain infrastructure and operate trains,” RLBC officials said in a prepared statement. The proposal would reduce fatigue and improve safety, officials believe.
“For years, the rail carriers have been downsizing their workforces and increasing the required hours for the remaining employees,” said George Francisco, RLBC coordinator and president of coalition member National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO).
The coalition’s proposal would help prevent fatigue-related train accidents, such as a Union Pacific Railroad crash that occurred last year in Macdona, Texas, RLBC officials said. A UP train traveling 45 mph crashed into another train, puncturing a tank car and spilling chlorine gas. The first train’s engineer and conductor had worked more than 60 hours the previous week, coalition officials said.
The RLBC also includes the Teamsters Rail Conference’s Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen: Sheet Metal Workers International Association; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers; and American Train Dispatchers of America. The seven unions represent about 85,000 rail workers.
5/20/2005
Rail News: Labor
Union coalition proposes Class Is stop downsizing workforces
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Yesterday, the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC) submitted a proposal to the U.S. Class Is recommending the railroads stabilize their workforces in each craft to ensure there’s an adequate number of employees to meet growing freight-traffic demand.
The Association of American Railroads projects demand will increase 67 percent by 2020, “yet the carriers have failed to maintain a workforce sufficient to maintain infrastructure and operate trains,” RLBC officials said in a prepared statement. The proposal would reduce fatigue and improve safety, officials believe.
“For years, the rail carriers have been downsizing their workforces and increasing the required hours for the remaining employees,” said George Francisco, RLBC coordinator and president of coalition member National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO).
The coalition’s proposal would help prevent fatigue-related train accidents, such as a Union Pacific Railroad crash that occurred last year in Macdona, Texas, RLBC officials said. A UP train traveling 45 mph crashed into another train, puncturing a tank car and spilling chlorine gas. The first train’s engineer and conductor had worked more than 60 hours the previous week, coalition officials said.
The RLBC also includes the Teamsters Rail Conference’s Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen: Sheet Metal Workers International Association; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers; and American Train Dispatchers of America. The seven unions represent about 85,000 rail workers.
