rail unions

BLET and SMART-TD have decided to pursue binding arbitration in front of a third-party board instead of an appeal.

The North American railroads engage in cross-border movements too. So why hasn’t the vaccine mandate erupted into protests over cross-border rail operations in the same way trucking has? This AskWaves article explores that question.

Teamsters Canada Rail Conference is polling members on whether it should call a strike at Canadian Pacific.

Two rail unions have sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Martin Walsh criticizing the attendance policies of BNSF and other Class I railroads.

Members of BLET and SMART-TD plan to continue pursuing legal action despite a federal judge’s temporary restraining order barring them from striking.

Judge Mark T. Pittmann agreed to BNSF’s request calling for a temporary restraining order that would prevent union employees from striking as both sides potentially negotiate over BNSF’s new attendance program.

Ten unions want a mediator to assist with negotiations for a new labor agreement between the unions and U.S. freight railroads. The railroads agree.

The western U.S. railroad is asking a district court in Dallas to prevent two rail unions from striking over changes to BNSF’s attendance program, saying a strike would result in significant disruptions.

BLET and SMART-TD say the attendance program is overly restrictive and repudiates numerous collective bargaining agreements in place.

A federal district court has ruled that two rail unions must work with Chicago commuter rail Metra as it pursues a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

A Tuesday federal court ruling puts on hold the requirement that federal contractors be vaccinated against COVID-19 — and that ruling extends to Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern.

Two unions representing railroad employees want the federal court to make BNSF negotiate with the unions over implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Lawsuits between two Class I railroads and three unions have been consolidated into one proceeding in federal court, with a request to fold an additional lawsuit from BNSF into the proceeding.

BNSF is suing four railroad unions over its ability to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. BNSF says it needs to comply with President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

BLET, SMART-TD and Norfolk Southern continue to fight in federal court over the vaccine mandate and NS’ practice of using train engineers as conductors.

Union Pacific and several rail unions are arguing that the other party has failed to properly negotiate how UP should comply with President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Union members say precision scheduled railroading affects the ability to conduct thorough safety inspections.

Four rail labor groups have banded together to warn regulators about potential post-merger efforts to trim labor costs, while investment banking firm Cowen says regulators’ denial of CN’s voting trust signals that CN will have to make a strong case for its proposed merger.

TrinityRail, Canadian Pacific and Rocky Mountain Industrials announce company news; unions seek appointments to the National Mediation Board.

The U.S. District Court in Nebraska sides with Union Pacific’s request to prevent Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees division from striking over the railroad’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The railroads say they are ensuring their networks keep running as coronavirus cases surge in the Midwest. Meanwhile, union members want the railroads to be more consistent in their responses to the pandemic.

A politician’s perceived influence over transportation policy may factor into who gets financial support.

The unions filed a lawsuit against the Class I railroads, saying the railroads refuse to discuss changes to certain healthcare benefit provisions during the collective bargaining process.

Rail unions don’t want unemployment and sickness benefits to be subject to government spending cuts.

The groups want the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure that railroads’ requests to waive certain regulations stem from a true labor shortage.

A bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers are asking rail transit agencies to order safety and health guidelines that would prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Two unions’ petition to the Federal Railroad Administration contends that some Class I railroads have been slow to respond to calls for better workplace sanitation amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Class I railroads furlough workers in times of lower volumes but unions think the cuts have been too deep as a result of precision scheduled railroading.