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(AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has reiterated his concerns about railroad safety and scolded the industry for not doing more to improve since last year's fiery Ohio derailment. In a new letter to the freight railroads' main trade group, Buttigieg acknowledged that railroads say they are committed to safety. But he said too often regulators encounter resistance when trying to get the industry to do more to improve safety. And he said the Federal Railroad Administration's statistics don't show safety improving significantly over the past decade. But Buttigieg said that with two workers killed last year in rail yard accidents he's still concerned about those incidents.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, Ian Jefferies, ” Jefferies Organizations: —, Federal Railroad, Association of American Railroads, Railroads, Union Pacific, AAR, BNSF, CSX, Canadian National, Norfolk Southern Locations: OMAHA, Neb, Ohio, Palestine , Ohio, U.S, Nebraska, Norfolk Southern, Norfolk, East Palestine

Many companies have complained about poor railroad service over the past couple years as the industry worked to recover from the depths of the pandemic. It, however, welcomed regulators establishing some clear minimum service standards for railroads that never existed before and requiring railroads to report more details about their performance. Getting the rule right is important because roughly 75% of refineries and petrochemical manufacturers are only served by a single railroad. Canadian regulators have long had similar rules that allow companies to hire other railroads to deliver their goods. The Canadian rules don't require companies to prove they are getting poor service like the proposed new U.S. rules.

Persons: Scott Jensen, Martin Oberman, ” Oberman, Rob Benedict, Benedict, Ian Jefferies, ” Jefferies, Jeremy Ferguson, ” Ferguson Organizations: — Companies, Surface Transportation, American Chemistry Council, Chemistry, American, and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Association of American Railroads, Transportation Division, International Association of, Rail, Transportation Workers Locations: OMAHA, Neb, U.S, North America, Canada, Mexico

☆ U.S. trains keep derailing. Why?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Carlos Waters | In Carloswaters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Washington lawmakers are scrutinizing the freight rail industry as a string of derailments unfold in 2023. "Trains got heavier and longer," said Mark Burrows, a former locomotive engineer. The National Transportation Safety Board, which released preliminary findings in February, is conducting a full investigation of the crash. "This was 100% preventable," said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, at a February press conference focused on the preliminary report. Watch the video above to learn more about the freight rail industry and what might be leading to the current rash of train derailments in the U.S.

Paid sick leave was one of the outstanding issues in the negotiations. Rail workers get zero paid sick days. Paid sick leave is a basic human right. The measure to provide seven paid sick days did not win the required 60-vote supermajority in the Senate and was not endorsed by the White House. Senator Bernie Sanders and others denounced railroad companies for refusing to offer paid sick leave.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden addresses a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden signed legislation Friday to block a national U.S. railroad strike that could have devastated the American economy. But the Senate failed to approve a measure that would have provided paid sick days to railroad workers. Rail workers get zero paid sick days. Paid sick leave is a basic human right.

☆ How an arcane 96-year-old law stopped the rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Railway Labor Act was passed in 1926 as one of the very first labor laws in the nation. Because of the law, the House was able to vote Wednesday to impose unpopular contracts on four rail unions whose members have already rejected the terms, followed by a vote by the Senate vote late Thursday that did the same. The Railway Labor Act, passed in 1926, is the reason Congress could intervene this week to block a strike by freight railroad unions. But under the Railway Labor Act, management can fall back on hopes that Congress will give them the deal it wants. When he served in the Senate, Biden voted against an earlier effort to impose a contract on the rail unions to keep them on the job.

☆ Rail union bosses warn of election consequences as Senate moves closer to vote on labor deal to prevent strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

watch nowLeaders of the rail labor unions that have voted not to ratify the tentative labor deal tell CNBC that as the Senate moves closer to a vote on Thursday afternoon on legislation to prevent a rail strike, senators need to realize this is a humanitarian issue and their members will not forget who supported them. On Wednesday, the House passed the tentative rail labor agreement and additional legislation to add seven paid sick days, which has been one of the most important issues to rail workers in the breakdown of negotiations with freight rail companies. All three union presidents say they understand why President Biden had to push Congress to pass the tentative agreement. Biden's PEB deal 'missed the mark'Ferguson said the Presidential Emergency Board rail labor deal "missed a few marks and sidestepped a few, mainly our attendance policy issues." Supply chain congestion and rail embargoesThe unions argue that precision railroading and the lack of labor are the reasons behind congestion in the supply chain.

☆ U.S. House votes to block rail strike, mandate paid sick leave
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to approve a bill to block a potentially crippling railroad strike and to mandate paid sick time for rail workers. The House separately voted 221-207 to give seven days of paid sick leave to railroad employees, but that faces an uncertain fate in the Senate. Democrats and some Republicans have expressed outrage over the lack of paid short-term sick leave for railroad workers. "We know much more needs to be done for railroad workers," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ahead of the votes. Asked if Biden supported the separate House measure to require sick leave, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the president broadly supports paid sick leave for all Americans "but he does not support any bill or amendment that would delay getting this bill to his desk."

☆ U.S. House set to approve bill to block rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday to approve a bill to block a potentially crippling rail strike, but the fate of a separate proposal by lawmakers to mandate paid sick time remains uncertain. The influential business lobby group said the sick leave vote "would impose an unworkable, one-sided modification to a labor agreement." There are no paid short-term sick days under the tentative deal after unions asked for 15 and railroads settled on one personal day. But some labor leaders have criticized Biden for asking Congress to impose a contract that workers in four unions have rejected over its lack of paid sick leave. Both Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh are set to speak to Senate Democrats on Thursday about the rail labor issue.

☆ House approves tentative labor deal to avoid rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The House passed legislation Wednesday that would force a tentative rail labor agreement and thwart a national strike. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also plans to hold a separate vote to add seven days of paid sick leave to the agreement. He met with the four House and Senate leaders Tuesday in an effort to avoid the economic impacts of a rail strike, which the industry forecasts could cost the U.S. economy $2 billion per day. Railways and their labor unions had until Dec. 9 to reach an agreement before workers promised to strike. The tentative labor deal grants workers one additional personal day, for a total of three personal days for railroad workers.

☆ U.S. House votes to approve bill to block rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to approve a bill to block a potentially crippling rail strike, but the fate of a separate proposal by lawmakers to mandate paid sick time remains uncertain. A separate vote was ongoing on whether to give seven days of paid sick leave to railroad employees, which lawmakers said is also expected to pass the House but faces an uncertain fate in the Senate. "We know much more needs to be done for railroad workers," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. The influential business lobby group said the sick leave vote "would impose an unworkable, one-sided modification to a labor agreement." Both Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh are set to speak to Senate Democrats on Thursday about the rail labor issue.

☆ A battle over paid leave is threatening to grind the US economy to a halt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US rail workers are preparing to strike over their latest negotiations with management. Three years of rail workers' negotiations with management over this issue could soon culminate in an economy-disrupting strike, after the latest tentative agreement included just one paid personal day off a year. That's too far from the 15 days of paid sick leave that rail workers pushed for, and which railroads argue would cost them $688 million a year. While praise for essential workers has faded, rail workers still hold a lot of power in the economy. "The stockholders would go absolutely crazy if we were able to strike for one day."

☆ America may dodge a crippling rail strike. Here’s how we got here
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The House approved two pieces of legislation Wednesday, one to impose the tentative agreements that members of four of the unions have already rejected, keeping 115,000 rail workers on the job and averting a strike. More than just sick daysThe fact that this is still an issue more than two months after an 11th-hour tentative deal was reached goes beyond the issue of paid sick days. All 12 rail unions agreed to the tentative deals that generated so much opposition. But he said the issue of sick days will not be going away. Senator Bernie Sanders, a close ally of the labor movement, tweeted “At a time of record profits in the rail industry, it’s unacceptable that rail workers have ZERO guaranteed paid sick days.

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote Wednesday to block a potential a U.S. rail strike after President Joe Biden warned of the dire economic consequences of a rail disruption that could happen as early as Dec. 9. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers will vote Wednesday to impose a tentative contract deal struck in September. At a White House meeting Tuesday with congressional leaders, the Democratic president was asked if he was confident he could avert a rail strike, and responded, "I am confident." Labor unions have criticized the railroads’ sick leave and attendance policies and the lack of paid sick days for short-term illness. There are no paid sick days under the tentative deal.

☆ We are taking every step to avoid a rail work stoppage, says Association of American Railroads CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe are taking every step to avoid a rail work stoppage, says Association of American Railroads CEOIan Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss the impact of a rail stoppage on the U.S. economy amid a potential strike.

☆ Rail workers are 'enraged' and feel 'mistreated,' says a union president. It could end in a holiday season strike that would send shockwaves through the US economy.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Hannah Towey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rail workers might go on strike in December, potentially rattling the supply chain and the whole economy. BLET narrowly voted to ratify an agreement with management, but another major union voted to reject. Ultimately, if any union goes on strike, other rail unions likely will not cross the picket line. Rail workers voted in record numbers after feeling "alienated," "enraged," and "mistreated, all for the sake of profit"The Transportation Division of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), which has over 28,000 eligible voting members, narrowly voted down the proposal. If any union does strike, Pierce said, "no other union is going to cross that picket line in the railroad biz."

New York CNN Buiness —With a crippling freight rail strike looming in two weeks, leaders of four railroad unions and management of the major US freight railroads are due back at the negotiating table Tuesday afternoon. It will be the first joint negotiating session for the four unions, whose rank-and-file members rejected the five-year labor agreements similar to deals accepted by the eight other rail unions in recent months. If any one of the unions goes on strike, it would be honored by all 12 unions, which would bring US freight rail service to a halt. Union members also would receive cash bonuses of $1,000 a year. All told, the backpay and bonuses would give union members an average payment of $11,000 per worker once the deal is ratified.

☆ It's important our employees to get the compensation they deserve, says Assoc. of American Railroads CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIt's important our employees to get the compensation they deserve, says Assoc. of American Railroads CEOIan Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, joins The Exchange' to discuss what happens if railroad unions end up striking, why all 12 railroad unions need to ratify an agreement and more.

☆ Key freight rail union BMWED extends deadline for strike that threatens U.S. economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, the third largest rail union in the country, is extending its status quo period (no strike, no lockout) during which it wants to continue negotiations with the freight rail carriers. Meanwhile, two major rail unions are set to vote on ratifying the deal on Nov. 21: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the Smart Transportation Division. The rail industry has previously estimated the cost to the economy of a rail strike at $2 billion per day. The BMWED was the first rail union to vote against ratification of a labor agreement negotiated in conjunction with Biden's PEB. All 12 labor unions must ratify a labor agreement to avoid the potential for a nationwide rail shutdown.

☆ We've got plenty of time to work through a potential railroad employee strike, says AAR's Jefferies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe've got plenty of time to work through a potential railroad employee strike, says AAR's JefferiesIan Jefferies, Association of American Railroads president and CEO, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the stumbling block point for railway employees, if he is hopeful for a new railroad employee deal and more.

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