Four major commuter rail workers’ unions have ratified new contracts with Keolis Commuter Services, which operates the commuter rail system in the Boston metro area on behalf of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Amtrak. IAM Local 318, representing 175 workers; Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU/IAM), representing 130 workers; Brotherhood Railway Carmen, representing more than
Read moreSeptember 22, 2021 — The Rail Unions comprising the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition (CBC), negotiating together in the current round of National Negotiations, have issued the following statement: As we advised in January of 2021, the CBC and the nation’s rail carriers have been at the bargaining table since the beginning of 2020. Since January, CBC
Read moreOn April 12, 2019, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) granted the BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) a test waiver to conduct a pilot program to “demonstrate that the use of wheel temperature detectors (WTD) to prove brake health effectiveness (BHE) would improve safety, reduce risks to employees, and provide cost savings to the industry.” This regulatory
Read moreOn March 9, 2021, the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requesting a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR parts 215 (Railroad Freight Car Safety Standards) and 232 (Brake System Safety Standards for Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment;
Read moreIn April 2021, the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a system wide waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations regarding periodic refresher training for all UP’s Transportation employees. Specifically, UP proposed to create a 3-D simulation using web-based software as a third alternative
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