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| Philadelphia: Will the last SEPTA engineer please turn out the lights? Agency should have 230 engineers but it is down to just 160 – and dropping |
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The BLET continues to sound the warning bell at SEPTA. The commuter railroad serving Philadelphia and suburban areas in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey is near its breaking point due to a lack of qualified locomotive engineers to run trains. Train cancellations, delays, and ridership anger are on the rise as the engineer ranks continue to fall.
In a recent news story published widely by the Gannett/ USA Today network of newspapers, BLET National Vice President Jim Louis said: “I’m in my 47th year as a railroader. And SEPTA is the worst of the worst.”
General Chairman Don Hill said dozens of engineers have left SEPTA to seek greener pastures and higher pay at Amtrak and nearby commuter railroads. The engineer’s roster, which should be at 230, is at a dangerously low 160. Hill said SEPTA needs 141 engineers to cover basic daily service.
“They don’t have a lot of options,” Hill said of the agency. “The way things are now, they have no extras. There are no reserves.”
The BLET is negotiating for a better wage package that would improve engineer retention, but SEPTA has been unwilling to step up and provide the pay increases necessary to make it a competitive employer.
Read the full story here. |
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| BLET National Vice President Jim Louis: “I’m in my 47th year as a railroader. And SEPTA is the worst of the worst.” |
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| Teamster news: UPS bows to Teamster pressure, negotiations to resume |
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Contract negotiations between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS will continue next week in advance of a July 31 deadline. Talks fell apart earlier this month, but UPS bowed to an overwhelming show of Teamster unity and reached out to the union to resume negotiations on July 19. The union’s 340,000 UPS members voted 97 percent in favor of authorizing a strike if they don’t reach an agreement with UPS by July 31 when their contracts are up.
“UPS [must] to come to its senses and reward 340,000 hardworking Teamsters with the strong contract that they have earned and deserve,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said. “This company makes record profits on the backs of our members who put their lives at risk during the toughest times of the pandemic. The greed of UPS executives is a threat to America — it’s a threat to the economy. If we don’t have an acceptable deal for our members by midnight on July 31, UPS will put itself on strike.”
UPS relies on the major Class I railroads as critical spokes in its distribution network. UPS made more than $100 billion last year alone.
More details can be found here. |
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| Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien: “This company makes record profits on the backs of our members who put their lives at risk during the toughest times of the pandemic.” |
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| U.S. Senate: Schumer condemns efforts to deregulate the rail industry, urges Senate to pass Railway Safety Act of 2023 |
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| Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “I hope that we can work together — Democrats and Republicans — to put a much-needed, long-overdue check on Big Rail and make sure another East Palestine never happens.” |
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In a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) condemned Senate Republicans for pushing “self-regulation” of the railroad industry in the aftermath of the toxic East Palestine derailment. Such dangerous political games would make the industry less safe by allowing the railroads to transport more hazardous materials without proper oversight.
Schumer also urged fellow Senators to support the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which would tighten safety regulations and mandate two-person train crews. “I hope that we can work together — Democrats and Republicans — to put a much-needed, long-overdue check on Big Rail and make sure another East Palestine never happens,” Schumer said. “And I commend the bipartisan legislation, led by the senators from Ohio, Senator Brown, a Democrat, and Senator Vance, a Republican, to move things forward.”
Click here to read the Majority Leader’s full remarks. |
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| U.S. House of Representatives: Republicans want to gut already-approved Amtrak funding |
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| The Rail Labor unions of the TTD, AFL-CIO, condemned the proposed bill: “The entirety of Rail Labor stands together in opposition to proposed funding cuts that would devastate the U.S. passenger rail and freight rail networks.” |
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On July 12, a House subcommittee advanced a fiscal-year 2024 appropriations bill that would slash funding for Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, and several rail-related programs.
Amtrak would receive $876 million under the bill, which represents a $1.6 billion cut from the FY2023 enacted level. The bill would also eliminate the federal-state Partnership for Intercity Rail program. The Federal Railroad Administration would receive $1.5 billion in total budgetary resources, nearly $2 billion less than FY2023.
The Rail Labor unions of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, condemned the proposed bill: “The entirety of Rail Labor stands together in opposition to proposed funding cuts that would devastate the U.S. passenger rail and freight rail networks.”
Amtrak’s CEO said the cuts would force the passenger railroad to scale back or eliminate service on certain routes.
More details can be found here. |
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| New York: Fleischmann reelected New York State Legislative Board Chairman |
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Officers, members and guests attending the BLET New York State Legislative Board quadrennial meeting in Lake George, N.Y., July 10, 2023.
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Brother William J. Fleischmann, BLET Division 752 (Rensselaer, N.Y.), was reelected to his second term as Chairman of the New York State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting in Lake George, N.Y., July 9-12, 2023.
The New York State Legislative Board represents 12 local Divisions and more than 2,200 active and retired members throughout New York, including both freight and passenger lines.
An Amtrak locomotive engineer, Brother Fleischmann was elected Chairman in 2019, having won election to serve the Board as 1st Vice Chairman in 2015. He has been a member of BLET Division 752 since December 1, 1998.
Also elected were: 1st Vice Chairman Karl Bischoff, Division 269 (Long Island, N.Y.); 2nd Vice Chairman Justin Stutz, Division 382 (Buffalo, N.Y.); Secretary-Treasurer Corey Engel, Division 752 (Rensselaer, N.Y.); and Alternate Secretary-Treasurer Josh Lamarti, Division 421 (Buffalo, N.Y.).
Elected to serve as Trustees were: Josh Beckner, Division 641 (Hornell, N.Y.); Justin Stutz, Division 382 (Buffalo, N.Y.); and Dave Kearsing, Division 46 (Albany, N.Y.). |
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| Two-person crew: State legislation advances in Kansas and New Jersey – but helped needed from BLET members to get bills across the finish line |
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Your help is requested to support BLET’s case for two-person crew requirements in Kansas and New Jersey.
In Kansas, State Legislative Board Chairman Brandon Nunnenkamp reports that the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has proposed a two-person crew regulation (K.A.R. 36-43-1), and is seeking public comments on the matter. BLET members, family, friends, BLET Auxiliary members, and neighbors are asked to write in and voice their support. Emails should be sent to: Emily.brown@ks.gov. The first public comment period closed earlier this month with overwhelming support for two-person crews: over 200 in support and less than 10 opposed. “The railroads were not happy and asked for comments to be extended for an additional seven days. Let’s not take our foot off the pedal,” Brother Nunnenkamp said. Again, please send comments in support of two-person train crews to Emily.brown@ks.gov. The deadline is August 2.
In New Jersey, State Legislative Board Chairman Ray Vigil is asking members and their families to call their elected officials and ask them to support the Safe Rail Bill (Assembly Bill A5605 and Senate Bill S4049. The proposed legislation would protect communities by requiring a two-person crew inside locomotive cabs. Backers of the legislation note that having a two-person crew enhances response time when there is a derailment. Two-person crews can also respond more promptly when road crossings are blocked to give access to first responders in the event of an emergency. Contact information for the New Jersey Legislature can be found at: www.njleg.state.nj.us. |
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| They’re baack…: Union Pacific renews push for one-person crews |
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| Union Pacific Railroad will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when it tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. |
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According to the Associated Press, the Union Pacific Railroad will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when it tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. The railroad will continue using two crew members on its trains during the test, but officials say this could bolster their case in future negotiations for cutting crew size if it is successful.
The pilot program, in conjunction with SMART-TD, will run in western Nebraska between North Platte and Morrill and in Colorado and Wyoming between Denver and Cheyenne starting in August and September. The railroad’s idea is to test out how quickly a conductor in a truck can respond to any problem compared to how quickly a conductor on the train will be able to walk back along the train to find an issue.
Read the full story here. |
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Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen · 7061 East Pleasant Valley Road · Independence, OH 44131 · USA
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