STB: Nothing’s the something it does best
(Source: Railway Age 12/10/2018) Written by Frank N. Wilner, Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Watching Washington, December 2018 Railway Age: New leadership arrives at railroad-focused congressional committees in January, and unless Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Ann Begeman ingests breakfast Wheaties and gains courage to produce decisions, Congress may prescribe more than a potent laxative. The motivation will be…
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BUILD grants on way for rail work in five states
(Source: Progressive Railroading 12/07/2018) Politicians, government agencies and organizations made dozens of announcements yesterday about 2018 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program grants that will be awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation(USDOT) for various projects, including several that involve freight and passenger rail. The USDOT created the BUILD program earlier this year to replace the…
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New Progressive Rail short line to operate BNSF lines in Washington state
(Source: Progressive Railroading 12/10/2018) Progressive Rail Inc. has filed a notice of exemption with the Surface Transportation Board to assume operations of about 83 miles of track owned by BNSF Railway Co. in Washington. The lines originate in Chewelah and extend to Kettle Falls, where they diverge into two branches. The west branch runs northwest from Kettle Falls to West Kettle…
Read MoreOutlook 2019: Class I CEOs predict rail traffic growth
(Source: Progressive Railroading, December 2018 issue) Good momentum. Optimism about the healthy economy. A very rosy outlook. Those are some ways the Class I chief executive officers are describing 2018’s mostly sunny business climate or their anticipation for a favorable coming year. Full story: Progressive Railroading Tuesday, December 11, 2018
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U.S. railroads post carload, intermodal gains in Week 47
(Source: Progressive Railroading 11/29/2018) U.S. railroads reported a combined gain of 3 percent in carload and intermodal traffic for the week ending Nov. 24, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. For the week, total carloads rose 1.7 percent to 232,954 units and intermodal volume increased 4.3 percent to 237,897 containers and trailers compared with the same…
Read MoreNTSB says broken rail probable cause of 2017 UP ethanol train derailment in Graettinger, Iowa
(Source: National Transportation Safety Board press release, November 27, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 10, 2017, about 12:50 a.m., Central Standard Time, eastbound Union Pacific Railroad unit ethanol train, UEGKOT-09, with 3 locomotives, 98 loaded tank cars, and 2 buffer cars filled with sand derailed near milepost 56.8 at a timber railroad bridge near Graettinger,…
Read MoreUP cuts about 200 jobs in another round of layoffs
(Source: Television station Fox 16, November 26, 2018) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Around 200 positions are being cut in a second wave of layoffs at Union Pacific. In October, Union Pacific announced a workforce reduction of approximately 475 employees occurring in the fourth quarter. Additionally, approximately 200 contract positions will be eliminated. Full story: www.fox16.com Tuesday,…
Read MoreQ&A: Buyouts and Railroad Retirement benefits
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, November 9, 2018) CHICAGO — Railroad employees frequently ask the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) how the acceptance of a buyout from a railroad employer affects their future eligibility for benefits under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts. The following questions and answers provide information on this subject. 1.…
Read MoreStop China’s infiltration of U.S. railroads
(Source: Defense One, November 26, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — America shouldn’t be buying Chinese railcars, ceding control of its rail industry, or injecting spyware-laden rolling stock into its transportation network. A myriad of problems has led to a “surprising level of foreign dependence on competitor nations,” according to the White House’s long-awaited report on the…
Read MoreFinal Open Enrollment of 2018 for the BLET Short-Term Disability On-The-Job (Part B) Coverage
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, November 26 — The final open enrollment of 2018 for the BLET’s Short-Term Disability On-The-Job (Part B) insurance ends on November 30, 2018. Those who enroll will have their coverage take effect on December 1, 2018. This is your last opportunity in 2018 to enroll in the On-The-Job (Part B). There are no…
Read MoreFRA issues final rule regarding high-speed passenger rail operations
(Source: Federal Railroad Administration press release, November 20, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a final rule establishing modern, performance-based safety standards for railroad passenger equipment. The rule reinforces FRA’s commitment to safety while representing one of the most significant enhancements to the nation’s passenger rail design…
Read MoreHistoric price crash plunges Canadian oil patch into crisis
(Source: Bloomberg, November 21, 2018) NEW YORK — While the U.S. oil industry has hit a speed bump with the recent $20 drop in oil prices in New York, producers in Canada are in a full-blown crisis. Heavy Canadian crude has been on a downward spiral since mid-May, with prices plummeting by more than 60…
Read MoreGA-46000 Lifetime maximum adjusted for 2019
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, November 16 — The lifetime maximum benefit for the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit Plan (also known as ERMA or GA-46000) will increase from $162,500 to $166,400 on January 1, 2019. At the end of 2001, Labor and Management agreed on various procedures to administer the annual changes in the…
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Introduction to precision railroading, part 3: where do we go from here?
(Source: freightwaves.com 11/05/18) November 05, 2018 Brian Bowers, contributor “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them” —Albert Einstein Last week we began exploration of the definition of precision railroading and how the industry is attempting to apply it. It is encouraging to see longstanding practices and processes being questioned.…
Read MoreUnion Pacific just broke revenue records, so why is it laying off workers?
(Source: Casper Star Tribune, November 5, 2018) CASPER, Wyo. — Loads of grain trundled down toward Mexico as summer ended, and strong crude prices drove up the number of rail cars hauling petroleum or liquefied gas by 40 percent. But Union Pacific ended a record third quarter with an announcement that nearly 700 jobs would…
Read MoreNTSB issues preliminary report in rear-end collision between UP freight trains in Granite Canyon, Wyo.
(Source: National Transportation Safety Board press release, November 5, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On October 4, 2018, at 7:38 p.m. mountain daylight time, an eastbound Union Pacific (UP) freight train MGRCY04 (striking train) collided with the rear of a stationary UP freight train MPCNP03 (stationary train) in Granite Canyon, Wyoming. Prior to the accident, the crew…
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Having the willpower to avoid the cookie aisle at the grocery store on a “normal” day is tough. Avoiding the aisle, end caps and special displays during the holiday season, well that requires super human strength. If you’ve ever been tempted to skip a glass and drink straight from a bowl of eggnog at your company holiday party, fear not. I have some suggestions you can follow to help avoid the dreaded Festive 15 lbs!
Do not let the title of this article fool you. I do not mean eating your way through the menu at McDonald’s or polishing off an entire pumpkin pie at an upcoming holiday dinner (but if wishing made it so). I’m talking about foods that help boost your mood.
Health care and health insurance is confusing and constantly changing. It seems cliche to say that, but it’s true. Which is exactly why you need to understand your health plan in order to maximize the benefits. We’ve got some tips on how to do just that.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), only 17 percent of adults in the U.S. are in “optimal mental health.” In fact, it is estimated that one in five people deal with some kind of mental health issue—anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc—that impacts our daily life.
No one can argue that social media—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc—has changed the way we interact. And now enter the iGen (short for iGeneration), the post-millennials who will be born never knowing a world without an iPhone or Facebook. (Note: I still remember my first phone, affectionately called ‘The Brick’ which I carried to and from my car like a purse.)
What does a box of cereal, a bag of pretzels and a jar of salsa have in common? The answer is a nutrition facts label. Most all food and/or food packaging requires a nutrition facts label, although there are exceptions for things like fresh fruits, vegetables and fish or edible products that have little to zero nutritional value (food coloring or tea, as an example). While most people look at the nutrition facts label, the real question is, do they understand it?
Type 2 Diabetes is a serious disease and is a growing health crisis in the U.S. But in most cases, Type 2 Diabetes is preventable—or reversible. By taking simple, common sense steps, you can manage your disease and prevent more serious complications.
Ever wonder what all the information means on your health insurance card? What phone number do you call? Why is there a BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) logo? Who is OptumRx? We’ve got a complete explanation of what it all means.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month so all month long, we’ll be providing you with resources and information on screening, treatment, risk factors and symptoms.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen - UP Western Region GCA represents locomotive engineers working in the Western Region of the Union Pacific Railroad, which encompasses Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and portions of Nevada. We also represent members on the Portland & Western Railroad as well as the Portland Terminal Railroad.
Disclaimer: This website is not affiliated with Union Pacific Railroad, and the information contained within these web pages may not reflect the views or opinions of the Union Pacific Railroad.