Archive for March 2019
Railroads’ flood-ravaged Midwestern tracks trigger FRA emergency declaration
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/21/2019) Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory on Tuesday declared an emergency event for railroad operations because of extreme flooding throughout the Midwest. The National Weather Service has documented historic flooding throughout the region, Batory said in an emergency event announcement. Rivers rose to unprecedented levels in more than 40 locations due to melting snow…
Read MoreUnion Pacific, BNSF working to restore rail traffic in states hit hard by floods
(Source: Associated Press, March 20, 2019) OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific says its crews are working around the clock so rail traffic can return to normal in Nebraska and adjacent states hard hit by floodwaters from a late-winter storm and snowmelt. Full story: Minneapolis Star Tribune Thursday, March 21, 2019
Read MoreRight-to-work defeated in Colorado for 30th consecutive year
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, March 19, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the 30th consecutive year, a so-called “right-to-work” (RTW) proposal has gone down in ignominious defeat in Colorado. In 29 of those 30 years, the anti-worker measure was defeated in the state Legislature. The other time was in the 2008 general election when…
Read More23-car derailment shuts down Union Pacific line in Eastern Washington, prompts controlled burn of hazardous chemical
(Source: Seattle Times, March 19, 2019) SEATTLE, Wash. — The Union Pacific line that runs through Eastern Washington has been shut down since Friday by a 23-car derailment near Ritzville, Adams County, that included a hazardous cargo spill of sodium chlorate and subsequent fire that flared over the weekend. Full story: Seattle Times Wednesday, March 20,…
Read MoreTransit unions seek worker protections against automation impacts
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/18/2019) The Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO is asking Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to prepare for the impact that automation is likely to have on the public transportation workforce. As Congress and the Trump administration sets policies and regulations to facilitate the further deployment of automation, it’s imperative that “workforce…
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