BLET News

(Source: Omaha World-Herald, February 12, 2019)  OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific on Tuesday said it cut its workforce by about 250 people, according to a memo sent to employees and obtained by the Omaha World-Herald. The company also said it had furloughed about 450 employees in the railroad’s mechanical department as more than 1,000 locomotives…

(Source: The Hour, February 6, 2019)  DARIEN, Conn. — After throttling up its growth with a string of acquisitions the past several years, the nation’s largest operator of short-line railroads hopes to capitalize on the expertise in its far-flung operations by encouraging local managers to think like entrepreneurs. Genesee & Wyoming has spent the early…

(Source: National Law Review, February 12, 2019)  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Ninth Circuit’s recent opinion in Frost v. BNSF Railway Co. is an important win for whistleblowers in that it rejects employers’ attempts to impose a heightened causation burden on whistleblowers and to weaken whistleblower protections laws by adding an “honest belief” defense. Frost adheres…

(Source: Associated Press, February 11, 2019)  NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern railroad expects to become significantly more efficient by 2021, and operate with 3,000 fewer employees and 500 fewer locomotives. Full story: News & Observer Tuesday, February 12, 2019

(Source: Pine Bluff Commercial, February 9, 2019)  PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Layoffs are affecting numerous Union Pacific workers in Pine Bluff as company officials say they are working to streamline operations through regional consolidations and cost-cutting measures in order to boost revenue. Union Pacific would not give specific numbers for jobs lost in the Pine…