BLET News

(Source: Labor Tribune, June 4, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Even as the AFL-CIO announced its endorsement of Joe Biden last week, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka noted that many frustrated rank-and-file members voted for Donald Trump in 2016. He sought to address these members directly in a video release on May 26. Full story: Labor Tribune Friday,…

(Source: Freight Waves, June 11, 2020) NEW YORK — Politically, the U.S. and China are barely on speaking terms. Trade-wise, they’re still very much in bed together. Cargo from China is accounting for an even greater share of inbound container volumes than before the coronavirus crisis, according to the latest U.S. Customs data. Full story: Railway…

(Source: Forbes, June 11, 2020) NEW YORK — Shouting over the noise of diners at a Mexican restaurant on the floor of a casino, buyout billionaire Wes Edens has come to Las Vegas, one of the cities least friendly to mass transit, to talk about passenger rail. “It’s not like I had Lionel train sets…

(Source: Railway Age opinion column by Nicholas Little, June 11, 2020) NEW YORK — In response to Jim Blaze’s interesting “Railroad Mega-mergers” article from earlier this week, I’m not sure that the historical perspective will apply in a developing “new normal” business economy in the United States. I believe COVID-19 impacts will massively change behaviors.…

(Source: Freight Waves, June 11, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Rail volumes could rebound in the second half of the year, but the pace of a rebound will depend largely on consumer confidence, executives from several Class I railroads cautioned at recent investor conferences. North American weekly rail traffic totaled 598,301 carloads and intermodal units for…