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Teamsters honor nurses, saying their contributions can’t be overstated
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, May 7, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Teamsters are lauding hardworking nurses nationwide, saying that as the U.S. continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, it is clear how important nurses are to the country’s health care system. “Now more than ever, every American sees the contributions that these…
Read MoreAAR: U.S. rail carload decline in April ‘worst’ on record
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/07/20) U.S. freight-rail traffic plunged 21.2 percent in April to 2,075,958 carloads and intermodal units compared with April 2019, a reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the economy, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). U.S. railroads hauled 980,535 carloads last month, down 25.2 percent, and 1,095,423 intermodal containers and trailers, down…
Read MoreBLET to mark 157th anniversary on May 8, 2020
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 7 — On May 8, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) will proudly marked its 157th anniversary. The union was founded as the Brotherhood of the Footboard on May 8, 1863 in Marshall, Mich. In 1864, the union changed its name to Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), the name it…
Read MoreLaHood, Rendell urge Congress to include infrastructure in next stimulus bill
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/06/2020) Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell earlier this week called on Congress to include transportation infrastructure investment in the next federal COVID-19 stimulus legislation. On May 4, LaHood and Rendell — as co-chairs of Building America’s Future — wrote to congressional leaders to urge the creation of a…
Read MoreMay 1 update from Railroad Retirement Board Labor Member
(BLET Editor’s Note: The following is a message to Rail Labor from John Bragg, Labor Member of the Railroad Retirement Board.) CHICAGO, May 2 — In my April 16, 2020 update, I discussed a question involving furloughs and negotiated agreements which had been added to the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) website. The question was added…
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