General Information
Union leaders demand clarification from FRA on waivers
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 31 — Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) President Dennis R. Pierce and SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy R. Ferguson sought clarification from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the agency granted 60-day emergency waiver requests to railroads on March 25, ostensibly to maintain their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. “As…
Read MoreFRA allows certain regulatory relief during pandemic
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/30/2020) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued some temporary regulatory relief to railroads so that they can respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The FRA announced the decision last week after the Association of American Railroads, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and the American Public Transportation Association petitioned the agency seeking relief.…
Read MoreCARES Act includes benefits for unemployed rail workers
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/30/2020) The $2.2 trillion federal stimulus legislation that Congress passed late last week included measures that ensured rail workers will have access to unemployment and sickness benefits during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announced late last week. The AAR and ASLRRA…
Read MoreBNSF, union settle dispute over employee medical privacy
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/31/2020) BNSF Railway Co. and the Brotherhood of Maintenance-of-Way Employes Division (BMWED) have settled a longtime legal dispute over medical leave of absence and return-to-work policies. Under the settlement, BNSF will change its policies so that an employee’s medical details required for return-to-work purposes will be restricted to information related to the reason the medical…
Read MoreA barrel of oil is now cheaper than a pint of beer in Canada
(Source: CNBC, March 30, 2020) NEW YORK — A pint of good beer up in Canada will probably cost you about $5 bucks. You can now get a barrel of oil for less than that. Full story: CNBC Tuesday, March 31, 2020
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