General Information
Right-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…
Read MoreFRA denies KCS request to move brake test to Mexico yards
(Source: Trains, March 18, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Railroad Administration has denied Kansas City Southern’s request to shift a brake test from the International Railway Bridge in Laredo, Texas, to one of its yards in neighboring Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Full story: Trains Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Read MoreUnion Pacific: Weak rail traffic for sixth straight week
(Source: Market Realist, March 18, 2019) NEW YORK — The weakness in Union Pacific’s rail traffic continued for the sixth straight week. The company recorded an 8.2% year-over-year decline in its rail traffic in week 10 to 155,845 railcars from 169,846 railcars carried in the same week the previous year. Full story: Market Realist Tuesday, March…
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