Cornerstone Open Enrollment is Now Through Wednesday, October 31, 2018

(Source: National Public Radio, August 8, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voters in Missouri have overwhelmingly rejected a right-to-work law passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature that would have banned compulsory union fees — a resounding victory for organized labor that spent millions of dollars to defeat the measure. Full story: www.npr.org Wednesday, August 8, 2018

(Source: Associated Press, July 31, 2018) SANDPOINT, Idaho — Idaho officials have approved Railway’s application for a permit to build a second railroad bridge in northern Idaho across Lake Pend Oreille and Sand Creek in Sandpoint. Full story: Construction Equipment Guide Wednesday, August 1, 2018

(Source: Bloomberg, July 31, 2018) NEW YORK — Crude oil demand may be on the rise again, but Canadian National Railway Co.’s new leader insists energy shipments won’t displace longtime railroad staples such as grain and lumber. Full story: Bloomberg Tuesday, July 31, 2018

(Source: Calgary Herald, July 31, 2018) CALGARY — Canadian oil exports moving by train have set another record and the trend won’t be derailed anytime soon — until additional pipelines are built. New National Energy Board figures show 199,000 barrels of oil were exported daily by rail in May, up slightly from April and a…

(Source: StarMetro Vancouver, July 30, 2018) VANCOUVER, B.C. — A longtime Canadian Pacific Railway engineer in Revelstoke, B.C., said he’s concerned but not surprised that a CP manager was found guilty of ordering a train with potentially explosive freight to be left on a hill without applying a handbrake. Full story: The Star

(Source: Railway Age, July 27, 2018) NEW YORK — An industry economic impact report found short line railroads provide $6.5 billion in added value to the U.S. economy – aided by the positive impact of the Short Line Tax Credit. The report, which was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and released by the American Short Line…

(Source: Geek Wire, July 26, 2018) SEATTLE, Wash. — The effort to build a high-speed rail connecting Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C. just got a fresh cash infusion. Microsoft, the Province of British Columbia, and the Oregon Department of Transportation are putting $750,000 in new funding toward a deeper study of the business opportunity the…

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, July 25 — BLET Legislative Representatives visited 150 Congressional offices in Washington, D.C. on July 13 as part of a major railroad safety lobbying effort and to make members of Congress aware of the union’s struggle to preserve the jobs of BLET members who work for the Texas Mexican Railway (Tex Mex). On…

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, July 24 — The BLET National Division has launched a new website — https://bletconvention.org — to provide key information to delegates, vendors and guests attending the union’s Fourth National Convention, which will be held October 1-4, 2018. The BLET’s Fourth National Convention will convene at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada,…

(Source: CNBC, July 19, 2018) NEW YORK — In a television interview with CNBC, Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz discusses the rail operator’s quarterly earnings and the impact of the Trump administration’s trade policies on the business. Full story and video: CNBC Friday, July 20, 2018

(Source: Associated Press, July 19, 2018) OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific hauled in 29 percent more second-quarter profit as the railroad handled 4 percent more shipments, but the results might have been better if not for some operational challenges. UP CEO Lance Fritz said the railroad’s performance was hurt by shortages of train crews and…

(Source: Union Pacific press release, July 19, 2018) OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Corporation today reported 2018 second quarter net income of $1.5 billion, or a second quarter record $1.98 per diluted share. This compares to $1.2 billion, or $1.45 per diluted share, in the second quarter 2017. Second Quarter Results • Diluted earnings per…