(The following article, written by Ken Orski, editor and publisher of Innovation Briefs, is reproduced with permission of Mr. Orski.) WASHINGTON — Congressional action on transportation this year, including the shape of the next surface transportation bill, will be inev [...]
WASHINGTON — As the Jan. 1, 2012, effective date for conductor certification approaches, the UTU and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are urging the Federal Railroad Administration to revise certain portions of the proposed certification rules. Chief amo [...]
Railroad Retirement, Social Security, Medicare and Railroad Unemployment Insurance payroll taxes have changed for 2011. Following are the tax rates: Railroad Retirement Tier I: Paid by employer: 6.20% on wages up to $106,800. Paid by employee: 4.2% on wages up to $106,800. S [...]
WASHINGTON — With 220,000 public and private highway-rail grade-crossings in the United States, train and engine workers are no strangers to dare-devil drivers attempting to beat the train. Through the first nine months of 2010, there were more than 1,300 train-vehicle [...]
So how did the major railroads perform in 2010? The short answer is that one wouldn’t know they were operating in the midst of a recession. Although calendar year profits have not yet been reported, railroad profits were up 33 percent for the 12 months ending in the thi [...]
It was one a pretty good year in 2010 for freight railroads. Although freight volume trailed pre-recession 2008 figures, the nation’s major railroads reported a healthy 7.3 percent jump in carload traffic and a 14.2 percent increase in intermodal (trailers and containers on f [...]
WASHINGTON — President Obama has renominated two Republicans to key transportation posts after the Senate failed to take action on the nominations last year. Nominated to the three-person National Mediation Board, for a term expiring July 1, 2013, is Republican Thomas M [...]
By UTU International President Mike Futhey We continue making progress in negotiations to amend the national rail agreement, affecting some 40,000 UTU members employed by BNSF, CSX, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and many smaller railroads represented b [...]
UTU conductor double-amputee in NS mishap Norfolk Southern conductor and UTU Local 768 member Larry McVay, age 43, lost an arm and a leg in a switching accident near Lafayette, Ind., the morning of Jan. 3, and is recovering in an Indianapolis hospital. A UTU member since Dec. [...]
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