CHICAGO — At the BNSF Corwith intermodal yard here, the railroad has dumped a contractor and said it intends to hire its own workers to load and unload containers and trailers onto and off of flat cars, reports Chicago News Cooperative.
This comes after BNSF told many of the contractor’s 180 workers, represented by the Teamsters Union, that they were too fat, reports Chicago News Cooperative.
Although the same workers were invited to reapply for their jobs, a significant number were not, says Chicago News Cooperative. Among the reasons: They had too much body fat.
Some 30 of the workers not rehired told Chicago News Cooperative that BNSF said they ‘might’ be rehired if they lost weight.
Chicago News Cooperative said the new direct hires would be represented by the Transportation Communications Union (TCU).
One of the Teamsters, rehired by BNSF after losing 50 pounds, told Chicago News Cooperative: “Of course we’re big; we’re Teamsters. You grab your coffee and doughnuts — that’s what Teamsters do.”
BNSF declined to comment, citing potential litigation.
Related News
- House subcommittee leaders take aim at PSR cuts in STB reauthorization hearing
- STB requires additional service reporting from railroads
- Longtime Mo. SLD passes away
- The Coordinated Bargaining Coalition again calls on NMB to proffer arbitration
- April 28th proclaimed “A Day of Honor and Remembrance for Railroad Workers” in Kansas
- TD GO-386 gets arbitration win over attempted BNSF pool consolidation, other work-rule changes
- “We won’t back down!”
- SMART Transportation Division issues statement on Amtrak board nominees
- RRB resumes in-person appointments
- TD President Ferguson, three members testify before STB