Oil industry must join railroads to boost train safety

WASHINGTON – Rail operators are going to great lengths to prevent oil train derailments but the energy sector must do more to prevent accidents from becoming fiery disasters, the leading U.S. rail regulator said on Friday (March 13). Oil train tankers have jumped the tracks i [...]

New Mexico Puts Right to Work “for less” Garbage In The Trash

The right to work “for less” garbage proposed in New Mexico was voted down and trashed by the pro-worker majority on the state’s Senate Public Affairs Committee, a major victory for working families across the state who spoke out against the controversial pr [...]

Oakland Old Rails Club planning April 12 dinner

The Oakland Old Rails Club is planning its annual dinner and get together for Sunday, April 12, 2015, at the Elios Family Restaurant at 260 Floresta Blvd., San Leandro, Calif. The event will begin at noon with a no-host bar, with dinner to be served at 1:00 p.m. There are thr [...]

Former MTA chief expected to head Metrolink

The Metrolink commuter rail system’s board of directors on Friday is expected to hire Art Leahy, the former head of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as the railroad’s chief executive officer. Leahy, 66, is a veteran transit official wh [...]

Washington House passes railroad crew van bill

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington House of Representatives voted 84-14 March 10 to pass Rep. Derek Stanford’s (D – Bothell) bill to strengthen safety regulations for the transportation of railroad workers to and from work. Prior to 1977, railroad companies operated van services [...]

Renzenberger Drivers Vote Unanimously for SMART Representation

On March 6th, Sheet Metal Local 71 in Buffalo won a representation election at Renzenberger, Inc. This came by way of a unanimous vote by the company’s drivers for SMART representation.  The election was a three way race between SMART, an independent union called the National [...]

Amtrak renames Chicago operations center for Szabo

Amtrak on Tuesday renamed its operations center in Chicago to honor Joseph Szabo, a fifth-generation railroader who headed the Federal Railroad Administration for 51/2 years of the Obama administration. Szabo, 56, left the administration in December to return to Chicago, wher [...]