Transportation News

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Yard accident claims UTU member

CHICAGO — A Belt Railway of Chicago switchman and UTU member with three years’ service was crushed to death between two rail cars in a hump yard here just after midnight July 25. Andres Tapia, 34, a member of UTU Local 1597 (Chicago), and working a two-person remote con [...]

Rising bus death toll accentuates safety reform need

As the UTU continues to lobby safety regulators and Congress on the need for bus-operator fatigue abatement, improved driver training and tougher bus-safety inspections, tragic events are placing even more emphasis on this topic. Since January, according to Advocates for High [...]

National rail contract delivers ‘more, now’

AFL founder Samuel Gompers said the objective of labor is, “more, now.” Our national rail agreement fulfills that objective. In an economic environment that has our brothers and sisters in other industries in a vice grip of difficult times, our agreement delivers more than ju [...]

Conductor wins $125,000 in whistle-blower complaint

A Wisconsin Central conductor has won a whistle-blower complaint against the carrier – collecting more than $125,000 in compensatory and punitive damages – for unlawful harassment and intimidation as the result of reporting an injury. This was the third successful whistle-blo [...]

Former N.O. rail official faces 18 felony charges

NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Public Belt Railway’s former general manager, Jim Bridger, reportedly is charged by the state with 18 felony counts of theft from the 15-mile city-owned railroad as well as malfeasance while on the job. The UTU represents many of the railroads’ worke [...]

Will crewmembers be given free M&Ms?

A 130-mile coal railroad, long in the planning stage to stretch from Wyoming into Montana and likely connect with BNSF, is about to be purchased in part by the billionaire whose family controls the candy giant producing M&Ms, Mars bars, Milky Way, Snickers, Skittles, Twix [...]

House T&I chair continues to twist labor’s tail

WASHINGTON – The Republican chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Rep. John Mica of Florida, added to his anti-labor reputation July 19 by inserting language in an aviation bill aimed at pressuring Senate Democrats to overturn a National Mediati [...]

Two crew members injured in BNSF rear-ender

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Two unidentified BNSF crewmembers – a conductor and engineer — were injured near here July 19 when their 110-car train, with three locomotives, ran into the rear of a stationary and unoccupied maintenance train, reports the Associated Press. The inj [...]

UTU wins protection for members on beer railway

WASHINGTON – The UTU has won a victory on behalf of 12 train and engine employees represented by the UTU and employed by Manufacturers Railway, a 124-year-old subsidiary of brewer Anheuser-Busch for which Manufacturers performs switching services in St. Louis. In March, the c [...]

Tentative national agreement slide show

Members of the UTU National Rail Contract Negotiating Committee, assisted by International officers and general chairpersons, are barnstorming the nation, holding face-to-face meetings with members to explain the tentative agreement and respond to questions. The meetings bega [...]