Union Pacific’s leasing scheme to cost jobs in Eugene, Oregon 

Union Pacific announced that they plan to lease their interest in Oregon’s railroad operations to the Central Oregon Pacific Railroad (CORP).  
 
Under the agreement, UP will relinquish control of rail operations in Eugene, Oregon’s yard, the largest between Seattle and San Francisco, as well as 29 miles of main line that supports regional businesses and industries. 

The lease to CORP, a short-line railroad, will result in the loss of 30-40 highly qualified, FRA-certified Class I railroad jobs. If allowed to proceed, they will be replaced with about 15 new CORP employees, who will possess far less territorial knowledge and experience. 

This is a recipe for disaster: replacing a unionized workforce with the skills and knowledge to safely operate these trains with less-qualified counterparts will have devastating consequences for the local community and its economy. 

SMART-TD organizes defense of Eugene Yard crews and community 

On Sunday, Jan. 26 residents impacted by the lease held a meeting to discuss their options.  

Oregon State Safety & Legislative Director Dan Garrison emphasized that the change boils down to the railroad’s focus on cutting cost, while shifting responsibility for safety and accountability to a smaller railroad.  

Brother Garrison has been organizing an appeal to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). With the assistance of SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson, Jared Cassity in our National Safety and Legislative Department, and our legal team, they plan to stop UP in its tracks.  

The power of public comments

The STB has the authority to approve or reject the sale or lease of rail lines throughout the U.S. While reviewing these deals they review input from interested parties and the public at-large.  

Brother Garrison and President Ferguson are leveraging this opportunity to the fullest extent possible! This is SMART-TD’s opportunity to educate the STB on exactly what the ramifications will be if UP’s hedge fund parlor trick is allowed to go through as planned.  

SMART-TD is steadfast

UP’s lawyers may not appreciate the blue-collar logic or the amount of effort our brothers are putting into blocking their plan, but they should expect it.  

This is personal for Garrison, who works as a UP conductor out of the Eugene Yard. He knows and stands behind every man and woman UP puts at risk with this plan. 

It is a problem when our brothers and sisters lose their jobs. It is not acceptable to force an experienced, professional workforce to crisscross a state the size of Oregon to chase work. UP’s profit comes at our members’ expense. 

When railroaders are faced with what appears to be an insurmountable problem, we grab our hammer, duct tape, wrench, and zip ties and figure out how to get the job done.   

The deadline for submissions to the STB is this Friday Jan 31. We’ll make sure our voices are heard, and if Garrison and his team are up against it, UP can be sure that these guys and President Ferguson will stand strong and fight with every tool they have available. 

Our mission does not waiver: SMART-TD is committed to fighting for the protection of American rail workers, the safety of the public, and the long-term stability of the U.S. freight rail network.