Tag Archives: Rail Safety

TTD: Freight rail safety, jobs must not be jeopardized in pursuit of profits

The following is an article by Transportation Trades Department (TTD, AFL-CIO) President Larry Willis. TCU/IAM is an affiliate of TTD’s Rail Labor Division.   SEP 20, 2018 MOVEAMERICA BLOG, RAIL FREIGHT RAIL SAFETY, JOBS MUST NOT BE JEOPARDIZED IN PURSUIT OF PROFITS By Larry I. Willis There is little disagreement among lawmakers, frontline workers, government agencies, and even

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Amtrak will suspend service if PTC not installed by year’s end

On Thursday, Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson told the House Railroads Subcommittee that they will suspend service on certain lines if Positive Train Control (PTC) is not installed and ready. Anderson did not specify which lines may be suspended, and an Amtrak spokesperson later confirmed that “it’s too early to speculate,” according to the Seattle Times. 

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NTSB faults FRA for failure on sleep apnea

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ripped into President Trump’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for its prolonged failure to implement proper safety rules and guidelines regarding worker fatigue and sleep apnea. The NTSB’s special investigative report details its findings on two accidents: New Jersey Transit’s accident in Hoboken, NJ, in September, 2016, and the Long

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AFL-CIO Convention Resolutions – Wrap Up

The 2017 AFL-CIO Convention wrapped up yesterday, and with it the adoption of a number of resolutions meant to guide the organization – and the labor movement – as it continues to fight for working families. Click HERE to see all the resolutions passed. Some of the highlights: Resolution #1 – A Worker’s Bill of

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NTSB preliminary report on PA derailment: brakes were major cause

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report regarding the August 2nd accident of a CSX train in Pennsylvania, which included the derailment of 33 cars. The accident ignited 3 hazardous materials tank cars carrying propane and molten sulfur, and resulted in the evacuation of approximately 1000 residents in a nearby town,

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TTD’s Ed Wytkind Pens Amtrak Op-Ed in Wall Street Journal

On Sunday, Ed Wytkind, the President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, wrote a letter-to-the-editor of the Wall Street Journal in response to their previous editorial that largely bashed Amtrak. The article is behind a paywall so we’ve pasted the text of the letter below. Give Amtrak the Resources It Needs to Be Great We need

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House Railroads Committee Holds Hearing on Safety Regulations

  The House Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee held a hearing today on safety regulations throughout the railroad industry. Testifying on behalf of rail labor was John Tolman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The debate was – at times – fierce between proponents of safety regulations and those that want

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TTD Applauds Confirmation Of Feinberg As FRA Chief

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Sarah Feinberg as Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Feinberg had been serving as Acting Administrator for the past nine months. Ed Wytkind, President of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), issued a statement applauding her confirmation: “…In the nine months that Feinberg has served as Acting Administrator,

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