Chris Falaney
Illinois State Legislative Board Chairman
I toured the BRC Clearing yard in Chicago today with Illinois Congressman, Sean Casten and other Rail Labor leadership.
The short lines – doing their part in fighting against our safety…
Rail safety legislation: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has continued to speak publicly about his desire to move forward the Brown-Vance rail safety bill (S. 576). The bill would need 60 votes to clear a procedural hurdle and be considered on the floor....
Chairman, Chris Falaney and Vice Chairman, Corey Martin with STB member Robert Primus
Chairman, Chris Falaney and Vice Chairman, Corey Martin with STB member Robert Primus at the 2023 BLET Regional Meeting in Milwaukee.
2023 recipients of the BLET ISLB Don Little Scholarships
The 2023 BLET ISLB Don Little Scholarships have been awarded! Dylan Hawbaker (Div. 155) Sarah Molitor (Div. 131) Morgan Toedebusch (Div. 444) Congratulations, and best of luck on your future endeavors!
17,807
Grain carloads carried by U.S. railroads in the week ending May 20, down 12.7% from a year ago and leaving the commodity traffic down 7.1% so far this year, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Meeting National President Eddie Hall
I got a chance to chat with our new National President Eddie Hall at the NASLBC meeting in Kansas City. (pic)
Norfolk Southern Wants Ohio Securities Suit In Georgia
Norfolk Southern asked an Ohio federal judge Friday to send a proposed securities class action accusing it of misleading investors by not disclosing the heightened risks of train derailments prior to the February incident to the Northern District of Georgia, as it...
California Trucking Bill Has Autonomous Vehicle Industry On Edge.
Momentum for a California proposal seeking to ban autonomous heavy-duty trucks from operating without a human driver behind the wheel has sparked fears that the Golden State will kick off a nationwide patchwork of state regulations that will hinder the burgeoning...
Congressman Chuy Garcia
Had an excellent conversation with Congressman Chuy Garcia this morning. As you can expect, he is very squarely behind the Railway Safety legislation moving through the US Congress. I stressed to him the importance that ALL of the items and protections must stay in...
Just so you know, this is now who we have on T&I…
Nehls Leads Call for Biden Administration to Prioritize Rail Safety Over Special Interests? Washington, D.C. - Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, led fellow T&I Committee Republicans in urging the...
Dow Rips Norfolk Southern’s Bid To Share Derailment Cleanup.
Dow Rips Norfolk Southern's Bid To Share Derailment Cleanup. Dow Chemical claimed Friday in Ohio federal court that Norfolk Southern is attempting to dump environmental cleanup costs on shipping customers that had rail cars carrying chemicals in the train that...
ACC wants STB to look into Class I liability requirements for hazmat shipments
ACC wants STB to look into Class I liability requirements for hazmat shipments The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is expressing concern to the Surface Transportation Board about the Class Is’ liability requirements for shippers of hazardous materials. In a Sept. 12...
UAW Goes on Strike Against GM, Ford and Stellantis
UAW Goes on Strike Against GM, Ford and Stellantis The United Auto Workers union hit the picket lines shortly after midnight, striking all three Detroit car companies at once for the first time. The work stoppages targeted factories in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. UAW...
TEAMSTERS STAND WITH UAW FOR FAIR CONTRACT AT BIG 3 AUTOMAKERS
TEAMSTERS STAND WITH UAW FOR FAIR CONTRACT AT BIG 3 AUTOMAKERS (WASHINGTON) – The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien on contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors: “The...
J.B. Hunt acquiring BNSF Logistics’ brokerage unit
J.B. Hunt acquiring BNSF Logistics’ brokerage unit J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced Thursday it will acquire the brokerage operations of BNSF Logistics, a subsidiary of BNSF Railway. BNSF Logistics provides a full suite of 3PL services through employees and...
124,991
124,991 Carloads of motor vehicles and parts shipped on railroads in North America in August, 13.9% higher than the same month last year, leaving the shipments up 13.3% for 2023, according to the Association of American Railroads.
FRA advisory: High-impact wheels damage rails, track structures
FRA advisory: High-impact wheels damage rails, track structures The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory recommending railroads utilize wheel impact load detectors (WILD) to identify and replace high-impact rail-car wheels that could cause...
Compare and contrast as they say…
Republican T&I Committee Chair: "There are also some issues that need to be considered as this expensive technology is safely integrated into existing fleets. For example, we need to discuss if any rules and regulations at the federal level need to change to...
TEAMSTERS RELEASE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE POLICY FRAMEWORK
TEAMSTERS RELEASE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE POLICY FRAMEWORK Workers, Safety Must Be Prioritized in Autonomous Vehicle Legislation (WASHINGTON) – Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters released a guiding document for federal policymakers to address issues with...
Union Pacific’s new CEO won’t forego cuts as he works to improve safety and service at the railroad
Union Pacific’s new CEO won’t forego cuts as he works to improve safety and service at the railroad OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific’s new CEO, who came into the job last month with a reputation for cost-cutting, says he won’t shy away from that but no one should...