Cory Martin
Illinois State Legislative Board Chairman
Train Length Legislation
February 16, 2021 Brothers and Sisters, First, a little news regarding some recent legislative developments within Illinois. SMART- TD has spear headed and introduced train length legislation in multiple states throughout the US. Small variations in the exact language and technical details do exist but universally it sets the maximum train lengths at 8500 feet. Illinois’s current draft models this maximum as well. Further, regulations have been introduced that mandate carriers within our state...
Covid-19 Mishandling Reporting
Brothers and Sisters, Please exercise all caution during this COVID 19 pandemic emergency. I am asking you to report to me any practices at your respective railroads that are contrary to the recommendations of the CDC or Illinois Department of Public Health. I will continue to demand stringent policies and practices from all carriers. Please use the links below for reliable information and recommendations. I pray for the continued health and safety of you and your families. Illinois Department...
Illinois Primaries March 17th 2020!
The Illinois primaries are upon us! (Tues. March 17th 2020) It is vital that we encourage every member, every friend, neighbor and family member to VOTE! Please educate them about our union’s endorsements and why we have selected them. Our State Legislative Board’s endorsement list can be found in the members area. Feel free to share it with anyone who believes in organized labor and protecting the working class of Illinois. ISLB 2020 Primary Endorsements
National Voter Registration Day 9/24
National Voter Registration Day National Voter Registration Day is a national holiday celebrating our democracy. It was first observed in 2012 and has been growing in popularity every year since. Held on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day will take place on September 24, 2019. Learn More About National Voter Registration Day Take Action on National Voter Registration Day, to ensure you and your family/friends are registered voters, and registered at the correct...
Illinois governor signs two-person crew bill
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, August 13 - Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a two-person crew bill into law on August 9, becoming the third state to pass such a railroad safety bill in 2019. Senate Bill 24, or the "Two Person Freight Train Act," provides that: "no rail carrier shall operate a train or light engine used in connection with the movement of freight unless it has an operating crew consisting of at least 2 individuals. Provides that the minimum freight train crew size shall remain...
Urgent: Act Now On Two-Person Train Crews, Mexican Cross-Border Issue!
BLET NEWS FLASH INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, July 24 - The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is urging all members to contact their Representatives and Senators in Congress to support the union's two most pressing legislative issues: two-person train crews and foreign crews operating trains into the United States at the southern U.S./Mexican border. In mid-July, 15 BLET State Legislative Board Chairmen came to Washington D.C. to join BLET Vice President and National Legislative...
President Pierce to testify before Congress on “State of the Rail Workforce”
http://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=10234 INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 19 - BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce will testify before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials at a hearing titled "The State of the Rail Workforce" at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 20. The hearing will explore current issues facing railroad workers, including employment cutbacks and safety issues. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) serves as Chair of the House Committee on...
Governor signs two-person crew bill in Nevada
Governor signs two-person crew bill in Nevada http://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=10218 INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 15 - On May 15, organized labor secured a major victory for railroad workers and safety when Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak (D) signed a two-person crew bill into law. Assembly Bill 337 passed out of the Nevada Senate on May 7, 2019, by a 13-8 party-line vote. Previously A.B. 337 was approved by the Nevada State Assembly by a 29-12 vote. The bill requires a two-person crew...
SB24 Rail Safety Bill
Last week in Illinois House Transportation Roads and Bridges Committee SB24 was called. Myself, Bob Guy, (IL SMART Leg Director), and Mike Renkin (SMART) gave testimony in support.of the legislation. Seated in the hearing room from the BLET were ISLB 1st Vice Chris Falaney (Div 683), 2nd Vice, Rick Leschina (Div 32), 3rd Vice Cory Martin (Div 135), Jacub Szyzdek LR (458), and Nick Billingsley LR (Div 251). The bill passed by a vote of 9-4 Yes Cabello,John M (R) Yes Connor,John (D) Yes Costa...
Two-person crew bill becomes law in Colorado
BLET NEWS FLASH http://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=9198 INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, March 22 - Colorado Governor Jared S. Polis signed a two-person crew bill into law on March 21, signifying a significant boost to railroad safety in the state. The bill reads in part: "The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that it is in the public interest to require that a common carrier engaged in the transportation of freight by railroad have multiple crew members aboard a railroad...
Future of Chicago-Area Public Transit Hangs in Balance as State Lawmakers Wrap Up Hearings on Agency Funding, Oversight
Future of Chicago-Area Public Transit Hangs in Balance as State Lawmakers Wrap Up Hearings on Agency Funding, Oversight With the Chicago area’s public transit system approaching the precipice of a $730 million fiscal cliff in just over a year’s time, state Sen. Ram...
Project 2025 Would Undo the NLRB’s Progress on Protecting Workers’ Right To Organize
Project 2025 Would Undo the NLRB’s Progress on Protecting Workers’ Right To Organize As autoworkers, baristas, package carriers, Hollywood writers and actors, and thousands of other workers fight for and win new unions and new union contracts, Biden administration...
Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski, Announce $157 Million In Federal Funding For Springfield Rail Improvements Project
Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski, Announce $157 Million In Federal Funding For Springfield Rail Improvements Project SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today...
FRA awards $2.4B in CRISI grants to fund rail projects
FRA awards $2.4B in CRISI grants to fund rail projects The Federal Railroad Administration today announced the award of $2.4 billion in fiscal-year 2023-2024 grants for freight- and passenger-rail projects. Administered through the FRA's Consolidated Rail...
FRA aims to tighten rules for waivers that allow railroads to experiment with safety technology
FRA aims to tighten rules for waivers that allow railroads to experiment with safety technology This car is part of Canadian National’s Autonomous Track Inspection Program. The fully automated car evaluates track geometry without interrupting normal railroad...
U.S. STB Approves Transaction That Creates Rail Link Between Mexico, U.S. South
U.S. STB Approves Transaction That Creates Rail Link Between Mexico, U.S. South The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) has approved applications from two North American railroads to buy the rail lines operated by G&W’s Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, L.L.C....
Amtrak’s Borealis train ridership reaches 100K in five months
Amtrak’s Borealis train ridership reaches 100K in five months Amtrak’s Borealis line running between St. Paul’s Union Depot and downtown Chicago hit a milestone this week with 100,000 riders, a feat achieved in just 22 weeks since service began in May. Original...
Are Railroads Slowly Committing Suicide?
Are Railroads Slowly Committing Suicide? North America’s remaining six major freight railroads appear to be committing slow motion suicide, according to testimony offered by rail customers, industry analysts and labor to regulators on the Surface Transportation Board...
STB extends mediation for Union Pacific, Metra
STB extends mediation for Union Pacific, Metra The Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday, Oct. 15, granted Union Pacific a 30-day extension to the mediation period in its effort to reach an agreement with Chicago’s Metra regarding some financial aspects of an...
Appropriators proposal trims Amtrak fiscal 2025 budget: Analysis
Appropriators proposal trims Amtrak fiscal 2025 budget: Analysis Eastbound Wolverine No. 350 flies past the shuttered Ypsilanti, Mich., depot on June 7, 2024. The train is operating only Friday though Sunday until mid-October while midday, midweek trackwork takes...