FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 Volume 34, Issue 2 Daily news updates ocomotive WWW.BLE-T.ORG LE NGIN ee RS & T RAINM E N N E WS Published by the BLET, a division of the Rail Conference,• International Brotherhood of Teamsters RAILROAD BLET MOVES TO PROTECT MEMBERS WORKERS TO FROM SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS BENEFIT FROM he Brotherhood of Locomotive En- Most notably, the BLET and the SMART Trans- tect BLET members, their co-workers and the gen- CORONAVIRUS gineers and Trainmen (BLET) is portation Division (SMART-TD) filed two joint pe- eral public from the ongoing coronavirus (COV- working on various fronts to ad- titions on March 20 urging the Federal Railroad ID-19) pandemic. STIMULUS dress member health and safety in Administration (FRA) to issue an Emergency Order The International Brotherhood of Teamsters have response to the national COVID-19 (EO) to address sanitation issues in the freight and also taken actions to ensure that working people are PACKAGE (coronavirus) outbreak that is sweeping the United passenger rail industries. And on March 5, the able to perform their jobs in a safe working environ- The needs of railroad workers TStates as this issue of the News goes to press. BLET demanded the carriers take steps to pro- ment and that sick leave is available to all workers. and their families — including improvements to railroad BLET, SMART TD PETITION FRA unemployment benefits — FOR EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS EMERGENCY ORDER: are included in the new coronavirus REGARDING COVID-19 stimulus package, which was On March 20, the BLET and signed into law on March 27. SMART TD demanded that the n March 26, the United States Sen- FRA issue two emergency or- ate unanimously ratified H.R. 748, ders to help stop the spread of O a $2 trillion stimulus package COVID-19 among railroad known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and workers: one EO to address Economic Security (CARES) Act. The U.S. House freight rail concerns and a sec- of Representatives passed the measure by a ond EO for the passenger/com- voice vote on March 27, and President Trump muter side of the industry. signed the bill into law later that same day. “The employees we represent The legislation benefits out-of-work rail- are essential to the health, safe- roaders by waiving the 7-day waiting period ty, and security of the nation. for benefits under the Railroad Unemploy- Therefore, it is necessary that ment Insurance Act (RUIA) and providing $50 the railroads take immediate million to cover the costs of providing these and appropriate precautions to additional benefits. It increases RUIA unem- mitigate against the spread of ployment benefits through an additional the virus amongst their work- The employees we represent $1,200 biweekly benefit and provides $425 forces, to minimize the expo- “ million to cover the costs of providing these sure of their employees to the additional benefits through July 31, 2020). virus during the performance are essential to the health, safety, The legislation allows the Railroad Retirement of their duties, and that Class I Board (RRB) to access approximately $130 railroads maintain sufficient and security of the nation. million of remaining American Recovery and staffing levels to compensate for ” Reinvestment Act funds to provide extended — SMART-TD PRESIDENT JEREMY R. FERGUSON benefits through December 31, 2020, and reduced headcounts caused by AND BLET PRESIDENT DENNIS R. PIERCE TO THE FRA sick employees and family mem- supplies RRB with $5 million to pay for addi- bers, as well as to seamlessly han- tional administrative costs. dle predicted increases in vol- other emergency remedial flect CDC guidelines, which of the Defense Production Act. The measure also protects Amtrak work- ume once the virus begins to measures, thorough sanitation include isolation, personal “To standardize and define ers by providing $1.02 billion in funding for subside,” SMART-TD President efforts in railroad facilities and protective equipment, trans- the best protocols across the the National Railroad Passenger Corp., which Jeremy R. Ferguson and BLET on locomotives to prevent the port, and self-quarantine. industry for the mitigation of would be split between the Northeast Corri- President Dennis R. Pierce wrote infection of workers. Several components of the the spread of the virus and the dor ($492 million) and its National Network in their petition. The unions’ request includes unions’ passenger rail EO re- protection of employees, these ($526 million). The bill also provides $24.9 bil- Although emergency relief that freight railroads adhere to quest mirror those requested in safety precautions need to be lion in grants for various transit agencies procedures were activated by CDC guidelines in the follow- their joint freight petition, which immediately ordered by FRA,” throughout the nation. FRA Administrator Ron Batory ing areas: includes: locomotive sanitation, Presidents Ferguson and BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce, on March 13, many rail carriers • Locomotive sanitation common room sanitation, em- Pierce stated. who also serves as President of the Teamsters have been slow to adopt, or in • Sanitation of common ar- ployee temperature observation Rail Conference, sent a letter to U.S. Senate some cases have neglected to eas used by employees protocols, away-from-home ter- BLET URGES RAIL and House majority and minority leaders on adopt, Centers for Disease Con- • Monitoring of employee minal procedures, crew trans- INDUSTRY TO ADDRESS March 24 asking for special consideration to trol and Prevention (CDC) mea- temperatures portation sanitation, what to do CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC railroad workers. While many of his requests sures to mitigate the spread of • Sanitation of crew trans- if an employee develops symp- The BLET also urged the were included in the stimulus package, the bill COVID-19. An action plan to portation vehicles toms, and furlough recall pro- railroad industry to take steps does not remove the sequestration require- help address the potential spread The unions also seek that cedures. The unions’ petition to protect BLET members, their ments set forth in the Budget Control Act of of the coronavirus among rail accommodations for meals, in- for a passenger EO also covers: co-workers and the general pub- 2011, which are applicable to RUIA benefits, workers has not been issued by cluding long waits for food, be coach/passenger car sanitation lic from the ongoing coronavi- causing an artificial reduction in unemploy- FRA and reports that Class I made in the documentation of standards, sleeper cars, and di- rus (COVID-19) pandem- ment benefits. employees, both administrative hours of service reports for rectives in case a passenger de- ic. BLET National President “I thank members of Congress and the and over-the-road personnel, away-from-terminal personnel, velops symptoms. Dennis R. Pierce voiced the White House for working together across have confirmed or suspected including an additional 30 min- Finally, the presidents wrote, Union’s concerns in a March 5 party lines to help all Americans, especially COVID-19 illnesses have been utes to report in response to a 25% of furloughed rail person- letter to Brendan Branon, railroad workers, during the current coro- received. call to work. nel should immediately be re- Chairman of the National Rail- navirus pandemic,” President Pierce said. The emergency request Procedures on how to han- called to service to deal with way Labor Conference, Chuck “While I am disappointed that they did not from the unions follows a let- dle employees who develop anticipated shortages and staff- Baker, President of the Ameri- remove the sequestration requirement, we ter their presidents sent on symptoms of the coronavirus ing needs, in accordance with can Short Line and Regional will continue to lobby Congress to overturn March 6 that requested, among requested by the unions re- President Trump’s invocation Continued on page 5 • this most unjust requirement.” • BLET President’s Message Two-person Crew 60-day Emergency Waivers What we always knew: Engineers and Trainmen Bill becomes law in BLET and SMART-TD union leaders are Essential to the American Economy pg. 2 Washington State pg. 5 demand clarification from FRA pg. 6 Register• for News Flash email alerts at: www.ble-t.org/newsflash Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BLETNational• 2 WWW.BLE-T.ORG BLET PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY DENNIS R. PIERCE What we always knew: Engineers and Trainmen are Essential to the American Economy ver the last month or decades of attendance policies, must begin the process of prop- so, lives have been now “institutionalized” into the erly staffing the industry to meet turned upside down railroads’ management style. It the nation’s needs. In 2019, over for millions of is clear that all Americans, and 20,000 railroad workers were fur- OAmericans due to the spread of all American corporations, must loughed, and it is clear an indus- the coronavirus (COVID-19). evolve to survive the pandemic. try running this lean on employ- From work-at-home orders and But it has also become clear that ees does not have the flexibility shelter-in-place directives … to many railroads’ institutional dis- to weather this national emer- the closing of schools, restaurants trust of their employees, as evi- gency. Whether it be recalling and businesses … the work lives denced in draconian attendance shop craft employees to sanitize and home lives of growing num- policies, is in the way of getting locomotives, or recalling oper- bers of Americans have changed the sick employees away from ating crews to backfill for those drastically. In ways seen and un- the workplace so that the healthy sick employees who should be seen, the spread of this virus has employees can have some assur- out of the workplace healing, the affected us all.