Appeal from Railroad Workers United: No Single Employee Crews!

Public Comment Period Extended to June 15th at 11:59 PM EDT 

Tell the FRA:

"No Single Employee Train Crews!"

Email Your Message today!

Dear RWU Members & Supporters:

On March 15th, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) offricially announced a Proposed Rule on the whole question of crew staffing for trains in the United States. After careful consideration, RWU has come to the only conclusion possible: the Proposed Rule provides a road map for any and all rail carriers to obtain the FRA's blessing to run trains with a single employee. Therefore, RWU cannot support this Proposed Rule, period.

We continue to agree with the joint statement from nearly 7 years ago that the BLET and the UTU made in a joint Petition filed in June 2009 with the FRA on the question of traincrew  staffing which reads: “No conditions exist where one-person operations are safe.”  And since the Proposed Rule is predicated on the "safe" operation of trains with a single crew member, we must urge the FRA to promulgate a Rule that outlaws the practice. We urge all RWU members and all railroad workers to contact the FRA and tell them in plain language: "No single employee train crews!"

• To write/FAX the FRA, click HERE.
• To email the FRA, click HERE.
• To view the RWU Letter to the FRA on the Proposed Rule, click HERE.
• To view the FRA Proposed Rule, Click HERE.
• To view the RWU Editorial on the Proposed Rule Click HERE.
• To view a comprehensive article entitled "What's Wrong with Single Employee Train Operations?" with 21 reasons why they are unsafe and unworkable, click HERE.
• To view the most recent RWU Resolution to Oppose Single Employe Operating Crews from March 2nd, 2015, see below or click HERE.
• To view the original RWU Resolution on Single Employee Train crews from January 5th, 2010, click HERE
•  

RWU Resolution to Oppose Single Employee Operating Crews

Whereas, the major rail carriers have made it clear in their words and actions that they wish to conduct operations to the extent possible, “conductor only” in RCL yard operations, and “engineer only” on road trains; and

Whereas, the rail carriers have long stated their intentions to operate road trains with a single employee, when more than decade ago they made their intentions known to both unions of the operating crafts through a “Section 6” notice addressed to the unions dated 11/1/04; and

Whereas, in the words of a Joint Petition filed with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in June 2009 by both unions of the operating crafts, “No conditions exist where one-person operations are safe”; and

Whereas, both unions of the operating crafts support a bill before Congress known as “The Safe Freight Act” (HR #3040), that would outlaw single employee train operations in the U.S.; and

Whereas, the FRA itself proclaimed on 4/9/14 that “safety is enhanced with the use of a multiple person crew — safety dictates that you never allow a single point of failure.” and

Whereas, the implementation of single employee operations will invariably result in a serious degrading of worker safety, security, and quality of work life; and

Whereas, these unsafe working conditions referenced above would pose a danger to shippers, pedestrians, motorists, trackside communities, the environment and the general public;

Therefore, Be it Resolved, that RWU opposes any current use, and any further expansion of, single employee operations anywhere in North America, in the yard or on the road; and

Be in Further Resolved that RWU is committed to an ongoing continent-wide Campaign for a two employee minimum on every train crew; and

Be it Further Resolved that RWU once again calls upon the BLET and SMART-TD to redouble their efforts and launch an all-out rank-&-file campaign to put and end to the practice of single employee operations; and

Be it Further Resolved that RWU calls upon all rail union members – particularly those of the operating crafts – to become involved in their respective labor organizations and resist any and all efforts of the carriers to implement single employee crews; and

Be it Finally Resolved that RWU calls on community organizations, civic groups, environmental organizations and labor unions to join with us in this crucial fight against single employee operation of trains.

Adopted by the RWU Steering Committee 3/2/15

• E Mail the Federal Railroad Administration 
• To view this appeal in its original form go here

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.