EcoUnionist News #34 (Special Red Signal Edition)

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, February 18, 2015

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.

Within the last several days there have been two crude-by-rail accidents: one in Ontario, the other in West Virgina. Meanwhile, one of the unions representing the railroad workers at Canada Pacific almost went on strike (until the Canadian government, acting clearly on behalf of the employing class and the latter's need to continue profiting off of crude-by-rail, threatened to intervene). CN was prepared to use untrained managers as "replacement workers" (scabs), not unlike the fossil fuel corporations have likewise threatened to use scabs in the oil refineries--for example Chevron in Richmond--during the current Steelworkers' strike.

Given the circumstances it's more urgent than ever that eco-activists, front-line communities, unionists (and those that are combinations of them or all of them) register to participate in the upcoming Future of Railroads: Safety, Workers, Community & the Environment Conferences: Richmond, California (March 14, 2015) and Olympia, Washington (March 21, 2015) - railroadconference.org, or organize one of your own.

Beyond that, it's clear that the capitalist driven profit motive, which encourages the extraction and transport of increasingly volatile fuels, under increasingly unsafe conditions, using as few (overworked, exploited) workers as possible places not only communities along the rail lines, but our entire existence on this planet at risk. These catastrophes cannot be avoided unless we abolish wage slavery and live in harmony with the earth!

Lead Stories:

• After Latest US Oil Train Disaster, Expert Says Tens of Millions Living Inside 'Blast Zone'; 'We need to be moving away from production, transportation and use of fossil fuels, period—if we want a livable planet, that is.' - By Lauren McCauley, Common Dreams, February 17, 2015
• Another bomb train blows up: Could workers put an end to this madness? - By Peter Rugh, System Change not Climate Change, February 17, 2015

Ontario CN Derailment:

• Canadian National’s main line shuts after crude cars derail - Bloomberg, February 15, 2015
• Fiery Oil Train Crash Lights Up Frozen Ontario Woods - News Editor, Environmental News Service, February 16, 2015
• Major Canadian National Railway Crude Oil Train Derailment and Fire in Ontario - By John Kristensen, Railroaded, February 17, 2015
• Oil Train Derails In Canada, Spills Unknown Amount Of Crude Oil - By Katie Valentine, Think Progress, February 16, 2015

Canadian Pacific Contract Fight:

• BLET President blasts CP for unsafe rail practices and threatening employees - Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, February 15, 2015
• Rail Strike May Disrupt Industries Across North America - By Ian Austen, New York Times, February 15, 2015
• Teamsters on strike at Canadian Pacific - Teamsters Canada, February 15, 2015
• Canada Pacific rail and Teamsters agree to arbitration, ending strike - Bloomberg, February 16, 2015
• Canadian Rail Strike Ends as Parties Agree to Arbitration - By Ian Austin, New York Times, February 17, 2015

West Virginia CSX Derailment:

• Breaking: Shale Oil Bomb Train Explodes in W Virginia Neighborhood - By Chip Northrup, No Fracking Way, February 16, 2015
• Fiery Crude Oil Train Derailment in West Virginia - By John Kristensen, Railroaded, February 17, 2015
• Huge fire in West Virginia after oil train derails, sending tanker into river; Around 200 people evacuated from scene of crash south-east of Charleston as rescuers fight to reach one house set ablaze - Associated Press, February 16, 2015
• Massive West Virginia Explosion Highlights Problems With Oil Train Regulation - By Emily Atkin, Think Progress, February 17, 2015
• Oil Train Derailment in West Virginia Causes Explosion, Sends Tanker Cars into River - Cetology via WVNS TV, February 16, 2015
• Oil Train Derails, Explodes, and Spill into West Virginia’s Kanawha River: Stop the Madness - Columbia River Keeper, February 17, 2015
• State of Emergency in West Virginia After Latest Crude by Rail Disaster - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, February 16, 2015
• State of emergency declared in West Virginia after train derails, explodes - By Ryan Parker, Los Angeles Times, February 16, 2015
• Train derailment sends crude oil cars into Kanawha River; explosions erupt - By Jeff Jenkins, West Virginia Metro News, February 16, 2015
• Two trains carrying crude oil derail and burn in the past three days, in West Virginia & Ontario - By Meteor Blades, Daily Kos, February 16, 2015
• West Virginia In State Of Emergency After Massive Oil Train Explosion - By Emily Atkin, Think Progress, February 17, 2015
• West Virginia Oil Train Derailment Highlights Need for Significant Safety Reforms; Fiery Wreck, Which Follows Weekend Derailment in Ontario, Sets River Ablaze, Forces Evacuations, Threatens Drinking Water - By Mollie Matteson, Center for Biological Diversity, February 16, 2015
• West Virginia Rail Cars Carrying Bakken Crude Crash, Burn as Feds Study New Regulations - By Jamison Cocklin, NGI Shale Daily, February 17, 2015
• West Virginia Train Derailment: Fireball Erupts Into Sky As Derailment Sends Tanker Into River - By Anastasia Williams and Elara Mosquera, ABC News, February 16, 2015
• West Virginia train derailment puts focus on rail safety - By Jennifer A. Dlouhy, FuelFix, February 17, 2015
• West Virginia Train Derails, Leaks Crude Oil Into Kanawha River - By Susie Madrak, Crooks and Liars, February 16, 2015

Other:

• How a GOP Rep Is Delaying Safety Improvements for “Bomb Trains” - By Justin Mikulka, DeSmogBlog, February 13, 2015
• Revised Oil-Train Safety Rule Said to Delay Upgrade Deadline - By Jim Snyder, Bloomberg, February 12, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC