Paid sick leave for rail workers in the US: where do we stand?
US weekly updateNegotiations between trade unions and some of the Class I railway companies in the United States significantly accelerated and brought some results over the last month. Five of the seven Class I companies have found...Read more
US railway giants merge to create first Canada-US-Mexico network
US weekly updateCanadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS), two of the largest railway companies in the United States, finalised a merger that will result in a new company called Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). This...Read more
7 new safety rules for US’ 7 rail freight sisters
The seven dominant railway companies of the US have pledged to adopt a set of seven new rules to try and avoid railway accidents. The rules are to be adopted by all seven Class I...Read more
Ohio derailment: the incriminated wheelset was 122°C too hot
UpdateThe wheelset that caused a disastrous accident in Ohio, United States, at the beginning of February was 122°C hotter than the ambient temperature. This is what transpired from the preliminary report published by the National...Read more
US rail unions hard at work to secure workers’ rights
US weekly updateThings for railway workers in the United States seem to be gradually improving, with trade unions working hard to convince companies to provide their employees with paid sick leave. Two unions, the National Conference of...Read more
Paid sick leave in the US: CSX keeps signing deals with workers
US weekly updateUS railroad company CSX has reached another agreement to provide more of its workforce with paid sick leave. The latest deal was struck with additional divisions of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers...Read moreOhio derailment: fire is out but fears still spark
Accident updateThings after the massive derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, US, seem to be going from bad to worse. The citizens in the area may be dealing with contaminated air and water, while Norfolk Southern, the...Read more
Will Bernie Sanders convince US rail companies to pay sick leave?
US Senator Bernie Sanders is still trying to provide rail workers in the country with at least seven days of paid sick leave. During a press conference held on 9 February, Sanders said he sent...Read more
5,000 US rail workers get 4 days of paid sick leave
A historical precedent may have been set for railway workers all around the United States. In fact, 5,000 workers from CSX, a rail freight company active in the east of the US and southeastern Canada,...Read moreNo penalty for calling in sick, says this US rail company
The last few weeks in the United States have been quite chaotic when it comes to the future of rail workers. Since institutions have not seemed to find effective solutions for a collective agreement, rail...Read moreUS rail strike: shareholders of railway companies get involved
Shareholders in two of the largest railway companies in the United States are asking them to implement paid sick leave as a standard perennial benefit. The railway companies involved are Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.Read more
US Congress blocked nationwide rail strike
The US Senate approved the bill that would block the national strike that has been threatening the country over the last few months on Thursday 1 December. Moreover, they rejected the amendment that would include...Read more
It’s strike season in the rail industry
Rail workers all over the world have organised and are organising multiple strikes to grab the industry’s attention on the issues they deem more important. The rail sector, and therefore rail freight, is in fact...Read more
US railroad strike could happen in early December
One of the largest US rail workers’ unions, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), is ready to go on strike as early as 5 December. Three more unions set 9 December as their deadline for...Read moreThe US is getting a new Notorious BIG, this time on the West Coast
American rail freight company BNSF Railway is planning to build a new facility in Barstow, in southern California. The Barstow International Gateway (BIG) will allow for the direct transfer of containers from ships to rail...Read more
Russia-Ukraine crisis: is this the armageddon of Europe-China rail?
ANALYSISScenarios around the consequences of an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine have come and gone lately. So far, Russia is not buckling under Western pressure while the US and EU are ready to impose...Read more