In a display of renewed solidarity, delegates from the Teamsters Rail Conference unanimously passed two rail industry-specific resolutions this month at the 31st International Brotherhood of Teamsters Convention.

The Teamsters Rail Conference is comprised of the BMWED and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The resolutions focus on worker protections on the two most currently pressing fronts:  automated technology within both crafts and the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. Together, both the BMWED and the BLET vow to oppose any measures that harm our members.

BMWED Brother Narciso “Nacho” Acosta rose to speak on the technology issues, particularly the carriers’ persistence of using automated track inspection (ATI) in lieu of visual inspection of track by a trained BMWED inspector. The resolution condemns the railroads for seeking to use technology like ATI, remotely controlled locomotives and zero-to-zero autonomous trains as a basis to reduce workforce staffing, eliminate positions and remove critical layers of human inspection and oversight.

The resolution resolves that technology in the rail industry must be deployed to assist and enhance the workforce, not to replace it; and that the Teamsters Rail Conference will oppose any effort by rail carriers to use technological implementation as justification for reducing staffing levels, eliminating crafts, or weakening collectively bargained protections.

Regarding the cross-country rail merger and industry consolidation, BMWED Brother Patrick Barnes rose to speak on the resolution. It notes that recent and historical consolidations have reduced employment levels, increased workloads, degraded service and heightened safety risks due to insufficient staffing and the loss of institutional knowledge.

It also takes aim at the hollow “jobs for life” agreement that Union Pacific has reached with some labor unions. “The Teamsters Rail Conference will advocate before all regulatory bodies that approval of any rail transaction be conditioned upon enforceable labor protections, including the preservation of existing agreements, no less than New York Dock-level protective arrangements, and binding commitments to maintain or increase staffing levels sufficient to support safe operations.”

Together and in solidarity, the Teamsters Rail Conference intends to fight any and all plans that would degrade our memberships’ protections and quality of life in the workplace.

FULL RESOLUTION TEXT CAN BE READ HERE