November 16, 2015 - Ontario Federation of Labor Statement on the Paris Attacks, Refugees and the Path to Peace By Sid Ryan, President. The coordinated killings that rocked Paris over the weekend are an unspeakable horror. Ontario workers are united in our sympathy and solidarity with the victims, their families, friends and, indeed, the people of France who have been shaken by these attacks.
August 5, 2015 - The Pennsylvania Federation BMWED-IBT unanimously passes a resolution endorsing Bernie Sanders for President of the United States while calling on workers to unite against the power of concentrated wealth and its corruption of our democracy. Larry Cohen, the outgoing president of the Communications Workers of America spoke to Penn Fed delegates at our 22nd Regular Convention.
August 5, 2015 - The membership of the Pennsylvania Federation Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters this morning presented a resolution in support of state Senator Ray Lesniak (D-20) for governor in 2017. “We firmly believe that Ray Lesniak is the strongest candidate running for Governor of New Jersey articulating our issues,” said a resolution
July 12, 2015 - As it recovers from its worst accident on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak faces frequent management turnover and structural change, in addition to chronic financial and political challenges.
Former Amtrak executives say the turmoil at the top in recent years has disrupted railroad management and distracted employees from their daily duties.
With a solemn remembrance and music, protesters decry oil-train accidents
Two years after a fatal oil-train derailment in Quebec drew national attention to the transport of crude oil, more than 100 people gathered Saturday in Center City to remember the victims and demand better train safety controls in Philadelphia.
The BMWED/SMART-Mechanical bargaining coalition met with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee on June 29, 2015 in Arlington, VA to continue national handling of the coalitions’ wage, benefits and rules notices. The meeting included a presentation by the joint Working Group of Coalition and NCCC healthcare experts and a discussion followed.
June 23, 2015 - WASHINGTON (WJLA) - An audit of timesheets submitted by Amtrak workers turned up potential abuse and fraud according to the Office of Inspector General for the agency. The report shows stunning claims by some who work the rails.
June 12, 2015 - It's only a question of who makes the money - the workers or the owners? People think that unions are useless today, that we’re dinosaurs. Well, how did that happen? We let it happen. The labor movement has become lazy, because it’s something that’s been handed to us. Unions are not separate from the community. We build the community. Yet we’re seen as the enemy, the reason people are broke. We have to stop this union-versus-nonunion mentality. It’s an idea that they’re trying to kill — it’s not the union itself. This is the strategy they’re using to do it. They’re splitting everything up. They’re going after them first, then it’s going to be somebody else. Then they’re going to get to us too.
June 1, 2015 - BMWED detailed comments requesting that the Internal Revenue Service classify railroad maintenance of way workers as "construction industry workers" for purposes of the application of the "Cadillac Tax" in the Affordable Care Act.
May 13, 2015 - Lessons from previous train crashes led to the development of the "positive train control" safety feature, which could have prevented the Amtrak Train 188 crash were it not for indolent governance of the U.S. rail system. Sometimes, congressional Republicans have an odd sense of timing. Just hours after the deadly derailment of Amtrak 188, GOP lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee took up transportation spending measures, voting to slash Amtrak’s budget, while also rejecting Democratic proposals to bolster infrastructure and train safety.
