Press Associates Union News Service reports U.S. Rail Unions and the National AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department have by and large agreed with Federal safety findings as a result of the East Palestine, Ohio freight train derailment disaster that occurred in early 2023 - but there are some holes.  A reading of the National Transportation Safety Board’s summary report shows the top one is no mention of a one-third cut by the railroads in the number of Freight Train Workers, including trained Safety Inspectors, starting in 2015.  Unions and Workers have battled those cuts ever since.  AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan said: “The National Transportation Safety Board’s findings and safety recommendations are an indictment of widespread safety failures across the Freight Rail Industry.  The Board identified a number of key safety issues thematic to the industry, including a lack of Federal standards for the use of wheel bearing defect detectors, communications delays during emergency responses to rail accidents or incidents, and vulnerabilities of aging tank cars that carry hazardous materials.  As the eyes and ears on the ground, Rail Workers have diligently raised the alarm about these kinds of existing safety deficiencies and many others.”

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Rail unions approve government safety findings, despite holes – People's World (peoplesworld.org)