LABOR BEAT: Union leader warns against single person crews on trains
One of the many photos of the disaster at Lac Magentic Quebec in 2013 illustrating the danger of one-person freight train crews.During the Pullman Labor Day events in Chicago, peopled learned about the danger of single person train crews. You can now access a video On YouTube at: http://youtu.be/dLZ-PNJ9nVs. There is a proposal currently being pushed by some in management and some union leaders to allow train crews of just one person.
At the September 1, 2014 Pullman Labor Day celebration in Chicago, one of the invited speakers was Steve Klak, member of Railroad Workers United and retired freight inspector on the CN-IN Railroad.
What he told the audience was basic information about the serious threat of one person train crews now being pushed by the BNSF and some railroad union leadership. If this change is pushed through in union voting this month, the serious effects will not only impact railroad workers, but the general public.
The Pullman audience was reminded of the 2013 Lac Megantic, Quebec train explosion that leveled that small town in Canada, which could be traced back to the fact that the train was being operated by a single person. Here is a quick way to get the basics about this critical issue affecting railroad working conditions, public safety and the environment. Enhanced with visuals and related footage, and some music too. Length - 6:30
Railroad union leader Steve Klak who spoke at the Labor Day event. Labor Beat photo by Larry Duncan.Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner, and member of the Evanston Community Media Center. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: mail@laborbeat.org, www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit YouTube and search "Labor Beat".
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