WASHINGTON — Jeremy Ferguson, president of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD), has been named to the Surface Transportation Board’s Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council.
Ferguson, who joins the RSTAC as an at-large member, has nearly 30 years in the rail industry, having begun his career as a conductor.
“Since joining the Board, I have been a proponent of labor being represented on RSTAC, one of the Board’s most important advisory committees,” STB Chairman Martin J. Oberman said in a statement announcing Ferguson’s appointment. “The Board and the members of RSTAC could have greatly benefited from rail labor’s perspective in recent years as the Board and industry stakeholders have grappled with serious service issues across the freight rail network and the exacerbation of those problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A labor voice on the committee would have provided us with an essential perspective on the causes and potential solutions to the significant degradations of rail service and would have ensured that we understood, firsthand, the fundamental role working men and women have in the essential functioning of the rail network and the problems those workers have faced as a result of the pandemic and working conditions at their railroads. I am confident that Jeremy will fill that crucial role going forward.
“I am committed to giving rail labor a seat at the table, and I am delighted to appoint Jeremy to the at-large position on RSTAC.”
The advisory council advices the STB chairman, the Secretary of Transportation, and congressional committees on issues of significance to small shippers and small railroads, such as railcar supply, rates, competition, and procedures for addressing claims. More on the council is available here.
WELL DONE JEREMY! UTU Local 313 Grand Rapids, Michigan member! And a damn good man too!
Mr. Warfel: Thank you for your comments, especially the first one aimed at Mr. Engel. And yes Mr. Thompson, it is indeed “good news and long overdue”.
Fine. More featherbedding. All that will mean is the reinstatement of Full [Five-Man] Crew Laws just like the good old days of FDR/Truman. Shipping will continue to go to trucking, except quicker; this is just re-arranging the seats on The 20th Century Limited. Meantime Carloadings are down says the statistics. I was out along the former NYC west of Albany. Fewer trains, Over on the [former] D&H—nothing!
You might want to look at the listing of RSTAC members. It will put to rest 99% of your comments/concerns.
Business is down at the major railroads solely at their own doing……. Not a doubt about it in the world…. I see it day in and day out working for one. The first word to any potential or current customer from any class one railroad is NO!! No we can’t handle your truck traffic, no we can’t handle your boxcar traffic, no we can’t put that grainery on our railroad, no we won’t put that switch in to service your industry. They then tell the rest of the world they can’t drum up any business or work for their employees…… I’ve watched them tell customers to piss up a rope for 26 years now. So maybe someone that can represent us and tell some semblance of truth to the government might be beneficial to the country as a a whole. But keep on believing your friendly neighborhood class one railroad and their reasons for why they can’t gain a bigger piece of the transportation pie. They will lead you to believe it’s because of labor naturally, but it goes way higher up in the organization than a few switchmens paychecks why they wont I assure you.
You mean like what BNSF is telling NTEC about their coal business, that they don’t have the trains or crews available to haul the extra coal they want to ship? Well, at their Donkey Creek yard in Rozet, WY they have over 100 locomotives tied down along with some “excess” coal cars. Don’t believe me? Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBcVvL6L1lg
A comment below a similar video says, “According to BNSF, about 150 locomotives are being stored at the site until needed because of a decrease in demand.” Funny, they have increased demand in northern Wyoming, but I guess in BNSF’s eyes that is demand they don’t want. YES THAT IS RIGHT, DEMAND THEY DON’T WANT.
Someone needs to write Warren Buffet and ask him what in HE-double toothpicks is going on at his railroad where there seems to be a mass disuse of resources as an excuse to turn down profit generating business…
Good news and long overdue.
Excellent move! Kudos to Chairman Oberman for doing this!