Railroad signalers union to conduct safety program with Norfolk Southern

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) announced two endeavors Thursday involving the two Eastern U.S. Class I railroads: a collaboration with Norfolk Southern for a pilot safety program with Norfolk Southern (NS) and a sick leave agreement with CSX.

BRS’ collaboration with NS (NYSE: NSC) will consist of a one-year pilot program developed with input from the Federal Railroad Administration. The program will look at identifying safety improvements and best practices when sharing information and conducting training and joint inspections, NS said Thursday. The program will be called Signal Safety Collaboration, according to a letter leaders sent to BRS members at NS.

“The first phase includes field visits, team-building sessions, and working meetings to gather input from front-line supervisors and craft employees. To ensure all participants can speak up and provide candid, critical feedback, Norfolk Southern has underscored its commitment that no one will face adverse impacts from input they provide through the program,” said the letter to BTS members. The letter was signed by BRS President Michael Baldwin and Ed Boyle, NS vice president of engineering.

The letter continued, “To ensure the program produces tangible improvements, Norfolk Southern and BRS have mutually committed to work together to implement findings from the program. They have also agreed to advocate together in favor of regulatory changes that emerge as opportunities to enhance safety. Moving forward, BRS and Norfolk Southern will hold quarterly reviews on safety and issue timely updates on the work of the program.”

BRS members ratify sick leave agreement at CSX

Meanwhile, in an unrelated separate announcement, CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) said that a sick leave agreement at the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) property for BRS has been ratified. The agreement covers nearly 400 employees.

“We value the hard work and dedication of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and all our employees who keep our operations running smoothly. This agreement reflects our ongoing commitment to improving the employee experience, ensuring our team members have the support they need,” CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a release.

SCL General Chairman Gus Demott added, “Our union worked long and hard within the collective bargaining process to secure paid sick leave for our members and to ensure that the benefits are tailored to the needs of signalmen and their particular working conditions.”

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