In the wake of a disastrous train derailment earlier this month, voices from within the industry are calling for lawmakers to take action to reform operations and working conditions.
Union officials argue that the incident in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3 should prove “eye-opening” for Congress around the risks associated with moving harmful cargo, like toxic chemicals, via rail, The Guardian reported.
A joint complaint from organizations of U.S. railroad workers argues the recent disaster — which resulted in reports of polluted waterways, dead wildlife, and unclean air — should serve as “an illustration of how the railroads operate, and how they’re getting away with a lot of things,” per The Guardian.
In all, 38 of Norfolk Southern Railway’s train cars derailed, including 11 with hazardous chemical cargo. This ultimately resulted in an evacuation order for surrounding areas out of health concerns from exposure to the resulting toxic fumes.
Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) posted a video on Twitter last week demonstrating some of this pollution still visible in a local creek bed.
The recent disaster in Ohio again highlights the ongoing disputes between railroad operators and unions representing railway workers.
Workers in the industry have been pushing for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Last year, threats of strikes nearly stopped rail traffic in the country, as The Dallas Express reported.
According to a statement made last year by the president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), Ian Jefferies, a nationwide strike could result in a loss of $2 billion per day in economic activity.
Ron Kaminkow, an Amtrak engineer, general secretary of Railroad Workers United, and the vice-president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (Blet) local 51, told the Guardian that poor working conditions are directly tied to events like that in East Palestine.
“Without a change in the working conditions, without better scheduling, without more time off, without a better work-life balance, the railroad is going to suffer,” he said.
When railroads are short-staffed, “Corners get cut and safety is compromised,” stressed Kaminkow.
For many residents of East Palestine, the train derailment has devastated their lives. Some, like resident and business owner John Hamner, have even been prompted to seek a new home elsewhere.
“It’s totally wrecked our life… I’m at the point now where I want out of here,” Hamner told the BBC.
“We’re going to relocate. We can’t do it no more,” he continued.
Hamner attributes red and swollen eyes to the fallout from the controlled release of vinyl chloride just yards away from his place of business. He and his wife had built a successful garbage truck business in the town over the span of nearly two decades.
Still, he said the worst issues are not physical but psychological.
“I’m losing so much sleep. I’ve already been to the doctor twice, and I’m taking anxiety pills,” Hamner told the BBC. “This is 10 times worst than just losing my livelihood.”
The Norfolk Southern Railway Company released a letter last week, outlining its cleanup plan to “protect the public health, welfare, or the environment.” The federal government ordered the railroad operator on Tuesday to submit a cleanup plan to the Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Norfolk Southern had not responded to this order by the time of publication.
In the 1950s, roughly one million people worked in the railroad industry, per The Guardian. By 2022, that number had dropped by more than 85% to just 150,000 workers nationwide. Between November 2018 and December 2020 alone, the sector lost 40,000 railroad jobs.
According to Greg Regan, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment is an example of why working conditions must be improved.
“It increases a lot of risk in what is a very dangerous industry. When things go wrong there can be very tragic consequences,” said Regan, per The Guardian.