Teamsters Rail Conference celebrates new federal rule mandating two-person crews

The Teamsters Rail Conference celebrated the unveiling of a new federal rule that requires a minimum of two crew members on board most freight trains. This rulemaking comes after 13 years of tireless advocacy to protect and mandate crew sizes by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Teamsters Rail Conference.

“Requiring two crew members to operate a multi-ton freight train that is several miles long should be common sense, but now, there is thankfully a rule that mandates it,” said Mark Wallace, President of the Teamsters Rail Conference. “This is a huge step forward in protecting our nation’s railroads, but there is more work to be done. The Teamsters look forward to continuing to work alongside state and federal officials on much-needed rail safety measures and making sure that the voices of rail workers are heard.”

Members of the BLET and BMWED joined Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Federal Railway Administrator Amit Bose, and other labor unions yesterday at an event to discuss the new rule.

“Safety improvements have come too slow to the railroads, but it is great to be working with an administration that is listening to workers,” said Vince Verna, Vice President and National Legislative Representative for BLET. “We are the ones they need to listen to in order to make the railroads safer for everyone. While we celebrate the final rule this week, we call on the administration to make this a continuing priority and for Congress to act and pass the Railway Safety Act.”