CSX Story Archives - Page 3 of 6 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Norfolk Southern Joins Other Railroads In Offering Paid Sick Leave

The Norfolk Southern deal covers about 3,000 employees who repair and maintain the track.

Norfolk Southern reached a deal on Wednesday with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way employees to provide up to seven days a year of paid sick leave.

The deal follows another with CSX in recent weeks. Norfolk Southern is the second-largest carrier in West Virginia behind CSX, with about 800 miles of track.

Like CSX, Norfolk Southern is a major transporter of coal from Appalachia to eastern ports.

The Norfolk Southern deal covers about 3,000 employees who repair and maintain the track.

The lack of paid sick leave was a major issue last year when several rail unions threatened a nationwide strike.

In December, Congress approved a labor agreement between the railroads and the White House, but it did not include paid sick leave.

Earlier this week, western carrier Union Pacific reached a deal on paid sick leave with two unions.

CSX, 2 Unions Reach Deal On Paid Sick Leave For Rail Workers

The agreement would provide four paid sick days a year, with the option to use three additional paid personal days for sick leave.

West Virginia’s largest rail carrier has reached an agreement to provide some workers with paid sick leave.

CSX and two rail unions struck a deal Tuesday that would extend paid sick leave to 5,000 of the company’s workers.

Those include the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen.

CSX operates about 1,100 miles of track in West Virginia and a major maintenance base in Huntington. Much of the railroad’s network in the state is dedicated to transporting coal.

The agreement would provide four paid sick days a year, with the option to use three additional paid personal days for sick leave.

The issue nearly led to a nationwide rail strike last year before Congress ordered an agreement between railroads and workers some unions opposed.

Union's Rejection Of Labor Pact Renews Rail Strike Threat

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees rejected a contract that increases their pay.

A key railroad labor union has voted down a deal with rail companies, again raising the possibility of a strike.

That could be disruptive in West Virginia.

CSX and Norfolk Southern trains move West Virginia coal to the ports of Baltimore, and Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia. Without them, coal shipments would be stranded and couldn’t reach overseas markets.

A rail strike could also disrupt the movement of consumer goods from ports to retail stores just ahead of the holidays.

Amtrak service in West Virginia, the Capitol Limited and the Cardinal, would also be affected.

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees rejected a contract that increases their pay. Rail workers say the contract doesn’t go far enough to address quality of life concerns — paid sick leave is a big one.

To avoid a strike, they’ll have to reach an agreement before Thanksgiving.

W.Va. Amtrak Stations Set To Reopen Friday Following Labor Agreement

Pending the contract’s final approval, rail workers won the right to attend appointments like doctors’ visits and family emergencies without punishment from their employers. Workers will also earn a 24 percent wage increase through 2024.

Rail companies and union leaders reached a tentative agreement Thursday preventing a nationwide strike.

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement following the agreement, “Collective bargaining works. The labor movement works. And we know through lifetimes of experience and unbelievable sacrifice, Teamsters across America’s railroads work harder than anyone.”

Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) trains run by the Maryland Department of Transportation faced suspension due to the labor conflict. MARC trains that run from Martinsburg into Washington, D.C. run on tracks owned by CSX Transportation.

Long-haul Amtrak trains across the U.S. were previously suspended in anticipation of the potential strike. These include the Capitol Limited, which stops in Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry, and Cardinal, which stops in the New River Gorge, Charleston and Huntington.

“This tentative agreement will keep our trains moving, stations bustling, and employees proudly serving customers as we move them across this great country,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a statement.

An advisory notice by Amtrak says they are “working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out directly to impacted customers.”

Eastern Panhandle Rail Transit, Amtrak Set For Suspension During Nationwide Strike

The two largest railroad unions in the country, comprising a total of 57,000 workers, are set to go on strike Friday, prompting a nationwide rail shutdown and a logistics crisis. Some transit services, mostly in and around the Eastern Panhandle, could also be affected.

The dispute between the railroad companies and unions is over attendance policies that punish workers from attending important appointments like doctors’ visits or family emergencies.

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) MARC trains run on rails owned by CSX Transportation, one of the largest railroad companies in the U.S. CSX’s Brunswick Line, which runs MARC trains from Martinsburg to Washington, D.C., could end up suspending service starting Friday.

Information provided by the MDOT to West Virginia Public Broadcasting says the agency recommends passengers find alternate travel options, with recommendations posted on their website.

Amtrak also announced long-distance commuter routes based around the Washington region would be suspended as of Thursday morning.

This includes the Capitol Limited, which runs from D.C. to Chicago and includes stops in Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry. Amtrak’s Cardinal, which stops in the New River Gorge, Charleston and Huntington, will also be affected.

These are the latest changes announced since other long-distance Amtrak suspensions were made elsewhere in the nation beginning Monday, with some services in the Northeast Corridor, where Amtrak owns the tracks, still set to continue.

Coal Shipments Continue To Hit Rail Roadblocks, Lawmakers Say

For months, coal has been in high demand. But the region’s coal producers have not been able to take full advantage. They say poor rail service constrains them.

In the spring, coal producers told lawmakers that railroads weren’t providing adequate service. In a legislative meeting on Sunday, those complaints continued.

For months, coal has been in high demand. But the region’s coal producers have not been able to take full advantage. They say poor rail service constrains them.

That’s what state legislators told Department of Transportation officials Sunday at a meeting of a joint legislative oversight commission for the department.

Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, told DOT officials that he’s at least gotten updates from CSX, which blankets about two thirds of West Virginia.

Linville said he hasn’t received any information from the state’s other major rail carrier, Norfolk Southern.

“We will be happy to use the power the legislature has, the power that we as chairs have and that we may be able to bestow to you all to hold these railroads accountable,” he said.

State governments have limited power over railroads, which are regulated at the federal level.

Railroads say they lack a sufficient number of workers. They eliminated a lot of jobs during the worst of the pandemic. They also haven’t invested in coal infrastructure in several years.

Now, they’re facing pressure on two fronts. First, electricity use increased last year, driving demand for coal.

Second, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased demand for U.S. coal, but the trains that connect the mines to the ports haven’t been moving fast enough to meet it.