U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su has sent letters to the CEOs of three Class I freight railroads – CPKC, CN, and CSX – calling on them to guarantee paid sick leave to all of their employees.
In their letter, Secretary Buttigieg and Acting Secretary Su highlighted the tremendous progress that rail labor and the rail industry have made in expanding access to paid sick leave with three Class I freight railroads now guaranteeing it for all their employees. Since the end of 2022, the number of Class I freight railroad employees who have access to paid sick days increased from 5% to 90%. However, they also noted that the remaining 10 percent of workers who do not have paid sick time – workers employed by the three recipients of the letter – are no more immune to illness than those with coverage.
Paid sick days help prevent unnecessary safety risks. Rail workers have peace of mind knowing that they can take time off while sick, or to help a family member recover from illness without being penalized. Paid sick leave also protects the public by ensuring healthy, focused railroad workers are on the job. Secretary Buttigieg and Acting Secretary Su called on the three Class I freight railroads without full coverage to reduce unnecessary safety risks by immediately working with their labor unions to provide paid sick days to all of their employees.
View Secretary Buttigieg and Acting Secretary Su’s letter here.
In February 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration called on the Class I freight railroads to take specific actions to increase accountability and safety, including providing paid sick leave to the more than 100,000 workers that they employ. The Administration has secured other gains, including finalizing rules on minimum train crew size, programs to manage fatigue risks, and certification of signal and dispatch employees. In addition, President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested tens of billions of dollars in America’s passenger and freight railroad infrastructure, helping to make the network safer, more efficient, and expansive.
-via Press Release
