OMAHA, Neb. — In a reflection of escalating tension between Class I railroads and their union workers — both as national contract negotiations drag on and because of friction arising from Precision Scheduled Railroading — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has taken out a newspaper ad aimed at shareholders of Union Pacific and BNSF Railway parent Berkshire Hathaway.
A post on the union’s Facebook page says the half-page ad in Thursday’s Omaha World-Herald ad is “educating” shareholders for the two companies ahead of their respective shareholder meetings — April 30 for Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, and May 12 for Union Pacific online. The ad includes questions from the union it says Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, BNSF CEO Katie Farmer, and UP CEO Lance Fritz “do not want to be asked” regarding treatment of workers at both railroads. These include questions about BNSF’s “Hi-Viz” attendance policy, which unions are attempting to address in arbitration after a potential strike was blocked by court order [see “Unions turn to arbitration …,” Trains News Wire, March 24, 2022].
The railroads are two of the four ordered to appear before the Surface Transportation Board next week to address rail service issues, a hearing prompted by complaints to the board from shippers and rail unions.
A portion of the ad is shown at right; a PDF of the full ad is available here.
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