SMART TD Local 0445 represents the local railroad transportation workers in Galesburg. The union plays a central role in negotiating labor contracts, safeguarding worker rights, and advocating for stronger rail safety standards. They are also active in the community, taking part in many events that support families across western Illinois. Wes Esktedt, a longtime member of Local 445, shares the current concerns they are facing.
“Right now, the big concerns are bigger trains. They’re starting to want to extend the length of these trains, running 10,000 feet, which is two-three mile trains. So the problems we get with that are, a lot of these crossings aren’t built to fit a train between them when they’re that long, so we’ll be blocking your crossings more often, which makes it difficult for emergency response, and it also creates more issues for breaking down. We’re also trying to make sure the continual battle is keeping two people up in the cab. A long time now, the CEOs of the big corporate railroads, they’ve been trying to get us cut down and eliminate employees. So, we want to always keep two people in the cab, and we want to try to keep these trains a little bit shorter.”
For more information on the SMART TD Local 0445, check out their website smart0445.org.
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