Companies across numerous industries that ship goods via rail have issued increasingly stark warnings that the US freight system is in a state of crisis.
Regan says more railroaders are leaving what used to often be a lifelong career, because the pay and benefits no longer outweigh the costs of a punishing schedule. Railroads furloughed many workers early in the pandemic after demand sank, but they found most people declined when asked to return after business began to pick up again.
The combination of a skeletal workforce and a low worker recall rate proved calamitous. “A lot of our membership is saying this is the worst rail service they've ever experienced in their careers,” says Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association, which represents grain producers.
Montelongo, who is now chair of her local union branch, remembers when PSR came to Union Pacific. In 2018 a consultant began making the rounds, identifying which jobs could be eliminated. “People used to call him the butcher,” she says. After the cuts, Montelongo began working 16-hour shifts, often back-to-back, and saw more of her fatigued coworkers getting injured. She started missing time with her kids, unable to go on family excursions or cook them a hot meal.
Union Pacific spokesperson Kristen South says that employee health, safety, and well-being are a priority and that the company has been working to improve its safety programs. She says PSR increases train speeds and reduces the amount of time trains are stopped. In addition to the personal toll they suffer, some workers say the leaner operating model has damaged railroad infrastructure, harming the system’s performance. A surfacing crew foreman for BNSF, who requested anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak to the media, said that crews used to proactively maintain tracks to keep trains running smoothly, through a process called tamping. Now workers wait for something to break before attending to it.
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