PRESS RELEASE

LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS CITE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES AND LACK OF EQUIPMENT CHECKS IN LAWSUIT AGAINST UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD 


May 15, 2002 

Denver, Colorado


In a lawsuit filed today in the US District Court of Colorado, the General Committees of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), representing Engineers on the Union Pacific Railroad (UP), filed for
injunctive relief to prohibit UP from operating remote controlled locomotives without trained and certified
Locomotive Engineers.


A spokesman for the BLE, Michael Young, stated that: “The impact of remote control train operations
cannot be overstated. Locomotives without trained and certified Engineers will be operating trains without
anyone physically on board. These remote control train operations present a serious safety threat to all
rail employees, as well as their families, and with certainty will place the general public in harms way.
Safety considerations are an obvious high concern for potential train accidents, including those at public
road crossings, and further related derailments. However, the elimination of Engineer positions and the
potential adverse economic affect it will have on each community served by UP cannot be ignored. 


The BLE also stated that: “This action is necessary because the Union Pacific Railroad has improperly
and illegally eliminated Engineers work. By law such drastic arbitrary change in work assignments
requires negotiation between the parties. BLE is the proper ‘holder of the contract’ for the craft of
Locomotive Engineers and has traditionally, and historically, maintained this Engineer work. UP
continues to refuse to discuss or negotiate with the Engineers on our main issues of concern relative to
this change.”


According to Young, “In many cases job elimination will require Engineers to work hundreds of miles from
their home and away from their families.” BLE noted that in a recent meeting in February with John
Marchant, UP VP Labor Relations, the issue of Engineers and their families being required to relocate as
a result of this remote control equipment was something that the UP was unwilling to discuss at this time.


At the same meeting Union Pacific advised BLE representatives that they intend to implement remote
control train operations in 21 of their major terminals, and 40 satellite locations, over approximately the
next 24 month period. “There is no restriction on what type of commodities the railroad will move with
remote control trains in all of these communities, including hazardous materials and nuclear material
movements.” Young said.


Several accidents have already occurred on most all the nations major railroads as a result of these
remote control trains causing property damage, compromising the safety of communities and impacting
timely movements of rail shipments of all types. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the safety
‘watchdog’ of the industry, has failed to issue any mandatory regulations regarding remote control
equipment.



The BLE Committees seek an injunction to prohibit UP from operating remote control trains on UP until
the employees and the general public can be assured of a safe operation. 


The case was filed on behalf of the BLE Committees by Susan Tyburski of the firm of Boyle and Tyburski
of Denver, Colorado.


For further information about this lawsuit contact Michael Young at (307) 635-6736 or Susan Tyburski at
720-946-1715.