Railroads and unions gave conflicting views during a hearing by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on a proposed rulemaking that would require freight trains generally to have at least two crew members in the locomotive cab. The agency is gathering public testimony through next week.
Here are some key issues that the railroads and unions addressed at the Wednesday hearing:
Mandating set crew size blocks innovative work configurations, say railroads
The railroads and the unions just ended a multiyear bargaining round for a new labor agreement, and one of the issues raised was the need to address work-life balance.
