Norfolk Southern and twelve labor unions commit to working together to enhance rail safety

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05/23/2023 - 02:45 PM

In a letter to all company employees, the signatories state: "the importance of safety unites us"

ATLANTA, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) President and CEO Alan H. Shaw and leaders of 12 Norfolk Southern labor unions sent a joint letter Tuesday underscoring their shared goal of partnering together to drive continuous improvement in rail safety at the company. The letter was sent to all Norfolk Southern craft and management employees. The signatories wrote in the letter:

Today, national labor leaders and Norfolk Southern management are committing to work together to enhance rail safety for our people and the communities we serve. We won't agree on everything. That's okay. Our belief in the importance of safety unites us. We want our people to show up to work every day knowing their employer and their union are working diligently to help them do their jobs safely.

We will collaborate, consult experts, review best practices, and listen to the people closest to the work. Working together – and broadening the conversation to ensure everyone plays a part – is the best way to achieve meaningful improvement. We will remain open-minded, nimble, and fact-based, making changes as we learn. Along the way we will continue to look for other ways to collaborate to improve the quality of life for our colleagues.

Union representatives signing the letter include the national presidents of the American Train Dispatchers Association; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division; and Transportation Communications Union.

Union signatories also included leaders from six unions representing the Norfolk Southern shopcraft coalition: Brotherhood of Railway Carmen; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Mechanical Division; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; National Conference of Firemen & Oilers; and Transport Workers Union.

The full text of the letter follows below:

To Norfolk Southern employees and union members:

Every day, America depends on union railroaders at Norfolk Southern to deliver the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. We are proud of that important work. We understand that our essential role comes with the responsibility to operate safely.

Protecting the safety of workers is one of the founding values of labor unions, and union leadership advocates tenaciously on behalf of the safety and wellbeing of our people. Management at Norfolk Southern shares that deeply held value, and invests time, energy, and resources to provide our people with the training, equipment, and technology to support safe operations. As a result, railroads are the safest way to move freight over land.

We can do better.

We will collaborate, consult experts, review best practices, and listen to the people closest to the work. Working together – and broadening the conversation to ensure everyone plays a part – is the best way to achieve meaningful improvement. We will remain open-minded, nimble, and fact-based, making changes as we learn. Along the way we will continue to look for other ways to collaborate to improve the quality of life for our colleagues.

To the employees and union members who are the heart and soul of Norfolk Southern – thank you for your work, your pride in serving customers, and your unwavering commitment to safety.

Alan H. Shaw	Michael Baldwin
President and CEO, Norfolk Southern	President, BRS

Tony Cardwell	Jeremy Ferguson
President, BMWED	President, SMART-TD

Edward Hall	Arthur Maratea
President, BLET	President, TCU

Leo McCann
President, ATDA

LEADERS OF THE SHOPCRAFT COALITION

Chris Browning	Jason Cox
International Representative – ISO, IBB	National Representative, BRC

John Feltz	John McCloskey
International VP and Director Railroad	Directing General Chairperson,
Division, TWU	SMART-MD

Tom Owens	Travis Prothro
General Chairman, IBEW	General Chairman and Asst. Director
	of Railroads, NCFO

About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country's population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.