Do you feel like you are consistently being tasked with more and more work?  All while feeling like there are fewer and fewer among us as time goes by.  If so, that is because those are not just your personal perceptions — it is the unfortunate reality we face in the freight rail industry, and BNSF is not immune. 

Many of you may remember Labor Attorney Rich Edelman’s testimony before the STB back in May of 2022, at a time when rail shippers were experiencing unprecedented rail service delays.  Mr. Edelman spoke of reduced staffing, due primarily to Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), and asserted this was one of the main culprits.  While BNSF never officially adopted PSR, the intrinsic focus on lower operating ratios, which is a core concept of PSR, is shared by all Class 1’s. BNSF is no exception.  And we have seen detrimental results in our employment numbers because of it.

As reflected in our annual seniority rosters, the number of Signalmen on BNSF has dropped nearly every year for the past 10 years.  And this has happened during a time of relatively robust expansion to existing signal infrastructure.  Consider that, compared to 2016, we now have approximately 20% fewer members on the BNSF completing tests and inspections on far more assets than we had ten years ago.  In just the past year alone, our numbers were reduced by an additional 2.5%, down to approximately 1690 active members on the BNSF (according to 1/2025 rosters).  In our view, this trend is not sustainable and must be corrected.  Not only has this deficiency led to perpetually vacant positions and pressure to cut corners to get testing done, but we also firmly believe it is a significant factor in the unfortunate increase in injuries sustained.

While we will continue to blow the whistle at every possible opportunity and draw attention to this systemic problem, it is also the reason we remain steadfast in our position that signalmen deserve much more out of our next contract.  We intend to continue the fight as long as necessary to obtain a fair contract in the current round of bargaining.