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Norfolk Southern Conductor Death in Ohio Shows Need to Boost Rail Safety Rules: Union
"All railroad accidents are avoidable," said BLET's national president. "This collision underscores the need for significant improvements in rail safety for both workers and the public."
Mar 07, 2023
A Norfolk Southern conductor was killed in Ohio early Tuesday, elevating scrutiny of the rail giant and calls for dramatic improvements to industry safety regulations in the wake of a devastating derailment in the state last month.
Louis Shuster, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Division 607, was fatally injured when a dump truck collided with a train while he was on the outside of a railcar at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works steel plant.
"Lou was a passionate and dedicated union brother," said Pat Redmond, local chairman of the BLET division. "He was always there for his coworkers. He was very active in helping veterans who worked on the railroad and veterans all across our community."
The 46-year-old Army veteran was a father to a 16-year-old son and a caregiver for his elderly parents, according to the union. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
\u201cIn The Line of Duty: Louis P. Shuster, a proud member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), employed as a Norfolk Southern conductor, was struck and killed early Tuesday when a dump truck collided with a train car in Cleveland. https://t.co/fwwv6YtvCT\u201d— Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (@Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen) 1678224415
"Norfolk Southern has been in touch with the conductor's family and will do all it can to support them and his colleagues. We are grieving the loss of a colleague today. Our hearts go out to his loved ones during this extremely difficult time," the company said.
The rail company, which added that it is working with city police and Cleveland-Cliffs representatives to learn everything possible about the deadly collision, has faced national criticism since a train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border, on February 3, creating an environmental and public health disaster.
Following another Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio Saturday afternoon—over two dozen cars came off the tracks between Dayton and Columbus—the company on Monday announced "a six-point plan to immediately enhance the safety of its operations."
However, the company's plan falls short in terms of recent demands from the Biden administration, Congress, and other critics.
\u201c"As ranking member on the Senate Select Comm. on Rail Safety, I hope we will address some of these dangers and explore policy solutions that will make our railways safer," said @nickieantonio.\n\nThe Senate Select Committee on Rail Safety meets again tomorrow at the Statehouse. 3/3\u201d— Ohio Senate Dems (@Ohio Senate Dems) 1678206278
After Shuster was killed on Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)—which is already probing the East Palestine disaster—announced a "special investigation" of Norfolk Southern's "organization and safety culture."
"Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the input of employees and others, and implement necessary changes to improve safety," the board said in a statement.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had tweeted that the NTSB, Federal Railroad Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the collision in Cleveland.
"Our thoughts are with the family facing this preventable tragedy. Now more than ever, it is time for stronger freight railroad accountability and safety," added Buttigieg, who is also under fire for not going far enough to rein in rail safety risks.
\u201cEarly this morning a Norfolk Southern train running through Cleveland collided with a dump truck, and the conductor was killed.\n\nRailroad workers are pushing for a strong, comprehensive Rail Safety Act, and Congress must move to meet their needs.\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1678201014
BLET national president Eddie Hall pointed to the conductor's death as more proof of the need for stricter rail safety rules.
"This was a tragic situation and it's a devastating loss for the Shuster family as well as the members of this union," he said. "All railroad accidents are avoidable. This collision underscores the need for significant improvements in rail safety for both workers and the public."
As Common Dreams reported last week, Hall welcomed parts of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023—introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) after the East Palestine derailment—while also warning that "you can run a freight train through the loopholes."
Railroad Workers United, an inter-union reform group, has advocated for the nationalization of the U.S. rail sector but, in the absence of such sweeping action, has also proposed immediate changes to prevent future "catastrophic" derailments.
This post has been updated with information about the fundraiser.
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Major Police Overhaul Goes Down in Minneapolis, But Austin and Cleveland Advocates Notch Wins
"It's a long road to liberation and our journey doesn't begin or end with Question 2," said one campaign group in Minneapolis.
Nov 03, 2021
Advocates of a push to amend Minneapolis' city charter and replace the city's police department with a "public health-oriented" Department of Public Safety were undeterred from their fight for far-reaching reform on Wednesday after their proposal failed to win a majority of voters' support, while activists in other U.S. cities celebrated victories against powerful law enforcement structures.
"Regardless of tonight's outcome, there's broad agreement that Minneapolis residents want more tools for public safety. There's also consensus that the status quo is not an option."
The grassroots group Black Visions Collective applauded the "historic" Yes on 2 campaign, which helped push nearly 44% of Minneapolis voters to support Question 2 after launching a petition to demand the question be included on the ballot.
"Despite an aggressive oppositional campaign, resourced by the Police Federation, corporate-backed white liberals like Jacob Frey and conservative black elites, the people of Minneapolis fought for and won the chance to take back our power," said Black Visions Collective. "It's a long road to liberation and our journey doesn't begin or end with Question 2."
"Passing legislation or electing candidates isn't our only measure of success," the group continued. "Our people reclaiming their ability to govern is a victory. Our people reclaiming their ability to name safety is a victory. Our people committing to moving toward a world beyond police is a victory."
Garnering the support of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the ACLU, and national grassroots organization People's Action, the Yes on 2 campaign pushed to end minimum police staffing numbers for Minneapolis and to give the City Council oversight over a proposed Department of Public Safety. According to the language on the ballot, the department's public health-focused staff "could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary."
"You actually can staff the department the way that meets the needs of the people," campaign spokesperson JaNae Bates told NPR in October. "We wanted to really be centered and focused on the safety of human beings."
Proponents of bold reforms to policing applauded the campaign for the traction it managed to gain in the city.
\u201cOver 40% of voters saying yes this city needs to do something different with policing isn't a loss. Folks are fighting big influence and deep pockets. It takes time to take down a juggernaut. And the status quo will fight hard to protect itself.\u201d— singing the body electric (@singing the body electric) 1635905252
"In the dead of winter, organizers collected 22,000 signatures from across the city to put this amendment on the ballot," said People's Action Movement Politics director Brooke Adams and TakeAction Minnesota executive director Elianne Farhat. "Black organizers and activists have worked toward this for years before 2020, and the work for a better future where everyone can feel safe in their communities will continue."
"Regardless of tonight's outcome, there's broad agreement that Minneapolis residents want more tools for public safety," added Adams and Farhat. "There's also consensus that the status quo is not an option."
Radley Balko, author of "Rise of the Warrior Cop" and a Washington Post columnist, called the level of support campaigners garnered for a "radical reorganization" of policing in Minneapolis "pretty remarkable."
The demand for an end to the status quo regarding policing was evident in a number of other cities including Austin, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure to hire hundreds more police officers--which would have required major budget cuts in other areas including firefighting, emergency health services, and libraries, according to opponents.
"It's past time we as a society reimagine the role of police."
Sixty-eight percent of Austin voters rejected Proposition A, which was pushed by Save Austin Now, a group co-founded by the Travis County Republican Party chair. The group raised $1.7 million in its effort to add to the city's 1,600-strong police force.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat, said the election reaffirmed "our community's belief that public safety for all requires a comprehensive system that includes properly staffing our police, but also our fire, EMS, and mental health responses as well."
"Austin's culture and values were on the ballot tonight," Adler said on Election Night. "At our core, we are an innovative, caring, and creative community."
With the corporate media widely reporting that police reform was rejected in Minneapolis, ACLU deputy national political director Udi Ofer predicted that Proposition A's defeat in Austin--by a wider margin--would receive little national attention.
Voters in Cleveland, Ohio also made clear their demand for more police accountability, approving a plan to establish a Civilian Police Review Board that would investigate reports of police misconduct. The proposal, known as Issue 24, passed by a margin of 59% to 41%.
The measure was endorsed by groups including Black Lives Matter Cleveland and the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, as well as Cleveland Mayor-elect Justin Bibb, a Democrat who won his election Tuesday night.
"We can't keep making this a false choice between good and effective law enforcement and police accountability," Bibb told local news outlet 3News. "We can do both. I believe trust is the biggest thing to do to make sure we have safety and security and residents trust police. Without it, you don't get safety."
Jeff Follmer, president of the local police union, accused Cleveland voters of approving a "vengeful" initiative that would "be the downfall of Cleveland." Issue 24 was proposed months after the U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute Cleveland officers in the police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014.
"We are grateful for the generosity, courage, and leadership that the directly impacted families have shown in heralding this historic change for Cleveland," said the ACLU of Ohio. "It's past time we as a society reimagine the role of police."
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'Hello Somebody!' Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Campaigns for Nina Turner in Cleveland
"I think it's extremely clear that Nina Turner is the candidate in this race that answers to the people of Ohio first and foremost."
Jul 25, 2021
In a congressional primary race that's been framed as part of a broader battle for the future of the Democratic Party, Nina Turner has won not only an endorsement but on-the-ground support from one of the most high-profile progressives in the U.S. House of Representatives: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was in Cleveland on Saturday to campaign for Turner, a former member of the city's council as well as the Ohio state Senate. More recently, Turner served as a national co-chair for the 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is also backing her bid to represent Ohio's 11th Congressional District.
"This isn't about Nina versus any opponent; this is about the people versus big money," Ocasio-Cortez said at a Saturday event. "This is a deep blue seat. It's a deep blue seat. Districts like Ohio's 11th should be leading the country on issues. They are opportunities, they are very rare opportunities, very rare districts like this one that can take and be visionary."
\u201cRain or shine we are out here knocking doors, organizing our neighbors and working hard to earn the ultimate endorsement \u2014 that of Ohio\u2019s working people. We\u2019ve got a full day left of canvassing, phone banking and community meetings. Thank you Congresswoman @AOC.\n\nPa\u2019lante! \u270a\ud83c\udffe\u201d— Nina Turner (@Nina Turner) 1627150534
Asked why she endorsed Turner, Ocasio-Cortez told the local 3News, "I think it's extremely clear that Nina Turner is the candidate in this race that answers to the people of Ohio first and foremost."
"She has supported, she has worked in this community, she has served in this community, and she understands this community's needs, and she is a candidate that I think can be trusted to bring people's voices to Washington," the congresswoman added.
\u201cRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigns for Nina Turner in Cleveland, praises Indians name change to Guardians https://t.co/7WViztWZ1r\u201d— WKYC 3News (@WKYC 3News) 1627160700
While early voting started more than two weeks ago for the crowded primary with 13 candidates, Turner's main opponent is Shontel Brown, who chairs the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and serves on the county's council. Brown has been endorsed by key establishment figures including Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the majority whip.
On Saturday, as Brown canvassed on Cleveland's West Side, Turner and her supporters also knocked on doors in the city and suburban Cleveland Heights.
"Canvasses are where the fight gets won," Ocasio-Cortez said at a launch event. "Right here, this is where the work happens and I love being where the work happens--where we actually get our hands dirty in the work of knocking on our doors and having conversations with our neighbors and building actual community. There's no replacement for that."
\u201cWe\u2019re putting in the sweat equity: knocking doors, making calls and meeting w/ every part of our community. Person to person, one conversation at a time.\n\nWe\u2019re building something special. Not just for us, but for future generations.\n\nThank you sister @AOC! Cleveland loves you \u270a\ud83c\udffe\u201d— Nina Turner (@Nina Turner) 1627167768
"We're knocking on doors that have never been knocked," Turner tweeted Sunday. "Ohioans who've been left behind and excluded from the democratic process."
"Young folks. Black and Brown folks. Working-class folks. They're not hard to reach--they're hardly reached," she continued. "It's time to expand the electorate."
\u201cBig Pharma, Big Banks, and Big Oil know that when I'm elected, they've got trouble on their hands. \n\nThat's why they're spending an unprecedented amount of money in this district.\n\nWe've got them shaking in their boots. Well, in the words of my sister @AOC:\n\nLet them shake.\u201d— Nina Turner (@Nina Turner) 1627181165
Another nationally known progressive in Congress is planning to visit Ohio to support Turner next week. Sanders is set to travel to Cleveland and deliver a keynote speech at a get-out-the-vote rally for the candidate on July 31.
Sanders, who endorsed Turner the same day she formally announced her candidacy in December, has said that "she deeply cares for working families and she has the heart to be an effective, unwavering fighter for them in Congress."
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