As part of ongoing efforts to “foster dialogue” with craft railroaders, Norfolk Southern’s (NS) President and CEO, Alan H. Shaw, recently joined SMART-TD (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division) for an open forum, and its Mechanical team participated in shift-change meetings at the Juniata Locomotive Shop that provided time for craft railroader questions and feedback, the Class I railroad reported July 22.
With more than 80% of the NS workforce represented by a collective bargaining agreement, the railroad said it is committed to “working with our labor partners to advance safety, service, and quality of life enhancements.” Alan Shaw and leaders of 12 of NS’s labor unions sent a joint letter in May 2023 to all craft and management employees “underscoring their shared goal of partnering together to drive continuous improvement in rail safety at the company.”
Shaw this year accepted an invitation from SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson to participate in an open question and answer session with NS employees who also serve as leaders within the union. The session, held July 10 during SMART-TD’s National Training Seminar in Cleveland, allowed Shaw to take questions and provided an update on NS’s efforts “to be the gold standard of safety in the rail industry,” according to the railroad, which noted that Shaw was the first CEO to attend SMART-TD’s national meeting.
“Our union-represented craft colleagues are what drives the Norfolk Southern engine that powers the American economy,” NS quoted Shaw as saying. “We strive to lead the rail industry in how we engage our labor partners. We are taking every opportunity possible to include our unions in our efforts to be a customer-centric, operations-driven railroad with safety at the center of everything we do.”
“This was a first for us, and it was a great opportunity to have frank and open discussions about safety and culture with expert officers from both labor and management in the same room,” said Jeremy Ferguson, according to NS. “We were thrilled to host this town hall meeting in our hometown of Cleveland, while we had a vast number of SMART-TD officers of the NS here for our National Training Seminar. By engaging in these types of discussions, we gave everyone the opportunity to voice their concerns and also highlight the vast improvements we have seen in the past year with safety and the culture.”
Also, NS’s Mechanical leadership along with senior labor relations representatives met last month with Mechanical employees during all three shifts at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa. Mechanical employees, who participated in person and virtually, were able to ask questions and provide input on any issue related to operations, which NS called a continuation of leadership’s “strong commitment to encouraging and maintaining open two-way feedback” with employees.
Along with discussing matters related to safety, productivity, and growth, employees watched a video featuring a “first glimpse” of the Thoroughbred Locomotive that the Juniata facility rolled out in a special scheme celebrating NS railroaders.
In addition to Juniata, NS reported that multiple Mechanical shops were recognized for their injury-free records, including the Locomotive (nine years) and Car (six years) shops at the Oakwood Yard in Detroit, Mich.
“All of you take pride in what you do, and your families take pride in what you do,” NS quoted AVP Mechanical Jamie Williams’ as saying at the event. “That’s means a lot when you can come to work every day. I see the work that goes in, I know the effort that comes out and I know that we’re going to continue to be the best in the industry.”
Safety team members were also in attendance, as were union leaders, including general chairmen from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths (IBBB), Transportation Workers United (TWU), National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical Division (SMART-MD), and Transportation Communication Workers (TCU).
“NS actively involves labor in our efforts to enhance our culture of safety and improve quality of life,” the railroad reported. “Over the past year, we have implemented a series of positive changes related to training and accountability to enhance how we engage our craft workforce.” This includes its partnership with AtkinsRéalis, which was launched in 2023. AtkinsRéalis officials engaged local and general chairman from all 13 of the railroad’s labor unions during field visits to 26 locations across the NS system. According to NS, feedback from labor “played a key role in developing opportunities for improvement, which were incorporated into the firm’s initial report outlining opportunities to enhance NS safety policies and procedures.”
