Photos from Teamsters's post

[T-Link Reporter]

A Teamsters railroader took part in a bipartisan Congressional Roundtable on recent increases in cargo theft.



The meeting was held by the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, as rail thefts have increased by 40% in the last year alone. This trend has been driven in part by railroads making trains too long and refusing to hire enough law enforcement officials.



Eddie Strom, a locomotive engineer at Union Pacific and President of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 28, was asked by Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), Ranking Member Dina Titus (D-Nev.), and other members of Congress to share his experiences being exposed to rail theft. In recent years, Eddie has operated multiple trains that have been targeted by thieves.



“In the first 20 years I worked on the railroad, it was rare to see any sort of theft,” said Strom. “But in recent years, I have seen firsthand train robberies, vandalism, and sabotage. And the carriers are turning a blind eye to what’s causing this: their relentless push to make trains longer and employ fewer workers.”













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