Thread by @MorePerfectUS

On February 3, a horrifying railroad accident took place. A Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. You might've seen images of the flames, but you probably haven't heard that unions were trying to prevent this exact accident. 🧵

Union rail workers with @railroadworkers have warned of a "ticking time bomb" saying, “In the last 10 years, Class I carriers have dramatically increased both the length and tonnage of the average train while cutting back maintenance and inspection.” /2
myemail.constantcontact.com/Special-Report…

@railroadworkers And remember last fall when rail workers were about to strike? They repeatedly expressed that rail companies' system of running their lines, which they call “Precision Scheduled Railroading," was really about profit-maximization at the expense of worker and public safety. /3

@railroadworkers Even more fundamental to the union argument was and is that railroads are trying to run these complex operations with fewer and fewer workers. They've cut 22% of jobs since 2017. This approach, which the wealthy owners bill as “efficiency,” really means overworked workers. /4

@railroadworkers Overburdened and exhausted workers means more dangerous situations for the folks making our trains run on no days off and no sick leave. And it’s not because the rail companies don’t have the money. /5

@railroadworkers Norfolk Southern, the company running the trains that derailed in East Palestine with toxic chemicals on board, brought in over $12 billion in revenue last year, a record. /6
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@railroadworkers Norfolk also announced a new $10 billion stock buyback program last year. /7
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@railroadworkers And all this money, for stock buybacks that line the pockets of rich investors, is money that’s not being used to improve safety and make the upgrades that unions have been pushing for. It’s also money that’s not going to exhausted workers. /8

@railroadworkers Not only are rail profits not helping workers, they’re instead being used to lobby against regulation. @TheLever found that rail companies spent big to block stricter safety rules, specifically for trains with hazardous materials like the one in Ohio. /9
levernews.com/rail-companies…

@railroadworkers @thelever The derailed Ohio train had 20 cars carrying toxic chemicals. They carried out a "controlled release" of hazardous gas from several tankers at risk of exploding. The fires burned for 5 days. The health risks to the community are unknown. /10

https://twitter.com/wpxigigi/status/1622724700697726976

@railroadworkers @thelever So when a train derails, and we see images of balls of fire in the sky over Ohio, know it’s not just a freak accident. It’s a systemic problem with lucrative railroad companies putting profit over people again and again. /11

@railroadworkers @thelever And know that there are answers. Union railroad workers have been clearly stating them repeatedly, especially last fall when their labor struggle grabbed national headlines, but also before and after. Now, we need to listen. 12/12