Teamster Canada Rail Conference: Don Ashley

 Don Ashley is the new National Legislative Director for the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) and one of his primary concerns is safety for the members of his union and for the public. He has spent his life since college as a railway worker. He started as a trainman, progressed

Paul Proudlock on Rail Safety

 Photo by Frederic Dekkal Paul Proudlock has been a railway man for almost 25 years. For the last several years he has also been an outspoken proponent of increasing rail safety, and one of his biggest concerns is fatigue among railway workers. He is presently an engineer for CP Rail

Fatigue on the Job is a Killer

 It has been known for decades, probably centuries, that working while tired can impair productivity, and that working in dangerous occupations like driving, loading or handling heavy equipment should not be done while tired. So why do railway companies seem determined to risk so many of their assets by asking

Jean-Michel Hallé

 ABOVE: Teamster Jean-Michel Hallé takes a rest from union matters and recharges on the water. Described as “up and coming” by his colleagues at Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), Jean-Michel Hallé has recently taken over the union position of General Chairman of CN Eastern Lines, which includes negotiations between union

Profiles: Rob Smith

 Rob Smith is a fourth-generation railroader. Hailing from Perth, Ontario, he started as a brakeman (a position now called a trainman) with CP Rail in nearby Smiths Falls, where he spent much of his career. The legislation of safe working conditions for railway workers and the communities through which railways

Lac-Mégantic

 Everyone knows a Montreal Maine and Atlantic (MMA) train without engineer careened into Lac-Mégantic last July, derailed, exploded, killed 47 people, injured many others, destroyed the town’s centre, polluted lake and soil, and tore out the community’s heart. Blame has since been widely laid, from CEO Edward Burkhardt blaming the