Episode Details

Three years after the East Palestine derailment, rail safety reform remains stalled while derailments continue at a rate of roughly 1,000 per year. On today's episode, Tony Cardwell, President of the BMWED-IBT, joins the podcast to warn that the behaviors leading to the 2023 disaster are still embedded in the industry. He discusses why the AAR's lobbying has successfully watered down safety bills, the fight against "AI" waivers that would cut track inspections by 75%, and the dangers of a potential Norfolk Southern-Union Pacific consolidation.

Then, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga joins the show to break down the real-world impact of the partial government shutdown on federal workers and public services. Burga also discusses the economic stakes of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the 12,000-15,000 Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio, and outlines labor's strategy for the 2026 election cycle ahead of Ohio’s Feb. 4 filing deadline.

Featured Guests:

• Tony Cardwell, President, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED-IBT)

• Tim Burga, President, Ohio AFL-CIO

Episode Highlights:

• Rail Safety Stalled: Cardwell explains why 1,000 derailments a year are still "routine" in the U.S.

• Inspection Battles: BMWED's fight against waivers that would replace human inspectors with automation.

• Shutdown Fallout: Burga details how political instability in D.C. hits working families in Ohio.

• Springfield Workforce: The critical role of Haitian workers in local economic recovery.

• 2026 Election Watch: Inside the Ohio AFL-CIO's endorsement process and the "working-family scorecard."