Railroad unions keep fighting BNSF’s new attendance rules

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The unions that represent roughly half of BNSF’s workers continue to fight against the railroad’s new attendance rules they say penalizes them for missing work for any reason even though a judge has barred them from striking. The unions launched a petition drive this week and renewed their call for a federal investigation of the rules that took effect last month. They say the rules pressure employees to come to work when they are sick or fatigued and put them on call 24-7. The railroad said the rules help workers predict their schedules better while ensuring BNSF has the workers it needs to run its trains that deliver all kinds of goods businesses rely on.