28 February 2024
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A national workers union is taking a stand following reports of mass layoffs at a major railroad company in Kansas.
KSNT 27 News spoke with Ty Dragoo with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Union about supposed mass layoffs impacting employees of BNSF in Kansas. He said the company has laid off hundreds of its employees in Kansas, with around 100 jobs cut in Topeka alone, many of which belong to workers who help maintain the railroad.
“The shame in this is the railroad industry as a whole has really gone downhill when it comes to safety,” Dragoo said. “Derailments are on the rise. These people that were furloughed today and fired today are responsible for maintaining the equipment these locomotives run on.”
Dragoo said the layoffs come at a time of great profits for BNSF. SMART will be working to help the BNSF workers find new jobs or get their old positions back.