About 11 BLET members at Amtrak are temporarily out of work as a result of a warehouse fire in Portland on August 2. Photo: Portland Fire and Rescue
Several BLET members are temporarily out of work for an unexpected reason: Amtrak was forced to halt service through Portland, Oregon, after a major warehouse fire earlier this month.
A 100-year-old brick and stone warehouse is still standing but suffered catastrophic damage in an August 2 blaze. The Centennial Mills warehouse is located near train tracks and is highly unstable. Amtrak has canceled service indefinitely between Seattle and Portland out of concern that the building may collapse and injure train crew members and passengers.
Demolition of the building is on hold for various reasons — authorities suspect arson and have reason to believe human remains are inside; plus the owners of the building are struggling to find a contractor to handle demolition.
In the meantime, Pat Darcy — BLET’s General Chairman for Amtrak locomotive engineers — said about 11 BLET members are out of work. Brother Darcy has held meetings with Amtrak Labor Relations and the involved BLET Local Chairmen to discuss possible pay protection and other relief.
“It’s a difficult and frustrating situation for the affected members and their families,” General Chairman Darcy said. “Since this crisis began, Division 60 Local Chairman Christopher Houser has worked tirelessly with local management to minimize the impact on our membership. The BLET has likewise continued advocating on their behalf, seeking a positive resolution that includes appropriate pay protection and relief for members affected by these unfortunate circumstances.”