--- title: East Palestine disaster likely to result in major safety improvements description: The America’s Work Force Union Podcast is the nation’s premier daily labor program. Greg Regan from TTD joined us on today’s show. image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/TTD%20featured%20image%20red.jpg --- 1 min read Season 4, Episode 41 # East Palestine disaster likely to result in major safety improvements [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) February 27, 2023 [Labor Issues](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/labor-issues) [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AFL-CIO](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/afl-cio) [Health, Welfare, and Safety](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/health-welfare-and-safety) [AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/afl-cio-transportation-trades-department) [Labor-Management](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/labor-management) [Community Involvement](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/community-involvement) [Economic Impact](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/economic-impact) [Union Responsibilities](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/union-responsibilities) [Union Issues](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/union-issues) ![AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_ttd](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_ttd.png?width=400&height=400&name=AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_ttd.png)   Guest Name: --- Greg Regan Guest Website: --- [https://ttd.org/](https://ttd.org/)  Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/transportationtradesdepartment) [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/TTDAFLCIO) [ YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCexucSMWXvASPLI8Rs9Huw) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/transportation-trades-department-afl-cio) Supportive Documents: --- Greg Regan, President of the [Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD)](https://ttd.org/), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the East Palestine train derailment. Regan explained some of the potential contributing factors to the derailment. He believes one factor comes from the roughly 30 percent reduction of the railroads’ work force. He believes safety is a secondary thought to profit and pointed to an increase in railyard accidents since the personnel cuts were implemented. Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) is another potential factor, as skeleton crews work longer hours on longer trains, he said.  Unfortunately, it takes major catastrophes like East Palestine to create fundamental industry changes, Regan said. As crews work to clean up the accident site, it will leave a lasting impact in the memory of decision makers. In the past, incidents like this have resulted in better safety procedures, more elaborate inspections and harsher penalties. Regan believes the overall outcome of this disaster will make the railroad industry safer. The full impact of the derailment will not be known for at least 18 months, which is when the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to complete its investigation and release a full report on the incident. Regan hopes the NTSB will finish its investigation and report sooner.  Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics. --- America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues. America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... 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