In the News

I retired from the Long Island Rail Road as a foreman in the signal department and a position as the general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) union almost three years ago. I came to Scranton honestly because of its affordability and proximity to the NYC metro area, as my family and friends are still there.

I had not known much about the area and purchased a house after one visit. I was immediately struck by the diamond in the rough that Scranton is. The downtown area to me seemed underutilized and blemished by neglect. I had assumed that railroading was behind me until I started reading local reporting on the proposed Scranton/New York City Amtrak project.

I had worked on many rail projects and one mega-project (East Side Access) in my 34 years. I delved into all the information I could find on this project and when I asked my union about this project, I heard crickets.

This project slipped under the radar of the BRS. In their defense, there was very limited reporting on this project in any national media. I reached out to U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright’s office and made the introduction between him and the BRS political director and vice president of commuter railroads. It was a match. We all met at the rail conference held in Mount Pocono. As it turns out, Cartwright had some signalman experience in the rail industry, on the Canadian National Railway as summer help. He spoke our language. The union immediately supported him and notified other concerned transportation unions of the project.

Read more here.