Railroads adopt new worker appeals process

Railway Age, March, 2007

For more than a decade, railroads have required background checks for employees and contractors alike. While they defend their right to bar contractor employees with recent felony convictions, railroads have agreed to adopt "a more robust, transparent appeals process," making it easier to re-evaluate decisions that prohibit such employees from working on rail property, the Association of American Railroads announced late last month.

According to AAR, several Class I's have partnered with an Atlanta, Ga.-based background investigation firm. EVerifde.com, Inc.'s e-RailSafe program "flags for further review contractor employees who have had a felony conviction within the previous seven years or who have been released from jail for serving a felony conviction within the last five years." Railroads review the records and tell contractors who should be denied access. The contractor then decides whether or not to terminate employees or reassign them.

The Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security recently recommended that railroads "establish procedures for background checks" for contractor employees with access to a railroad's critical infrastructure. "This industry has made a commitment to the federal government that we will voluntarily comply with those recommendations," said AAR President and CEO Ed Hamberger, adding that railroads are working to ensure that contractor employees are treated fairly.