The unions negotiated for more sick/emergency time (supported by Democrats but blocked by Republicans), and argued that working sick/distracted would be a safe

The unions negotiated for more sick/emergency time (supported by Democrats but blocked by Republicans), and argued that working sick/distracted would be a safety risk, but they did not negotiate for the equipment and maintenance changes that would have prevented this derailment. Wikipedia: > The trains were not equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic brakes, which a former Federal Railroad Administration official said would have reduced the severity of the accident.[4] In 2017, Norfolk Southern had successfully lobbied to have regulations requiring their use on trains carrying hazardous materials repealed.[4] > About 48 hours later, the National Transportation Safety Board said it had preliminary findings that a mechanical problem on an axle of one of the cars led to the derailment.[9] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Ohio_train_derailment https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Ohio_train_derailment