Posts tagged Brightline
Federal judge tosses Brightline suit, upholding workers’ vote to unionize
April 3, 2026 // The case centered on whether Brightline qualifies as a railroad under federal labor law. Brightline argued that because it operates only within Florida and is not regulated by the Surface Transportation Board, it should not fall under the Railway Labor Act, the law that governs rail and airline labor relations. If the judge had agreed, the union election would have been invalid. Judge Gayles rejected that argument, saying the law does not limit labor protections only to railroads regulated by the Surface Transportation Board. He also pointed out that Brightline received federal grants to help build and improve its rail system. Under federal law, companies that use rail infrastructure built with those funds are considered rail carriers and must follow federal railroad labor laws, including allowing workers to organize.
Brightline files lawsuit challenging onboard attendants’ unionizing effort in Florida
January 23, 2025 // The National Mediation Board ruled in favor of the union in November, thereby rejecting Brightline’s argument that they did not fall under their jurisdiction. A mail ballot election began last November, lasting through Tuesday, Jan. 14. A vote count revealed that onboard attendants voted 30 to 17 in favor of unionization, with 36 additional eligible voters sitting the election out.