Rail Unions Say, Workers Have Become Sick, at East Palestine Derailment Site.br On March 1, the presidents of railroad unions told officials br with the Biden administration that rail workers have br fallen ill at the derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio.br NBC reports that leaders from 12 unions met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.br NBC reports that leaders from 12 unions met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.br The meeting focused on not just the derailment, br but also the ongoing aftermath of the incident br and the crucial need for safety improvements.br The meeting focused on not just the derailment, br but also the ongoing aftermath of the incident br and the crucial need for safety improvements.br My hope is the stakeholders in this br industry can work towards the same goals br related to safety when transporting br hazardous materials by rail, Mike Baldwin, President of the Brotherhood br of Railroad Signalmen, via NBC.br According to union representations, rail workers br exposed to the cleanup site have reported br experiencing “migraines and nausea.”.br In a letter addressed to Buttigieg, Bose, East Palestine br Mayor Trent Conaway and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, unions br list a number of other safety grievances at the crash site.br In a letter addressed to Buttigieg, Bose, East Palestine br Mayor Trent Conaway and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, unions br list a number of other safety grievances at the crash site.br According to the unions, workers are not being provided br with personal protective equipment like respirators, br eyewear or appropriate clothing.br According to the unions, workers are not being provided br with personal protective equipment like respirators, br eyewear or appropriate clothing.br Union representatives claim that 35 to 40 peoplebr working at the cleanup site were not supplied with proper br breathing apparatuses, rubber gloves, boots or coverups.br Also on March 1, lawmakers introduced the br Railway Safety Act of 2023, which aims to br prevent other train disasters in the future.