Opinion ID: 765540
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Wisconsin's Two-Person Crew Law and This Suit

Text: 3 On December 15, 1997, Wisconsin enacted Wis. Stat. sec. 192.25 to regulate the qualifications of train crew members and to require at least two persons in all train crews. In its entirety, the statute provides: 4 (1) In this section: 5 (a) Certified railroad locomotive engineer means a person certified under 49 CFR 240 as a train service engineer, locomotive servicing engineer or student engineer. 6 (b) Qualified railroad trainman means a person who has successfully completed a railroad carrier's training program and passed an examination on railroad operation rules. 7 (2)No person operating or controlling any railroad, as defined in s. 85.01(5), may allow the operation of any railroad train or locomotive in this State unless the railroad train or locomotive has a crew of at least 2 individuals. One of the individuals shall be a certified railroad locomotive engineer. The other locomotive engineer or a qualified railroad trainman. A certified railroad locomotive engineer shall operate the control locomotive at all times that the railroad train or locomotive is in motion. The other crew member may dismount the railroad train or locomotive when necessary to perform switching activities and other duties in the course of his or her job. 8 (3)(a) The office, by rule, may grant an exception to sub. (2) if the office determines that the exception will not endanger the life or property of any person. 9 (b) Subsection (2) does not apply to the extent it is contrary to or inconsistent with a regulation or order of the federal railroad administration. 10 (4)Any person who violates sub. (2) may be required to forfeit not less than $25 nor more than $100 for a first offense, not less than $100 nor more than $500 for a 2nd offense committed within 3 years, and not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 for a 3rd offense committed within 3 years. 11 Section 192.25 was to become effective January 1, 1998. On December 31, 1997, the plaintiffs filed this suit, naming the Wisconsin Attorney General and three county district attorneys as defendants. 1 (For convenience, we will refer to these defendants as Wisconsin.) Three of the plaintiffs are large, national railroads: Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company, Soo Line Railroad Company, and Union Pacific Railroad Company. The fourth plaintiff is a smaller, regional railroad: Wisconsin Central Limited. 2 Each plaintiff operates in Wisconsin. The complaint alleged that regulations promulgated under the Federal Rail Safety Act preempted sec. 192.25, and that the statute violated the federal and Wisconsin constitutions. The plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief. The parties agreed that Wisconsin would not enforce the statute in part pending the outcome of this litigation, or until December 31, 1998. (The parties have not informed us whether they have agreed to continue the stay.) The United Transportation Union (UTU) later intervened as a defendant. The parties filed cross motions for summary judgment, and subsequently stipulated that the plaintiffs would constitutional issues. The district court granted each side summary judgment in part. The court held that sec. 192.25's crew qualification requirements were preempted by federal law but held that its requirement for two-person crews was not. The parties have each appealed parts of the district court's decision.