NO LOVE AT CSX RAILROAD

Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX, a major North American transportation and logistics company, has announced a reduction in force.

The realignment affects about 1,100 employees across West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, including engineers who handle safety inspections, maintenance, and construction.

According to a company statement, “CSX is adjusting its engineering organization to better align teams with seasonal workflows and the maintenance work required across the network. We are communicating directly with employees and labor leaders and are following applicable collective bargaining agreements. Our focus on safety is unchanged. Required inspections, maintenance, and infrastructure renewal work will continue, as will our approved capital program.”

The layoffs are being classified as "furloughs." Some attribute the cost to automated track inspections and AI-based models.

Change is constant, and it's coming. Tomorrow will always come, no matter how much you try to ignore it. Life offers no guarantees, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you wondering, "Am I Next?"

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT FIRST STUDENT

Cincinnati, Ohio-based First Student, a leading provider of school bus transportation to public and private schools, has announced its plans to close its Olympic Hills office in Lake City, Washington, following the loss of contracts with Seattle Public Schools.

The contract loss will affect 111 employees, including 99 bus drivers, 4 technicians, 4 supervisors, 3 dispatchers, and 1 clerk.

According to a company statement, "First Student will permanently discontinue approximately 60% of operations at 8250 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108, and 13525 Lake City Way, Seattle, WA 98125 on August 17, 2026. It is anticipated that 111 employees will be laid off at these locations on that date. The entire facility will not be closed. The office located at 13525 Lake City Way, Seattle, WA, will close, and the remaining employees will operate out of the office located at 8250 5th Ave. S: Seattle, WA. This layoff is expected to be permanent. The layoff will not result in the relocation or contracting out of the Company’s operations or the employees’ positions."

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT TRI-COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION - OREGON

Portland, Oregon-based Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, the municipal transit agency known as TriMet, serves most of the Portland metropolitan area. has announced service cuts and a major reduction in force due to a structural budget deficit resulting from rising costs and reduced ridership.

The reduction will impact 400 employees, with spending cuts and staff reductions taking effect on July 1, 2026.

According to TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr., “These administrative cuts are part of a broader recovery plan to stabilize TriMet’s finances and ensure long-term sustainability so we can continue providing the public transit service our region needs for decades to come. Layoffs are always a last resort. We’ve worked hard to limit them as much as possible, but the financial realities we face made some layoffs unavoidable. No leader wants to lay off employees, especially during a regional economic downturn and high unemployment, and no public transit agency wants to cut service.”

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?