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STRAIGHT TRACK
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Saturday, December 20, 2003 |
| Date |
December 17, 2003 |
| Section(s) |
Local News |
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Bishop in fair condition following remote control mishap
By BEN FIELDS
The Independent
RUSSELL A CSX worker was in fair condition Tuesday evening following a rail yard accident involving a remote control locomotive.
According to CSX officials, Lloyd "Shane" Bishop, 29, was riding on the side of a rail car during a switching operation in the Russell rail yard about 5:30 p.m. Monday when he apparently fell, injuring his leg.
Company officials would not specify Bishop's injuries, but a spokesman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers International said one of Bishop's feet was crushed by the rail car, causing amputation at the ankle.
Bishop, a Raceland resident and railroad employee for the past four years, was transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital where he was listed in critical condition overnight. He was upgraded to fair condition Tuesday afternoon, a hospital official said.
CSX has been using remote controls for switching operations in the Russell yard since last fall, and in other locations since the beginning of 2002.
Company officials have said they made the move for safety reasons, arguing that remotes have been proven to reduce rail yard accidents over a decade of use in Canada.
However, engineers say the remotes are dangerous, adding that conductors using a remote on the ground cannot see or get a feel for everything that affects the movement of a locomotive. Local engineers also expressed concern that radio signals could become crossed, or remotes could malfunction, leading to possible catastrophic results.
The company and the members of the engineers union dueled over the issue in Greenup County Fiscal Court in late 2002 and early 2003, while county officials considered a ban on remote technology use within Greenup rail yards. No such ordinance was passed, though members of the fiscal court said they would continue to monitor the situation.
CSX spokesman David Hall said it is too early to tell if Tuesday's accident was the result of a remote malfunction or human error.
"(Bishop) and another employee were using remotes to switch cars in the yard, and he fell while the two were about to couple one car to another," Hall said. "We are investigating the circumstances of the incident, but, at this time, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause."
Hall said the company is primarily concerned with Bishop's health.
"Any time an employee is injured, our primary concern is that he and his family are being cared for," he said.
The other employee involved in the switching operation was Bishop's older brother, Tom Bishop of Raceland, who declined comment on the incident Tuesday.
Since their implementation in the CSX system last year, remote controls have been involved in at least one employee death, which occurred in Syracuse, N.Y., in February. Company officials deny a remote control malfunction caused the accident.
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BEN FIELDS can be reached at bfields@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651. |
9:26:18 AM 
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003 |
Mr. Conklin. My name is Peggy Shrum. I am the founder of a growing organization called RRESQ (railroad employee safety and quality). I would like to respond to your email to an engineer in San Antonio which is reprinted below.
First of all in light of your experience as a locomotive engineer you must be aware of the dangers of working around any railroad equipment (1) ALONE and (2) from the GROUND. The public outcry against this technology, and the testimony of the workers themselves must be entered into the record. The fact that this young man was forced to work alone is nothing short of irresponsible. The FRA must conclude with this finding.
Second. Manpower shortages. Just how much mileage do you and Union Pacific plan to get out of attributing their chronic manpower shortages to their inability to correctly account for the change in the retirement age? This bill was signed into law in 2001 as UP was well aware of in advance. It's the end of 2003, and UP's manpower shortages have existed since 1997. GET A NEW LINE.
And finally fatigue. How dare you say that this is a no-win issue. This is the biggest issue on the railroad...and we are counting on individuals like yourself to determine the solution. Of course you can't please all the people all the time...but you don't wring your hands and say "there is no answer". The money and time invested in assuring that this issue is NEVER solved amounts to simple negligence on the part of all participants.
Mr. Conklin...Don't turn your back on 30 years of locomotive engineering and your former comrades just because you have moved into a nice job with the FRA. You know what these individuals are up against day in and day out... and the standard FRA and corporate line simply does don't fly with them. We expect more from the FRA.
You say you are Not out of touch....Your answers to this engineer are soft and laced with corporate rhetoric. I'm not sure how you sleep at night.
Peggy Shrum
Mr. Conklins email to a Locomotive Engineer in San Antonio:
My name is John Conklin. I manage the engineer certification regulation and I am also point person for RCL issues in FRA. I am also a locomotive engineer of 30+ years and can identify with your concerns. Concerning the fatality at San Antonio, UP called me at my home on Sunday morning to report the incident to me because it involved RCL equipment. This incident is currently under FRA investigation. Preliminary reports indicate the remote control operator was struck by the two light locomotives he was operating. As it appears right now, he evidently walked into the path of the locomotives, believing they were moving on an adjacent track. If this is true, he had his back to the movement.
Concerning manpower shortages, it appears UP failed to calculate the number of employees that would retire under the new 30/60 provision in railroad retirement. UP is currently implementing a hiring campaign to fill these vacancies. This issue is not new. I can remember working on the extra list and crying to add more engineers to the list so I could have a day off. Of course as soon as the engineers were added, work would slow up and everyone would be crying to "cut the board."
Concerning fatigue, FRA has always been hopeful that the unions and railroads would work together to develop fatigue counter measures. This has always been a collective bargaining issue. In my experience this is also a no-win situation. If you tell people that they will have two days off per week, many will accuse you of depriving them of income. As you know, typical railroaders want to work 7-8 days a week and have Saturday and Sunday off! It is my opinion that eventually Congress will act on this problem and issue laws that will limit the number of hours train crews can work within a certain time period.
I can understand your feelings, but I can assure you that FRA is not out of touch with you or the rail industry. Feel free to contact me any time. Be safe!
John L. Conklin 3rd
Engineer Certification Program Manager
& Contact for RCL Operations
Federal Railroad Administration
Office of Safety
1120 Vermont Avenue, NW
6th Floor, Room 6051
Washington, DC 20005
telephone: 202-493-6318
12:39:42 AM
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Saturday, December 13, 2003 |
Testimony implicates ex-official
By Chris Osher
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 8, 2003
Robert Peirce Jr., a former Allegheny County commissioner and clerk of courts, gave thousands of dollars in cash to transportation union officials who played a role in helping him attract legal work from union members, according to court testimony in Houston.
Peirce, 65, is one of five lawyers identified during a hearing as making payments to officials of the Cleveland-based United Transportation Union, which represents about 125,000 active and retired rail, bus and mass transit workers in the United States and Canada. He declined to comment when reached last week at his Downtown law office.
The court testimony came in connection with the September sentencing of a former union official accused of perjuring himself before a federal grand jury in Houston.
Neal Babineaux of Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty to contempt of court and agreed to cooperate in a continuing investigation into alleged union corruption in return for two years of probation.
Within weeks of his plea, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston announced racketeering and fraud indictments against UTU President Byron Boyd Jr. of Seattle, retired UTU President Charlie Little of Leander, Texas, and one union employee. They are accused of taking nearly $500,000 in bribes from lawyers. Boyd and Little have pleaded innocent.
The union leaders' Nov. 13 indictment filed in Houston charges them with soliciting money from more than 30 lawyers who were seeking to represent injured union workers.
During Babineaux's sentencing, prosecutors named five lawyers, including Peirce, who were prepared to testify that they gave money to Babineaux. The prosecutors said the amounts ranged from $5,000 to $50,000.
Gus Saper, the defense lawyer for Babineaux, said the lawyers who made the payments were given immunity from prosecution.
"I'm certainly surprised that there are all these lawyers out here who certainly had a lot more to gain than the union officials, and they all end up with immunity," Saper said.
Prosecutors declined to comment. The 106-page indictment does not name the lawyers who made the payments. It does say that one of the lawyers is from Pittsburgh.
The unidentified lawyer made $20,000 in four payments to union officials, the court document states. One of those payments was made through an intermediary in the lawyer's firm, which was not identified. The Pittsburgh lawyer also allegedly picked up the cost of a $5,000 dinner for union officials at Shula's Steakhouse in Miami.
Peirce, a Republican, was an Allegheny County commissioner from 1976 to 1979. He also was county clerk of courts earlier in the 1970s.
He generated headlines in the 1990s for negotiating $13 million in reduced property assessments for clients. Peirce had close ties with then-Commissioners Larry Dunn and Bob Cranmer, who like Peirce were Republicans. All three denied their party ties had anything to do with the assessment reductions.
Chris Osher can be reached at cosher@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7910
8:31:48 AM
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Friday, December 12, 2003 |
FRA Statistics show Rise in Overall Percentage of Yard Accidents since RCO
Here's a letter to FRA's Rutter pointing out that FRA's own data seems to contradict safety claims:
Dear Mr. Rutter:
The arrogance of both the FRA and the Union Pacific Railroad to ignore the public outcry for stiffer regulation on remote controlled locomotives and the death of a young man on December 12 who was forced to work an RCO job exhausted and alone...will not go unchecked. Both UP and the FRA continue to spout statistics about a 40% reduction in Yard accidents with the implementation of Remote Controlled Locomotives. However the FRA website seems to contradict those statements and reports a different set of statistics.
2001 - Number of Yard Accidents: 501 - 55.92% of all train accidents.
2002 - Number of Yard Accidents: 468 - 56.80% of all train accidents
2003 (available only through September) Number of Yard Accidents: 349 - 58.36% of all train accidents
UP is "right on track" statistically to incur another 116-120 yard incidents by the end of 2003. That would meet or exceed the statistics for 2002 and 2001. And as we all know...these are only "reported" accidents. So by your own statistics the overall percentage of accidents occuring in the train yard is OBVIOUSLY on the rise. How do you explain this? Where is this 40% reduction in yard incidents due to the implementation of Remote Control? The death of Jody Herstine was completely unnecessary and for the FRA to publicly assert that a single man operation involving this magnitude of equipment is safe....is nothing less than irresponsible. We expect alot more of your leadership Mr. Rutter, and we are expecting it quickly.
We look forward to your immediate response.
Citizens Demanding Safer Regulation of America's Railroads!!!!
10:06:24 AM
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Thursday, December 11, 2003 |
washingtonpost.com
Judge to Allow Amtrak Employees to Strike in Dec.
By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 11, 2003; 11:38 AM
Thousands of Amtrak employees are allowed to walk off the job for one day during this bustling holiday month to protest President Bush's and Congress's lack of support for the struggling passenger rail service, a federal judge said in a decision released today.
Amtrak had asked the federal court to issue a preliminary injunction to stop four employee unions from conducting a one-day work stoppage during December, the rail line's busiest travel month. Amtrak argued that the union leaders were not trying to alert the public to the railroad company's ailing financial status, but rather their threatened one-day protest was "really union muscle-flexing designed to gain a strategic advantage in ongoing negotiations over new collective bargaining agreements."
U.S. District Judge James Robertson said that "it is indeed possible that a measure of the truth lies on both sides." He notes that while a congressional conference committee agreed to give Amtrak an annual subsidy of $1.22 million the day before a hearing in his court on the injunction request, Amtrak's chief executive David L. Gunn had previously insisted that if Amtrak did not receive $1.8 million, critical infrastructure on the line would be in jeopardy and "on any given day something could fail."
Robertson said that, although Amtrak had received its annual subsidy, the National Railroad Corporation, also known as Amtrak, failed to show that the unions were not still concerned and motivated by this financial gap.
The unions arguing for the one-day work stoppage are the Transport Workers Union of America, Service Employees International Union's National Council of Firemen and Oilers and Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
Advancing the world of work through e-unionism.
Paul Plaganis
District Chairperson
TCU District #861
10:27:32 PM
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Tuesday, December 09, 2003 |
By Lisa Sandberg
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 12/09/2003 12:00 AM
Operating trains by remote control doesn't appear to be any more dangerous — and could be safer — than running them using the conventional two-man teams, an official with a government regulatory agency said Monday.
"There is no evidence to suggest that remote-control technology is unsafe," said Warren Flatau, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, which enforces rail safety regulations.
Flatau spoke just a day after Jody Herstine, a Union Pacific Railroad worker and married father of two, was killed in a near East Side rail yard by one of the two trains he was operating via a waist-strapped remote-control device. A switchman for five years, he was working alone at the time.
The death of the 37-year-old switchman has reignited the debate over whether the cost-saving technology will lead to profits for railroad companies at the expense of worker safety.
Flatau said his agency has investigated about 100 reports of injuries that purportedly were caused by the remote-control devices and hasn't been able to substantiate a single one. The FRA has so far seen no reason to require that two employees be on the ground when the remote device is employed.
The technology eliminates the need for a train's engineer, who once sat in the cab and communicated with the switchman on the ground. Now, there's only the switchman, who communicates with an on-board computer. The devices are only used while the trains are in the rail yards.
American rail companies began embracing remote technology to sort cars in rail yards about two years ago, railroad experts said, and about 1,000 of the devices now are in operation in the United States.
The technology has been in place in Canada since the late 1980s, and data there show a 56 percent drop in railroad accidents and $20 million in savings for rail companies.
"There's never been a fatality due to the technology," said Mark Hallman, a spokesman for Canada National, one of that country's two major privately owned rail companies.
But those who believe the remote technology endangers American railroad workers point out that Canada requires two-worker teams to guide the trains.
"Here, the way the system's been implemented, there are no enforceable federal regulatory policies," said John Bentley, spokesman for Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, which has been critical of the technology.
The FRA is expected to release the results of an audit sometime next year. In the meantime, the controversy doesn't seem likely to go away.
Scant details of Herstine's death Sunday have been released. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating, wouldn't comment. It is expected to take about six months to complete its report.
Meanwhile, Herstine's family, which declined comment, made funeral arrangements Monday.
12/09/2003
8:26:38 AM
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Monday, December 08, 2003 |
TRAGEDY IN SAN ANTONIO: UP RCO dies while working ALONE.
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Locomotive kills railroad worker
By Hernán Rozemberg
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 12/08/2003 12:00 AM
A Union Pacific railroad employee was struck and killed early Sunday by a locomotive he was operating via remote control — rekindling a debate over whether the devices are a technological boon or a safety hazard.
Jody Allen Herstine, 37, was using the waist-strapped remote-control device, which moves trains without the need of a conductor on board, to operate two locomotives shortly before 1 a.m. at the Union Pacific railyards on the near East Side when he was run over, said Mark Davis, a spokesman with the railroad.
Davis did not know if Herstine — a 5-year Union Pacific switchman — was hit from the front or from behind.
The National Safety Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration have dispatched investigators to San Antonio to look into Herstine's death.
Reached at their Northwest Side home, Herstine's wife, Sara, was too distraught to give an interview. The couple had been married for two months.
"He was always such a good guy, loved by everybody. He'll be missed by everyone," she said amid sobs and tears as she walked into her house.
A man who identified himself as her stepfather said Herstine had been working at railyards since he was discharged from the Navy a decade ago.
Herstine had two children from a previous marriage. His parents and three sisters live in Pittsburgh, where he was born and raised, said the stepfather, who did not want his name used.
Herstine's death is not the first time concern has been raised over the fairly new practice of remote-control locomotive conducting.
An accident here in June injured a Union Pacific engineer near KellyUSA after the locomotive he was in was struck by another being operated by remote control.
Such occurrences have many railyard workers clamoring for an end to the remote controls, and several cities across the country have passed measures banning the technology.
The Union Pacific's Davis maintained that remote-control system has been in place in Canada for more than a decade, and data show a 50 percent reduction in railyard accidents.
In the railroad's U.S. experience with the system thus far — it was started in San Antonio about a year and a half ago — the same trend is developing, he said.
Warren Flatau, a spokesman for the FRA, noted that his agency will be releasing the results of a nationwide audit into the safety of the remote-controlled locomotives early next year.
But the leader of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, a union with 350 members in San Antonio, said although the cause of Herstine's death has yet to be determined, his union's warnings about the limitations and risks of remote-control work are becoming a reality.
Don Hahs, internat! ional president of the union, said controlling engines from the ground is dangerous. He also said the two weeks of training workers is not enough. Even worse, he added, is the practice of sending conductors out without any backup.
Davis confirmed that Herstine was working alone at the time of the accident.
"The system is designed for that. An employee working by himself in that situation is normal," Davis said.
Far from it, countered Hahs. For mere safety concerns, it should be at least a two-person operation, he insisted.
"It's a total mistake to send a switchman out by himself," he said.
"We've been saying all along that this new technology was implemented too quick and with little oversight, and it could cause accidents."
The matter is further complicated by the fact that it has spawned a fierce inter-union rivalry.
While Hahs' Brotherhood strongly opposes the new system, the United Transportation Union has embraced it.
F! rank Wilner, spokesman for the UTU, said the union signed a contract with Union Pacific two years ago accepting use of remote-control units — under condition that no jobs are lost and that proper training is given.
So far, Wilner said, he has to agree with Union Pacific's findings.
But, he noted, enough safety concerns have been raised that his shop lobbied the Senate for an investigation. That probe led to the FRA audit.
"We're extremely concerned about this fatality," Wilner said, noting that his union has between 550 and 600 members in San Antonio.
hrozemberg@express-news.net
And a report from a sister working as a UP locomotive engineer in San Antonio |
To Whom It May Concern,
Today a horrible tragedy happened in San Antonio. A switchman was killed while working on an RCO job. My sources tell me that because of manpower shortages ,U.P. management are forcing employees to work BY THEMSELVES on the RCO jobs. Apparently its occurring more and more often.
The worst case scenario has happened, a man is dead .
My question is, what is the FRA going to do about it? We all know that the UP will try to cover this up. We have begged the FRA to step in and help the railroad employees force the U.P. to make the safety of its transportation personnel a priority. What has happened is that crews have been subject to more field testing. Issues such as fatigue and employee safety have been ignored. As the FRA is aware, after promising in 1997 to hire more people,they did so and then quietly started to cut manpower. The U.P. was aware long before now it needed more employees. A man died today. A cumulation of factors caused this horrible tragedy.....factors that we as railroad employees have begged the FRA to address.
Thanks,
Kathleen Starustka
San Antonio Engineer
8:42:15 AM
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Sunday, December 07, 2003 |
So where do the international officers stand?
by Roger Griffeth
Today we are looking at the fact that our UTU International President has been indicted by a federal grand jury for numerous felony counts and that there is a real possibility, with the information provided by one of his most trusted conspirators, that he, as well as others, is going to be found guilty of many of those counts. Now, the question keeps popping-up – "Where do the international officers stand"? More specifically, what are they doing to comply with their fiduciary responsibilities and ensure the future well being of the UTU?
Questions the members want to know are: Who is paying for the legal expenses of these characters? Will the UTU be reimbursed for any monies spent trying to hide the truth from the government? What position is the Board of Directors taking regarding the current management of the UTU and why are they not addressing these issues in the UTU News?
One question that has already been addressed to the Board of Directors is the issue of Boyd’s leadership status and his salary. On September 20, 2003, Lance Ruck, a veteran delegate from UTU Local 1571, requested that Paul Thompson, Assistant President of the UTU, present the Board of Directors with a proposition that would place Boyd on paid administrative leave until the pending indictments were finally determined. The request was reasonable, after all, considering the circumstances it is likely that Boyd will be spending a large amount of his time and possibly the members’ money, defending against the allegations against him, and little of his time working for the benefit of the membership.
As usual, Assistant President Thompson didn’t agree with Ruck and dismissed Ruck’s request citing Article 17 of the UTU which does not confer upon the Assistant President the "right" to call an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors. Thompson explained to Ruck that Boyd had already stated that there was no basis for the allegations in the indictments. Futher, that Boyd had made changes in the legal counsel program to "try" and prohibit any and all improprieties. Thompson also explained to Ruck that the indictments have noting to do with our union.
Thompson stated that the issues involving the Houston indictments dealt with Designated Legal Counsel, how they were appointed and the Federal Employees Liability Act. Funny, everyone else seems to think the indictment dealt with Boyd, Little, Dennis, Rookard taking money from UTU Designated Legal Counsel in return for being designated. As far as I know, no attorneys have been indicited.
Addressing Thompson’s remarks, forget about Article 17 no time to start worrying about the language or any other provision of the UTU Constitution, forget the "Emergency Session" issue raised by Ruck. The Assistant President has the right and without question the responsibility to bring any issue before the Board of Directors in or out of session, especially an issue as important as the one that Ruck requested, I’ve done it before, and so has Thompson, and other members of the Board that I served with during the 1995 – 1999 term. True, most of the issues raised by Board members were how to deal with me, and my opposition to Little’s administration, but none the less the Board can not only address these types of issues, but they can address any concern raised by the membership.
For Thompson to contend that it was not his duty under Article 17 of the Constitution to bring this matter before the Board of Directors, was a slap in the face to all members of the UTU and a possible violation of his fiduciary responsibility as an officer of the union and a member of the Board of Directors – shame on you Paul Thompson.
Since the date of the letters exchanged between Ruck and Thompson, the Justice Department tells us that Ralph Dennis has pleaded guilty to the charges against him – now the question being asked: does Ralph’s testimony constitute evidence? Since Ruck put a responsible International Officer on notice, since a member of the UTU Board of Directors does have fiduciary responsibilities to the membership, I agree, as I usually do with Brother Ruck, Thompson and as-well-as any other member of the Board of Directors should act in concert to protect the diverse interests of the membership.
Both letters can be found by clicking on this link to the The El Paso Express Web Site
12:46:43 PM
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Friday, December 05, 2003 |
Members approve IBT merger
CLEVELAND, December 5 -- Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
have overwhelmingly approved a merger with the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, joining the largest and most powerful transportation union in
North America.
Ballots were counted today and election results certified by the American
Arbitration Association. The vote in the United States was 81 percent in
favor of merging and 19 percent against with 47 percent of eligible members
voting, and the vote in Canada was 62.4 percent in favor and 37.6 percent
opposed with 56 percent of eligible members voting.
BLE members in Canada will now be members of Teamsters Canada and will be a
part of the Canadian Rail Conference.
"The membership has spoken and we are pleased with their decision to merge
with the Teamsters," BLE International President Don M. Hahs said. "Our
members will soon see the benefits of belonging to the largest, most
powerful, and politically influential transportation union in North
America."
The merger will become effective on January 1, 2004, and the BLE will become
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), a division of
the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Rail Conference.
"Today, two great unions begin a partnership to strengthen our ability to
represent workers across the transportation spectrum," said Teamsters
General President James P. Hoffa. "The Teamsters have always had a vision
for a seamless transportation union giving workers real power on the job and
in the political arena. This historic merger brings us closer to our union's
vision."
The addition of "Trainmen" to the name of the new organization is a
significant step, BLE President Hahs said.
"The doors are now open and the structure in place," he said. "Throughout
negotiations, it was our intent and the Teamsters' intent to allow the new
organization to represent trainmen under the umbrella of the IBT Rail
Conference. We welcome trainmen with open arms."
The structure of the current BLE will basically remain intact, but some
changes will be made as the BLET expands to incorporate additional trainmen
members.
"The IBT's current Locals and Joint Councils are pretty much autonomous
under the International IBT, and the BLET will also have autonomy,"
President Hahs said. "We will continue to elect our own officers and have
our own conventions."
Current members and any new members who join the BLET will be able to
utilize the immense resources of the IBT, President Hahs said.
"There are a number of member services, which the BLE presently purchases
from outside sources, that will now be available through IBT departments,"
President Hahs said. "It's a win-win for both organizations."
The BLE and IBT have already enjoyed a great deal of success in organizing
shortline railroads throughout the United States. Over the past year, the
two organizations have worked jointly as the IBT-BLE Rail Operating
Employees' Council. The group has successfully organized seven different
shortline properties since July of 2002, bringing nearly 700 new members
into the House of Labor.
The victories include the New York & Atlantic Railway; the Great Western
Railway of Colorado; St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad; Utah Railway; the
Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad; the Indiana Southern Railroad; and the
Texas-Mexican Railway.
BLE would be the first railroad union under the new IBT Rail Conference, and
others may follow. Other AFL-CIO affiliated rail unions have contacted the
IBT regarding possible mergers, and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employes is currently in merger discussions with the IBT.
It is expected that rail workers will be able to negotiate stronger
contracts by presenting a united front under the IBT Rail Conference.
On February 26, 2002, the BLE Advisory Board unanimously approved a motion
that allowed the BLE Executive Committee to explore a possible merger with
the Teamsters. On September 6, 2002, the BLE and IBT announced the
appointment of four joint committees charged with the task of drafting a
Merger Agreement for the two organizations, and formal discussions began on
October 3.
"I thank all members of the joint committees for their diligent work in
preparing the merger documents," President Hahs said. "None of this would
have been possible without their hard work to create documents that were
acceptable to the membership."
The four committees were Constitution & Bylaws, Legislative, Finance and
Canada.
The Constitution & Bylaws members were: Ed Rodzwicz, First Vice-President &
Alternate President (Committee Co-Chairman); Leo McCann, President, American
Train Dispatchers Department, BLE; Paul T. Sorrow, Vice President; Dale
McPherson, Vice President; Larry Sykes, General Chairman, Norfolk Southern;
Tony Smith, General Chairman, CSXT; Gil Gore, General Chairman, Union
Pacific; Rick Gibbons, General Chairman, BNSF; Mark Kenny, General Chairman,
Amtrak; and Bob Evers, General Chairman, Long Island Rail Road.
The Legislative Committee members were: Raymond Holmes, BLE Vice-President &
U.S. National Legislative Representative (Committee Co-Chairman); Jim Keele,
Kansas State Legislative Board Chairman; George Newman, Massachusetts State
Legislative Board Chairman; and Tim Smith, California State Legislative
Board Chairman.
The Finance Committee members were: Bill Walpert, General
Secretary-Treasurer (Committee Co-Chairman); Paul Wingo, International
Vice-President; Jim Nelson, Secretary-Treasurer BNSF-Northern Lines General
Committee of Adjustment; and Steve L. Christian, Secretary-Treasurer,
Arkansas State Legislative Board.
The Canada Committee members were: Gilles Hallé, BLE Vice-President &
Canadian Director (Committee Co-Chairman); and George Hucker, BLE
Vice-President & National Legislative Representative-Canada.
The BLE conducted a poll of its membership in the spring of 2003, which
revealed that a 78 percent majority of the membership favored a merger with
the IBT.
On July 10, 2003, the BLE Advisory Board unanimously approved the merger
documents. Ballots were mailed on October 20.
Founded on May 8, 1863, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is the
senior rail labor organization in North America.
Friday, December 05, 2003
bentley@ble.org
3:00:26 PM
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Thursday, December 04, 2003 |
Maglev sets a speed record of 581 kph
KOFU, Yamanashi Pref. (Kyodo) A magnetically levitated train set a new world speed record Tuesday during a manned test on an experimental track in Yamanashi Prefecture.
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| A manned magnetically levitated train operates on an experimental track located in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture. |
The three-car maglev train reached a top speed of 581 kph with technicians on board, according to the train's operators, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) and the government-affiliated Railway Technical Research Institute.
The train set previous speed records Nov. 19, when it reached 579 kph on an unmanned run, and 570 kph with technicians on board.
The test runs, conducted at the test track that straddles the cities of Tsuru and Otsuki, were intended to examine the maglev train's stability and durability.
The maglev train has been attaining higher speeds with each successive test. Engineers earlier said they hoped to attain a maximum speed of 580 kph in early December.
JR Tokai said it has no plans for a test run at speeds greater than 580 kph. The train is supposed to run at around 500 kph when it goes into operation.
The maximum speed for a maglev train is considered to be around 580 kph due to limits in electrical facilities for the train, the engineers said.
The Japan Times: Dec. 3, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
12:18:00 AM
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Wednesday, December 03, 2003 |
By Chuck Kelly
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Consider:
Matthew Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern, made $5,024,285 in 2002.
Richard Davidson, CEO of Union Pacific, made $16,278,789 in 2002.
Undoubtedly, they cite their outstanding management skills as justification for such high incomes. These skills would include cutting labor and equipment costs to the bare bones—to the point where both people and machines are stretched to their breaking points.
Employees not only experience more stressful working conditions, they also find that their vulnerability to future layoffs prevents them for pressing for higher wages—even enough to keep up with inflation. In today’s economy, it seems that only low-level employees must make the sacrifices necessary for corporate profits.
As you read the following excerpt, ask yourself: was the public well served by the effects of these incredibly greedy CEOs on the national economy?
From The Wall Street Journal, December 1.
Railroad Logjams
Threaten Boom
In the Farm Belt
Delays in Grain Shipments
Reduce Potential Profits,
May Affect Overall Economy
In a harbinger of potential snags across the U.S. economy, a sudden boom in the farm sector has combined with shortages of railcars and crews to delay freight trains and lead to higher delivery costs for farmers across the country….
That is because years of cost-cutting on both personnel and equipment have left railroads short-handed, forcing them to scramble to deal with the unexpected surge in both the agriculture sector and the economy in general.
Indeed, railroad delivery times for everything from lumber to containers of consumer products have started to climb. And that could eventually lead to higher prices for items ranging from breakfast cereal to cars….
The problems threaten to give the railroad industry a black eye just as it was poised to try to grab more business from trucks. Railroads unveiled new, faster schedules in the summer, and some public officials are showing more interest in funding rail projects that would remove trucks from congested roads….
Meanwhile, railroads are scrambling to hire more crews and secure more locomotives. Burlington Northern plans to increase its capital spending next year to $1.9 billion from $1.7 billion this year, as it expands track and acquires new freight cars….
Burlington Northern, for instance, was caught off-guard by the record U.S. corn harvest and a bumper wheat crop. It had allowed its fleet of grain-hopper cars to shrink 24% over the past five years to 26,500 cars. Grain cars are now in such short supply that Burlington Northern has temporarily stopped guaranteeing when it will deliver any more to customers….
In addition to equipment, the railroad industry is short of skilled workers. For example, Union Pacific Corp., the nation's largest railroad, didn't move quickly enough to replace retiring locomotive crews….
Grain industry officials say the logjams are the worst since 1997, when railroad mergers left the Farm Belt in knots. The added expenses threaten to put a dent in the recovering agricultural sector. Some grain elevators—the economic engine of many Plains towns—are seeing their potential profits shaved by their limited ability to conduct business during the recent commodity-price rallies….
Even when the train shortage ends, some costs will remain higher. Burlington Northern plans to raise its basic rate for hauling corn from the Northern Plains to ports in the Pacific Northwest by 8%, or $160, by February. Canadian Pacific says it is raising its rate for similar service by 8% to 10%.
"It galls people that they're putting in a rate increase when they can't perform with what they got," says Jerry Cope, transportation manager of South Dakota Wheat Growers Association, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Aberdeen, S.D. ….
Cutting costs is all the rage today, no matter how stupid, and as long as it improves the short-term bottom-line. Instead of maintaining employees and equipment—by repairing, training, upgrading and preparing for the future—the egomaniacs at the tops of our railroad corporations wanted to make their quarterly reports look good so their bonuses and stock options would be worth more.
So, they got incredibly rich, while forcing expenses on practically all other sectors of the society, which are paying dearly for their greed and poor management.
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Chuck Kelly is at http://www.KellySite.net. He holds a Ph.D. in industrial communications from Purdue University, is now a retired management consultant, and author of the books, THE DESTRUCTIVE ACHEIVER, THE GREAT LIMBAUGH CON, and CLASS WAR IN AMERICA. This article is originally published at opednews.com. Copyright Chuck Kelly, but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media so long as this credit is attached
7:17:40 PM
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Local Amtrak Workers Walk Off Job
Union Protests Hiring Of Contract WorkersPOSTED: 11:49 a.m. EST December 3, 2003
UPDATED: 12:30 p.m. EST December 3, 2003
BEECH GROVE, Ind. -- Close to 600 union workers at the Amtrak maintenance and repair facility walked off the job Wednesday protesting the company's decision to hire contract workers.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and Local 2003 Transport Workers Union believe the jobs should have went to union members who have been previously laid off. Hundreds of Amtrak workers have been laid off at the facility over the years.
"We've just been dealt a hand here where we've been backed into a corner," union member Hardin Cheatham said.
Eleven other unions at the facility decided to support the striking Amtrak workers, and didn't cross the picket line, RTV6's Julie Pursley reported.
"We are a group of unions out here and we honor all unions," IBEW 784 President Bob Taylor said.
The contract workers were brought in by the company to work on tracks and rail cars.
An Amtrak spokesman out of Chicago said the company considered it to be a minor dispute, and that it should be discussed privately with the unions, not with the media, Pursley reported.
Company officials consider the strike illegal, and were expected to ask a judge for an injunction Wednesday.
Beech Grove Mayor Warner Wiley visited the picket line to talk to the workers about their concerns.
"If you bring people from the outside in to do the work -- I think Amtrak should reconsider doing that," Wiley said.
Amtrak officials said the strike was not affecting travel.
It's been over decades since workers at the facility have organized a strike, Pursley reported.
Copyright 2003 by TheIndyChannel.com
Advancing the world of work through e-unionism.
Paul Plaganis
District Chairperson
TCU District #861
6:46:43 PM
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43rd U.S. community passes remote control safety resolution
CLEVELAND, November 21 -- The city of Berwyn, Ill., recently passed a remote control safety resolution. Berwyn joins 42 other communities in passing remote control resolutions.
The Berwyn resolution, passed on August 12, bans the use of remote control within the city limits. BLE Division 32 (Berwyn, Ill.) member John Parypinski was instrumental in the passage of this resolution.
In addition to Berwyn, 31 U.S. cities have adopted similar resolutions: Baton Rouge, La.; Detroit, Mich.; Shreveport, La.; Marysville, Mich.; Boston, Mass.; Cleveland, Ohio; Pine Bluff, Ark.; North Little Rock, Ark.; Beardstown, Ill.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Woodbridge, N.J.; Maple Heights, Ohio; Alliance, Neb.; Evansville, Ind.; Dupo, Ill.; Durand, Mich; Flat Rock, Mich.; Woodhaven, Mich; Flint, Mich.; Sparks, Nev.; Commerce, Calif.; Clinton, Iowa; Montebello, Calif.; Saginaw, Mich.; Mankato, Minn.; Wamac, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; River Rouge, Mich.; Melvindale, Mich.; Redford Township, Mich.; and Irvington, Ill.
Also, 11 counties have passed similar remote control resolutions. They are: Douglas County, Wisc.; West Baton Rouge Parish, La.; Point Coupee Parish, La.; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Huron County, Ohio; Erie County, Ohio; Whitley County, Ky.; Unicoi County, Tenn.; Contra Costa County, Calif.; Knox County, Tenn.; and Clinton, County, Iowa.
Nine AFL-CIO state federations have also passed remote control resolutions. They are: Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Georgia.
For a PDF of the resolution, click here:
http://www.ble.org/pr/pdf/berwyn.pdf
Friday, November 21, 2003
bentley@ble.org |
1:32:11 AM
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