STRAIGHT TRACK

Friday, May 21, 2004

UP Management by the Data Brother Klitzke shared this look at the real nature of UP's management philosophy Subject: UPRR Management by the Data After a particular merger, Union Pacific had a vast dead line in the middle of a desert. Management said "someone may steal from it at night". So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job. Then Management said, "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?" So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies. Then Management said, "how will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people. One to do the studies and one to write the reports. Then Management said, "how are these people going to get paid?" So they created the following positions, a time keeper, and a payroll officer, then hired two people. Then Management said, "who will be accountable for all of these people?" So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary. Then Management said, "we have had this yard in operation for one year and we are $18,000 over budget, we must cut back overall cost." So they laid off the night watchman. 5:26:03 PM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Retired Manager Blows Whistle on UPRR Mis-Management A retired SP/UP manager reveals the hypocracy and ineptitude of of the current UP management team. We can all probably add our own stories to this indictment bonus driven management by the "data." Thanks RRESQ, for passing this on. Mr. Hensel: A little over four years ago, I retired from Union Pacific, completing 35 years of railroad service with the bulk of that service, 24.5 years, being an employee of Southern Pacific. Southern Pacific was purchased by Union Pacific on Sept. 11, 1996, and perhaps you will remember the consequences of Union Pacific planning for that acquisition that brought railroad gridlock to the Texas Gulf Coast in mid- to late-1997. In so many words, I think you have an opportunity for a very significant expansion of your story to the extent that the "surprise" of Union Pacific's management at the loss of so many employees as a consequence of a major revision to the Railroad Retirement Act is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, in the disconnect of UP's management with the real world and its employees. Specifically addressing the loss of so many experienced employees, Union Pacific senior management has maintained a very hostile working environment with the bulk of its employees, including mid-level operating officers such as myself. The net reality of that hostile environment is that as soon as any UP employee reaches age 60 and has 30 or more years of Railroad Retirement-credited service, they retire immediately. The consequences of losing so many employees has significant economic impact on Union Pacific's ability to provide transportation to its customers. There is a very major point of relevance here in that the employees retiring are those with three or more decades of experience and a very intimate knowledge of what is required to make the railroad work. Union Pacific is replacing these employees with new hires who have no comprehension or understanding of the minute details of what is required to operate a major system 24 hours daily, seven days per week. To that end, those employees who know how to make things work smoothly are gone, replaced by those who do not know how to make the railroad work smoothly. Union Pacific has spent an exceptional amount of money on very sophisticated computer systems to model, guide, and document railroad operations in an effort to maintain some degree of technologically-based "knowledge" The most telling point is that Union Pacific senior management is very proud of its credo of "managing by data". As an aside, data on operating performance as generated by a vast quantity of field operating managers is considered in the annual performance evaluation of each manager as well as determining the annual bonus and pay raise for each manager. In my first year as an operating officer of Union Pacific, it was made graphically evident that data that does not meet the expectations of local and system management results in negative feedback as well as minimal bonus and annual salary increase. Given the concepts set forth in the above paragraph, the ultimate point to be made is that field managers have both a professional as well as a financial incentive to assure that operating data entered into the computer system is therefore "positive". Examples of such "positive" data entries include showing the arrival of piggyback and container trains at yards, such as Englewood here in Houston, before the train actually arrives and, in the same vein, showing the departure of such trains before they truly, physically depart. Other examples of such reporting include showing quantities of locomotives available for service, cars switch! ed (in a yard) per 24-hour reporting period, cars humped (such as at Englewood) per 24-hour reporting period, and trains made up and ready for departure as based upon computer-generated operating schedules. I will tell you here and now that should you see fit to contact the Union Pacific public relations director in Omaha, John Bromley, he will steadfastly deny that such practices exist and that Union Pacific senior management would terminate any operating officer conducting himself/herself in such a manner. You will also receive the same response from Houston-based senior Union Pacific operating management. In making the above statements, I do so on the basis of personal experience. At the time that Union Pacific consumed Southern Pacific, I was assistant manager of operating practices for the entire Southern Pacific system. I created operating publications and documents, I interacted with state and Federal regulatory agencies, I conducted training classes for new, off-the-street employees, I oversaw a variety of major track and signal construction projects across the Southern Pacific system, and I also performed litigation research for the Southern Pacific Law Department and, when necessary, testified as an expert witness for the Company. And I also worked very frequently as a train dispatcher on any territory across the Southern Pacific system. After becoming a Union Pacific employee, I was more or less demoted because I did not have a college degree and became one of many operating rules instructors in Union Pacific's Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha. Keep in mind, if you will, that in June, 1997, a collision between two trains at Devine, Texas, that resulted in four deaths began a string of operating catastrophes that would plague Union Pacific for at least two additional years. Given my previous position with Southern Pacific, I had a much broader view of the railroad than did my Union Pacific counterparts and, without really giving any consideration to what I saw or thought, I would tell my Union Pacific supervisors of possible violations of state or Federal regulations, violations of Company policies and practices, or of managers giving incorrect (read illegal) instructions to the employees they supervised. In so many words, my reports were met with one of two, or at times both of the following statements: "you are not a team player" and/or "you are a troublemaker". Fast forward to January, 1998, when the railroad operations in the Houston area had basically ceased to function. This occurred as a consequence of the closing of Strang Yard, south of Houston, which handled approximately 400 cars per 24-hour day that entered the yard from the many refineries serving Texas City, Pasadena, Deer Park, South Houston, and other locations. Strang, under Southern Pacific operating plans, generated six chemical unit trains daily that went to St. Louis for further movement via Conrail and other carriers. ! The motive in closing Strang was to cut off the yard engines and crews working there and Union Pacific computer modeling showed that those 400 cars per-24 day could be force-fed, as it were, to Englewood Yard. To be sort of cynical, that's tantamount to parking five cars in a two-car garage. Suffice it to say that Englewood Yard, having its own allotment of trains, cars, and traffic to deal with, did not fare well and productivity made like the Titanic. All of this rearrangement of operations was done by Union Pacific managers Charles Malone and Greg "Bubba" Garrison. Five months after the closure of Strang Yard, trains were backed up between New Orleans and El Paso and the resulting loss of sidings as well as of motive power had a rather prompt cascade effect across a significant amount of the Union Pacific system. Interestingly, when Union Pacific acquired the Chicago & Northwestern Railway in 1995, the very same problems surfaced within four months and during the Fall, 1995, grain rush, with financially catastrophic effects to farmers, grain elevators, commodity brokers, and even manufacturers of agricultural machinery. At that five-month milepost, Union Pacific did a most unusual thing in that it selected about 15 ex-Southern Pacific operating officers to go to Houston and unravel the Gordian knot created by Union Pacific senior managers and a computer model that showed that there would be no problem. For reasons I will never know, I was one of those 15 and that was fine with me because Houston was more or less home, my wife being a Houston native. My contribution to relief of the congestion was to create a traffic control center in one location that would oversee the movement of all rail traffic in the Houston terminals. With further tweaking and interaction with senior BNSF operating officers who were, at one time not so long ago, senior Southern Pacific operating officers, it was decided to bring BNSF train dispatchers from Fort Worth to Spring so that they could work face-to-face with their Union Pacific counterparts. This office began operation in mid-March, 1998, and, happily, I was able to make myself indispensable to the continued successful functioning of the office and became permanent party in May, 1998. Please recall, now, that I had earlier described reporting arrivals and departures of trains in a less than ethical manner. There exists a Federal law, enforced by the Federal Railroad Administration, that mandates that reports of train arrivals, departures, or passing a station constitute a documentation of the history of a train's operation under what is known as the Hours of Service Act. While the Hours of Service Act is, by itself, not relevant to what I am going to focus on here, please understand that it is somewhat detailed and state and Federal inspectors focus on inspecting such records. Very quickly, I learned that terminal operating officers at Englewood and Settegast Yards were reporting train arrivals and departures that were not consistent with those reported by train dispatching computer systems and by reports of time on duty by trainmen and enginemen. In very simple terms, whatever times that the train dispatching computer system had generated for certain trains were manually revised by terminal operating officers to reflect the computer-generated operating schedules of the trains. This modification of reporting constituted a violation of the Hours of Service Act and (1) I reported same to the senior management of the Spring train dispatching office and (2) issued an instruction to Houston terminals operating officers and Spring train dispatchers that such computer-generated arrival or departure times were not to be altered, to avoid violation of the Hours of Service Act. In so many words, I had no hesitancy about issuing such instructions simply because on Southern Pacific, I dictated operating policies and practices on a system-wide basis and to senior operating management. However, as a Union Pacific employee, I quickly learned that I had far exceeded the bounds of my authorities and responsibilities, that I was impeding the restoration of service "quality", that I was a trouble maker, and that I was not a team player. My instructions were cancelled by senior Union Pacific operating management in Houston, thereby allowing false reporting of train arrival or departure times so that service standards would be shown as being met. I have many other stories to tell, including seemingly willful compromises of safety despite public professions by Union Pacific management of great enthusiasm for safety, and will not take up your time with those recitations. To summarize all that I've written above, Union Pacific maintains a very hostile environment for any employee who is resourceful, knowledgeable, motivated, experienced, and interested in performing the many tasks of railroad operation safely, efficiently, and economically. Which is why there is no reason that Union Pacific management should be surprised that employees are leaving as quickly as they can. Every one of the employees that I formerly worked with and who are still working can give me a precise quantity of days remaining in their employment before they can retire. I hope you will find some interest in what I have offered you, above. I would be pleased to provide you with additional "stories" that reveals that mediocrity, stupidity, and mendacity are rewarded. You see, Charles Malone, the very individual who precipitated the late 1997 rail operations crisis along the Texas Gulf Coast has now been promoted to Southern Region Vice President, in Houston. How about that? Any employee with intelligence, motivation, and a sense of right and wrong learns that and, poof!, Union Pacific now has another disaffected employee. William J. Neill 2411 Coachlight Lane Conroe, TX 77384-3348 4:58:06 PM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

UTU MAC Caucus Strikes First Blow for Union Reform The MAC Caucus (Members Against Corruption) of the UTU has sent out its first mailing to the Delegates. It is described as a "Reader's Digest" account of the events and activities that led up to the guilty pleas of 5 UTU high officers and employees, including former International Presidents Little and Boyd. Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2004. Many of us are expecting, shortly after this sentencing, more indictments that may involve International Vice Presidents and perhaps some General Chairmen. Despite the urging by the current UTU administration to remain calm and let the healing begin, there is no indication that they have any intention to work pro-actively to remove remaining criminals and to correct the institutional weaknesses that got us into this mess. If you think there is still work to be done please consider joining MAC. Read the MAC Delegate mailing at http://www.reformit2004.org/delegateletter.htm   10:45:21 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

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FELA not for sale,

'FELA not for sale,' says UTU president

CLEVELAND -- "The Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA) provides the best protection for rail employees against workplace accidents and injuries and the United Transportation Union is not about to abandon FELA protections," said UTU International President Paul Thompson. "FELA is one of the most potent tools rail labor has to improve rail-industry safety." Thompson said false rumors, believed being spread by one or more railroads, wrongly allege the UTU is prepared to sit down with railroad officials to discuss alternatives to FELA. FELA is the federal law that permits injured railroad employees to sue negligent carriers to recover costs of rehabilitation and lost wages, as well as general damages for pain and suffering. "When juries award damages under FELA, strong messages are sent to carriers that they cannot ignore workplace safety without paying an even greater price than if they corrected the unsafe workplace conditions to begin with," Thompson said. "FELA was enacted by Congress almost a century ago, when railroaders routinely encountered horrific accidents in a highly dangerous workplace. Injured employees and their families, facing unemployment, unpaid medical bills and economic destruction, were left to the mercy of their relatives, friends and union brothers and sisters by railroad employers who, until enactment of FELA, could simply ignore them and safety in the workplace. "The carriers falsely claim that placing railroad employees under plans similar to state/federal workers' compensation that covers most other industries is preferable to FELA," Thompson said. "What the carriers don't say is that there are few -- if any -- work environments in America more dangerous than railroads, and the loss of FELA would jeopardize the hard-fought safety gains that FELA injury awards have helped to secure." Railroads have been telling Congress that employees in other industries suffer more injuries than railroad employees, but the carriers ignore the fact that those injures in other industries are mostly bruises, sprains and strains. "When railroaders are injured in the workplace, the injury too often results in crushed and lost limbs and, too frequently, death," Thompson said. "FELA gives injured railroad employees powerful rights and the UTU is not prepared to abandon those important employee protections." Thompson said members of Congress are being falsely told by carriers that the UTU is prepared to negotiate an end to FELA and that congressional hearings should be held to explore canceling the law and enacting something more to the carriers' liking. "Carrier officials also are falsely telling other rail union presidents that the UTU is prepared to negotiate an end to FELA," Thompson said. "These are untrue rumors intended to drive a wedge between rail unions -- a divide and conquer strategy of the carriers that is not going to work. "If there was anything out there that would protect our members as well as FELA, we would be talking about it; but there isn't, so we stand with all other rail unions in opposing the current carrier proposal to scrap FELA," Thompson said. "FELA is the best safety statute we've got to protect our members."

May 17, 2004

Saturday, May 15, 2004

FRA Interim Report on RCOs You too can read the FRA's report on RCOs and draw your own conclusions. Scientific fact or so much mumbo-jumbo? How many of those unreported accidents would it have taken to come to a different determination? Interim Report: Safety of Remote Control Locomotive Operations Letter to the Honorable John McCain Letter to the Honorable Ernest F. Hollings RCL Report Cover Page RCL Report Enclosure 1 Enclosure 2 Enclosure 3   11:34:00 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

FRA Certifies RCL Operations as Safe So the carriers have their "proof" that RCL technology is more than just profitable - it's Safe. Every working rail probably has stories of RCL accidents that went uninvestigated and unreported and consequently didn't make it into the "study." FRA Audit of Remote Control Locomotive Operations Shows Fewer Accidents and Employee Injuries FRA 07-04 Contact: Steven W. Kulm Telephone: 202-493-6024 Thursday, May 13, 2004 (Washington, DC) Federal Railroad Administrator Allan Rutter today announced a preliminary report strongly indicating that the deployment of remote control locomotives in and around rail yards has resulted in significant safety benefits. The findings are contained in the agency’s Interim Report: Safety of Remote Control Locomotives Operations. The report finds the safety record of Remote Control Locomotives (RCLs) has been positive. For the period covering May 1, 2003 through Nov. 30, 2003, the RCL train accident rate was found to be 13.5 percent lower than the rate for conventional switching operations over the same period and the employee injury rate was 57.1 percent lower. "This data shows that RCL technology has great potential to reduce train accidents and dramatically increase worker safety," said Administrator Rutter. "As the use of RCL expands to more rail yards around the nation, its safe implementation will continue to be a top priority." To date, nearly all of the accidents or incidents involving RCL operations have been the result of human error. There have been virtually no accidents or incidents caused by RCL technology malfunctions. RCL operations are a significant departure from traditional railroading. It involves the use of a radio transmitter and receiver system, rather than a person physically located in the locomotive cab, to control a train’s movement. Previously used mainly for in-plant rail operations, many railroads have begun to make wider use of the technology. “The use of RCL is presently restricted to rail switching operations. The FRA does not believe the current state of RCL technology and the current level of RCL operator training are sufficient to support the use of RCLs for heavy-haul train operations on the general rail system,” Rutter said. The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation requested that FRA assess the impact of Remote Control Operations (RCOs) on rail safety. FRA will issue a final report on RCOs within one year that will contain additional findings and recommendations regarding the adoption of best practices and possible legislative or regulatory action. 10:47:57 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Wednesday, May 12, 2004

5 Day RCL Wonder Involved in Portland Runaway Switching yard accident sends 17 cars rumbling through Portland 05/11/2004 Associated Press Nobody noticed when 17 railcars rolled out of a switching yard in southeast Portland and rumbled along two miles of track before coming to a rest on lines sometimes traveled by Amtrak passenger trains. Carrying 1,900 tons of timber, the cars traveled at about 11 miles per hour past at least 20 public rail crossings, according to a report on the Jan. 23 incident. The cars came to rest on a curved stretch of tracks, where a surprised Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway crew found them minutes later in the path of their freight train. 11:49:27 PM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

National Day of Security and Frontline RR Employees TO ALL FRONT LINE EMPLOYEES OF ALL RAILROADS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS - YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD BY US SENATORS:   RRESQ has been working with partners in Washington, D.C, and will participate in the National Day of Security.  What is that?  Later this month (the date has not been set) the US Senators will meet with BLE members across the country and discuss front line safety issues revolving around the railroad.  Press conferences are being planned in order to increase public awareness and force certain changes through the reams of Washington red tape.    Part of their concerns revolve around the railroads continued ability to sidestep safety measures like the rule passed by DOT-RSPA on March 25, 2003 (68 FR 14509).  Basically that final rule, published under RSPA’s docket HM–232, requires persons who offer for transportation or transport certain hazardous materials in commerce to develop and implement security plans.  A security plan must include an assessment of possible transportation security risks for shipments of the hazardous materials listed above and appropriate measures to address the assessed risks. Specific measures put into place by the plan may vary commensurate with the level of threat at a particular time. At a minimum, a security plan must cover personnel security, unauthorized access to shipments, and en route security. In addition, the HM–232 final rule requires all hazmat employees (as defined in § 171.8 of the HMR) to receive security awareness training that provides an awareness ! of security risks associated with hazardous materials transportation and methods to enhance transportation security. This training must also include a component covering how to recognize and respond to possible security threats. Oddly, no one has seen the railroads complying with this initiative.  Lawmakers in D.C. are getting "fed" up with the railroad's snobbery.   WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.   Law makers in D.C. want to hear from you.  You may not be selected for these personal interviews, but right now right here, you can voice your concerns.  RRESQ has the opportunity to put your concerns in front of these US Senators.  They have really indicated an interest in the grass roots, front line issues.   We are asking that you write your comments to RRESQ immediately so that we can compile the most comprehensive list of concerns as possible...and yes you better believe FATIGUE will be on that issues list...that is our Number 1 safety concern.   If you want to include your name, you can.  If you want to be contacted back on the issue, list your contact information.  If you are describing a safety related incident, please include as much detail as possible.   So please, we will not exclude any safety issue.  Fatiuge, locks for locomotives, sufficient sleeping arrangements, air conditioning, Railroad Crossings, track conditions, signalling systems, RCO training....we want you to include everything.   WE ARE HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU....THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET YOUR ISSUE HEARD AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.  PLEASE DO NOT PASS BY THIS OPPORUNITY.   WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD FOR YOU...NOW PLEASE DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT FOR US   WE WANT AN EMAIL(S) BACK FROM EVERYONE THAT RECEIVES THIS EMAIL.  ACT NOW!!!!   Thank you for your continued support. Thank you for your continued support, RRESQ www.rresq.com 1:57:47 PM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Friday, May 07, 2004

SNOW ON THE RAILS Your Usual Suspect had the pleasure of hearing author Dennis Boyer speak at the local UNTOLD STORIES: A Celebration of Labor History event presenting his book, SNOW ON THE RAILS. Afterwards, we had a chance to share a fine Wisconsin beer with the author, unfortunately not at the House of the Spirits, but pleasantly in the home of brother DJR. Brother Boyer is one of those multi-dimensional men and movement treasures who deserves our attention. Buy his books. Read them. And then tell your own stories. It's about the past - it's about the future.   1:27:42 PM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Thursday, May 06, 2004

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Union Pacific using Management to run Locomotives with BLET blessing  Wonder if this constitutes a "major dispute"? Strike anyone? That 1985 promise of right to first promotion to locomotive engineer apparently does not apply in what UP surely views as a temporary crisis. Why hire or promote when they will soon have a surplus of employees due to "new technologies"? UTU's philosophy of carrier accomodation and bending contractual rules in order to "facilitate" progress has come back to haunt them.

UTU sues UP over contract violations

CLEVELAND -- The United Transportation Union has taken Union Pacific (UP) to court over the railroad's violation of a labor agreement. The UTU on Thursday, May 6, asked a federal district court in Oakland, Calif., to issue an injunction, which would prohibit UP's further use of management employees to operate its locomotives. "By using company officers to operate its locomotives, Union Pacific is denying more than 2,100 UTU-represented conductors, brakemen and yardmen promotion to locomotive engineer as provided in a 1985 national agreement between the UTU and the UP," said UTU International President Paul Thompson.

UPRR Train Accident in San Antonio upsets residents San Antonio train wreck spills fuel into river and alarms residents. Don't they know you can't fight Uncle Pete? Train accident spurs rail talk Web Posted: 05/06/2004 12:00 AM CDT Ihosvani Rodriguez San Antonio Express-News Spurred by Monday's train derailment, which spilled thousands of gallons of fuel into the San Antonio River and left three men injured, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he is interested in jumpstarting talks to reroute potentially dangerous rail traffic away from neighborhoods. "This was as close as you could get from a huge tragedy," Wolff said. "This week highlighted the fact there needs to be a push to make these plans happen." But Bexar County Rail District members Wednesday said although there has been some talks with Union Pacific as recently as January, there really isn't a concrete plan in the works. "We met with some of their supervisors and told them our concerns. We haven't really had any more feedback from them," board member Connie English Jr. said. "We're far off from anything." Among some of the board's initial ideas are doing away with a portion of the track that runs adjacent to Bexar County Jail and rerouting the line that slices between the Alamodome and its parking lot and past residential neighborhoods. Monday's derailment, which occurred near Brackenridge High School and injured three men, caused a 5,600-gallon diesel spill along the San Antonio River. Four of the train's rail cars that did not derail were carrying highly explosive propane. A rerouting of hazardous cargo would be welcome news to Maria Coronado, who for the past three years has lived next to the Union Pacific tracks that run adjacent to her Florida Street home on the East Side. Although Monday's accident was about two miles away, she said it was a chilling reminder that her home is in the path of a potential disaster. "Oh my God! After I saw that, I told my husband we have to move. We can't live like this," Coronado said Wednesday afternoon, moments before a 99-boxcar train zoomed by the two-bedroom home she rents for $450 a month. Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said his company has been reviewing rerouting plans they received late last year from the Texas Department of Transportation. That plan would involve changing several lines in San Antonio, including the East Side segment. But he acknowledged the changes wouldn't be happening anytime soon, if at all. "We're in the initial review stages and there's really no timeline. We're studying it," Davis said. He added that new lines are pricey propositions, costing in excess of $1 million a mile. Wolff said, "That's one of the questions that need to be looked at: Could we join the city in some sort of partnership with Union Pacific? And if so, what's it going to cost?" David Newman, the city's environmental services manager, said that, by coincidence, he was talking to several residents last week about some of the concerns posed by the tracks near downtown and agreed it's an issue that needs to be closely examined. One of those residents was East Side community activist David Arevalo, who said he's been pestering local leaders to pursue a rerouting plan for several years. "Could you imagine what would've happened by the Alamodome during the Final Four?" he said. He plans to hold a community meeting next week to discuss the issue. "This is something that we've been worried about for years, and it's time to get serious about it." 9:49:37 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

UTU, BLET, IBT and the AFL-CIO Provocative contribution to the discussion from a trusted brother. He describes the past and ongoing sellout and urges that we act quickly to take measures to protect UTU from raiding and prepare for the next round of job losses by getting younger members qualified as locomotive engineers. We also need to unite UTU in some way with BLET and other rail labor.   Roger,   It has been made clear to me via good source that the UTU's intention all along has been to collaborate with the carriers on RCO to gain favor of representative property votes and take over the BLE. What the RR's want to prove by hook or crook is that RCO develops a long and favorable safety record. Then, once all engines in the near future are equipped with PTC devices and alerters to stop the train if the engineer fails to act, the road conductor will be up for grabs. With this technology in the pipeline the only way to salvage conductor jobs would be to promote them all to engineers and have two engineers in the cab on long runs.   The railroads intend to operate eventually with one man only in the yard and on the road. This will reduce current manpower by 60%. The goal of the carrier to eliminate jobs has been advanced by the UTU in order to get the RR's to support their representation vote. The UTU intended all along to give up the jobs as long as they could depend on engineer dues and continuos bribes from the DLC. So the goal of the UTU was income, period, not representation. This is the case that needs to be in court.   No doubt the DLC scandal exposed has thrown sand in the gears of the enterprise machine and so have the Teamsters. However, I do not see the BLE/Teamsters advocating engineer/co-engineer Lake Erie type plans, so they may be in the RR's pocket and attempting the same charade the UTU was up to. Clearly it will be absolutely necessary to remove all the bad apples and obviously "shame on you" Paul Thompson will make every effort to do the opposite. It seems the corruption in the UTU has and will continue to benefit only the RR's because nobody has a plan to salvage what's left of our conductor and engineer positions. we will need to redirect the organization and we need to do it quickly!   I think we need to stop the raiding by reentering the AFL/CIO and make every effort to get all conductors under 55 engine qualified and promote two man minimum legislation. We would all need to be in the same union and How this will be possible now I do not know but once accomplished an hourly long term agreement might be our best defense.   Your thoughts on a solution to the corner misrepresentation has put us in would be appreciated. Copy to Agent X as he has proven to be an astute thinker as well.   Thanks 10:21:41 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Grand Bargaining Coalition for Rail Labor in the Works Thanks to Brother Bob Webb for the link to the BMWE's President's Perspective (March-April 2004) describing steps being taken to realize what we have argued for in the past - a grand bargaining coalition of all rail labor. Interesting reading: "Our merger discussions with the Teamsters are but a part of a larger push for Rail Labor unity this year. In January, the President of the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCF&O), George Francisco, told the Rail Labor union chiefs that in his opinion, a divided Rail Labor would continue to lose at the bargaining table. His proposal was for the unions to agree to bargain as a coalition, pursuing common goals in collective bargaining. While some scoffed at President Francisco’s idea as "pie in the sky," a number of Rail Labor unions agreed to begin discussions regarding collective bargaining. I know that talk of grand bargaining coalitions run through Rail Labor before every round of bargaining – however, this time things will be different. Since January, a number of Rail Labor unions have met to discuss the form this coalition should take. Everyone participating realizes that Rail Labor needs a structure to achieve its bargaining goals. A loose federation of unions will be unsuccessful because there will be no structure that compels everyone to stay together. What we have been discussing is the creation of a structure that identifies common issues, drafts common Section 6 notices to the carriers and requires that the participants stay together until the agreements are ratified by the respective memberships. That way, the carriers cannot try to pick off a union that is vulnerable or susceptible to a superficially attractive settlement. I call that acting like a union – something the carriers have done for years through the National Carriers’ Conference Committee. It’s about time we did the same thing. The unions will meet again in April to continue this important dialog. Again, I’m very optimistic that in the 2005 round, Rail Labor will be unified to an extent not seen since the late 1970’s. Those of you who can remember back that far, and unfortunately I’m one of them, will remember those contracts contained real wage increases and improvements in rules and benefits. The fact that those agreements were the products of Rail Labor unity was not an unrelated coincidence." Where is UTU in all of this? It is perhaps unfortunate that this activity is taking place in the context of the IBT, scandalized again with the resignation of the Ethics Overseer and his allegations that Organized Crime still has control of the Teamsters. Hoffa's vision of a "seamless transportation union" and the dream of a grand coalition of rail labor under the umbrella of the IBT Rail Labor Division may be only a pipe dream unless reformists in all organizations work together with the TDU (Teamsters for a Democratic Union.) 9:16:59 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Indy Truckers' Protest Fueled by high price of Diesel Independent truckers engage in creative protest over high fuel prices and affect UP intermodal business. This illustrates the point made in several recent Labor Notes articles pointing out the existence of transportation "choke points" that are vulnerable to limited direct action. From Chris Kutalik's and Ron Hume's April article on the IBT/BLE merger and Hoffa's vision of a "seamless transportation union": "Some industry experts agree that the merger could indeed potentially strengthen the power of North American transportation workers. 'There is power and leverage to be had in this sector,' states Edna Bonacich, a sociology professor  at the University of California, Riverside who has compiled research on the growing integration of rail/trucking/longshore work. 'Logistics (transportation and warehousing) is the [employers'] Achilles' heel,' Bonacich observes. 'The corporations have created extended supply chains that depend on timely delivery. Inventory has been cut to the bone, so that any blockage in the system can cause them major problems. Having one big tranportation/warehousing union like the IBT means that it would be possible to disrupt the flow of cargo in a coordinated wy that could be very damaging.'" Management as victim of its own success. Of course any serious working stiffs looking to pursue this vision of a "seamless transportation union" better get in touch with the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU). Here are a few articles from the Omaha World-Herald on the independant trucker protest: Trucker protest delays some U.P. shipments Truckers expand fuel protests Truckers Abandon Rigs in L.A. Protest   9:59:34 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Monday, May 03, 2004

CN sells CANAC Inc. subsidiary to Savage Companies Interesting development. What does it all mean? Savage Companies? Beltpack excluded? CN sells CANAC Inc. subsidiary to Savage Companies CN retains ownership of BELTPACK®technology MONTREAL, April 27, 2004 - CN announced today the sale of 100 per cent of the stock of its St. Laurent, Que.-based CANAC Inc. subsidiary to Savage Companies of Salt Lake City, Utah. The transaction, which is expected to close by April 30, 2004, will include CANAC's industrial rail operations in Canada and the United States, its planning and infrastructure engineering services, as well as railway training and international services. Excluded from the transaction is CANAC's Remote Control Division, which produces BELTPACK® and other locomotive remote control products. This group will be renamed BELTPACK Corporation and remain a CN subsidiary. It will continue to serve the North American and international markets with existing staff from its current locations. Claude Mongeau, executive vice-president and chief financial officer, CN, and chairman of the board of CANAC, said: "CN is very pleased with this transaction, which positions CANAC's core businesses for continued growth under Savage Companies' ownership. This is good news for CANAC's employees and customers. At the same time, the creation of BELTPACK Corporation will ensure CN ownership of the technologically-advanced BELTPACK family of remote control products that have become a mainstay of the North American railroad industry." Allen B. Alexander, president and chief executive officer of Savage Companies, said: "With this purchase, we look forward to serving existing and new customers in the rail operations, rail planning and training services areas for which CANAC is widely recognized in its approach to safety, productivity and performance. This acquisition accelerates our growth in these railway sectors and provides a strong base for our increased presence in the important Canadian market. We will continue to provide "Best Value-No Worry" service to our customers and are enthusiastic about the prospect of including in our growing operations the expertise and experience of a quality-based organization like CANAC." Since 1971, CANAC has been a recognized provider of high-quality services for the rail industry, including industrial rail operations in over 32 locations in the United States and Canada. Through its planning and engineering group, CANAC provides rail infrastructure, engineering, capacity planning, signaling and other consulting services. It is an industry leader in innovative railway training services. Its international services group is involved in development and operating services for rail operations and rehabilitation projects overseas directly and through joint ventures and operating agreements. Savage is a leader in providing services to its customers in oil refining, chemicals, coal production, electric power generation and the rail industry including, among others, operating large bulk terminals for coal, petroleum coke and sulphur. Savage operates in 26 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Canadian National Railway Company spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. Contacts:   CN Mark Hallman (905) 669-3384  Savage Companies David Wolach (801) 944-6600 10:53:25 AM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Sunday, May 02, 2004

Teamsters' RISE Staff Resigns IBT Ethics Oversite breaks down. Teamsters for a Democratic Union continues to promote Reform. What would happen if the Reformists in TDU, MAC, and BLET ever got together? Ed Stier & Entire RISE Staff Resign Says “Organized crime again threatens the union” Says Hoffa obstructed organized crime investigation of Hoffa allies. “In spite of our efforts to convince General President Jim Hoffa to remain committed to fighting corruption, I have concluded that he has backed away from the Teamsters’ anti-corruption plan in the face of pressure from a few self-interested individuals. Because the General President plays such a critical role in enforcing standards of conduct within the union, my position has now become untenable.  I can no longer permit my presence in the union to act as an endorsement of his sincerity.”--Ed Stier, Head of RISE, the IBT’s anti-corruption program, in his April 28 letter of resignation to the General Executive Board “Hoffa wanted Stier for PR purposes but when Project RISE wanted to act against corruption that struck close to home, Hoffa pulled the plug. We said all along that the test of Project RISE or any anti-corruption program was whether the General President would act against corruption even when that corruption implicates top officials or political associates. Hoffa failed that test.” --Tom Leedham, Secretary Treasurer of Oregon Local 206, commenting on the collapse of Hoffa’s anti-corruption program and the revelations in Stier’s letter Clike Here: TDU’s press release Click Here: full text of the letter (Adobe Reader Required) 12:53:14 PM    feedback []  trackback []   Google It!

Last update: 5/25/2005; 4:36:00 PM.