Number 9 The Official Publication of … · The Official Publication of the United Transportation...

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The Official Publication of the United Transportation Union

N u m b e r 9Volume September 2010

www.utu.orgwww.utuia.org

UTU, Keolis reach dealWhen Keolis Rail Services took over opera-

tion of Virginia Railway Express (VRE) com-muter trains from Amtrak in July, conductorsand assistant conductors were protectedunder an agreement negotiated by the UTUInternational president’s office.

Earlier, Keolis agreed to recognize the UTUas the exclusive bargaining agent for conduc-tors and assistant conductors employed byKeolis in VRE operations. VRE commutertrains operate between Northern Virginia andWashington.

The agreement will be administered byGeneral Committee of Adjustment 769, underthe leadership of General Chairperson RogerLenfest.

Locals must file with IRSUTU locals that have not filed Form 990,

Form 990EZ or Form 990-N with the InternalRevenue Service for the last three years haveuntil Oct. 15 to file, or they will automatical-ly lose their tax-exempt status.

For additional information on which of thethree above forms a local is required to file,go to the “Secretary & Treasurer” page ofwww.utu.org.

Fulton County rails joinTrain and engine employees on Fulton

County Railway outside Atlanta have vo t e dfor UTU representation. The sw i t ching ra i l-road, owned by OmniTRAX, operates 55miles of former CSX tra ck in an industrialpark serving some 40 warehouses and plants.

UTU International President Mike Futheythanked R i chard Ross, the UTU’s director oforganizing, and organizer Mike Lewis f o rtheir leadership, wh i ch resulted in 100 per-cent of ballots cast marked for the UTU.

Continued on page 10

News and Notes

UTU members are much in line with the restof America in their view of President Obama,recently passed health care legislation, and theeconomy in general, with older UTU membersbeing more optimistic than younger ones.

Such are the results of a UTU survey, in whichmembers were asked their views on nationalissues, voting, the UTU PAC and the Rail Safe-ty Improvement Act (RSIA).

In total, 2,016 members participated in theonline survey, a substantial sampling by surveystandards.Most UTU members are Democrats

One substantial difference from America ingeneral is that far more UTU members identifythemselves with the Democratic Party than thenational average – 53 percent consider them-selves Democrats, 16 percent Republicans, and11 percent associate themselves with the TeaParty movement.

The remainder of members say they are inde-pendent. However, 33 percent of UTU membersidentify themselves as “conservative,” while 66percent consider themselves to be “liberal” or“moderate.”

UTU, BLET support improvements in FMLAThe UTU and the Brotherhood of Locomo-

tive Engineers and Trainmen are jointly support-ing a House bill to amend the Family andMedical Leave Act (FMLA) to clarify eligi-bility requirements for railroad workers.

The FMLA allows employees job-protected unpaid leave due to a seri-ous health condition, or to care fora sick family member, or to care fora new child. To be eligible, employeesmust meet a minimum threshold of hoursworked annually.

The law, enacted in 1993, currently does notaddress the unique working conditions of railroadoperating employees. Through no fault of theirown, rail workers may not always meet the mini-mum qualifying criteria of 1,250 hours worked peryear set forth in the current FMLA regulations.

Under the proposed changes to the FMLA, thetime that railroad operating crews are required tobe available for work will be included in the totalhours worked per year, thus making them morelikely to meet the FMLA eligibility criteria.

More specifically, the bill would allow employ-ees to be eligible under the FMLA if the employ-

ee has worked at least 60 percent of the appli-cable total guaranteed time for the previous

12-month period; and has worked orbeen paid for not less than 504 hours(not counting personal commutetime or time spent on vacation leaveor medical or sick leave) during the

previous 12-month period.H.R. 5944 was introduced by Representat i v e s

Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.), MarkCritz (D-Pa.) and Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio).

The bill is the result of joint efforts by theUTU and the BLET. The bill has been referred tothe House Education and Labor Committee.

UTU International President Mike Futheyand BLET President Dennis Pierce said the UTUNational Legislative Office and BLET’s congres-sional lobbyists are working to move this billquickly through the House and Senate beforeCongress adjourns.

The online survey wasconducted at therequest of theUTU by the St.Paul , Minn. ,polling firm DFMResearch. DFMResearch i salso assistingthe UTU in ag e t - o u t - t h e - v o t edrive prior to Novembere l e c t i o n s .

The survey was conducted elec-tronically through random e-mail addresses ofUTU members using standard, academicallyapproved statistical techniques. Since respon-dents were geographically spread out and repre-sented a wide range of ages, the results can beconsidered equally valid for those members with-out e-mail access.Respondents varied by age and geography

“Surveys are an important way to determinewhat issues are important to our members,”National Legislative Director James Stem said.“I’ve often heard someone say, ‘My memberswant this or that’ and wondered how members inanother part of the country or on another prop-erty feel about those issues.

“Rather than relying on perceptions of whatpeople think, this scientific survey provides uswith a true snapshot of the opinions of our mem-bership,” Stem said. “The UTU’s mission is towork on issues important to its membership.”

Among the major results of the survey:• UTU members are generally split on their

approval of President Obama, with 45 percenthaving a “favorable” or “somewhat favorable”opinion of President Obama, and 43 percent a“very unfavorable” or “somewhat unfavorable”opinion.

• Among UTU members 50 years or older, 5 4

percent give President Obama apositive rating; but fewer than 35

percent of members between the agesof 18 and 49 hold a favorable opinion ofPresident Obama. When the question is

asked of only UTU PAC members, 55percent give President Obama a favorable

r a t i n g .• As for President Obama’s health

care insurance legislation, 46 percentof UTU members aged 50 or older are favor-

able to his handling of the legislation; whilefewer than 30 percent in the 18 to 49 year-old range have a favorable opinion.Among UTU PAC members, 45 percent

give President Obama a favorable rating on hishandling of health care legislation.42 percent cited ‘economic issues’ in voting

• When asked what are the most importantissues that affects your vote, 42 percent said“economic issues.” “Taxation issues” came insecond with 18 percent, and “gun rights” camein third at 10 percent. Only five percent of

UTU survey spotlights members’ concerns

When asked to identify their political party affiliation,UTU members responded as above.

September 2010 UTU News

www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

were offered to shop crafts Vice Chairperson J o h nL a M a n t i a for his photography and building andbridges electrician Robert Tomasulo for his spec-tacular fireworks presentation.

Local 1570, Roseville, Calif.Secretary & Treasurer Tim Keil reports that

Davey “Doc” Wi s e r retired July 13, 50 years tothe day he hired out on the Union Pacific Rail-road. The Mountain Democrat printed a specialfeature story about him that can be found ath t t p : / / s e a r c h . m t d e m o c r a t . c o m / d i s p l a y. p h p ? i d = 6 2 3 5 7 .

Local 1594, Upper Darby, Pa.Members of this SEPTA bus local are mourn-

ing the loss of fellow member John W. Jackson,who died June 26 from heart complications,according to UTUIA Field Supervisor A r tR a y n e r. Jackson had recently been elected vicelocal chairperson, but was never able to assumeoffice due to his illness.

Local 1732, San Jose, Calif.Sacramento Assistant Chief of Fire Ed Va s q u e s

recently sent a letter of commendation to Amtrakin praise of conductor Rocky Van Renselaar.While recovering from a bone break, torn tendonsand a torn rotator cuff suffered while deadheadingback to his crew base earlier this year, Renselaar hadbeen doing work in the community with firstresponders, Local Chairperson Ray Belluominireported. “This past weekend, M r. Renselaar assistedin putting on a training course for the SacramentoFire Department’s Special Operations Division, theSacramento Police Department’s Bomb Squad andbomb technicians from the FBI. I want to commendM r. Renselaar for his professional presentation andthe spot-on content of his course. This type of train-ing is invaluable when an emergency occurs and isnext to impossible for us to obtain without the aidof people like Mr. Renselaar,” Vasques wrote.

Local 1895, Chicago

Local 1813, West Colton, Calif.The members of this local, along with members

from Locals 240, 1422, 1770, 1813 and 1846, heldtheir 6th annual joint-crafts picnic at Cucamon-ga/Gausti Regional Park Aug. 21, Local PresidentRich Acuna reported. He also noted that thel o c a l ’s June 9 golf tournament was a huge success.

involved with representing the members’ safety formany years and we wish her all of the best,” LaBel-la said. He also thanked all who attended the 2ndannual “Union Night Out with the Staten IslandYankees.” Eighty-one members and friends attend-ed even though it was 97 degrees that day. Thanks

Locals 78, 265, Pocatello, IdahoMore than 450 members and family attended the

joint annual picnic of these Union Pacific localsAug. 12 in Pocatello, State Legislative DirectorGeorge Millward reported. There were games,f o od, cotton candy, water slides and free drawingsfor prizes, including six bicycles for the children.Guests included UTUIA Field Supervisor D a nM c E l l e y, GO 953 Vice General Chairperson J o h nB r a c k e t t, and representatives of the RailroadRetirement Board, along with UTU AlumniChapter Coordinator Mac McCarty and his wife,Thelma, of the UTU Auxiliary. Local officersthank everyone who helped make this a greatevent, including designated legal firms of Britt &Gilbert and Rossi, Cox, Vucinovich & Flaskamp.

Local 166, Salt Lake CityUtah State Legislative

Director Jay Seegmiller, thesitting Utah State Speaker ofthe House, is running for re-election in the state’s 49thDistrict. After an upset in the2008 election, the oppositionparty is targeting his seat,Seegmiller said. He wouldappreciate support from hisfellow members and citizens

of Utah. For more information about Seegmillerand his campaign, visit www. j a y s e e g m i l l e r. c o m .

Local 645, Babylon, N.Y.James C. D’Agostino, a member of this Long

Island Rail Road local, has been awarded a one-time $500 education grant from the AFL-CIO’sUnion Plus program, Union Plus President LeslieTolf reported. “We are happy to provide Jameswith this one-time grant and hope this moneyhelps with his college savings goals,” Tolf said.For additional information about 2011 grants andscholarships, visit www.unionplus.org/education.

Local 886, Marquette, Mich.Chief Petty Officer Joshua

R. Field, the son of memberRobert R. Field, was award-ed Senior Sailor of the Yearfor Electronic Attack Squadron130. CPO Field, who hasserved on three navaldeployments to the PersianGulf, has previously beenawarded the Navy andMarine Corps Commenda-

tion, the Navy and Marine Corps AchievementMedal, three Good Conduct awards, and severalunit and campaign awards.

Local 898, BostonEdward Sargent, an employee of the Massachu-

setts Bay Commuter Railroad, died of a heart attackAug. 24 at the age of 41, Local Treasurer F r a n kTe a g u e reported. Sargent is survived by his wife,Michelle, and five children from the ages of 12 yearsto two months. “Ed was loved by many people here.He was very loyal to his family and friends. I justc a n ’t say enough about him,” Teague said. Contribu-tions to assist Sargent’s family may be sent to the Sar-gent Family Benefit Fund, c/o Rockland Trust Co.,31 Webster Square, Marshfield, MA 02050.

Local 1365, Youngstown, OhioMember Craig McCormick received Norfolk

S o u t h e r n ’s “Top Notch” award for being the “bestof the best” in locomotive engineer training inAtlanta Ga., according to Secretary & Tr e a s u r e rJames B. Hagan Jr. The award is given to the engi-neer that achieves the highest score in the trainingclass. “UTU Local 1365 salutes your success!”

Local 1440, Staten Island, N.Y.The members of this local congratulate Safety

Officer Kerry Halvorsen on being elected theNew York State Safety Legislative Representativefor Commuter Rail and power maintainer J e r o m eM a r t i n on his retirement, Secretary & Tr e a s u r e rVincent LaBella reports. “Halvorsen has been

Conductors say ‘part n e r s h i p ’

is path to railroad safetyIn an effort to reduce the number of “criti-

cal incidents” in the Bay District and else-where, two Amtrak conductors from Local1732 in San Jose, Calif., have developed a pro-gram to educate communities about the needfor critical incident prevention.

With funding from Amtrak , Local Chair-person Ray Belluomini and Local SecretaryMike Conn have organized the CommunityRail Safety Partnership to help communitiesrecognize the dangers of railroad crossingsand rail right-of-way access.

Their goal is to create a working partner-ship with communities that surround railroadrights-of-way to reduce, and ultimately elim-inate, on-track incidents. A critical incidentis any collision between a train and any typeof vehicle or pedestrian.

Using data obtained from Amtrak, the Fed-eral Railroad Administration, Operation Life-saver and the National Transportation SafetyBoard, Belluomini and Conn charted all vehi-cle and pedestrian rail “strikes” from 2005 tothe present over a 57-mile portion of their serv-ice district, from Martinez to Fremont, Calif.

They began the process about a year andhalf ago and estimate they have invested 600hours so far. The two produced a PowerPointpresentation and a report containing theirdata and pertinent railroad information.

“We went out into the community, topolice departments and town meetings, andshowed our data and presentation. Weanswered questions,” Belluomini said. “Thisdoesn’t just affect the railroad, but the com-munity as well.”

Belluomini noted the costs to local com-munities following a critical incident, includ-ing police, fire, emergency response units,closed roads, closed rail lines, road repair andaffected businesses.

The conductors would like to see bettergrade-crossings, signage, cameras and improvedbarriers to railroad rights-of-way.

“As we said earlier, the communities alongrail rights-of-way are affected as well and thecosts to them are substantial. Every timethere is an incident, they’re paying anyway,”Conn said. “What we’re trying to do is getlocal communities to chip in.”

Belluomini also cited the human factor.“Our people are the first responders on the

scene after accidents or suicides and it affectsthem tremendously,” he said. “We all need todo more to prevent this from happening inthe future. We’re not only trying to get addi-tional funding, but to prove our value to thecommunity as well.”

Secretary & Treasurer Vincent LaBella, left, and Presi-dent Jaime Brownell, right, attend a fund-raiser forAssemblyman Mike Cusick, where they presented himwith a check from UTU PAC. After an illness restricteda Local 1440 member’s working abilities, Cusick addressedthe local’s concerns with the MTA.

Secretary & Treasurer Larry Grutzius, right, congratu-lates Bernie Haake, who retired July 1 with a combined 41years of service between the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern andNorfolk Southern railroads. The local also provided Haakewith a UTU Medallion watch from American Products,as pictured in the photo signed by fellow members.

Local Chairperson Ray Belluomini, left, and LocalSecretary Mike Conn have been preaching “partner-ship” to communities along their Amtrak run.

Field

Seegmiller



Crew shortages slowing NS, BNSF trainsRailroads have been slow to return furloughed

train and engine workers, resulting in “an uptick inmissed [coal train] deliveries, especially on BNSFand Norfolk Southern, reports Argus Coal Daily.

“The harsh winter led to a slowdown in serv-ice in the East, and utilities then pushed CSX toadd trains and crews to its network,” reports thepublication.

“CSX is now seeing the benefits of thoseresources, running more consistently, shipperssaid, but NS has said it could take 60-90 daysbefore it has its crew issues resolved,” reportsArgus. “In the meantime, the railroad is addingmore locomotives to minimize crew problems.

NS is mainly short conductors but also needsengineers, a shipper said, reports Argus. “They’rereally struggling.”

The publication said, “Both CSX and NSsaw their average coal train speeds plummetin January and February, but CSX velocitiesimproved in March while NS struggledthrough the spring and then fell lower in May.In August, CSX trains are running 2 mph

faster than NS trains compared with a year agowhen both railroads were at parity.

“In the West, BNSF has been more affectedby crew issues,” reports A r g u s. “BNSF coal train

Bus members ratify new pactsUTU members employed on two bus proper-

ties – Suburban Transit and Rockland Coaches,both in New Jersey – recently ratified contracts.

Members of four bus crafts – drivers, mechan-ics, dispatchers and clerical – represented byLocal 1558 ratified a new two-year agree-ment retroactive to July 1. Members ofthis Dumont, N.J., local areemployed by Rockland Coaches.

The agreement provides payincreases in each of the twoyears, maintains the currentlevel of health care benefits,and provides for work-ruleschanges beneficial to each of the crafts.

UTU Bus Department Vice President andDirector Rich Deiser praised the hard work ofthe negotiating team, consisting of E d

speeds have steadily declined from 22.6 mph inearly April to a low of 18.3 mph in late June,and remain around 4 mph slower than UnionPacific trains.”

G l o v e r, Helaine Parsons, Keith Mack a n dJoan Fleming.

Also, Suburban Transit bus operators repre-sented by Local 1589 in New Brunswick. N.J.,ratified a new three-year agreement.

The agreement provides payincreases in each of the three years ofthe contract, maintains the currentlevel of health care benefits with no

cost increases, and provides forincreases in the operators’

retirement benefits.Deiser praised the hard

work of the negotiating team,consisting of General Chairperson WilliamRoberson and Local Chairperson Ali Ak, withassistance provided by Alternate Bus Vice Presi-dent Calvin Studivant.

A new intern program at the National Media-tion Board (NMB) has been named in honor ofthree deceased Washington-establishment rail-roaders – two from organized labor and one fromthe carrier side.

The Brunkenhoefer-Moneypenny-Lee InternProgram honors former UTU National Legisla-tive Director James Brunkenhoefer, former Tran-sit Workers’ Union legislative representative

Charles Moneypenny and for-mer National Carriers’ Con-

ference Committee ViceChairman Dave Lee.

The new intern program,said the NMB, “is designed

to introduce students in awide range of academic disci-

plines to the complexities of airlineand railroad labor relations. Students will engagewith all of the mission areas of the NMB, andwill take away from their internship experiencean appreciation for, and perhaps a desire toengage in, the work of the Board and the laborrelations community.

“More important than the basic informationthe interns will gain are the principles thatunderlie the NMB internship program,” theNMB said. “The most successful practitioners inlabor relations bring a strong desire to help thelabor force and the country by creating strongcarriers with fair and attractive work places inwhich skilled workers can continue to move peo-ple and products across America.

“A commitment to fairness, integrity, cre-a t i v i t y, collegiality, and pragmatism are thebasic principles that make it possible to createthese work places, and they are the principlese m b odied by the three labor relationsparagons for whom the NMB program isnamed,” said the agency in announcing thenew intern program.

NMB announcesintern program

UTU local chairpersons representing CSXEastern, Western and Northern Lines workershave overwhelmingly ratified a new North-ern Mid-Atlantic District implementinga g r e e m e n t .

More than 91 percent of the local chair-persons voted to ratify the agreement, whichadopts for CSX Eastern, Western and North-ern Lines the agreement covering formerBaltimore & Ohio (a CSX predecessor rail-road) lines.

The agreement covers conductors, trainmen,switchmen and engineer trainees, protecting pri-

or rights while giving all trainmen affected blan-ket seniority over the entire district.

Although several benefits were enhanced as aresult of this agreement, the Baltimore & Ohioproperty remains in national handling withregards to wages, benefits and working condi-tions and those items will be addressed in thatarena to be voted on at a future date.

The new agreement is expected to be imple-mented during the first quarter of 2011.

It affects 47 locals in 13 Northeastern andMidwest states – essentially the former B&O andConrail lines now operated by CSX.

UTU International Vice President John Pre-visich assisted in the negotiations leading to theratification vote.

“The local chairpersons voted unselfishly andin the best interests of their membership,” Pre-visich said.

General Chairpersons George Casey (GO081), John Lesniewski (GO 049) now-retiredDick McVeen (GO 619) and Tony Pascarella(GO 619), and vice general chairpersons JeremyFerguson (GO 049) and Steve Mavity (GO049), were praised for their efforts toward reach-ing this favorable agreement.

CSX committees ok implementing agreement

MINEOLA, N.Y. – In a bipartisan show of sup-port for rail labor, five U.S. representatives stoodwith UTU General Chairperson AnthonySimon (GO 505) Aug. 30 at a rally here protest-ing Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service cutsand layoffs.

U.S. Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), TimBishop (D-N.Y.), Steven Israel (D-N.Y.), PeterKing (R-N.Y.), and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.)joined Simon and other rail labor leaders.

The rally, organized by Simon, voiced labor’scommitment to the safety and security of LIRRcustomers.

“Dedicated, concerned and highly skilledLIRR workers are the glue keeping the aged anddeteriorating LIRR infrastructure intact and run-

ning, no matter the weather conditions,” Simonsaid.

Following are comments of the congressper-sons to the hundreds of rail workers present:

Rep. Ackerman: “When the LIRR comes toWashington for help, we want to know they aredoing the right thing by the people who keep thissystem running.”

Rep. Bishop: “Unions keep the LIRR runningevery day.”

Rep. Israel: “Keep our frontline labor forceworking.”

Rep. King: “You provide safety and securityfor our commuters. Layoffs are not the answer.”

Rep. McCarthy: “Labor makes all the conces-sions. That is wrong.”

UTU rallies troops to save LIRR jobs

From left, U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), LIRR General Chairperson Anthony Simon,who organized the rally, and U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.)



Mike Futhey, International [email protected]

Arty Martin, Assistant [email protected]

Kim Thompson, General Secretary and [email protected]

James Stem, National Legislative [email protected] the UTU:

Phone (216) 228-9400; fax (216) 228-5755

[email protected]

Representation equals security

The UTU has a long history ofrepresenting transportationworkers – fighting on their

behalf for better job security andimproved wages, benefits and work-ing conditions.

We have consistently handledmore claims before various tribunalsunder the Railway Labor Act, theNational Labor Relations Act, statelaws, and in accordance with collec-tive bargaining agreements, thanother, much larger unions.

to elect labor-friendly lawmakersand gaining legislation and regula-tions that improve workplace safety.

By Richard RossUTU International organizing director

(216) 228-9400; [email protected]

Excerpts from President Obama'sAug. 4 talk to the AFL-CIO

Executive Council

Our abilities negotiating and defending superiorcontracts under the RLA and NLRA are unmatched

We build a bond through brother and sisterhelping brother and sister

We are going to keep fighting for an economythat works for everybody, not just for a privileged few

We will stand together in supportof a good wage and good benefits

The middle class has beenstruggling now for about adecade – 10 years in which

folks felt the sting of stagnantincomes and sluggish job growthand declining economic security, aswell as at least eight years in whichthere was a profound animositytowards the notion of unions.

It’s going to take some time toreverse all that’s been done, butwe’re on the right track. We’re mov-ing forward.

For generations, manufacturingwas the ticket to a better life for the

We will rebuild America, one job at a time

body who’s worked his whole life tobe unable to find a job. And thatpain goes beyond just the financialpain. It goes to who they are as a per-son. It hits them in their gut.

American worker. But as the worldbecame smaller, outsourcing, an eas-ier way to increase profits, a lot ofthose jobs shifted to low-wagenations.

So now we’ve got millions of ourfellow Americans swept up in thatdisaster – hardworking peoplewho’ve been left to sit idle formonths and even years as their liveshave been turned upside down.

You know how hard it is for some-

We are not giving up and we arenot giving in. We are going to keepfighting for an economy that worksfor everybody, not just for a privi-leged few.

As we rebuild our economy, we’regoing to rebuild America as well.

Over the past 20 months, bulldoz-ers and backhoes have beenwhirring in communities across thecountry, as construction crews fromlocal companies repair roads and

like, boy, change is not happeningfast enough; we are still hurting outhere. They’re frustrated.

They’ve got every right to be frus-trated. And I am happy, as Presidentof the United States, to take respon-

going to rebuild America, not just towhere it was before this financialcrisis, but stronger than it has everbeen.

That is a commitment that I ammaking to you.

The UTU has a proven trackrecord negotiating and defendingsuperior labor agreements in the air-line, bus, railroad and transit indus-tries.

Our national and state legislativeoffices pride themselves in helping

a caring brother and sister toshare our knowledge of collectivebargaining, grievance handling,safety programs, and legislativeinitiatives. This demonstrates theU T U ’s efforts on their behalf andreveals to each new member thatwe personally care about eachother – that by working togetherwe can make our union familystronger as we collectively pursuegreater job security, higher wages,

For the latest news, visit www.utu.org; also, sign upon the UTU Web site to receive news alerts via e-mail.

improved benefits and betterworking conditions.

UTU International PresidentMike Futhey has placed an emphasison organizing the unorganized, andUTU organizers recently havebrought hundreds of airline, bus andrail workers into the UTU.

To contact a UTU organizer, orlearn more about UTU organizing,log onto the UTU webpage atwww.utu.org and click on “Organiz-ing/Training” in the blue tile box onthe left.

With October nominations uponus, this is an excellent time to edu-cate our newer members in uniondemocracy, the benefits andstrengths of craft autonomy, and themany resources of the UTU avail-able every day to members.

More experienced membersmight also consider stepping up torun for office or to volunteer to serveon your local Board of Trustees,making sure our newer membershave updated their contact informa-tion with the local secretary & treas-

urer so they will receive a ballot, andmaking sure you take the time tovote to elect the best candidates forthose vacant positions.

Organizing is integral to a corevalue of the UTU: “In Unity Thereis Strength.”

Within the UTU, “solidarity” ismore than a catch phrase. It is a wayof life. We are UTU – an organiza-tion that begins and ends with “U.”

In organizing, we offer those sameservices to those that wish tobecome UTU members, and we doso expecting little in return.

Organizing leads to a specialbond with our new members – abond they soon come to recognize

as they experience union brothersand sisters helping union brothersand sisters.

Organizing is not just the processthrough which we mechanicallyrecruit new members to the union,but involves mutually helping ourbrothers and sisters grow in theirknowledge of the UTU – our proudhistory, our affiliation with the AFL-CIO, our respect for and guaranteeof craft autonomy, and our superiorcollective bargaining agreements,and ability to defend them.

As furloughed employees arerecalled, many of whom had littletime in the job after hiring on,each of us bears a responsibility as

sibility for making decisions nowthat are going to put us in a strongposition down the road.

And they need to know that, thatwe’re going to be working with youto make sure that we’re putting our-selves in a position where folks areworking and working for a goodwage and good benefits.

Even in these difficult times, Iremain confident about our future,because of the workers that I meetall across this country, members ofyour unions who get up every morn-ing and put in a hard day’s work tobuild a company, build a future, sup-port their families.

As Americans, we don’t give up.The AFL-CIO does not give up. Ifwe stand together, then I amabsolutely confident that we are

bridges, railways and ports. That waspart of our plan, and it’s put hun-dreds of thousands of folks to work.

But there’s a lot more to do torebuild our infrastructure for the21st century, and a lot more Ameri-cans who are ready and willing to dothat work.

I know if you’re talking to a lot ofyour locals, I’m sure they’re feeling

Local 23 (Santa Cruz, Calif., Metro) member Eduardo Montesino, right, is run-ning for city council office in Watsonville, Calif. He is pictured at the recent region-al meeting in Asheville, N.C., with fellow Local 23 members Hung Lee, left, andLocal President Elizabeth Woodbridge.

UTU officials were on hand recently in Brunswick,Maine, for a ceremony celebrating the extension ofA m t r a k ’s Downeaster service beyond Portland,Maine, to Brunswick, a benefit of the AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act. Shown above, leftto right, are New England Legislative Director GeorgeCasey; FRA Administrator Joe Szabo, and retiredAlternate National Legislative Director Gene Plourd.The engineer on the dedication train was Local 1400(South Portland) Chairperson and Delegate DonDiMauro; the conductor was Wayne Frager, alsofrom Local 1400. Also attending were Gov. JohnBaldacci and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).



Newly manufactured motorcoaches would be required tohave lap-shoulder seat belts – and older motorcoachesmight be required to add them – under proposals from theU.S. DOT that are open for public comment.

The federal proposals do not include city or school buses.Only a handful of states require seat belts on school buses.

The DOT said that, between 1999 and 2008, there were54 fatal motorcoach crashes resulting in 186 fatalities, mostof them passengers ejected from buses. The majority ofmotorcoach trips – 65 percent – are made by children andsenior citizens.

Wearing lap-shoulder belts on motorcoaches could reduce the risk for pas-sengers of being killed in a rollover crash by 77 percent, says the DOT.

Separately, the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), ofwhich the UTU is a member, has added bus issues to its Washington lobbyingresponsibilities. Alternate Vice President Bonnie Morr and I are working withthe TTD and other AFL-CIO transportation unions to advance a successfulagenda before Congress and regulatory agencies.

At our initial meeting we discussed:• The growing privatization of school bus transportation.• The increasing number of school bus drivers considered part-time or

seasonal and ineligible for health care insurance, sick leave, paid vacationsand retirement plans.

• A need for improved driver training to handle challenges of studentswith physical and mental disabilities.

• A need for on-board monitors, uniform disciplinary procedures anddriver training to control unruly students.

• A need for training in the dangers of distracted driving that affect situ-ational awareness, and providing medical-benefit assistance to diagnose andtreat sleep apnea.

• A need for more uniform background checks and equitable standards fordisqualifying drivers.

• The drafting of a modal labor agreement for school bus districts.If you have suggestions for other agenda topics, please contact me.

UTU monitors drivefor seat belts on buses

Bus DepartmentBy Calvin Studivant, alternate vice president,Bus Department; [email protected]

State Watch N ews from UTU State Leg i s l a t i ve Board s

Kansas New England StatesIllinois

Michigan

Wisconsin

State Legislative Director Ty Dragoo recently metwith Stephene Moore, candidate for the state’s thirdcongressional district. “Stephene is a strong support-er of our Railroad Retirement and will oppose anyeffort to reduce our hard-fought benefits,” Dragoosaid. “She also opposes allowing railroads to operatewith single-person train crews. If she is elected,Stephene will work to protect our members’ rightsunder the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA).We urge all Kansans to support her candidacy.”

Studivant

UTU-supported legislation imposing fines orimprisonment for vandals who frighten traincrews has been signed into law here and becomeseffective Jan. 1.

“The new law dramatically raises possiblepenalties for so-called ‘pranksters’ who interferewith the work of a train crew by placing objectson or near the tracks,” Illinois Legislative Direc-tor Bob Guy said. “We lobbied for passage of thislegislation because, over the years, it becameclear to us that there really is no such thing as anemergency stop without damage.”

“When our crews spot something on the trackahead they suffer terrific anxiety in their effort tostop the train before it overruns the obstacle,” Guysaid. “Once the brakes are set in emergency theyhave no further control over the train’s speed.They know that if the train does not stop in time,it could derail and injure or kill them,” Guy said.

U T U - repped bus driverruns for Calif. city off i c e

It is now mandatory in Michigan for whistleposts to be erected and maintained by railroads atgrade crossings throughout the state.

The new law was enacted and signed by thegovernor following efforts of Michigan StateLegislative Director Jerry Gibson, working withthe BLET.

Gibson began pushing for the new law after theFRA, in 2005, eliminated a federal regulationrequiring whistle posts and their maintenance.

“Instead of using a distance marker, they choseto use a time element,” Gibson said. “Thus, manyrailroads would not replace the old signage oncethey came into disrepair. At one time, my BLETcounterpart and I had a list of more than 30 signs

that were in need of replacing, and the railroadsrefused or were very lackadaisical to do so.”

The new law provides that, “A railroad shall erectand maintain a whistle post in advance of a publiccrossing or multiple consecutive crossings to notifythe engineer of an approaching public crossing.”

Bus companies are getting creative to attract riders and retainemployees.

In Beloit, Wisc., the local bus line inaugurated a bingo game in Julyand August to lure riders. Participants were eligible to win a flat-screenTV, an iPod and $50 gift cards while they learned the bus routes.

Riders went to specific stops at specific times to get a bingo stamp.Once they filled up their card, they were eligible to win the prizes.

A transit official said that a main reason people don’t ride the bus isbecause they don’t know the routes.

In Miami, the Metrobus system is using financial incentives coupledwith exercise and nutrition advice to help lower absenteeism.

The centerpiece is a transit agency commitment to pay each driverup to $1,000 each in their paychecks by April if they meet specificgoals to reduce absenteeism.

Historically, Metrobus drivers have had a chronic absenteeism rate,partly attributed to the stressful nature of the job. They are required todrive the bus in heavy traffic at peak hours, often carrying busloads ofharried commuters, some of whom are not paragons of polite.

Bus companies get creativeto lure riders, keep drivers

S p a n b a u e r, Hauck

Local 581 (Green Bay) Legislative Rep. AndyHauck recently met with State Assembly Rep.Richard Spanbauer (R) and presented him witha check from UTU PAC, State LegislativeDirector Tim Deneen reports. Spanbauer, whorepresents the state’s 53d District, is a long-time

friend of the UTU and stressesd his unionupbringing during the visit, Deneen said.

Asheville, N.C.Asheville, N.C.UTU/UTUIA 2010 REGIONAL MEETING PHOTO SCRAPBOOK

Getting ready to tee off at the regional meeting golf outing are MarylandState Legislative Director Larry Kasecamp, left, and Texas State Legisla-tive Director Connie English.

CSX General Chairperson John Hancock and wife Sandra are pho-tographed with grandchildren Harry (age 2) and Ruby Trader (sevenmonths).

Getting ready to roll in the 5th Annual Scott Belden Memorial Motorcy-cle Ride were Tom (L-2, Toledo, Ohio) and Dana Garvin, who took amoment to show off Tom’s Harley Davidson to Elijah and Isak Rollins.Tom rode to the regional meeting from Toledo in a steady rain.

UTUIA Field Supervisor Don Dysart, left, and wife Celeste, right, are shownwith their son Donnie and his wife Deanna and their children Madison (stand-ing) and Molly at the welcoming reception.

Enjoying a lighter moment are, left to right, District of Columbia Legislative Director Willie Bates (L-1933,Washington); Samantha Royster-Cunningham (vice president, L-1933) and Mark Allen, coordinator of theUTU designated legal counsel program. Samantha is the daughter of UTU Human Rights Committee Coor-dinator Miles “Ray” Cunningham.

General Secretary & Treasurer Kim Thompson, left, chats with Alter-nate Vice President-Bus Calvin Studivant (L-759, Newark, N.J.)priorto the opening session.

UTU International President Mike Futhey (fourth from left) meets with (from left) SEPTA employees Cur-tis Fulmore, Eric Goodwin, Waverly Harris, Brian Caldwell and James Shedrick following Futhey’s state-of-the-union address. All but Futhey are members of Local 1594, Upper Darby, Pa.

UTUIA Field Supervisor Dan McElley (left) and wife Janis (second from left) with UTU InternationalAssistant President Arty Martin (right) and his wife, Cindy.

All decked out in UTU gear are Stanley (left; age 7) and Kyle (age 4)Eden, sons of Brian (L-1933, Washington) and Monique.

Caught chilling out by the UTU ice sculpture are, left to right, TennesseeState Legislative Director Jerry Anderton and wife, Carolyn, and Kathiand John Risch. John is the UTU International’s alternate national legisla-tive director.

Pictured signing up to win one themany prizes offered by the UTU Aux-iliary were Cheryl Oestmann (wife ofDuane, L-464, Arkansas City, Kan.)and daughter Madyson, age 9.

The local committee who helped coordinate the Asheville regional meeting are, from left, Ron Ingerick (L-782, Asheville, N.C.); North Carolina State Legislative Director Dickie Westbrook; Craig Patch (L-1596,Charlotte, N.C.); Glenn Lamm (L-1129, Raleigh, N.C.) and Alexander Anderson (L-1106, RockyMount, N.C.)

Pictured, left to right, are Wyoming State Legislative Director Stan Blake,UTU International Vice President Robert Kerley, Georgia State LegislativeDirector Howell Keown and Patrick Folsom (L-1263, Valdosta, Ga.).

Greeting Congressman Heath Schuler (D-N.C.) (second from left) after his luncheon address are, left to right,North Carolina State Legislative Director Dickie Westbrook; UTU International President Mike Futhey andNational Legislative Director James Stem.

Pictured outside one of the many regional meeting workshops are, fromleft, Thomas VanWinkle (L-469, Madison, Ill.); Bruce Smith (L-1929,East St. Louis, Ill.); Dave Wier Jr. (L-469) and his father, UTU Inter-national Vice President Dave Wier.

Enjoying the crisp mountain air on one of the many balconies at the GrovePark Inn are, left to right, Bobby McVay (L-903, Jacksonville, Fla.);Karon Cochran; Alumni Association Coordinator Carl Cochran; JoannePope and Tommy Pope (L-30, Jacksonville, Fla.)

Pictured prior to the yardmaster workshop are Alternate Vice Presi-dent-East Doyle Turner (left) and CSX General ChairpersonAnthony Hagans (L-1971, Atlanta.)

Local Name City/State Local Name City/State Local Name City/State

14 Smith, Michael R. Bidwell, Ohio84 Klix, Theodore E. Hemet, Calif.

117 Danell, D.A. Lewistown, Mont.194 Sawyer, James R. Elkhart, Ind.206 Davis, Cecil W. Macy, Ind.265 Brown Sr., Francis P. Pocatello, Idaho284 Dalton, Charles R. Ashland, Ohio298 Ellis, Francis E. Logansport, Ind.298 Ladig Jr., Richard R. Fort Wayne, Ind.378 Herman, Eugene L. Euclid, Ohio426 Jackson, D.B. St. Maries, Idaho469 Wierciszewski, Stanley F. Belleville, Ill.

496 Noel, Donald F. Portsmouth, Ohio645 White, Grover B. Baldwin, N.Y.662 Thomas, Charles S. Newport News, Va.782 Jones, Willis H. Statesville, N.C.792 Boylan, Leo A. Northfield, Ohio792 Davidson, Gail E. Cleveland, Ohio792 Keneaster, Blair W. Waterford, Ohio807 Perkins, George R. Tucson, Ariz.830 Booher, Franklin B. Mifflintown, Pa.991 Cunningham, George East Liverpool, Ohio

1007 Wykle, David J. Camillus, N.Y.1067 Galbraith, William F. Virginia, Minn.

1081 Huffman, James B. Scottsdale, Ariz.1202 Stuerzenberger, Richard Fort Wayne, Ind.1358 Capps, Charles R. Spring Hill, Tenn.1361 Davison, James J. Sag Harbor, N.Y.1381 Daniels, David J. Hammond, Ind.1462 Powell Jr., Robert J. St. Petersburg, Fla.1502 Hildreth, Malcolm F. Plant City, Fla.1570 Dankbar, Bernard Santa Rosa, Calif.1581 Davis, Charles M. Bakersfield, Calif.1628 Bavuso, D.A. Monongahela, Pa.1972 Lee, Joe L. Birmingham, Ala.

T H E F I N A L C A L L

Following are the names of recently deceased members who maintained annual membership in the UTU Alumni Association (formerly known as the UTUfor Life Program), according to reports received at UTU International Headquarters. These brothers and sisters will be missed by their many friends and byfellow UTU Alumni Association members.

Page 8 September 2010 UTU News


News, information for members of the UTU Alumni Association

Rail Medicare beneficiaries are special

The sign-up deadline for the upcomingAlumni Association tour of the newly renovat-ed Gaylord Opryland Hotel and ConventionCenter, plus the Grand Ole Opry Theater, inNashville, Tenn., is near.

The “Country Christmas” tour will takeplace Tuesday, Dec. 7, through Friday, Dec. 10,at the Gaylord Opryland resort.

The cost of the tour, arranged through theUTU Alumni A s s o c i a t i o n ’s designated trave lprofessionals, Landfall Travel, is $495 per per-son double occupancy; $415 per person triple;$375 per person quad, and $725 per single.

All funds are due by Oct. 15.Call Landfall toll free at (800) 835-9233;

ch e ck out the Alumni Association page onw w w. l a n d f a l l t ravel.com or e-mail trave l @ l a n d-f a l l t ravel.com for more information.

This tour is open to all Alumni A s s o c i a t i o nmembers, family and friends; other UTU mem-bers are welcome to join them as space permits.

Opryland tour

deadline Oct. 15Have you ever gone to the doctor and beenconcerned that maybe they were not sendingyour claim to the right place?

Many doctors and providers don’t realize thatrailroad Medicare beneficiaries are special! Mostthink that ‘Medicare is Medicare’, and that thelocal Part B carrier processes claims for all Medicareb e n e f i c i a r i e s .

This is a common mistake.You do have the same Medicarebenefits as other Medicare ben-eficiaries, but claims for railroadMedicare beneficiaries are allprocessed in one place: Palmet-to GBA Railroad Medicare in Augusta, Ga.

The difference between railroad Medicare andSocial Security Medicare is the identificationnumber. Railroad Medicare health insurancenumbers are either six or nine numbers with one,two or three letters in front.

The person who is retired from the railroad willusually (but not always) have their Social Securitynumber with an “A” in front as their number. Theirspouse will use the same number but with “MA” infront, to show that they are married to the retiree.

All railroad Medicare claims must be sent to Pal-metto GBA Railroad Medicare in Augusta, Ga., forprocessing. Since you are not enrolled with SocialSecurity Medicare, they will not have your recordsand cannot process claims for you.

Sometimes, the local Medicare carrier will for-ward railroad claims that they received to the rail-road Medicare carrier, but most of the time your

doctor will have torefile directly with Pal-metto GBA.

You can help theprocessing of your

claims by making sure that your doctors knowthat you are a railroad Medicare beneficiary.

Make sure they have a copy of the healthinsurance card that was issued to you by the Rail-road Retirement Board. If your card is worn out,you can request a new one by calling Palmetto.

Tell your doctor that all railroad Medicareclaims have to be sent to: Palmetto GBA Rail-road Medicare, P.O. Box 10066, Augusta, GA30999. Your doctor can call toll-free at (877)288-7600 with any questions. If you have anyquestions, call Palmetto at (800) 833-4455.

Jack and Sandi Cunningham, Walworth, Wi s . Greg and Agnes Jackson, Milwaukee, Wis.Harry and Francesca Kurtz, Citrus Springs, Fla.

UTU Alumni Association members enjoy Wild West tourA group of UTU Alumni Association members recently enjoyed a UTU-sponsored tour of the Southwest, arranged by the travel professionals at Landfall Travel.

Three retired general committee officers dieThe deaths of three retired former general

committee officers were reported to the UTUInternational last month.

David J. Wykle, 94, a former Conrail andNew York Central vice general chairperson, diedJuly 27. A life-long member of the Elks Club andformer chairman of the Camillus, N.Y. ,Democratic Party, Wykle also served as thechairperson and legislative representative ofLocal 1007 at Syracuse, N.Y.

George R. Perkins, 95, a former UTUInternational vice president and general chair-person on Southern Pacific Lines, died Aug. 15.Perkins, who retired Jan. 1, 1980, is survived byhis wife of 61 years, Hazel. He was a member ofLocal 807 at Tucson, Ariz.

Horace Watts Jr., 91, died at his home inGlen Allen, Va., Aug. 21. He was a member ofLocal 662 at Richmond, Va. Watts served as alocal chairperson of the Brotherhood of Railroad

Trainmen for 16 years before being elected aUTU general chairperson (GO 201), where heserved 20 years. He is survived by his wife ofalmost 70 years, Lillian.

September 2010 UTU News Page 9


Grad named UTUIA volunteer of the yearJames Grad has been named United Trans-

portation Union Insurance Association’s 2010Volunteer of the Year.

Grad, 80, a retired member of Local 117 inVancouver, Wash., was honored for his years ofvolunteerism with the Union Pacific’s peer sup-port program and his longtime support of a Kent,Wash., food bank.

“Jim has devoted himself to others in need ona daily basis,” one nominator wrote. “For 20years, Jim has been helping at the Kent foodbank. He helps to feed the homeless three timesa week, most often as the cook. He spends sever-al hours stocking shelves and transporting foodand materials when and where they are needed.

“Jim also founded the Catholic communityservice 17 years ago. Together with other mem-bers of his church, he provides food, shelter andclothing for the needy throughout the area.

“Jim also held many positions within his local.He is a credit to unionism and has always sup-ported the UTU.

“When the UP started up its peer supportprogram, Jim was one of the first volunteers toparticipate. He traveled back to Omaha for thefirst meeting to help organize the program andcontinued to play a supporting role long afterhe retired.

“When his peers were involved in serious orfatal incidents at work, Jim showed strength

and compassion while helping his fellowworkers toward well-being.

“None of my fellow workers deserves morerecognition than does Jimmy Grad. His lifetimeof achievement speaks volumes.

“He has never (nor would he ever) seekrecognition for his efforts. A man without egois a beautiful example for us all. While it is dif-ficult to measure the merits of so many giftedpeople who volunteer, they all possess a givingheart and devoted kindness. Among these, JimGrad stands alone.”

James Grad

UTU International President Mike Futheytold Grad, “Although UTUIA received manynominations for this prestigious award, yourundying devotion to others exemplifies the truespirit of fraternalism. Your involvement in com-munity and charitable causes brings recognitionnot only to you but to UTU/UTUIA and yourbrothers and sisters as well.”

Grad received a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond anda plaque of appreciation at the Phoenix regionalmeeting in July.

He was joined at the presentation by his wife,Caroline, and sons Dennis and Darrel.

“Why me?” Grad asked. “There are so manyothers as deserving. My wife, Caroline, had a lotto do with it. She went with me to every peersupport meeting.

“I wanted to help people who were hurtingfrom accidents. I had my first critical incident asa fireman on the Milwaukee Road,” Grad said.

“We lost water pressure in a steam engine andit was about to blow. The engineer told me tojump, but I stayed with him. He fell onto me,dead from a heart attack.

“The doctor said he died from fright. He was agreat guy and terrific engineer.

“My local chairperson helped me cope withthe loss, and I discovered the true meaning ofbrotherhood, so I decided to help other guys.What comes around, goes around.”

UTUIA’s accidental death and dismemberment policyincludes all these benefits for only $19.50 per month:

•$180,000 for death caused by commom carrier•$90,000 for death caused by automobile•$60,000 for accidental death•$30,000 for dismemberment•$600 per day for intensive care confinements•$60 per day for family lod g i n g•$30 per day for family meals•Up to $1,800 for air ambulance transportation•Up to $300 for surface ambulance transportation•Optional family rider for your spouse and children

This policy provides benefits for accidents only. These ben-efits are not available for sickness. Some benefits providedunder the optional family rid-er are less than those providedto the policyholder.

For more information, com-plete and mail the coupon atright or call the UTUIA.

Some benefits may vary based on state ofr e s i d e n c e .

UTUIA policy offers guaranteed approvalfor active transportation employees!

Information, please

I would like more information on the accidental death and dismemberment plan.

Please print

Full name

Address

Telephone number with area code

City State

Sex Male Female

ZIP

UTU local numberDate of birth

Complete and mail to: UTUIA, 24950 Country Club Blvd., Ste. 340, North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333 9/10

❑ ❑

UTUIA offers protection againstaccidental death and dismemberment


Page 10 September 2010 UTU News

D.C.’s 1,500 buses get cameras

Continued from page 1

Jenny Miller started in 1998 as the assistantchief of staff in the National Legislative Office inWashington, the post she still holds. You may

remember Jenny from herappearance on Jeopardy! in July2004. She assists the nationaland alternate national legisla-tive directors. “I keep track oftheir calendars and the officecalendar. I do research on leg-islative and regulatory issues. Iassist with UTU PAC contri-

butions and disbursements. I handle a myriad ofcorrespondence with officers, state legislativedirectors, members and others. It’s always some-thing different every day given the fast-pacedWashington environment.”

Tania Pietrangelo, administrative assistant in theU T U ’s Washington national legislative office,started in 2000. Born in Brazil, Tania in 2006

became a U.S. citizen after scor-ing a perfect grade on her exam-ination. “My responsibiliesinclude reception, phone cover-age including screening and pri-oritization of calls to managers,database management, wordprocessing, filing, faxing, photo-copying, procurement of office

supplies and interface with office vendors, handlingall incoming and outgoing mail, and managing theoffice janitorial services. I love my job; it’s the bestthing that ever happened to me. The UTU gave mea chance and I am thankful for that.”

Matt Dolin is director of the Information Ser-vices Department for the UTU and UTUIA. Hestarted in the Supply Department in 1992. “I

oversee all software and hard-ware initiatives. We have about100 computers at the UTUInternational and another 30 inthe field. I also work with ven-dors and contractors. I amheavily involved in the imple-mentation of the direct receiptprogram, where employers send

dues monies directly to the UTU. I am sort of thearchitect who explains the business models of theUTU and UTUIA to software developers. I workwith some very talented people, and withoutthem all this would not be possible.”

THE UTU INTERNATIONAL STAFF:HERE TO SERVE YOU

JENNY MILLER TANIA PIETRANGELOMATT DOLIN

More surveys are in the works,with questions on how to

improve the Rail Safety Improve-ment Act and workplace training

Washington Metro is installing cameras on itsentire fleet of 1,500 buses as part of afive-year, $3-million program to moni-tor bus driver performance andimprove safety, reports The WashingtonPost.

The new camera system focuseson drivers and activity outside thebuses, transit officials said.

The cameras record constantly dur-ing bus operations, and when a drivermakes any extreme movement – such asturning the bus sharply or braking or acceleratingquickly – the cameras capture the eight secondsbefore the incident and the four seconds after.The video and audio of the incident are thenautomatically downloaded wirelessly from thebus.

More than 1,000 Metrobuses already areequipped with security cameras aimed at passen-ger areas and outside the front of buses to docu-ment and deter accidents, crimes and conflicts,Metro spokesman Reggie Woodruff said. If the

video on those cameras is not retrieved within acouple of days, the cameras record over it.

“If a driver is showing less atten-tion, with hands not always on thewheel, we can use it as training,” hesaid. “Because the operator knows thecamera will be watching him or her,they will try to minimize the times the

system is triggered, and it will lead themto be more alert.”DriveCam, the San Diego-based com-

pany contracted to conduct the program, willanalyze data from any incidents and provide it toMetro to promote better driving habits and tohelp with investigations. Metro has purchasedthe cameras and will have the option of operat-ing them and analyzing the data with its ownstaff after two years.

Along with the training and safety benefits,Metro officials said, the system is expected tohelp reduce damage to buses, workers’ compen-sation claims and injuries.

Jackie Jeter, head of Amalgamated TransitUnion Local 689, which represents most front-line Metro employees, did not object to the cam-eras, but said they too narrowly focused on driv-er skills. She said broader safety measures areneeded, including assigning more police officersto prevent assaults on bus drivers.

2011 regional

meeting dates

June 20-22: San Antonio, TexasHilton Palacio del Rio

July 4-6: New York, N.Y.Hotel Grand Hyatt

UTU members consider “health care” a high-priority issue.

• Some 60 percent of UTU members whovoted in the 2008 general election said thatthe UTU endorsements had a “great” or“some” impact on their voting decisions. Onlyfive percent of UTU members said that theUTU endorsement had no effect and that theydid not vote for “most” or “all” of UTU-endorsed candidates.

• When it comes to a member’s vote, partyaffiliation and UTU endorsements are the twotop sources of information for UTU members todetermine their candidate choice(s).

• As for the Rail Safety Improvement Act of2008, 41 percent of UTU members think the lawis having a favorable impact on their jobs; 46 per-cent think otherwise.

Stem said more surveys “are in the works, withquestions on how to improve the Rail SafetyImprovement Act and workplace training. Iencourage members to participate in future sur-veys. We want and need to know what our mem-bers’ concerns are.”

Health care bookletsnow available online

The summary plan description book-lets for both the National RailwayCarriers/UTU Health and Welfare Plan(NRC/UTU) and the Railroad Employees’National Health and Welfare Plan arenow available on the UTU Web site.

Both booklets give information on theComprehensive Health Care Benefit; theManaged Medical Care Program; theMental Health/Substance Abuse Benefit,the Managed Pharmacy ServicesBenefit, plus additional information on allaspects of the medical benefit plans cov-ering railroad operating employees andtheir eligible dependents.

All employees should have received acopy of their plan’s book in the mail; thisweb posting provides an alternatesource for this important information.

Go to the “Health care” page of theUTU website (www.utu.org) to be direct-ed to the NRC/UTU National Health andWelfare booklets.

Union Pacific’s vice chairman of operations,Dennis Duffy, has announced his retirement.

He will be succeeded in his post on Sept. 1 byLance Fritz, who will have the title of executivevice president of operations. Fritz currently isvice president of operations.

Duffy began his UP career in 1973, and heldvarious positions in the finance, marketing andsales, and operating departments. He is thelongest-serving head of UP’s operating depart-ment in its history, the UP said.

Fritz joined the company’s marketing and salesorganization as vice president-energy in 2000.He previously served as regional vice president-northern region, regional vice president-south-ern region, and vice president of labor relations.

UP’s operating chiefannounces retirement

Survey results

Strong whistleblower protection for trans-portation and other workers was implementedlast month by the Occupational Safety andHealth Administration.

The new procedures allow complaints ofworker retaliation to be made by telephone andin languages other than English.

The purpose is to help protect workers whovoice safety, health, and security concerns.

OSHA said that “changes in the whistleblow-er provisions make good on the promise to standby those workers who have the courage to comeforward when they believe their employer is vio-lating the law and cutting corners on a variety ofsafety, health and security concerns in the affect-ed industries.”

The regulations, which cover workers filingcomplaints in the railroad, public transit, com-mercial motor carrier, and consumer productindustries, also create greater consistency amongvarious OSHA complaint procedures,” said theagency.

New fact sheets on these statutes and addi-tional information will be available atwww.whistleblowers.gov.

OSHA imposes new

whistleblower shield


September 2010 UTU News Page 11

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)reports that, barring unforeseen circumstances,the Railroad Retirement System will experienceno cash-flow problems during the next 23 years.

The RRB reports that, as of Sept. 30, 2009,total system assets, comprising assets managed by

the National Railroad Retire-ment Investment Trust and

the Railroad Retirementsystem accounts at theTreasury, equaled $24.6billion.

The cash balance ofthe railroad unemploy-ment insurance system

was $47.6 million at the end of fiscal year 2009,RRB said.

The projected combined account balances arehigher through calendar year 2025 under eachemployment assumption than in last year’sreport, according to the RRB. Under the opti-mistic and intermediate employment assump-tions, the account balances are lower at the endof the current projection period due to lower tax-es in some earlier years.

The favorable comparison with last year waslargely due to actual investment return of approx-

imately 24.3 percent exceeding the expectedinvestment return of 7.5 percent in calendar year2009, and to a lesser extent due to a lower esti-mated cost-of-living adjustment for 2011 in thisy e a r ’s report, RRB said. This was offset by lowerprojected employment and a lower estimatedwage increase for 2009 in this year’s report.

The long-term stability of the system, howev-er, is not assured. Under the current financingstructure, actual levels of railroad employment

Railroad Retirement finances stay strong

UTU members and their children can save15 to 60 percent on the Princeton Review’scollege preparation classes with discountsoffered through Union Plus.

(Union Privilege, founded by the AFL-CIOin 1986, develops and manages the UnionPlus benefits program, which uses the com-bined buying power of 13 million unionmembers to obtain top quality goods and

services at com-petitive prices.)

Union Plusoffers UTU mem-bers a 60 per-cent discount onthe SAT o n l i n e

college test preparation course. This popularself-paced course provides 20 to 30 hours ofhighly interactive lessons with the conven-ience of an online course. Discounts arealso available on in-person classes or per-sonalized tutoring.

Additionally, the Princeton Review pro-vides answers on college research, applica-tion and financial aid processes. UTU mem-bers can save 50 percent on online collegeaffordability and admissions courses by vis-iting www.unionplus.org/collegeprep.

To enroll or learn more about your union-member-only discount, call 1-888-243-7737or visit www.unionplus.org/collegeprep.

Discounts now availablefor college prep classes

Discipline Income Protection Program: It Pays!What is the Discipline Income Protection Program? This program pays you aspecific amount over a length of time if you are suspended, dismissed or removedfrom service by the carrier for alleged violation of rules or operating procedures, pro-vided that such violations are not on the list of exceptions not covered.What benefits are paid? You choose the level ofbenefits paid, from $6 to $200 per day, all atlow monthly assessments. The term of ben-efits, from 250 to 365 days, depends onhow long you have been enrolled in thep r o g r a m .Who sponsors the program? The UnitedTransportation Union International sponsors theDiscipline Income Protection Program.Who is eligible for coverage? UTU members in the U.S. may enroll as memberson a voluntary basis.Want more information? Contact your field supervisor or local insurance repre-sentative, or write to: Discipline Income Protection Program, UTU, 24950 CountryClub Blvd., Suite 340, North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333, or e-mail “[email protected]” orcheck out the Discipline Income Protection Program page on www.utu.org.

and investment return over the coming years willdetermine whether additional corrective actionis necessary, RRB reported.

The report did not recommend any change inthe rate of tax imposed by current law onemployers and employees. The absence of pro-jected cash-flow problems for at least 23 yearsunder each employment assumption indicatedthat an immediate increase in the tax rate sched-ule is not required.

For the past few weeks the UTU, led by Assistant Idaho State Legislative Director NathanMillward, has been involved in a re-training program of furloughed employees on Union PacificRailroad. “Due to increased business levels and a high level of retirements, the final few fur-loughed employees are being recalled,” Millward said. “At one time, we had 112 furloughed fromLocal 265 in Pocatello area. The members were strong to the agreement rules and rejected aproposed, flawed agreement that UP attempted to negotiate with us. They held strong to beingcalled out of seniority order for emergency work, and all waited to be recalled in proper seniori-ty order. This is a strong group who will lead the UTU into the future.” Pictured above are 18recalled employees in a training class with Local 265 Chairpersons Brad Barbre and RobWarth.

UTU welcomes back furloughed UP workers

UTU Auxiliary delegates electnew slate of Grand Lodge officers

Carol Menges, left, and Mae Parker.

Mae Parker is the new president, and CharlieBelden the new secretary & treasurer, of theUTU Auxiliary, both having been elected bydelegates at the Auxiliary’s August convention.

Parker succeeds Carol Menges, and Beldensucceeds Dana Garvin. Menges was electedAuxiliary District 6 vice president.

Also elected was Scott Saunders ofSmithville, Texas, as national legislative direc-

tor. Saunders is the first male elected to a GrandLodge position in UTU Auxiliary history. He wasone of two male delegates to the convention, outof 37 total.

“I chose not to seek re-election so that I couldreturn home to my family,” Menges said. “Aftersix years my husband will have to get used to liv-ing with me again! My heart and spirit willalways be with each Auxiliary member. Theyhave brightened my life and hopefully I havedone the same for them.”

Parker said, “I look forward to this challengewith both excitement and hesitation. I ask allAuxiliary members to help me expand, grow anddevelop the membership of this fine organiza-tion. It is our history which propels us into thefuture.”

The UTU and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-neers and Trainmen may not know where all the nuts are,but the two unions know that not every nut has boltedfrom the United States – although such may be news tothe Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority(NNEPRA).

The UTU and the BLET jointlypetitioned the Federal RailroadAdministration Aug. 12 in oppositionto a request by the NNEPRA that it beallowed to bypass a ‘Buy America’ pro-vision in the law and go offshore to buytrack-nut fasteners. The NNEPRAwants to use a federal tax-dollar subsidyto purchase track-nut fasteners from aforeign hardware manufacturer.

The waiver request of the NNEPRAshould be denied, say the UTU and the BLET, becausetrack-nut fasteners are readily available here in thehomeland, produced by American workers.

Signing the opposition petition with the FRA wereUTU National Legislative Director James Stem andBLET National Legislative Representative John Tolman,who wrote:

“As part of the America Recovery and ReinvestmentAct’s ‘Buy America’ provision, the NNEPRA received a$35-million grant to extend Amtrak’s Downeaster passengerservice from its existing route of Boston to Freeport, Maine.

This month’s winning photo:

Periodicals Postage

PAID at Cleveland, Ohio,

and Additional

Mailing Offices

ISSN 0098-5937Published monthly (except forcombined months of Dec-ember/January and July/August)by the UNITED TRANSPORTA-TION UNION, 24950 COUNTRYCLUB BLVD., SUITE 340,NORTH OLMSTED, OH 44070-5333 • Periodicals postage paidat Cleveland, Ohio, and addition-al mailing offices • Mike Futhey,International President; KimThompson, General Secretary &Treasurer • This publicationavailable on microfilm fromNational Archive Publishing, P.O.Box 998, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to UTU News, 24950Country Club Blvd., Suite 340,North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333.

SEPTEMBER 2010

Please recycle

This month’s winning photo:The UTU Public Relations

Department awards UTU gearto the union member who sub-mits the best photograph dur-ing the previous months.

The winning photo will bepublished in the UTU News.Exceptional photographs will beincluded on the UTU website.

The UTU would like to seephotographs or digital photo-graphs of work-related scenes,such as railroad, bus or masstransit operations, new equip-ment photos, scenic shots,activities of your local, or pho-tos of your brothers and sisterskeeping America rolling.

Printed photographs shouldbe mailed to UTU News,24950 Country Club Blvd., Ste.340, North Olmsted, OH44070-5333.

High-resolution digital pho-tographs should be in the JPEGformat and e-mai led to“[email protected]”.

With each photograph,please include your name andUTU local number, the namesof the persons in the photo (leftto right), where the photo wastaken, and all other pertinentinformation.

All photographs submittedbecome property of the UTU.

Remember to review youremployer’s policies regardinguse of cameras on the propertyor during work hours.

This photo was taken by Jimmy Hardison, vice local chairperson of Local 662, Newport News,Va. “I took this photo in the Newport News yard. This is the CSX corporate train as it was beingprepared for a week-long trip from Newport News to Ohio. She had been loaded with food andsupplies for all of the CSX brass.”


James Grad is theUTUIA volunteer ofthe year. See page 9.

Asheville regional meet-ing photos can be foundon pages 6 & 7.

Amtrak conductorswork to educate Cali-fornians. See page 2.

UTU rallies the troopsto save LIRR jobs. Seepage 3.

Inside this issue of the UTU News:

42

The Official Publication of the United Transportation Union

Number 9

Volume September 2010

www.utu.orgwww.utuia.org

“It is a fundamental principle that taxpayer invest-ments should create American jobs [and in support of thisprinciple] the UTU and the BLET oppose the NNEPRArequest for a waiver from the ‘Buy America’ requirement.

“NNEPRA has requested a waiver to allow them topurchase foreign made 1 1/8-inch nuts,standard nuts that are produced domes-tically and are readily available. A cur-sory Internet search found thatGrainger, a tool and hardware supplycompany, sells these nuts, and they aremade in the United States,” the UTUand the BLET told the FRA.

Grainger, a Fortune 500 companywith 18,000 employees and head-quartered in Lake Forest, Ill., wasnamed this year by Computerworld

magazine as “one of the best places to work,” and wasnamed by Fortune magazine as one of the “mostadmired companies.”

Additionally, the UTU and the BLET told the FRA,the ‘Buy America’ requirements should be waived foronly the most persuasive reasons. “If the design of thetrack bolt requires foreign-made nuts, then we suggest adesign change,” they said.

“If our country is going to restore our manufacturingcapabilities, these trivial, nuisance waivers must berejected,” the UTU and the BLET told the FRA.

UTU urges FRA: ‘Buy American nuts’

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