SMART UnionThe offices of the SMART Transportation Division and UTU Insurance Association will be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day holidays.
The officers and staff of the SMART Transportation Division and UTUIA wish the membership of the SMART Transportation Division a prosperous and safe New Year.
A BNSF Railway grain train derailed and crashed into a crude oil train in North Dakota Monday afternoon, Dec. 30, causing tank cars to explode in towering mushroom-cloud flames.
No one was injured in the accident that happened about 2:10 p.m. near Casselton, N.D., about 25 miles west of Fargo, but smoke billowed for hours and the town’s 2,300 residents were warned to remain indoors, authorities said.
Read the complete story at the Star Tribune.
Officers and members of SMART Transportation Division General Committee of Adjustment GO 505 on the Long Island Rail Road Dec. 18 delivered a $5,000 check to support a program for autistic children in the Town of Islip, N.Y.
The donation adds to the committee’s yearly commitment to autism services in the local community, which it is proud to serve with reliable and safe transportation.
As reported earlier this year, GO 505 sponsors a golf outing annually to raise funds for Autism Speaks and autism services in Long Island, N.Y. Autism Speaks is a leading autism science and advocacy organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism.
While supporting research to assist in the continued efforts to aid families affected by autism, SMART leadership of the committee was determined to set additional funds aside to give to families in the local community, General Chairperson Anthony Simon said.
Simon, Vice General Chairperson Vinnie Tessitore and Local Chairperson Michael Denn met with Town of Islip Councilman Anthony Senft Jr. to learn about a new program in the community called Inclusive Sports and Fitness (ISF). The program, founded and managed by Alexander Lopez, utilizes mentoring and therapeutic principals inherent in sports to foster positive personal, social, and physical growth in an inclusive way for all children.
“On behalf of our railroad union members, we are pleased to assist in getting this program expanded to assist more children in our community. SMART members are proud to give back to the neighbors we serve,” Simon said.
SMART Transportation Division GO 505 officers Anthony Simon, Vinnie Tessitore and Michael Denn
present a check to Alexander Lopez, with the support and appreciation of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Town of Islip Councilmen Senft and Flotteron. Also pictured are Inclusive Sports and Fitness volunteers and children enrolled in the program.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a Final Rule on Dec. 24, 2013, that increases the rail equipment accident/incident reporting threshold for 2014 from $9,900 to $10,500.
This action is taken every year to ensure the figures accurately reflect cost increases that have occurred within the industry.
Read the complete story at Railway Track and Structures.
Minority and low-income residents of the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area now have a new opportunity to learn green construction skills thanks to a partnership between the BlueGreen Alliance Foundation and Summit Academy OIC. The program—Build MN Green—teaches participants the green construction, occupational safety and environmental awareness skills currently wanted by employers in Minnesota’s growing construction industry.
As part of Build MN Green, the 250 program participants will complete coursework that will help them understand safety rules, green building tactics, including LEED® Awareness, and CPR and first aid skills. “This program is helping people get a leg up in their search for a job in the construction industry,” said David Foster, President of the BlueGreen Alliance Foundation. “As the industry becomes more and more green and efficient, the need for workers with these kinds of skills will only increase. We’re proud to help train these future workers.”
Construction jobs in the Twin Cities are expected to expand by 37.7 percent between 2010 and 2020, representing 17,932 jobs. These jobs are fueled by a resurgence of housing development and the building of major sporting facilities in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The use of LEED—an industry-recognized program for green building design, construction, operations and maintenance created by the U.S. Green Building Council—is growing rapidly in today’s environment, especially in the public sector. Minnesota is currently home to more than 260 LEED certified buildings, including 236 commercial buildings. Summit Academy works in partnership with the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades and Build MN Green courses are already underway. Following graduation, Summit Academy and the BlueGreen Alliance Foundation will help graduates find full-time employment with construction companies and building trades unions’ apprentice programs.
Earlier this year, Summit Academy OIC was selected to serve as the Employment Assistance Firm for the construction of the Minnesota Vikings stadium.
SANTA TERESA, N.M. — A $400 million Union Pacific railroad facility near a young New Mexico border town could open next year, according to the company.
Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt said Tuesday that construction near Santa Teresa is ahead of schedule and the facility could be operational in 2014. It had been slated to open in 2015.
Read the complete story at the Kansas City Star.
Presidential Emergency Board 244 issued its recommendations Dec. 21 for settling a dispute between the Long Island Rail Road and its unionized employees represented by the SMART Transportation Division and several other labor unions.
The board’s recommendations are non-binding and the parties now have 120 days to reach agreement based on the recommendations.
The three board members recommended that the LIRR pay wage increase totaling 18.4 percent over six years (2.9 percent per year) and employees begin contributing to health insurance premium costs. After factoring in the recommended employee health insurance contributions, the board’s recommendations would still produce net wage increases of 2.5 percent per year.
“Obviously, I am satisfied with the board’s findings,” said SMART TD GO 505 General Chairperson Anthony Simon. “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road management had been demanding three years of ‘net zero’ wage increases and larger contributions to our health and welfare plans. They were also seeking numerous work-rule changes to our contract, which the board rejected. This is a ‘home run’ for the employees we represent.”
“All unions on LIRR will accept the board’s recommendations – although they’re not everything that we bargained for – so we can avoid any inconvenience to the riding public,” Simon said. “We hope the MTA will do the same.”
“I thank SMART General President Joe Nigro, SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich, Vice President John Lesniewski, Vice General Chairperson Vinnie Tessitore Jr. and the entire negotiating committee from GO 505 for their support and guidance during this process.”
In its report to the President Barack Obama, the board stated that, “It simply cannot be concluded that the MTA’s current financial position is one in which it is unable to pay for wage adjustments that are otherwise warranted.”
The board’s wage recommendations are retroactive to the first year of the contract dispute, which has been ongoing for more than three years. The board rejected MTA’s demand that workers accept three years of net zero wage increases, followed by two, two-percent increases over five years.
The board also rejected MTA’s demand for major concessions in pensions, including a permanent five percent employee contribution.
The PEB also rejected MTA’s demand that retirees begin paying for health insurance and that railroad retirement disability pensions be offset by LIRR’s pension payments.
PEB recommendations include that employees begin contributing to health insurance premium costs, beginning at one percent of 40 hours straight-time pay, at the contract’s opening date of June 16, 2010, and increasing by .25 percent increments each year thereafter. MTA had proposed larger employee contributions, while the affected unions had proposed no contributions from current employees.
If no agreement is reached, the company or the governor of New York can ask for a second PEB to be appointed, whose recommendations would also be non-binding. If no agreement between LIRR and its unions is reached following the second PEB’s recommendations, the unions would be free to strike.
Simon said he did not expect that a second PEB’s findings would be much different from that of the first.
The board’s recommendations come after holding hearings for a full week that began Dec. 2.
“After an intensive and relentless week of deliberations, I can say that our organization left no stones unturned during these proceedings,” Simon said at the time. “We presented an excellent case before the board and we are determined to fight for our members in order to obtain a fair and well-deserved agreement for all,” he said.
The board’s members included chairman Ira F. Jaffe, Roberta Golick and Arnold M. Zack.
To view the complete PEB report, click here.
Presidential Emergency Board 244 issued its recommendations Dec. 21 for settling a dispute between the Long Island Rail Road and its unionized employees represented by the SMART Transportation Division and several other labor unions.
The board’s recommendations are non-binding and the parties now have 120 days to reach agreement based on the recommendations.
The three board members recommended that the LIRR pay wage increase totaling 18.4 percent over six years (2.9 percent per year) and employees begin contributing to health insurance premium costs. After factoring in the recommended employee health insurance contributions, the board’s recommendations would still produce net wage increases of 2.5 percent per year.
“Obviously, I am satisfied with the board’s findings,” said SMART TD GO 505 General Chairperson Anthony Simon. “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road management had been demanding three years of ‘net zero’ wage increases and larger contributions to our health and welfare plans. They were also seeking numerous work-rule changes to our contract, which the board rejected. This is a ‘home run’ for the employees we represent.”
“All unions on LIRR will accept the board’s recommendations – although they’re not everything that we bargained for – so we can avoid any inconvenience to the riding public,” Simon said. “We hope the MTA will do the same.”
“I thank SMART General President Joe Nigro, SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich, Vice President John Lesniewski, Vice General Chairperson Vinnie Tessitore Jr. and the entire negotiating committee from GO 505 for their support and guidance during this process.”
In its report to the President Barack Obama, the board stated that, “It simply cannot be concluded that the MTA’s current financial position is one in which it is unable to pay for wage adjustments that are otherwise warranted.”
The board’s wage recommendations are retroactive to the first year of the contract dispute, which has been ongoing for more than three years. The board rejected MTA’s demand that workers accept three years of net zero wage increases, followed by two, two-percent increases over five years.
The board also rejected MTA’s demand for major concessions in pensions, including a permanent five percent employee contribution.
The PEB also rejected MTA’s demand that retirees begin paying for health insurance and that railroad retirement disability pensions be offset by LIRR’s pension payments.
PEB recommendations include that employees begin contributing to health insurance premium costs, beginning at one percent of 40 hours straight-time pay, at the contract’s opening date of June 16, 2010, and increasing by .25 percent increments each year thereafter. MTA had proposed larger employee contributions, while the affected unions had proposed no contributions from current employees.
If no agreement is reached, the company or the governor of New York can ask for a second PEB to be appointed, whose recommendations would also be non-binding. If no agreement between LIRR and its unions is reached following the second PEB’s recommendations, the unions would be free to strike.
Simon said he did not expect that a second PEB’s findings would be much different from that of the first.
The board’s recommendations come after holding hearings for a full week that began Dec. 2.
“After an intensive and relentless week of deliberations, I can say that our organization left no stones unturned during these proceedings,” Simon said at the time. “We presented an excellent case before the board and we are determined to fight for our members in order to obtain a fair and well-deserved agreement for all,” he said.
The board’s members included chairman Ira F. Jaffe, Roberta Golick and Arnold M. Zack.
To view the complete PEB report, click here.
The High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail program (HSIPR) doesn’t just mean faster trains and improved transportation choices for travelers across the country – it’s also strengthening the economy and creating jobs for people who may have never been on a train. So far, the U.S. Department of Transportation has invested $808 million in multi-state procurements of next-generation rail equipment.
What have we got in return?
Across the country, our Buy America program, which requires 100 percent of all rail equipment to be American made, is spurring economic growth and laying a foundation for a passenger rail network that is safer, faster, more reliable, and offers more service.
Read the complete story at www.dot.gov.
Federal regulators have handed freight railroads a victory, saying they can require shippers to pay for specific steps to control coal dust from rail cars.
In a Dec. 13 decision, the Surface Transportation Board ruled that shippers failed to prove that BNSF Railway Co.’s coal-loading rules were unreasonable, though it struck down one provision relating to shipper liability.
Read the complete story at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.