Year: 2013

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Charlotte_CATS_logoSMART Transportation Division Local 1715 bus operators employed by Transit Management of Charlotte, Inc., Dec. 12 ratified a three-year agreement with management, averting a possible strike.

The new agreement calls for annual wage increases, paid retroactively to July 1, plus the return of travel-time pay, a contract provision that previously had been negotiated away when the operators were represented by the Teamsters.

The contract also calls for an additional personal day and new bidding procedures during the run assignment that is more favorable to SMART membership.

The company is also required to use a health care provider supported by the union, or one that is comparable, resulting in a reduction in the health care contributions paid by our members.

SMART TD Alternate Vice President Calvin Studivant participated in the recent negotiations with Charlotte Area Transit System management when a strike by the operators appeared likely. He recognized the efforts of General Chairperson Kevin Moss, Vice General Chairpersons Hasson Trent and Brenda Moore, Local President Bruce Wright and General Committee Secretary William R. Brown for their tireless efforts in “resolving the issues at hand and working to get their members the best possible contract.”

Studivant also thanked Vice General Chairpersons Christy Kiser and Donell Taylor and Local Secretary & Treasurer Christopher Johnson for their roles in reaching the agreement.

“A lot of the bus operators here, we have families as well. We know the impact a strike would have caused on the people in the community,” said Moss.

“This has been a period of difficult negotiations, but we ended up with an agreement that’s within our financial parameters,” said Carolyn Flowers, CATS CEO.

With an estimated 1,000 people in attendance at its Dec. 7 “Holi-Day” celebration, SMART Transportation Division Local 662 at Richmond, Va., reports the event was a resounding success.
Local 662, in conjunction with CSX Transportation and other rail labor organizations, sponsored the UTU/CSX District 6 Safety Committee Family “Holi-Day” at CSX’s Newport News, Va., mechanical department car shop.
The Holi-Day had many indoor and outdoor activities. Those attending donated unwrapped Christmas presents and non-perishable food items that were given to the Salvation Army Angel Tree Project and to the Food Bank of Virginia, Local 662 Administrative Manager Jimmy Galbraith said.
Local 662 would like to thank all of its members and all CSX employees who volunteered for this event, as well as CSX Terminal Manager Steve Salyers and CSX Mechanical Department Car Shop Superintendent Charles Lantz.
Galbraith acknowledged the outstanding efforts of Local Trustee and Safety Committee Rep. Richard Craver, Local Trustee James “Lee” Misenheimer, Newport News Safety Committee Rep. Luke Lenix, Local Legislative Rep. and Safety Committee Rep. Jimmy Schumaker, Local Trustee Tommy Arsenault, Vice Local Chairperson Jimmy “Chip” Hardison and Local Chairperson Jeff Parker.
The UTU/CSX District 6 Safety Committee is an all-inclusive affinity group that provides a voice between the UTU, CSX and other participating rail labor organizations operating under guidelines of the UTU/CSX safety model.
The safety committee’s mission statement and common goal is to provide a cooperative effort in promoting a safe and injury-free work environment, as well as serving to the needs of all rail workers across the CSX system and the community in which it serves.
More information about SMART TD/UTU Local 662 is available at http://0662.utu.org.

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OSHA logo; OSHAWASHINGTON – Whistleblowers covered by one of 22 statutes administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will now be able to file complaints online. The online form will provide workers who have been retaliated against an additional way to reach out for OSHA assistance online.

 “The ability of workers to speak out and exercise their rights without fear of retaliation provides the backbone for some of American workers’ most essential protections,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “Whistleblower laws protect not only workers, but also the public at large and now workers will have an additional avenue available to file a complaint with OSHA.”

Currently, workers can make complaints to OSHA by filing a written complaint or by calling the agency’s 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) number or an OSHA regional or area office. Workers will now be able to electronically submit a whistleblower complaint to OSHA by visiting https://www.osha.gov/whistleblower/WBComplaint.html.

 The new online form prompts the worker to include basic whistleblower complaint information so they can be easily contacted for follow-up. Complaints are automatically routed to the appropriate regional whistleblower investigators. In addition, the complaint form can also be downloaded and submitted to the agency in hard-copy format by fax, mail or hand-delivery. The paper version is identical to the electronic version and requests the same information necessary to initiate a whistleblower investigation.

 OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of 22 statutes protecting employees who report violations of various securities laws, trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental, rail, public transportation, workplace safety and health, and consumer protection laws. Detailed information on employee whistleblower rights, including fact sheets and instructions on how to submit the form in hard-copy format, is available online at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.

 Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

Click here to submit a complaint electronically.

imagesCA95DX61A top Senate Democrat is calling on the Obama administration to scrutinize federal contractors’ compliance with labor laws, citing results of a congressional investigation that showed widespread violations of the law.
The findings were outlined Wednesday by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions  Chairman Tom Harkin (D., Iowa). The year-long probe conducted by his staff  found that nearly 30% of companies hit with the highest penalties for federal labor-law violations are also federal contractors.
You can read more about this story via the Wall Street Journal.

FRA_logo_wordsWASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Dec. 11 issued an industry-wide Safety Advisory to help ensure railroads adhere to federal regulations regarding maximum authorized train speed limits. The advisory contains four recommendations to ensure railroads comply with speed restrictions through appropriate operating policies, procedures and effective implementation.

“Safety is our highest priority, and the Metro-North crash illustrates how important it is for railroads to follow speed limits,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This Safety Advisory, along with the other enforcement measures we’ve taken, will remind all employees of the need to follow speed limits and will help improve safety across all rail lines.”

The Safety Advisory provides guidance on four recommended measures FRA expects railroads to take action on immediately. Among them are:

  • Review the circumstances of the Dec. 1, 2013, Spuyten Duyvil derailment with their operating employees.
  • Provide instruction to employees during training classes and safety briefings on the importance of compliance with maximum authorized train speed limits and other speed restrictions.
  • Evaluate results of operational data regarding speed testing.
  • Reinforce the importance of communication between train crewmembers located in the controlling locomotive, particularly during safety-critical periods when multiple tasks are occurring and during extended periods of inactivity.

“Although the industry’s overall safety record is good, the Metro-North accident is a stark reminder of the need to remain vigilant in ensuring compliance with operational speed limits,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “Over the last decade, train accidents have declined by 43 percent nationally, a result of our rigorous safety regime, but we must always do better as we drive continuous safety improvement.”

Last week, the FRA issued Emergency Order 29 (EO 29) to Metro-North Commuter Railroad (MNCW) directing it to take specific, immediate steps to ensure its train crews do not exceed speed limits. EO 29 requires Metro-North to modify its existing signal system to ensure that operators obey speed limits, and to provide two qualified railroad employees to operate trains where major speed restrictions are in place until its signal system is modified. The FRA also issued a letter calling on Metro-North to launch a safety stand-down with all employees and to fully implement the confidential close-call reporting system, which has helped improve rail safety on other lines. Metro-North has written the FRA to outline its plans to comply with the directives, and the FRA will continue working directly with Metro-North staff as they implement the provisions.

The FRA had already increased its oversight and enforcement of Metro-North’s rail lines following the May 2013 crash, including additional inspections of its lines and audits of Metro-North’s operations and compliance with federal regulations. FRA is also planning to conduct an extensive investigation of the carrier’s safety compliance with all regulated railroad safety disciplines.

To read the complete Safety Advisory 2013-08, click here.

Speaking in Toronto last week, conservative party senator Hugh Segal praised the role of unions in Canada saying, “Active unions and free collective bargaining are essential to building a prosperous Canada and a stable middle class.”
Earlier this year Sen. Segal led the Senate’s efforts to amend the anti-union Bill 337, which had been endorsed by Prime Minister Harper.  He told the crowd:
“It was bad law, it was unconstitutional,” Segal said, adding that he will continue to oppose the bill if the Harper government attempts to revive it.
“As I stand before you today, I will stand in the Senate and oppose it again.”
Stating that “my Canada is the place where collective bargaining makes Canada stronger and a better place,” the pro-worker conservative pointed out that Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, was also a conservative who believed that collective bargaining was essential to the middle class.

Bus operators for Rutgers University’s inter-campus bus and shuttle system seeking union representation overwhelmingly chose the SMART Transportation Division Dec. 9 as their collective bargaining representative.
Among 112 eligible voters, 74 of the 80 operators participating in the union election chose SMART as their representative, while six voted for no union.
The bus service is managed by First Transit, Inc., based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
SMART TD Director of Organizing Rich Ross lauded the efforts of organizer and Alternate Bus Vice President Calvin Studivant saying, “Calvin just did an outstanding job. We had a meeting at Rutgers a couple of weeks ago and approximately 90 drivers attended. Calvin was well received during the meeting and was recognized for his efforts and for his knowledge of the bus industry.”
Studivant has more than 25 years of experience as a bus operator for Community Transportation in Clifton, N.J.
Ross also noted the efforts of Local President Waverly Harris and Vice Local President Brian Caldwell in assisting with the organizing campaign and helping drivers realize the benefits of union representation. Both are members of SMART TD Local 1594 at Upper Darby, Pa., employed by a division of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
The Rutgers-New Brunswick/Piscataway inter-campus bus and shuttle system provides efficient and reliable transportation service for all five campuses. It is available to all members of the university community and the public.
According to First Transit’s website, the service is the second largest operating bus system in New Jersey, transporting more than 6 million passengers annually and providing more than 70,000 passenger trips per day. It operates approximately 50 transit buses that utilize bio-diesel fuel and Green Roads technology in an effort to reduce emissions and petroleum consumption.

BNSF_Color_LogoBNSF Railway is promoting Carl Ice from president and chief operating officer to chief executive officer, replacing Matt Rose, who will become executive chairman.

The railroad is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and is one of Nebraska’s and Lincoln’s biggest private employers.

Read the complete story at the Lincoln Journal Star.

Richard Lavon Kerley, 84, the father of SMART Transportation Division Vice President Robert Kerley, died Dec. 8.
Kerley graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1948 and married Joyce Briggs on Sept. 4, 1949, in Arcadia, Kan. In 1950, he began working for Palmer’s Service Station until he purchased the station in 1969. He operated the station until selling it in 1977. He then worked for USD 234 School District in maintenance and as a bus driver until his retirement in 1999.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce; two sons, Richard Kerley and wife Mary Ann, and Robert Kerley and wife Vicki; daughter, Laura Nation and husband Norman; seven granddaughters and 13 great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Cheney Witt Funeral Chapel at 201 S. Main St. in Fort Scott, Kan., followed by burial at the Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Church of Christ 15th and Crawford may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bus operators for Rutgers University’s inter-campus bus and shuttle system seeking union representation overwhelmingly chose the SMART Transportation Division Dec. 9 as their collective bargaining representative.

Among 112 eligible voters, 74 of the 80 operators participating in the union election chose SMART as their representative, while six voted for no union.

The bus service is managed by First Transit, Inc., based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

SMART TD Director of Organizing Rich Ross lauded the efforts of organizer and Alternate Bus Vice President Calvin Studivant saying, “Calvin just did an outstanding job. We had a meeting at Rutgers a couple of weeks ago and approximately 90 drivers attended. Calvin was well received during the meeting and was recognized for his efforts and for his knowledge of the bus industry.”

Studivant has more than 25 years of experience as a bus operator for Community Transportation in Clifton, N.J.

Ross also noted the efforts of Local President Waverly Harris and Vice Local President Brian Caldwell in assisting with the organizing campaign and helping drivers realize the benefits of union representation. Both are members of SMART TD Local 1594 at Upper Darby, Pa., employed by a division of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

The Rutgers-New Brunswick/Piscataway inter-campus bus and shuttle system provides efficient and reliable transportation service for all five campuses. It is available to all members of the university community and the public.

According to First Transit’s website, the service is the second largest operating bus system in New Jersey, transporting more than 6 million passengers annually and providing more than 70,000 passenger trips per day. It operates approximately 50 transit buses that utilize bio-diesel fuel and Green Roads technology in an effort to reduce emissions and petroleum consumption.