SMART Transportation Division Local 243 at Fort Worth, Texas, is sponsoring a hazardous materials training and awareness program for transportation workers from all crafts on July 31 and August 1.
The eight-hour course on July 31 will be conducted at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall at 1501 Hemphill St. in Fort Worth from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. under the direction of the National Labor College’s Rail Workers Hazmat Training Program. The course will be repeated on August 1 at the same location.
This course was designed for rail workers who may witness or discover a hazardous materials release and who may be responsible for initiating the emergency response process. It was developed to provide rail workers with an understanding of the roles, rights and responsibilities of those working with hazardous materials.
The hazardous-materials training provided in this course was designed to meet the worker-training requirements of both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for hazardous materials in transportation, including emergency and post-emergency response. It provides first or initial responder training at the awareness and familiarization levels.
Topics covered in this course include:
an introduction to hazardous materials and the role of the first responder;
federal regulatory agencies;
DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations;
recognition and identification of hazardous materials in transportation;
how to use the 2012 Emergency Response Guidebook;
chemical properties;
how to use online resources: NIOSH Pocket Guide, New Jersey Hazardous Substances Fact Sheets, and Safety Data Sheets;
an introduction to toxicology; and
DOT-required security awareness training.
To register online, visit hazmatgmc.org and select Course Dates and Description near the bottom of the page. Scroll down the page to 2013 Hazardous Materials Field Training.
The uncontrolled releases of chemicals can be extremely dangerous, especially in transportation. Emergency responders are particularly at risk. Any worker who is likely to witness or discover a hazardous materials spill or release or who is likely to be involved in the clean-up or post-emergency response activities of a hazardous materials incident is considered a first responder and is required to be trained by their employer.
WASHINGTON – The National Mediation Board (NMB) announced June 25 that Larry Gibbons, director of NMB mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution services, will retire in September.
Gibbons has overall responsibility for managing the agency’s mediation program. He is credited for improving staff training and development and the effectiveness of the NMB mediation and ADR programs.
The NMB reports that during Gibbons’ 16 years, the mediation department has guided the parties to resolution of their collective-bargaining disputes in more than 99 percent of the hundreds of cases that have come before the board, including cases on all the major U.S. airlines and national handling of Class I railroads. During his watch, there have been only two work stoppages among the major airlines and none in the railroad industry. Gibbons joined the agency in 1997 as a senior mediator and became director of mediation services in 2003. He became director of the Office of Mediation and ADR services in 2011.
“This decision was not easy, nor was it made in haste,” Gibbons said. “After working full time for the past 45 years, the last 16 at the NMB, it is time to slow down a bit and enjoy life, while I’m still healthy and able to do so.”
Gibbons joined the agency in 1997 as a senior mediator and became director of mediation services in 2003. He became director of the Office of Mediation and ADR services in 2011.
Gibbons brought to the board 25 years of experience in personnel and labor relations under the Railway Labor Act and the National Labor Relations Act. Immediately prior to joining the NMB, he headed human resources and labor relations with ABX Air, Inc., for 12 years and for two years was an independent labor relations consultant. He is a past president and member of the AIRCON Executive Board.
The National Mediation Board is an independent federal agency established by the Railway Labor Act, which governs labor-management relations within two key transportation sectors of the United States and U.S. territories: the railroads and airlines.
Under the Railway Labor Act, the National Mediation Board is assigned the task of assisting carrier and union officials in reaching voluntary agreement on wages, benefits and working conditions after the parties themselves have reached an impasse.
Railroad employees who are planning to retire should be aware of what steps to take and what documents are required when applying for an annuity from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). Being prepared can prevent needless delays and ensure that payments from the RRB begin as soon as possible after retirement.
The following questions and answers describe the application process and other related items that retiring employees, as well as their spouses or survivors, should be aware of.
1. How are railroad retirement annuity applications filed?
Applications are filed through the RRB’s field offices. Applicants may file in person or by telephone and mail. Those filing in person may do so at any RRB office or at one of the office’s customer outreach program service locations. Applicants filing by telephone receive the same information and instructions that are provided to those filing in person; forms requiring signatures and other documents are then handled by mail.
The addresses of all the RRB’s field offices are available on the agency’s website at www.rrb.gov, or by calling the RRB’s toll-free number at (877) 772-5772. This number, which provides access to the agency’s field office representatives, also provides automated menus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. RRB field offices are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays.
2. Can an application be filed prior to a person’s actual retirement date?
The RRB accepts annuity applications up to three months in advance of an annuity beginning date, which allows the RRB to complete the processing of most new claims by a person’s retirement date. An employee can be in compensated service while filing a disability application provided that the compensated service is not active service and terminates within 90 days from the date of filing. When an employee files a disability application while still in compensated service, it will be necessary to provide a specific ending date of the compensation. Compensated service includes not only compensation with respect to active service performed by an employee for an employer, but also includes pay for time lost, wage continuation payments, certain employee protection payments and any other payment for which the employee will receive additional creditable service.
To expedite the filing process, applicants should contact their local RRB field office to schedule time for a pre-retirement consultation and also to confirm their eligibility and be advised as to the required documents. The consultation can be conducted in person, or by telephone, with an RRB representative who will provide an annuity estimate, explain a retiree’s benefit rights and responsibilities, and answer related questions.
Railroad employees can also get estimates of their future annuities over the Internet by visiting the RRB’s website. To do so, employees must first establish an RRB online account at www.rrb.gov. For security purposes, first-time users must apply for a Password Request Code (PRC), which they will receive by regular mail in about 10 business days. To do this, they should click on “Request Password Request Code (PRC) be mailed to your home address” in the “Benefit Online Services Login” section on the home page. Once they establish their online accounts, they will be able to get an estimate of their annuities, as well as conduct other business with the RRB, over the Internet. Railroad workers are encouraged to establish online accounts while still employed so the accounts are ready when needed. Employees who have already established online accounts do not need to do so again.
3. What are some of the documents required with an application?
All applicants have to furnish proof of their age.
All applicants should be prepared to furnish the notice of any social security benefit award or other social security claim determination.
An employee may be required to submit information regarding any other federal, state or local government pension for which he or she also qualifies, as well as certain other payments not covered by railroad retirement or social security, such as from a non-profit organization or from a foreign government or a foreign employer.
An employee or survivor filing for a disability annuity is required to submit supporting medical information from his or her treating physician, as well as any reports or records from recent hospitalizations. He or she may also be asked to go for one or more specialized medical examinations given by a doctor named by the RRB. If an employee disability applicant is receiving workers’ compensation or public disability benefits, notice of the amount and beginning date of such payments must be submitted.
An employee will have to furnish proof of any military service claimed.
A spouse, divorced spouse or widow(er) applying for a railroad retirement annuity must furnish proof of marriage to the employee. A divorced spouse must furnish proof of a final divorce from the employee, as well as proof that any subsequent marriages have terminated.
A spouse, divorced spouse or survivor also qualified to receive a pension from a federal, state or local government must submit information regarding that pension.
All applicants have to provide banking information necessary for their enrollment in direct deposit.
A booklet, “Furnishing Evidence to Support Your Claim” (Form RB-3), gives detailed information as to the types of proofs that are required when filing for an annuity, as well as sources from which these documents can be obtained. The booklet is available free of charge at any RRB office or at www.rrb.gov.
4. Can proofs be filed in advance of retirement?
Railroad employees are encouraged to file proofs of their correct birth date and their military service well in advance of retirement. The information will be recorded and stored electronically until they actually retire. This will expedite the annuity application process and avoid any delays resulting from inadequate proofs.
If employees do not have an official record of their birth or military service, their local RRB office will explain how to get acceptable evidence. All evidence brought or mailed to an RRB office will be handled carefully and returned promptly.
5. What is the retroactivity of a railroad retirement application?
The retroactivity of a railroad retirement annuity application is limited to one year for disability annuities and six months for full age annuities. There is generally no retroactivity for reduced age annuities.
Retroactivity of a survivor annuity application is one year for disabled widow(er)s and six months for full retirement age widow(er)s, mothers (fathers), children and parents. Retroactivity for widow(er)s ages 60-61 is six months if it does not increase the age reduction (this does not apply to surviving divorced spouses or remarried widow(er)s). Otherwise, there is generally no retroactivity for reduced age widow(er)s’ annuities.
6. Are retiring railroad employees required to relinquish their rights to their railroad jobs?
An employee annuity based on age cannot be paid until the employee stops railroad employment and gives up any rights to return to work for a railroad employer. While an annuity based on disability is not paid until an employee has stopped working for a railroad, employment rights need not be relinquished until the employee attains full retirement age. However, in order for a supplemental annuity to be paid by the RRB, or for an eligible spouse to begin receiving annuity payments, a disabled annuitant under full retirement age must relinquish employment rights. And, regardless of age and/or earnings, no railroad retirement annuity is payable for any month in which a retired or disabled employee annuitant, a spouse annuitant or a survivor annuitant works for an employer covered under the Railroad Retirement Act, including labor organizations. Such work includes service for more than $24.99 in a calendar month to a local lodge or division of a railway labor organization. Also, work by a local lodge or division secretary collecting insurance premiums, regardless of the amount of salary, is railroad work which must be stopped.
Railroad retirement annuitants may work in nonrailroad employment, but benefits may be reduced if a beneficiary under full retirement age works after retirement and earnings exceed annual exempt amounts. Additional earnings deductions are assessed if a retired or disabled employee annuitant, or a spouse annuitant, works for his or her last pre-retirement nonrailroad employer, regardless of age or the level of earnings.
Special restrictions also apply to any earnings by disabled employees.
7. How soon after filing can an applicant expect payment?
Under the RRB’s Customer Service Plan, if an applicant filed for a railroad retirement employee or spouse annuity in advance of the beginning date of the annuity, the RRB is expected to make a decision within 35 days of the beginning date of the annuity. If an applicant did not file in advance, the RRB is expected to make a decision within 60 days of the date the application was filed.
If an applicant filed for a railroad retirement survivor annuity and was not already receiving benefits as a spouse, the RRB will make a decision to pay, deny, or transfer the application to the Social Security Administration within 60 days of the beginning date of the annuity or the date the application was filed (whichever is later). If an applicant is already receiving a spouse annuity, the RRB will make a decision to pay, deny, or transfer the application for a survivor annuity to the Social Security Administration within 30 days of the first notice of the employee’s death. If an applicant filed for a lump-sum death benefit, the RRB will make a decision to pay or deny the application within 60 days of the date the application was filed.
After the RRB has made its decision, applicants should receive a notice of award or denial within two weeks. If entitled to benefits, it is generally expected that the payment will be deposited in an individual’s bank account within one week of the RRB’s decision.
For disability annuities, processing applications is more complex than for other benefits because of the need to develop medical evidence. Under the Customer Service Plan, if an applicant filed for a railroad retirement disability annuity, the RRB is expected to make a decision within 100 days of the date the application was filed.
If it is determined that an applicant is entitled to disability benefits, the individual’s first payment will be received within 25 days of the date of the RRB’s decision, or the earliest payment date, whichever is later.
Of course, claims for some benefits may take longer to handle than others if they are more complex, or if information from other people or organizations is needed. If this happens, the RRB will provide an explanation and an estimate of the additional time required to make a decision.
8. How are railroad retirement payments made?
The Department of the Treasury has eliminated the vast majority of paper checks for Federal benefit payments. New recipients of federal benefits now receive their payments by electronic means. The most common form of electronic payment for railroad retirement, social security and veterans benefits is through direct deposit, in which the amount is automatically transferred to an individual’s bank account. Those without bank accounts can enroll in Treasury’s Direct Express® program, which electronically transfers Federal payments to an individual’s Direct Express®-issued debit card. The card can then be used like an ordinary debit card. While agencies can still grant waivers from electronic payment, they can do so only in very limited cases.
9. How can individuals find more information about filing for railroad retirement annuities?
More information is available by visiting the RRB’s website, www.rrb.gov, or by calling an RRB office toll-free at (877) 772-5772. Persons can find the address of the RRB office servicing their area by calling the agency’s toll-free number or at www.rrb.gov.
This article, submitted to the Members’ Journal by James Jackson, SMART’s Director of Canadian Affairs, applies not just to Canadian members and trade unionists, but to all of us in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Share your message of pride via text or through a simple image meme to unionpride@smart-union.org and we will not only spread your message, but enter you in a contest for an iPad mini. All messages and related images will be placed on SMART’s Facebook page at facebook.com/smartunion. The top entry with the most likes and the top entry with the most shares on the SMART Facebook site will receive a new iPad mini. The two winners will be announced on Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2013.
UNION PRIDE Unions are under attack, forever and a day, from all directions. If it is not coming from the federal government in Canada in the form of Bill C377 or other potential draconian legislation, then it is the provincial and or local governments proposing similar ideas. Beyond those measures, we have the right wing-controlled media jumping on the union-bashing bandwagon at every opportunity. All these attacks come because unions want to provide a better standard of living for working men and women, while ensuring a safe working environment for everyone. If unions want these for all working persons, not just union members, how evil can unions be? Here are a few questions to consider: Are you still proud of your union? Are you still proud to be a union member? Are you still proud of the decision you made to be a union brother or sister, or are you succumbing to mounting pressure from the right wing that insists unions are bad and the world would be better without them? If you are wavering on your commitment, that’s exactly what the right wing hopes to achieve: a union-free environment with no rules except the ones that employers can arbitrarily dictate. Next question. If there were no unions, would you be earning the wages and benefits you currently receive? Would there be overtime pay for hours worked outside the regular workweek? Would there even be a regular workweek? Would paid holidays, parental leave or bereavement leave even exist? I believe we all know the answers. Without unions, none of these would exist. No employer or policy maker woke up one day and suddenly decided that overtime pay or parental leave or any of the advances working people made in the last century was the right thing to do. These advances came about because working people formed unions to fight for them and then protect what they accomplished. I know we have the interest out there. Recently, I received email from a member asking if I had any union stickers or other paraphernalia that he could get to show “union pride.” He did not say his union pride, just “union pride.” It felt really good to read an email from a member who knows the meaning of those words. It seems to me that we have become far too complacent over the years when it comes to the union bashing going on out there. Fighting fire with fire does not always work, and it can create an even bigger fire. But if we fight fire with water, we can put the fire out, and that is what we want – an end to union bashing. It is high time we started showing more “union pride.” We must begin to speak positively about ourselves and not take for granted the things we have today – protections and benefits that our brothers and sisters in the past fought hard to obtain. There are over 3 million union members in Canada. If just once a day, every union member said something positive about their union, there would be over 3 million positive statements a day and over a billion in a year. Do you think any right wing-minded government or media can match that? Even if only 10 percent of our union brothers and sisters made a single positive comment, that would be very difficult for the naysayers to match. Saying something positive about ourselves not only makes us feel good, but others start to listen as well. More positive statements generate more listeners and the possibility of a wide-reaching change in attitude. With all the existing technology, it should be so easy to get the positive message about unions out there, but we are not doing it enough. On the basis that a lot of union pride is out there, I am asking every Sheet Metal and Transportation member in SMART to help us share your union pride message as widely as possible. Fraternally with union pride, James Jackson, SMART Director of Canadian Affairs
Olivia Gamboa Services for SMART Transportation member and Los Angeles Metro bus operator Olivia Gamboa, 47, who was killed June 12 in a head-on crash with a speeding flatbed tow truck while operating her bus, have been finalized, Bus Vice President Bonnie Morr reports. A viewing will be held Friday, June 28, at 6 p.m. at the Rose Hills Memorial Park’s SkyRose Chapel at 3888 Workman Mill Rd. in Whittier, Calif. The telephone number for Rose Hills Memorial Park is (562) 699-0921. Funeral services will be Saturday, June 29, at 11 a.m. at St. Benedict Catholic Church located at 1022 W. Cleveland Ave. in Montebello, Calif. The church’s telephone number is (323) 721-1184. The funeral will be followed by interment at Rose Hills Memorial Park. Gamboa, a member of SMART Transportation Division Local 1563 at El Monte, Calif., is survived by her husband, Bernardo, and three daughters. The Los Angeles Times reported Gamboa came from a family of bus operators and that her husband and one of her daughters were also Metro employees. According to television station KTLA in Los Angeles, Gamboa was a 13-year Metro veteran and a grandmother. The accident happened at S. Broadway and 5th St. at approximately 5:15 a.m. the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The tow truck was headed southbound on Broadway when its driver ran a red light and collided with the bus, witnesses told police officers. “A citizen estimated the tow truck was driving about 60 miles per hour,” Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Steve Dailey said. “The speed limit for here is about 30 miles per hour.” The bus was in the intersection when it was hit and knocked down a fire hydrant, sending water high up into the air. The tow truck plowed into a nearby 7-Eleven store. The driver of the tow truck, 43-year-old Yousef Adhami, remains hospitalized. He has had multiple suspensions and had surrendered his license after his last infraction, KTLA reported. Gamboa is the first SMART TD member killed while on duty in 2013. Her tragic death is not the first to be mourned by her fellow members. On May 20 last year, Los Angeles Metro bus operator Alan Thomas was murdered aboard his bus in West Hollywood, Calif., by a lone gunman. Thomas was also a member of Local 1563.
SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director James Stem appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation June 19 at a hearing to explore improvements in freight and passenger rail safety.
Stem testified on a variety of issues including fatigue, positive train control, the shipment hazardous materials, new technologies and worker training.
Stem told the committee that any discussion concerning rail safety should start with employee fatigue as the first order of business.
“Our railroad corporations are re-investing more than $20 billion annually in upgrading, maintaining and expanding their infrastructure, but are unwilling to invest anything in resolving the most pressing of safety issues – unpredictable work schedules coupled with employee availability policies,” Stem said.
“The Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2008 contained provisions for two pilot projects sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration for improving work schedules and employee notification. We have urged all the Class I railroads to participate in a pilot project, but not a single railroad would agree to a pilot.”
Stem offered the following suggestions to address the issue:
•Providing employees a regular start time so they know days in advance when they must come to work. A large majority of our members have a regular start time and do not consider fatigue to be a safety issue. Employees with regular start times are not the employees who are dying in fatigue-related collisions.
•Notifying employees before going off-duty what time they will be required to return to work for the next tour of duty. This option actually improves the availability of the employee by allowing the employee to return to service after only 10 hours off duty.
•Replacing the required 10 hours of undisturbed rest immediately following service that is now required with 10 hours of undisturbed rest immediately preceding service. This will give the employee at least 10 hours of notification prior to reporting for service.
“The high level of professionalism and dedication of the operating crews running our railroads today are the only reasons that accidents are not more frequent,” Stem said.
On positive train control, Stem testified that there are segments of the railroad industry that are hoping Congress will grant a blanket extension of three to five years for PTC implementation. The current required date for implementation is more than 30 months away on December 31, 2015.
“If Congress chooses to grant a blanket extension for PTC, the railroads that are behind on their implementation schedule today will further slow their progress, or just stop the process until that new extension expires,” he said.
“Any extension for PTC implementation should be on an individual basis, short in duration, six to 12 months, and only after identifying the reasons that the current implementation date is not obtainable.
“The PTC systems that are being implemented today contain all the information on thedisplay screen that is necessary to operate a train safely. This will be the first time that the operating crews on the locomotive will have all that information contained in one place and displayed in real time. The quality of that information on the screen will significantly reduce the complexity of safely operating the train.”
Some railroads, including Amtrak, BNSF and Metrolink in California have announced that they will be able to meet the statutory deadline and are continuing the implementation and testing of PTC components.
?On Amtrak, Stem testified about the need for continued funding of the passenger rail carrier.
“Since its inception, Amtrak has done a remarkable job with often inadequate resources. While setting ridership records in recent years, their safety record remains solid. Amtrak’s growing passenger volumes has made them far more self-sufficient than in the past, recovering 79 percent of their operating costs from ticket revenue. The high price of fuel, growing highway and airport congestion, and the significant increase in the number of passenger rail options, all contribute to the constant increases in ridership on Amtrak.
“Even with their remarkable progress, Amtrak has had no shortage of congressional critics who expect Amtrak to be the world’s only profitable passenger railroad. We ask that this committee take a fresh look at this American success story and work with the leaders of Amtrak and others to help ‘America’s Railroad’ build on its 40 plus years of success. Amtrak was created because the demand for rail passenger services remained strong, and the private railroads could not make a profit operating their own passenger trains.”
Addressing worker training, Stem said that thousands of new employees will be coming into the freight and passenger rail industies in the near future and that adequate and appropriate training is a major safety concern.
“Our experience is that the training of our members varies widely from railroad to railroad. Some of the larger railroads are reported to have excellent initial training programs for conductors and engineers. However, they rely almost exclusively on computer-based training for follow-up training or what I call ‘training on your own.’ They no longer use the traditional model of mentoring or apprenticeship, where a new employee has the advantage of working with more mature employees with experience, skills, and good technique.
“Forty years ago, there were five members of a train crew and they spent years working as brakemen before becoming conductors, and likewise, years as a fireman before becoming an engineer. Today, the standard crew size is two. Now railroads hire people off the street and train them to be conductors in several short months. We are concerned about the long-term impact of insufficient training processes that create employees that lack the confidence in their abilities to stop a train movement when they suspect something is wrong.
“It’s expensive to train new people, so like some American companies, railroads, when left to their own desires, will reduce training costs as much as possible for the short term gains involved.”
Also testifying before the committee were Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo, National Transportation Safety Board Chairperson Deborah Hersman and Association of American Railroads President Edward Hamberger.
To read Stem’s complete written testimony, click here.
SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director James Stem testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation June 19, 2013.
BISMARCK, N.D. — The percentage of North Dakota oil shipped by pipelines has dramatically slipped in the past year as producers have turned to trains to reach faraway U.S. refineries where premium prices are fetched based on foreign crude prices.
But state and industry officials believe the pendulum may be swinging back in favor of pipelines as the price differential narrows between domestic and overseas crude.
As part of a reorganization, the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) recently realigned its top-level management team, including the appointment of William O’Leary as chief operating officer and Barbara Amy as chief financial officer.
ARRC’s vice president of finance and CFO since 2001, O’Leary now is responsible for transportation, engineering, mechanical, safety, labor relations, marketing, customer service and grant administration functions. He previously served as the railroad’s interim president and chief executive officer in 2010.
The following release was issued June 18 by the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
The National Association of Railroad Passengers announced that it will fight implementation of the House Appropriation Committee’s Fiscal Year 2014 transportation funding levels.
The draft bill, which the subcommittee will consider tomorrow, slashes Amtrak’s budget by a third, threatening Amtrak’s very existence. The bill also fails to include funding for the High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program. Not only does the bill include no new funding for the highly over-subscribed TIGER grants – a competitive, multi-modal program – it rescinds $237 million in previously appropriated FY 2013 TIGER funding that is not yet obligated.
The House proposal denies state and local leaders the resources they need to develop the modern transportation network necessary for mobility and economic growth. It comes as economic experts and the International Monetary Fund criticize the U.S. for plunging ahead with austerity even as low interest rates make borrowing for projects unusually affordable, America’s unemployment rate remains unacceptably high, and the need for transportation infrastructure investment is widely acknowledged.
The House committee’s bill has just $950 million for Amtrak, a 29 percent cut from the final 2013 number ($1,344 million). This includes a $350 million operating grant (21 percent below the FY 2013 level), and $600 million in capital (33.5 percent below FY 2013).
These numbers are even more disappointing when compared to President Obama’s FY 2014 request of $6.7 billion for passenger rail. That request targeted $2.7 billion for current rail service, including $675 million for the Northeast Corridor, $300 million for state corridors, and $800 million for Amtrak’s long-distance routes. The president had proposed moving Amtrak from the discretionary funding pot and reclassifying it as mandatory spending.
“The proposed House budget is extremely disappointing in its unwillingness to tackle America’s growing infrastructure crisis,” said NARP President Ross Capon. “Millions of Americans depend on the U.S. rail network to commute to work everyday, and for millions more Amtrak is a vital intercity connection, allowing them to travel for work and for family. This is especially true in smaller and rural communities where trains serve as the only alternative to driving, connecting residents to essential services in larger cities. Curtailing service at a time of growing demand makes no sense.”
The committee has also trashed the Administration’s proposal to continue development of a National High Performance Rail System. The president proposed $3.7 billion in FY 2014 for the development of world-class high speed rail and upgrades to conventional rail service.
“Elected officials at the local level depend on the Congress to aid them in maintaining and developing the transportation network that is foundational to our community, our economy, and our way of life,” added Capon. “That infrastructure is crumbling, and we are living off the investments made by previous generations. This House budget is another instance of Congress kicking the can down the road. If enacted, it will be a disaster for future generations of passengers.”
The following statement was issued by AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Edward Wytkind regarding the raiding of union membership by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
“As many of you are aware, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) has increased raiding activities directed at TTD affiliates. At a time when the labor movement – and more importantly, its membership – is under constant attack in Washington, at the state and local government level and on the job, these raids are weakening our movement and should not be tolerated.
“Specifically, the IBT has filed for an election with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to represent US Airways mechanics who are longtime IAM members. This election has now been ordered for July 8 by the NMB. Simultaneously, the IBT has filed for an election with the NMB to represent American Airlines mechanics who have been TWU members for decades.
“These raids are especially egregious and ill-timed. As you know, US Airways and American have a pending merger before our government and by all accounts, the merger is headed towards approval. Clearly, IBT is attempting to take advantage of the fear and uncertainty surrounding this merger, and to position itself to represent the combined mechanics workforce once the merger is consummated. This is not how to grow our movement.
“It is significant that American Airlines is just emerging from bankruptcy where TWU has had to wage a difficult fight under badly rigged bankruptcy rules to defend its members. Similarly, the IAM has represented mechanics at U.S. Airways through mergers and difficult economic challenges and the union is fighting to secure a new contract in the face of company stonewalling. Another important fact is that the IAM and TWU reached a joint council agreement in May to represent the employees together – a forward-looking approach to dealing with the wrenching employee challenges stemming from mergers. This will combine the strength of the two unions in representing workers at the new American Airlines who will be employed at the world’s largest airline.
“TTD stands solidly and completely against these raids. We will lend any assistance needed and urge all affiliates to do so as well. I have directed the TTD staff to no longer work or cooperate with the IBT on legislative or political activity in Washington. While we have had many transportation labor issues in common with IBT, we can no longer conduct business as usual while these raiding activities continue.
“In addition to the raids against the TWU and IAM, I know that IBT has raided other TTD unions. Recently, the IBT attempted to raid SMART – Transportation Division bus drivers in Charlotte, N.C. Fortunately, this raid was defeated by a vote of 268-94. Similarly, in 2012 IBT failed in its bid to raid SMART-represented bus drivers in Pennsylvania. We would appreciate receiving any information regarding other IBT raids against your union.
“This is of course a very challenging time for the labor movement and for the workers we represent. The last thing we need is to spend time, money and other resources on these types of destructive raids. It is my sincere hope that the IBT raids will be rejected and that this predatory behavior will end. More than 9 out of 10 private sector workers in America do not have collective bargaining. Surely, IBT could redirect its organizing resources to giving voice to those workers that desperately need union representation.”
SMART Transportation Division Local 243 at Fort Worth, Texas, is sponsoring a hazardous materials training and awareness program for transportation workers from all crafts on July 31 and August 1.
WASHINGTON – The National Mediation Board (NMB) announced June 25 that Larry Gibbons, director of NMB mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution services, will retire in September.
SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director James Stem
BISMARCK, N.D. — The percentage of North Dakota oil shipped by pipelines has dramatically slipped in the past year as producers have turned to trains to reach faraway U.S. refineries where premium prices are fetched based on foreign crude prices.
As part of a reorganization, the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) recently realigned its top-level management team, including the appointment of William O’Leary as chief operating officer and Barbara Amy as chief financial officer.