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Amtrak LogoWASHINGTON – Amtrak is taking action to improve the on-time performance (OTP) of its trains that operate over tracks controlled by other railroads. In a complaint filed on Nov. 17, Amtrak is asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to investigate Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation for causing unacceptable delays for passengers traveling between Chicago and Washington, D.C., on the Capitol Limited service.

Amtrak is taking this action under Section 213 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act which mandates that the STB initiate an investigation upon the filing of a complaint by Amtrak if the on-time performance of an intercity passenger train falls below 80 percent for two consecutive quarters. In addition, under federal law, Amtrak has a statutory right to preference in the dispatching of intercity passenger trains before freight trains.

Due to persistent excessive delays caused by NS and CSXT freight train interference, the OTP of the Capitol Limited at its endpoint terminals was 2.7 percent for the quarter ending Sept. 30, down from an already substandard 33.6 percent the previous quarter. The delays are continuing as Amtrak had to provide bus transportation between Toledo and Chicago for six days in October to better accommodate passengers when Capitol Limited trains had often been eight to ten hours late.

Poor on-time performance creates a major disruption for Amtrak customers due to delayed trains and missed connections. It also negatively impacts Amtrak and state-supported services through decreased ridership, lost revenues and higher operating costs.

Amtrak has taken additional actions to help improve the OTP of passenger trains including filing an amended complaint with the STB seeking an investigation of Canadian National Railway for causing unacceptable delays for passengers on the Illini/Saluki service in Illinois; twice testifying before the STB about the poor OTP of Amtrak trains; and establishing a Blue Ribbon Panel of rail and transportation leaders to identify infrastructure and operational improvements to address rail traffic gridlock in Chicago.

The Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, via Harpers Ferry, W. Va., Cumberland, Md., Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, South Bend, Ind., and intermediate stops.

During each shift, Frank Rodriguez typically operates an Indiana Rail Road Co. (INRD) train by himself from Indianapolis to Switz City, Ind., and back. The locomotive engineer has covered the 180-mile round trip as a one-person crew for more than 10 years.

Although there isn’t anyone to talk to during the trips, Rodriguez prefers to operate a train alone instead of being paired with a crew member who might be difficult to work with.

Read the complete story at Progressive Railroading.

SOFA LogoThe upcoming months are historically the most deadly time of year for railroad workers, with more career-ending injuries than any other period of the year.

In February 1998, a Switching Operations Fatalities Analysis (SOFA) working group, with representatives from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), labor and management, was formed at the request of the FRA to review employee fatalities and to develop recommendations for reducing fatalities in switching operations.

It is a voluntary, non-regulatory, workplace-safety partnership that looks for commonalities among the fatalities that occur during switching operations.

SOFA consultant Dr. David Skinner, who has been a part of working group since its inception, has compiled a summary notice to both railroads and rail crews currently experiencing winter-related conditions. The notice can be viewed here.

As the onset of winter is upon us, please take note of the following safety measures to help avoid a career-ending injury or loss of life during the winter months:

  • Be sure winter clothing does not restrict movement, or degrade hearing and vision.
  • Identify any winter-related conditions affecting safety. For example, ice can cause derailments. Ice, snow and mud can cause falling. Snow can muffle sound and reduce visibility.
  • Adjust productivity expectations based on darkness and weather.
  • Discuss winter conditions in safety briefings and post any weather-related concerns on bulletin boards.
  • Do not lose situational awareness, no matter the other circumstances in your family or personal life.

Minnesota State Legislative Director Phillip Qualy (650) and Kansas State Legislative Director Ty Dragoo (1503) represent the SMART Transportation Division in the SOFA group.

“Please review the bulletin from Dr. Skinner and share that information with your fellow employees. It’s all about worker safety. The goal of SOFA is zero railroad fatalities,” Qualy said.

As always, keep in mind SOFA’s recommended five life-savers:

  1. Secure all equipment before action is taken.
  2. Protect employees against moving equipment.
  3. Discuss safety at the beginning of a job or when work changes.
  4. Communicate before action is taken.
  5. Mentor less experienced employees to perform service safely.

SMART_CONSTITUTION_FINAL_11-11-2014_cover_webThe official SMART Constitution, as amended by SMART delegates at the first SMART General Convention, is now available on both the SMART website at smart-union.org and the Transportation Division website at www.utu.org.

In January 2014, the SMART Sheet Metal and Transportation Division officers completed constitutional modifications required by the terms and conditions of the merger between the two predecessor organizations. That document incorporated the former UTU Constitution into the former SMWIA Constitution as Article 21B of the merged document. At that time, all conflicts between Article 21B and the remainder of the constitution were resolved in order to effectuate the merger.

Earlier this year, delegates to the Transportation Division convention proposed recommendations for amendments to the constitution. At the first SMART General Convention held Aug. 11-15, those amendments were debated and resolved.

The August proceedings in Las Vegas closed with a show of unity, cooperation and newfound strength.

Of significance to SMART’s Transportation Division membership, the amended constitution contained provisions for the addition of a second vice president to the division’s Bus Department and the addition of a member of the Aviation Department to the division’s board of appeals.

The Transportation Division’s board of directors selected former Alternate Vice President – Bus Calvin Studivant to serve as the division’s second bus vice president to serve the Bus Department’s growing membership.

A member of Local 759 at Newark, N.J., Studivant was born June 18, 1960. He served his country in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1986. He has been employed at Community Coach Transportation in New Jersey since June 1993, where he served his local as both a general chairperson and delegate. He also served as a Transportation Division organizer.

To fill the vacant office of alternate vice president– bus, the board of directors elevated former board of appeals member Alvy Hughes to that position.

Hughes began his transportation career with Charlotte Transit in 1995. As a member of Local 1596 at Charlotte, N.C., Hughes has served as local vice president and as both secretary and general chairperson of General Committee of Adjustment GO TMM.

On Oct. 23, the Transportation Division’s board of directors selected Charlotte Transit GO TMD Vice General Chairperson Brenda H. Moore (1715) to fill the open bus position on the board of appeals.

The board also chose Great Lakes Airlines Local 40 (Denver) President John Nolan to fill the position of aviation representative to the board of appeals.

The complete constitution, as amended, can be viewed here.

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Croes

Retired former Local 911 (Minneapolis) Chairperson Fred J. Croes Jr., 78, a mentor to many United Transportation Union and SMART Transportation Division officers in the Upper Midwest, died Nov. 12 of natural causes.
Croes was born May 18, 1936, in St. Paul, Minn. At age 18, he joined the former UTU predecessor Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Lodge 804 after being hired as a switchman by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road).
During his railroad career, he served his local in a variety of capacities, most notably as local chairperson, legislative representative and delegate. He also served as a vice general chairperson of Soo Line – Milwaukee Road GO 261. He attended UTU International conventions from 1971 to 1999. He retired in May 1998.
Croes was praised by a number of former UTU and current Transportation Division officers.
“Brother Croes was a remarkable leader. He was a fixture at regional meetings and conventions for years. I remember Willis Croonquist once telling me, ‘Croes knows the federal regulations better than the FRA inspectors do,'” said Transportation National Legislative Director John Risch.
“Freddy Croes was a true gentleman. A wily, very effective, low-key local chairperson on the Milwaukee Road at St. Paul Terminal, Fred was the glue that held everyone together during the 1994 UTU-Soo Line strike, which lasted for 44 days. He attended the 1969 UTU merger convention and was a fixture at conventions until 2000. Brother Croes also served on the Minnesota Legislative Board from 1984 to 2000. He will be missed,” said retired former UTU Alternate National and Minnesota State Legislative Director Willis Croonquist.
“Brother Croes was one of the great ones, one of the most effective local chairpersons ever. He has been a trusted adviser and mentored many officers in the upper Midwest. He is a hall-of-famer,” said Minnesota State Legislative Director Phillip Qualy.
“Fred was one of the unsung heroes of this labor union as a local officer. He has set the bar high for conscience-driven representation against unscrupulous carrier management teams,” Canadian Pacific (Soo Line) GO-261 General Chairperson James H. Nelson. “Freddy used to drive Milwaukee Road/Soo Line hearing officers crazy, due to his meticulous procedural standards and cross examination of witnesses. Again, this man was one of the leaders, with a conscience and conviction for the dignity of labor.”
“Fred has helped many, many workers and their families over five decades,” said former UTU Executive Board Member and current Transportation Division Designated Legal Counsel Mike Tello.
Croes is survived by his wife of 59 years, Jan; children Andrea, Denise, Marcia (Ken) Gallaway, David (Sherry), Lisa (Doug) Strenke; 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Nov. 17 from 4 to 8 p.m. and one hour prior to funeral services at the Sandberg Funeral Home at 2593 E. 7th Ave. in North St. Paul.
A funeral service will be held Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. at the Sandberg Funeral Home, followed by interment at Evergreen Memorial Gardens.
 

oil-train-railNorth Dakota’s energy regulators are considering new rules to make the state’s “Bakken” crude oil, which has been involved in a number of explosive train crashes, safer to move by rail.

Proposed standards announced Thursday by the state Department of Mineral Resources follow a series of fiery rail accidents over the last 18 months that have made ballooning number “crude by rail” shipments highly controversial across the country.

Read the complete story at 

coal_carWASHINGTON – Ongoing rail service problems have left power plants from Minnesota to Texas low on coal as an early blast of winter weather hit the nation’s midsection this week.

Some fear the stage has been set for a repeat of last winter, when heavy snowfall and subzero temperatures crippled rail operations in the Upper Midwest and Chicago, which had ripple effects across the rest of the country.

Read the complete story at McClatchy Washington Bureau.

Guy
Guy

SMART Transportation Division’s Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy responded to a “letter to the editor” published in the Nov. 5 issue of the The News-Gazette and Guy’s letter was published by the newspaper Nov. 13.

The original letter by Corrine Ann Williams of the Heritage Foundation was a call to stop increased funding for Amtrak and put the carrier “on a path toward privatization.”

Guy’s response is below.

“A recent letter about Amtrak from the Heritage Foundation regurgitated tired arguments that Amtrak critics have spewed for decades, that Amtrak receives taxpayer assistance, doesn’t run on-time, should be privatized and (my favorite) blamed the workforce, yet dismisses ridership records attained nearly every year for a decade.

“The author gripes about taxpayer assistance but omits the fact that roads and aviation don’t nearly pay for themselves and rely on public support; the state of the highway trust fund and its seemingly yearly bailout is proof enough.

“The author slams Amtrak for on-time performance but admits it’s the freight railroads’ fault, yet insists that’s no excuse. Handling of Amtrak by their freight “hosts” is a huge problem, especially Chicago-Champaign, which is why Amtrak is taking action, having the Surface Transportation Board investigate Amtrak’s handling by Canadian National Railway.

“The author blames the unionized workforce for their “above-market” wages. What market? These aren’t 9-to-5 jobs. Amtrak’s highly skilled, trained, safety-sensitive employees work 24/7 every single day serving the most precious cargo, passengers.

“Finally, the author retreads “privatization.” Forty-plus years ago, Congress allowed railroads to shed passenger service; it wasn’t profitable. If these same private railroads, while enjoying record revenue and profits, could make passenger rail profitable, they would. But they can’t, so they don’t!

“Amtrak should be accountable to taxpayers. But, with a generation of young people driving less to stay electronically connected and relocating to locales with public transportation, why starve a transportation mode Americans are obviously demanding.”

Bob Guy

State Director, Illinois Legislative Board,
International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers,
Transportation Division

Transportation union leaders vowed to “redouble their efforts” to push for bipartisan solutions to the growing transportation infrastructure investment crisis that is undermining the economy and idling millions of jobs, said AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Edward Wytkind following the 2014 Fall TTD Executive Committee meeting Nov. 13.

“We had an important conversation today about how the midterm elections will impact our members in 2015,” Wytkind said. “We focused on how we can change the tone and content of the senseless debates in Washington about the bread and butter economic issues that have gone unaddressed for too long. We also vowed to stop current and newly elected members of Congress who think they’re being sent to Washington to eviscerate workers’ rights and abdicate the federal government’s responsibility as the chief steward of our transportation system.”

SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich and SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director John Risch were in attendance.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) joined the meeting to collaborate with transportation unions on strategies to end the gridlock on vital transportation funding legislation. Specifically, Carper emphasized the need to stop “kicking the can” on a long-term fix to the insolvency faced by the Highway Trust Fund, which is the centerpiece of transit, highway, and bridge investments.

“I am committed to working with TTD affiliates, as well as a broad coalition of businesses, labor, truckers, motorists, transit riders, and elected officials, to ensure Congress does its job to pass and fund a long-term transportation bill. Without long-term funding certainty, our cities and states have put projects on hold that would repair our aging infrastructure and grow our economy,” Carper told transportation union leaders.

“Passing a fully-funded surface transportation bill is my top priority in the lame duck session, but Congress also must not lose sight of other critical infrastructure responsibilities in the rail, aviation, and port-maritime sectors. I believe that the chorus of voices supporting this initiative will be heard and Congress will do the right thing.”

Two senior officials of the Obama administration also joined the meeting to discuss the president’s goal to boost investments in and modernize our transportation system.

Byron Auguste, deputy director of the National Economic Council, and Peter Rogoff, undersecretary of transportation for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, joined the Executive Committee to discuss strategies to unify Democrats, Republicans, and Independents around a bipartisan solution to our severe infrastructure investment deficit and to emphasize the importance of such a solution to the administration in 2015.

whitehouselogoPresident Barack Obama announced his intent Nov. 12 to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Daniel Elliott III – member, Surface Transportation Board, and upon appointment to be designated chairman;

Lauren McFerran – member, National Labor Relations Board.

“I am confident that these experienced and hardworking individuals will help us tackle the important challenges facing America, and I am grateful for their service,” Obama said. “I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.” 

Elliott is a member and the chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, a position he has held since 2009. From 1993 to 2009, he was associate general counsel of the former United Transportation Union, now the SMART Transportation Division. He was an associate at Chester Giltz & Associates from 1991 to 1992, an associate at Marshman, Snyder, Berkley & Kapp from 1990 to 1991, and an associate at Bishop, Cook, Purcell & Reynolds from 1989 to 1990.

He has been an editor for several railway-related publications. He received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Ohio State College of Law.