SMART UnionBRYAN COUNTY, Okla. — A Burlington Northern Santa Fe train conductor was taken to Texoma Medical Center in Denison early Wednesday morning after he possibly came in contact with hazardous materials.
Emergency crews responded to the train tracks just north of Platter Road around 3 a.m. A BNSF railroad conductor was inspecting a rail car when he started showing symptoms of possible exposure.
Read the complete story at Television Station KXII.
I was honored to speak before the assembled delegates at the SMART Transportation Division’s recent convention in San Diego. The level of professionalism in putting together that important event and the solidarity shown by those assembled made me proud of my association with this great, united union.
I especially appreciated the chance to meet many of you, not just in San Diego but also while traveling the country. It has been a privilege learning from many of you about the operations of the transportation industry and the unique strengths you bring to this organization.
Several years ago, I was in Wisconsin and spoke to the protestors assembled in the state’s capitol rotunda that were standing up for their rights. I was just as proud to do the same when I went to Long Island to stand with the members employed there at the Long Island Rail Road, where the same energy and passion were on display.
I was never as proud to see our Sheet Metal Division brothers and sisters also there in Long Island, standing strong with the LIRR employees.
The unionized LIRR employees have worked without a raise since 1998. Two Presidential Emergency Boards have already found decisively in favor of them in their dispute with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
This International will do everything in its power to assist those members in their fight. Their battle belongs to all of us, and I encourage everyone to join in and help their fellow brothers and sisters, especially if the dispute is not settled.
In August, SMART will be holding its first General Convention. This is a major milestone for our union.
For the first time, sheet metal workers, conductors, engineers, yardmasters, bus operators, aviation workers, sign workers and shipyard mechanics will be meeting to adopt a constitution that will guide our actions for the next five years.
There will be open discussion to ensure all viewpoints are considered in crafting our combined future together. There are always differences in a democracy. That is what a union is all about. I’m not afraid of that. In fact, I welcome all ideas.
We have to make sure the best interests of our members are paramount in our deliberations.
All I ask from you, as a member, is one thing: get involved. This union is only as strong as its members make it.
This is your union. Treat it like so. Attend your local meetings. Stand up for your fellow members both in transportation and sheet metal. Stand up for all working families through the activities of your union. This is how the labor movement was started – by our forefathers standing up together, shoulder to shoulder.
We did that in Long Island. We will do it again elsewhere.
We’ve built the foundation and our important work in Las Vegas at SMART’s First General Convention will show that together, we can make it even better and stronger
We all share the same cause. We all share the same great organization. We are all one union.
We are SMART!
In solidarity,
Joseph. J. Nigro
SMART General President
Strong, Proud, United. That was the theme of our recent convention in San Diego and it was reflected in all respects by the delegates, members and officers in attendance.
The heritage and traditions of this great union were on display throughout the meeting, illustrating the connection between our rich history and our promising future. From a video tribute to Al Chesser – the first elected president of the United Transportation Union – to the educational seminars for new delegates, it was apparent that our union is actively preparing for the future by utilizing the strength and knowledge that comes from more than 145 years of proud history.
The convention was called to order the morning of Monday, June 30, and from that point forward the delegates actively and robustly participated in the democratic process that governs our union.
Speaking on behalf of their local membership, the delegates elected some officers and unelected others, filled vacancies, debated recommendations for constitutional changes and reviewed resolutions submitted to the body.
When the striking gavel closed the meeting on Wednesday, July 2, the membership had spoken. A new leadership team was in place, composed primarily of incumbents who had successfully sought to return to office and also some new officers who emerged victorious from their hard-fought campaigns.
Recommendations were finalized on all resolutions and constitutional amendments that were submitted to the body for consideration. Our membership can stand proud knowing that they were well represented by their delegates and that our democratic process is alive and well.
This year’s convention cycle is not complete. The first convention of the consolidated International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers is taking place in Las Vegas,- Aug. 11-15. There, delegates will review and act upon not only the recommendations made by our delegates in San Diego, but also on other proposed amendments that may be presented to the body.
In addition, the delegates will elect SMART general officers and Sheet Metal Division delegates will elect the remaining 11 general vice presidents to join the six from the Transportation Division that will sit on our union’s General Executive Council.
It is critically important that all delegates who are eligible to attend the convention in Las Vegas be there to ensure the voice of their membership is heard. Whether they come from Sheet Metal or Transportation Division locals, the delegates in Las Vegas will debate issues that affect our entire membership across all craft lines. All members deserve a voice in that discussion, and that voice comes from the delegate or delegates elected by the local to serve as their spokesperson.
Strong, proud and united. As we continue to achieve the benefits of our merged organization, it is imperative that all delegates become familiar with the issues and challenges faced by every craft in our union.
Attendance at the First SMART General Convention is an opportunity to engage with our brothers and sisters to help craft a unification that will set the tone of this organization for generations to come.
Each and every delegate has a role to play in that dialogue. As legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”
Members of the Rail Workers Hazmat Training Program Advisory Board, including SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director James Stem, met July 10, 2014, to review and discuss the offerings and progress of the program since the transition from the National Labor College (NLC) to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).
The board discussed issues related to dealing with rail carriers and ways in which the rail program can continue providing quality hazardous materials and instructor training to rail workers, Rail Workers Hazardous Material Training Program Manager Henry Jajuga said.
In its 24th year of training rail workers, the rail program continues to receive funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide this valuable training and remains committed to provide this quality training for rail workers.
Dates and details for upcoming training programs are below:
The program’s website also provides course schedules and detailed information about all of the training courses being provided. The website also provides an application for training which can be completed and submitted online.
For additional information on course dates and locations, visit the Rail Hazmat website at http://railworkertrainingprogram.org, contact Training Manager Henry Jajuga by email at bsafe2day@gmail.com, or by telephone at (281) 812-6436 Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST.
In response to Congress’ mandate in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), the Federal Railroad Administration is proposing to expand the scope of its alcohol and drug regulations to cover employees who perform maintenance-of-way (MOW) activities.
In addition, FRA is proposing certain substantive amendments that either respond to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations or update and clarify the alcohol and drug regulations based on a retrospective regulatory review (RRR) analysis.
“This NPRM addresses the application of drug and alcohol testing for maintenance-of-way employees that are not now covered by those requirements. These maintenance-of-way employees will not be covered by hours of service, but will soon be covered by the same drug and alcohol testing protocols that hours of service employees are under,” SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director James Stem said.
“These employees will be also tested at a higher rate for the first two years under this NPRM than the other covered service employees.”
Comments can be posted to the docket [Docket No. FRA–2009–0039] at www.regulations.gov and should be offered on or before Sept. 26, 2014.
To read the complete proposed rule, click here.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is required by law to submit annual financial reports to Congress on the financial condition of the railroad retirement system and the railroad unemployment insurance system. These reports must also include recommendations for any financing changes which may be advisable in order to ensure the solvency of the systems. In June, the RRB submitted its 2014 reports on the railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems.
The following questions and answers summarize the findings of these reports.
1. What were the assets of the railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems last year?
As of Sept. 30, 2013, total railroad retirement system assets, comprising assets managed by the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust and the railroad retirement system accounts at the Treasury, equaled $26.7 billion. The trust was established by the Railroad Retirement and Survivors’ Improvement Act of 2001 to manage and invest railroad retirement assets. The cash balance of the railroad unemployment insurance system was $192.5 million at the end of fiscal year 2013.
2. What was the conclusion of the 2014 report on the financial condition of the railroad retirement system?
The overall conclusion was that, barring a sudden, unanticipated, large decrease in railroad employment or substantial investment losses, the railroad retirement system will experience no cash-flow problems during the next 25 years. The long-term stability of the system, however, is still uncertain. Under the current financing structure, actual levels of railroad employment and investment return over the coming years will largely determine whether corrective action is necessary.
3. What methods were used in forecasting the financial condition of the railroad retirement system?
The 2014 report projected the various components of income and outgo of the railroad retirement system under three employment assumptions, intended to provide an optimistic, moderate and pessimistic outlook, for the 25 calendar years 2014-2038. The projections of these components were combined and the investment income calculated to produce the projected balances in the railroad retirement accounts at the end of each projection year.
Projecting income and outgo under optimistic, moderate and pessimistic employment assumptions, the valuation indicated no cash-flow problems occur throughout the 25-year projection period under any of the assumptions.
4. How do the results of the 2014 report compare with those of the 2013 report?
The projected tier II tax rates for each calendar year are either the same or lower than in last year’s report. (Railroad retirement payroll taxes, like railroad retirement benefits, are calculated on a two-tier basis.) The projected combined account balances are higher at the end of each year.
The favorable comparison with last year was due to overall favorable economic and employment experience, with the largest impacts resulting from employment exceeding the RRB’s projections and actual investment return of approximately 16 percent exceeding the expected investment return of seven percent in calendar year 2013.
5. Did the 2014 report on the financial condition of the railroad retirement system recommend any railroad retirement payroll tax rate changes?
The report did not recommend any change in the rate of tax imposed by current law on employers and employees.
6. What were the findings of the 2014 report on the financial condition of the railroad unemployment insurance system?
The RRB’s 2014 railroad unemployment insurance financial report was also generally favorable. Even as maximum benefit rates increase 41 percent (from $68 to $96) from 2013 to 2024, experience-based contribution rates are expected to keep the unemployment insurance system solvent. Unemployment levels are the single most significant factor affecting the financial status of the railroad unemployment insurance system. However, the system’s experience-rating provisions, which adjust contribution rates for changing benefit levels, and its surcharge trigger for maintaining a minimum balance, help to ensure financial stability in the advent of adverse economic conditions.
Under experience-rating provisions, each employer’s contribution rate is determined by the RRB on the basis of benefit payments made to the railroad’s employees. Even under the report’s most pessimistic assumption, the average employer contribution rate remains well below the maximum throughout the projection period.
While no surcharge is in effect in calendar year 2014, this year’s report predicts a 1.5 percent surcharge in calendar years 2015 and 2016. A surcharge of 1.5 percent is also likely in calendar year 2017.
7. What methods were used to evaluate the financial condition of the railroad unemployment insurance system?
The economic and employment assumptions used in the unemployment insurance report corresponded to those used in the 2014 report on the financial condition of the retirement system. Projections were made for various components of income and outgo under each of the three employment assumptions, but for the period 2014-2024, rather than a 25-year period.
8. Did the 2014 report on the railroad unemployment insurance system recommend any financing changes to the system?
No financing changes were recommended at this time by the report.
An act of apparent malicious intent was discovered on July 30, 2014, when a Union Pacific carman reported finding two razor blades glued to the air valve of an Amtrak car during a routine repair.
Association of American Railroads Assistant Vice President – Technical Services James P. Grady said no injuries were reported, nor were any suspects observed at the UP San Bernardino Sub in Bloomington, Calif.
“Please give this information widespread distribution to co-workers, contractors, customers and all who deal with freight cars,and be on the lookout for any similar acts of vandalism. We also ask that anyone who makes any other such discoveries report it to me or any other AAR employee, including MID inspectors. This will enable us to broadcast alerts to all who may be affected,” Grady said.
Responding to increasingly serious delays across the national train network, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), represented by the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), will file an amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” brief with the United States Supreme Court in the lawsuit between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Association of American Railroads.
The brief will argue that a lower court was mistaken in ruling that it is unconstitutional for Amtrak to participate with the Federal Railroad Administration in setting performance standards. These metrics helped ensure that Amtrak’s trains – which operate on tracks owned by the private freight railroads – met minimum standards of service quality, and they were developed in conjunction with the Surface Transportation Board, freight railroads, states, rail labor, and rail passenger organizations. NARP believes that the recent decline in on-time performance by Amtrak trains is at least in part due to lower court’s ruling (U.S. Court of Appeals – D.C. Circuit; Association of American Railroads v. U.S. Department of Transportation, et al., No. 12-5204).
ELPC is undertaking the legal research and will file the brief on NARP’s behalf on a pro bono basis. The case is expected to be argued in late 2014 or early 2015, with a decision expected sometime after that.
“This is one of the most important issues NARP has ever tackled,” said NARP Chairman Robert Stewart. “The standards adopted by the government provided real protection for the train-traveling public. As a consumer organization representing railroad passengers, our primary responsibility is to ensure that the services provided meet the reasonable expectations people have for getting to their destinations on time and safely. NARP is deeply grateful to ELPC for their professional assistance in presenting our views to the Supreme Court.”
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today that its waiver program that helps experienced veterans and active duty personnel transition into civilian jobs as commercial truck and bus drivers has been expanded to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“Our nation’s veterans deserve good-paying jobs when they return home from serving overseas and we are proud to help,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Thousands of active duty service members and veterans have already transferred their skills to jobs driving trucks and buses through the Military Skills Test Waiver Program and we look forward to helping even more now that we’ve expanded to all 50 states.”
On June 27, 2014, Alaska became the 50th state to participate in the FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver Program. Begun in 2011, the Program grants state licensing agencies, including the District of Columbia, the authority to waive the skills test portion of the commercial driver’s license application for active duty or recently separated veterans who possess at least two years of safe driving experience operating a military truck or bus. Waiving the skills test expedites the civilian commercial drivers licensing application process and reduces expenses for qualified individuals and operating costs to state licensing agencies.
The effort is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative to promote expanded employment and career development opportunities for veterans and military spouses.
The July 25 announcement also includes two additional expansions of the program.
First, the eligibility period for qualified individuals to obtain an FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver has been extended from 90 days to one year, nationwide.
Second, commencing with Virginia residents, returning military service personnel who possess a state-issued Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) certificate due to a limb impairment will automatically be recognized as equivalent to an FMCSA-issued SPE certificate and allowed to obtain an interstate commercial driver’s license (CDL). FMCSA encourages other state licensing agencies to establish comparable equivalency SPE programs.
“Commercial drivers fulfill a vital role ensuring that America’s economy continually moves forward,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “Service members who have clocked countless miles safely working behind the wheel of a military vehicle will now have more time and opportunity to find long-term employment in the commercial driving industry. Reducing the burden of finding civilian jobs is one of the best ways we can thank members of our military and their families for their service to our nation.”
From 2010 to 2020, the need for heavy-vehicle drivers is expected to grow by more than 17 percent – faster than the national average for other occupations.
To date, more than 6,000 current and former military personnel – including Reserves, National Guard, and U.S. Coast Guard service members – have taken advantage of FMCSA’s Military Skills Test Waiver Program, which has been conducted in close cooperation with the Department of Transportation, Department of Defense and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
Additional information, including a standardized application form accepted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, is available at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/military.
IT SAYS something about Kelly Morris that his funeral was attended by nearly 1,000 people, that SEPTA, his employer, had to use two buses to bring co-workers to the services.
What it says is that Kelly James Morris was an exceptional human being, a man who captured the hearts and esteem of just about everybody he came in contact with.
Read the complete story at the Philadelphia Inquirer.
(Morris was a member of SMART Transportation Division Local 1594 at Upper Darby, Pa.)