Author: amyr

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RRB_seal_150pxEffective at noon on June 1, 2016, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) field offices around the country will be closed to the public on Wednesday afternoons. Field office representatives will not be available to assist walk-in customers or to answer the phones during Wednesday afternoons only.
All RRB offices will remain open from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, and during their usual hours of 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the remaining weekdays, except for Federal holidays.
The change is necessary due to reduced staffing levels, coupled with increased workloads in several key areas, and will allow the staff in the RRB’ s nationwide network of 53 field offices to focus on processing applications for benefits, conducting necessary verifications for pending applications or claims, resolving complex cases and reducing backlogged workloads.
RRB customers will continue to have the opportunity to conduct most business through the agency website (www.rrb.gov) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or by calling the RRB ‘s nationwide toll-free telephone number, 1-877-772-5772, and speaking with a field office representative during regular business hours.
Current railroad employees can use the www.rrb.gov website to apply for and claim unemployment benefits, file a claim for sickness benefits, check the status of their unemployment or sickness claim, view their statement of account under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, view their service and compensation history, or get an annuity estimate.
Annuitants currently receiving benefits can request a letter verifying the amount of their annuity, a duplicate tax statement, a replacement Medicare card or a copy of their service and compensation history. All services are accessible through the “Benefit Online Services” section of www.rrb.gov or by calling the RRB’s toll-free number at 1-877-772-5772.

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An independent Federal agency headquartered in Chicago, the RRB pays more than $12 billion a year in benefits under the Federal Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Insurance Acts covering the nation’s railroad workers and their families.

SMART TD President Previsich came out against the merger in a letter addressed to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in January of this year. “We strongly opposed the merger when it became clear that CP’s takeover of NS would cost U.S. jobs as well as have a negative impact on those who sought to ship by rail” said Previsich, who further commented: “Having long opposed the negative impact that mergers and acquisitions such as this have on our members, we are extremely pleased to hear that CP has officially terminated their quest to takeover NS.”  Read the complete statement, here.

In a press release dated April 11, 2016, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) announced that it has terminated its efforts to merge with Norfolk Southern (NS). CP has also withdrawn its resolution asking NS shareholders to vote in favor of good-faith negotiations between the two companies. “No further financial offers or overtures to meet with the NS board of directors are planned at this time,” CP said in their statement. CP CEO E. Hunter Harrison said, “…with no clear path to a friendly merger at this time, we will turn all of our focus and energy to serving our customers and creating long term value for CP shareholders.” SMART TD President Previsich came out against the merger in a letter addressed to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in January of this year. “We strongly opposed the merger when it became clear that CP’s takeover of NS would cost U.S. jobs as well as have a negative impact on those who sought to ship by rail” said Previsich, who further commented: “Having long opposed the negative impact that mergers and acquisitions such as this have on our members, we are extremely pleased to hear that CP has officially terminated their quest to takeover NS.” SMART TD first reported CP’s interest in a merger with NS in November 2015. It soon became clear that NS was not interested when the railroad rejected all three of CP’s offers for unification. CP, however, continued to push for a takeover by trying to bypass the NS board of directors’ decision by going directly to the shareholders for a vote. “They don’t merge these big railroads to create job opportunities,” said SMART TD National Legislative Director John Risch. “CP’s plans were to essentially pillage NS’s infrastructure, claiming they could save $1.8 billion a year in costs. A CP/NS merger would not just be bad for rail workers, it would be terrible for America’s freight rail infrastructure.” Additionally, in a letter dated March 2, CP further sought to circumvent U.S. merger regulations by seeking declaratory action from the STB that would give them the power to essentially take over NS without a review from the STB or a yes-vote to merge from NS. This blatant scheme to evade U.S. regulatory requirements and assert control over NS before receiving regulatory approval did not sit well with SMART TD who joined with five other unions to write a response letter to the STB asking them to reject CP’s request. “…The Board should not entertain a request from this, or any carrier, for an advisory opinion on a hypothetical transaction. CP’s Petition is both inappropriate and untimely; it should be dismissed,” said SMART’s Associate General Counsel Erika Diehl-Gibbons and Attorneys Michael Wolly and Carla Siegel in their letter to the STB on behalf of SMART TD, BLET, IBEW, ATDA, NCFO and TCU/IAM. “The work and solidarity of SMART, BLET, TTD, AFL-CIO and all of our union brothers and sisters to raise this issue onto a public platform and to have our voices heard from the halls of Congress to the offices of the STB and FRA, had a direct impact on breaking CP’s attempt to continue its takeover bid–that if left to proceed, would have undoubtedly caused a major job loss, service disruption and a destructive domino effect throughout the industry. We look forward to our continued work and solidarity in supporting laws and provisions that protect our members –and all workers, from get-rich-quick schemes that are harmful to working men and women throughout our country,” said Previsich. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) also filed its own request to the STB that CP’s request be denied. “Canadian Pacific’s voting trust proposal would compromise Norfolk Southern’s independence and effectively combine the two railroads prior to completion of the STB’s review,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “That makes no sense. We urge the STB to preserve its ability to review the impact of the proposal on competition and consumers before Canadian Pacific starts scrambling the eggs.” ______________________________________________________________________ The SMART Transportation Division is comprised of approximately 125,000 active and retired members of the former United Transportation Union, who work in a variety of crafts in the transportation industry.    

In a written response to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Request for Comments entitled  “Motor Carriers of Passengers That Serve Primarily Urban Areas With High Passenger Loads,” dated April 11, 2016, the Transportation Trades Division, (TTD) AFL-CIO, representing 32 affiliated transportation unions including SMART TD, submitted comments in favor of “better oversight of curbside operators. While many carriers run legitimate operations, some take advantage of their unique characteristics and business models to circumvent safety rules and other standards putting drivers and passengers at risk.” Please read the complete letter here.

In a press release April 11, 2016, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) announced that it has terminated its efforts to merge with Norfolk Southern (NS). CP has also withdrawn its resolution asking NS shareholders to vote in favor of good-faith negotiations between the two companies. “No further financial offers or overtures to meet with the NS board of directors are planned at this time,” CP said in their statement. CP CEO E. Hunter Harrison said, “…with no clear path to a friendly merger at this time, we will turn all of our focus and energy to serving our customers and creating long term value for CP shareholders.”

Risch
Risch
In a joint letter, SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director John Risch and Brotherhood of Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman, submitted a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) withdrawing their previous letter dated Jan. 12 requesting that the FRA make a final rule mandating uniform warning speed signs in advance of speed restrictions. Risch and Tolman still ask that speed signs be standardized in dimensions, conspicuity, color and distance ahead of a speed restriction, but are asking that this issue be presented to the FRA’s Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) first. Click here to read Risch’s and Tolman’s original letter dated Jan. 12. Click here to read the withdrawal letter dated Feb. 26.

Amtrak locomotiveThe Associated Press reports that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has ordered Amtrak to retrain employees on basic safety rules after an Amtrak train slammed into a backhoe last week, killing two maintenance-of-way (MOW) employees and injuring dozens of passengers.
Loram Maintenance of Way spokesman Tom DeJoseph told reporters that the MOW workers on the tracks were unaware that one of the tracks was active and in service at the time of the accident.
Amtrak’s CEO Joe Boardman has stated that he will immediately comply with FRA’s directive.
Click here to read more from the Associated Press.

la_metro_busEd Wytkind, President of TTD, AFL-CIO, John Previsich, President of SMART Transportation Division and other union leaders have released a joint letter to Anthony Foxx, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), urging the DOT to issue a rule “to protect bus drivers and other transit operators from the physical assaults that are plaguing this industry.”
Read the complete letter, here.

FTAlogoProgressive Railroading reported that the Federal Transit Administration has chosen nine cities to receive technical assistance to promote economic development around local transit service. This assistance will include in-depth, multi-day visits and workshops. Read the entire story here.

KCS_rail_logoRailway Age reported that Kansas City Southern announced that its principal subsidiary will, in 2016, invest approximately $20 million into construction and improvement projects. Read the entire story here.