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TTD_FotorYesterday (January 11), the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case you may have heard about — Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association (CTA).

The gist of the case is this: many California public school teachers are members of CTA. Like all union members, California teachers can choose whether or not to join the union. However, when the majority of people vote to form a union (as is the case with California school teachers), the union is required by law to represent everyone in the workplace, whether that employee is a union member or not. Teachers who don’t want to belong to a union only have to contribute to the costs of the representation they receive. Because all teachers enjoy the benefits, job security and other protections the union negotiates, it is only fair that all employees contribute to the cost of securing those benefits and protections.

Pretty simple, right? Not so fast. Those challenging this common-sense system argue that simply paying fair-share fees is a violation of free speech.

So why should transportation workers across the country care about teachers in California?

  1. Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association (CTA) is an orchestrated, malicious attack on workers’ rights. This case isn’t just about teachers in California—it’s about weakening the rights of workers, specifically those employed in the public sector. The group behind the court case is the Center for Individual Rights, which has ties to greedy CEOs and wealthy special interests. If the court finds that teachers no longer have to pay fair-share fees (and sides with those wealthy extremists), teacher unions (and all other public sector unions) will lose considerable strength and leverage. By the way, if details of this case sound familiar to you, it’s because they are. The same special interests that backed Gov. Scott Walker’s attack on public sector workers in Wisconsin in 2011 are the same groups and individuals at play here.
  1. Many transportation workers are public sector workers. Transportation workers account for less than 3 percent of all public sector workers, but nearly 50 percent of those workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements. A bad decision by the Supreme Court could significantly weaken the power these workers have to stand up for basic workplace rights, like fair wages and safe working conditions.
  1. A bad decision by the Supreme Court will only make the rich richer. For far too long, America’s economy has unfairly favored the wealthy at the expense of ordinary people. Our middle class is shrinking and it’s getting harder to get by, let alone get ahead. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, things will only get worse. That’s because unions act as a check against corporate power. When unions are weak, corporate CEOs and wealthy individuals have more power to manipulate the rules in their favor and exploit working people.

Learn more by visiting http://americaworkstogether.us/ and by following #WorkTogether on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on the TTD’s MoveAmerica Blog, January 11, 2016.

cp-logo-240“You don’t merge two railroads like this to create job opportunities, but to boost profits for a few investors,” stated John Risch, National Legislative Director of SMART Transportation Division, to Reuters reporter, Nick Carey.

Click here to read the complete Reuters article.

The Progressive Magazine reported Dec. 8, 2015, that in a union-busting move, Menards (a home improvement chain store) was threatening 60 percent pay cuts to managers if workers under their supervision organized a union in a 2015 managers contract.

The Progressive Magazine later reported on Dec. 15, 2015, that Menards backpedalled under negative public scrutiny and lawsuits filed after The Progressive published their first article. In the subsequent story, Menards states they removed the union busting language from 2016 managers contracts.

Read the original story here. Read the follow-up story here.

bus2In an article published Dec. 27, The Advocate speculates whether or not school buses would be safer with seat belts.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that school buses could be safer with the addition of safety belts. The agency has long-maintained that safety belts in school buses are unnecessary.

In their story, The Advocate explores the pros and cons of having safety belts on school buses.

Read more from The Advocate here.

Reorganization planning underway

election_checkboxAs the SMART Transportation Division’s state and district legislative boards begin planning for their quadrennial reorganization meetings in 2016, members and local officers are reminded that elections for the positions of legislative representative and alternate legislative representative should now be complete. Any local in which elections have been delayed due to run-offs or other extenuating circumstances must contact the Transportation Division’s main office in Cleveland, Ohio to advise of the cause for delay and expected date of completion. All election results must be reported to the Transportation Division’s office as soon as they are available. Election results may be sent by email to president_td@smart-union.org, by fax to (216) 228-5755, or by writing to SMART Transportation Division, 24950 Country Club Blvd., Ste. 340, North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333. Questions may also be directed to any of the above, or by calling (216) 228-9400. Meanwhile, all SMART Transportation Division state and district legislative chairpersons are reminded of their responsibility to advise the TD office of the date, location and anticipated expense of their quadrennial reorganization meetings. Additional information regarding election requirements and procedures may also be found by clicking here.

Amtrak LogoThe Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Amtrak activated its Positive Train Control system (PTC) this past weekend from Philadelphia to Washington. SEPTA has reported they are not far behind and will have PTC online sometime in the new year.

Since the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandated in 2008 that all railroads operating in the U.S.install PTC by Dec. 31, 2015, Amtrak, SEPTA and a few other railroads have been working to install the system by the original deadline. However, Amtrak and SEPTA are in the minority. Most railroads have delayed the installation of this long-overdue safety technology.

SEPTA_logoWhen it became clear that most railroads would not meet the 2015 deadline, congress was forced to extend the deadline to Dec. 31, 2018, or face massive railroad shutdowns across the country.

PTC technology is designed to stop or slow-down a speeding train and is expected to bring an element of safety to the railroads previously unheard of. It is speculated that if the technology had been operational during the Amtrak crash near Philadelphia earlier this year, then the derailment possibly would not have happened.

Despite this accident and others, the railroads have drug their feet in having the technology installed, claiming they have not had enough time to install the system, make it operational and that the cost of the technology is too high. The Northeast Corridor is now one of the few areas where PTC is operational in the United States.

Read more from Philly.com.

On Tuesday, December 1, SMART members from sheet metal and transportation locals in Los Angeles joined their brothers and sisters in the Jobs to Move America coalition to lead the protest outside the headquarters of BYD Motors, Inc. – a Chinese-owned electric bus company that failed on a promise to create living wage jobs for local residents, in exchange for over $39 million in government tax dollars.

The protests caught the attention of Los Angeles city officials who are now seeking documents from BYD in an investigation of the company’s failure to make good on its promises.

SMART and the Jobs to Move America coalition are working to ensure that work contracted by local and municipal transit authorities is secured by American and union-represented employers. SMART will continue to work on behalf of workers at BYD to secure fair representation, free from company harassment.

BYD Protest in LA

 

qualy_headshot
Qualy

The Minnesota State Legislative Board is hosting a meeting Monday, December 21, 2015, in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Education and Economic Development (MN DEED). The meeting will be held at the South St. Paul VFW 295, 111 Exchange St., St. Paul, from 5:00 pm. through 6:00 p.m.

MN DEED will be focusing on emergency assistance (mortgage help), job training, job counseling and much more.

“I would like to stress that furloughed members should not resign from their positions on the railroad,” Minnesota State Legislative Director Phil Qualy said. “These meetings are designed to provide our furloughed members with skills and training while they are on furloughed status and are in need of other temporary employment.

“We have over 200 furloughed workers across Minnesota from BNSF, CP and UP properties. Looking forward to 2016, we do not see an economic trend line that will lead to a large recall of furloughed workers at this time. With the recent passage of a federal highway construction bill and the weakening of a strong dollar, we hope our industry will recover.”

If you have been furloughed, it is highly recommended that you consider attending this meeting.

A holiday party will immediately follow the meeting at the same location, hosted by locals 650 (Minneapolis) and 1614 (St. Paul). All are welcome to attend.

Advocates for Highway & Auto SafetyToday, Congress put the safety of all motorists before the special interest agenda of a few select trucking and shipping companies. The proposal to force all states to allow double 33-feet trailer trucks, known as “Double 33s,” was not included in the omnibus spending bill.

These monster-size trucks shouldn’t be on the road and they shouldn’t be slipped into an omnibus spending bill. This lethal federal mandate would have meant oversized trucks at least 84 feet long – the length of an eight-story office building – sharing the road next to families. Opposition to this proposal was clear and compelling. 

The Senate voted on two separate occasions against overturning state laws to permit Double 33s. Additionally, a large coalition of public health and safety groups, trucking companies, law enforcement, truck drivers, truck crash victims and survivors, rail workers and suppliers, and rail short lines objected. A recent public opinion poll found that an overwhelming 77 percent of the public opposed the measure. 

Double 33s would have resulted in a degradation of safety on our roads and highways at a time when fatalities are on the rise. Funding bills are becoming magnets for special interests seeking to add riders that roll back safety laws and regulations that would never pass Congressional oversight and public review.

We applaud the budget negotiators for dropping this provision and thank Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and many other members of Congress and their dedicated staffs for their leadership on this issue. We also commend the budget negotiators for increasing the funding levels for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

While we are disappointed that the appropriators did not fully fund NHTSA for the amount set in the authorizing bill, the FAST Act (Pub. L. 114-94), the increase was desperately needed in light of the continuing string of auto industry defects, recalls and cover-ups.

Unfortunately, the bill includes an extension of the “tired truckers” provision enacted in last year’s spending bill. This provision takes away truck drivers “weekends off” and pushes them to work up to 82 hours a week.

Annually 4,000 people are killed and another 100,000 more are injured in crashes involving a large truck, and fatigue is a major factor and well-known crash cause. Crashes such as the one which seriously injured Tracy Morgan and killed James McNair are jarring reminders of why this provision, known as the Collins amendment, should be stopped.

The approaching holiday season should not be an opportunity to reward special interests with goodies and favors that jeopardize safety. Unfortunately, this bill included exemptions from federal safety standards for select special interests.

We urge Congress to stop the tradition of delivering industry handouts wrapped in a big red bow and instead give constituents the gift of safer roads, sound infrastructure, and sensible legislation that doesn’t result in more deaths and costs to families.

Alton Schuette
Schuette

Former N.D. State Director Alton Schuette, 93, of Bismarck, N.D. died Dec. 10, 2015, at a Bismarck care center.

Schuette enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 and was deployed during World War II at the battle of Iwo Jima. After Iwo Jima was secured, Schuette was sent to China. After receiving his discharge in August 1946, he hired out with Soo Line Railroad.

During his 40-year tenure on the Soo Line, Schuette served his union as North Dakota state legislative director for 26 years. As state director, Schuette was passionate about improving working conditions for all workers.

National Legislative Director John Risch knew Schuette well. “Al was my predecessor and mentor. He was well-respected at the North Dakota legislature and our respective government agencies,” Risch said. “He led our legislative board in North Dakota for 26 years, in some very tough times for our membership. Those years were filled with abandonments, railroad mergers and the virtual elimination of rail passenger service. He was the right guy for tough times and we need all to be grateful for the work that he did in moderating the effects in what was a big contraction in our industry. Our members are still benefiting from the work that he did.”

Schuette is survived by his wife Celia, two sons Robert (Rosanna) and Donald (Linda), grandson Jesse (Terri), granddaughter-in-law Elizabeth, six great-grandchildren, two brothers Robert (Shirley) and Richard (Deanna); three sisters Lorraine Wolf, Eileen (Norbert) Wilson and Audrey Van Dyke; and many others.

Schuette is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Freda (Gerber) Schuette, grandson Justin; brothers Maynard, Vern and Harry; and sister Althea.

A memorial service will be held Friday, Dec. 18, at 10:00 a.m. at Bismarck Funeral Home, 3723 Lockport St., Bismarck, ND 58503. Interment will follow at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, 1825 46th St., Mandan, ND 58554 or to your favorite veterans’ organization.

Click here to see Schuette’s obituary or to leave condolences for the family.