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The following editorial by The Washington Post’s editorial board was published by the newspaper May 29, 2013.

In today’s Washington, it’s strange enough to see a burst of bipartisanship. Odder still is that the unexpected cooperation might lead to the first major environmental law enacted since the 1990s.

The Toxic Substances Control Act, which was supposed to give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate potentially dangerous chemicals, has been on the books since 1976. Yet it is such a shambles that, in all that time, the agency has used it to ban only five chemicals. The law allowed thousands of chemicals to stay on the market with no review, and it made the process of vetting new ones so difficult that they have been barely regulated at all. The EPA can’t even demand testing without undergoing a grueling rule-making process and demonstrating that a chemical is risky. The agency — somehow — has to provide data to get data. And even with alarming information on a particular chemical, the EPA must clear a very high legal bar to ban or limit its use. In 1991 a court threw out the EPA’s ban on asbestos, a notorious carcinogen.

Read the full editorial at The Washington Post.

The following editorial by The New York Times’s editorial board was published by the newspaper May 29, 2013.

A bill co-sponsored by eight Democrats and eight Republicans was introduced in the Senate last week to revise the Toxic Substances Control Act, which governs the regulation of chemicals used in consumer products and manufacturing processes. Almost everyone agrees that the law, enacted in 1976, is badly flawed because of the complexity, costs and delays it imposes on regulating chemicals.

Previous efforts to improve it have gone nowhere. The new bill, the Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013 — introduced by Senators Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat of New Jersey, and David Vitter, a Republican of Louisiana — is designed to break the logjam. It deserves to be passed because it would be a significant advance over the current law.

Read the full editorial at The New York Times.

CSX_logoA huge fire outside Baltimore, triggered by the collision of a freight train carrying chemicals and a trash truck, raged for 10 hours before being brought under control, officials said early Wednesday.

A dark, thick plume of smoke could be seen for miles after two of 15 derailed cars from a CSX-owned train caught fire.

Read the complete story at U.S. News on NBC News.com.

A recent incident discussed by the Federal Railroad Administration reveals just how important it is for railroad workers to abide by all federal regulations, even those that might not seem especially critical or safety related. As the unfortunate episode reveals, failure to do so can result in termination.

The case occurred in Montana and involved a locomotive engineer who took a photograph while inside the engine of a train that was in motion. The picture reveals that the camerawork did not take place while the train was racing at fast speeds; the photo shows that the speed was only 13 miles per hour.

Read the complete story at The Legal Examiner.

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Joe Szabo

The following message was sent to the UTU National Legislative Office from Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo:

Friends:

We know well the population growth, mobility, and environmental challenges revealing a clear need to invest in passenger rail, and of passenger rail’s skyrocketing ridership – be it intercity, commuter, light, or heavy. But rail is not only integral to Americans rethinking how they travel; it’s at the very center of their desire for more livable communities.

Just last week, the Urban Land Institute released America in 2013, a report revealing how changing demographics are reshaping development patterns by increasing demand for mixed-used communities offering convenient access to public transportation. According to the survey, 62 percent of Americans planning to move in the next five years would prefer to settle in mixed-use communities offering access to transportation alternatives.

And while support for mixed-use communities and public transportation access is strong throughout all generations, the Urban Land Institute’s report notes its strongest supporters are among the group that is both the largest and most likely to impact development patterns: Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation, which includes young adults ages 18 to 34. In the survey, 76 percent of Generation Y respondents place a high value on walkability; 62 percent prefer mixed-use development; 59 percent prefer diversity in housing choices; and 55 percent prefer to live in a community offering public transportation.

All of this underscores the need to continue building more integrated rail systems, with intercity rail operators, transit systems, and the stations they serve working together to offer travelers more choices and answer a rising call for more compact communities. It’s why we continue to work hard overseeing this Administration’s historic investments in passenger rail – which includes investments in upgrading 40 stations – and why we’re proposing a long-term plan in our Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request to continue investing in stations and intercity passenger rail.

It’s as simple as listening to the people.

ROCKVIEW, Mo. – Seven people were injured early Saturday, May 25, when two freight trains collided, spurring the collapse of a highway overpass.

Dispatcher Clay Slipis of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department said two vehicles were on the Highway M overpass about 2:30 a.m. when a Union Pacific train T-boned a BNSF Railway train.

Read the complete story at St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

bus_frontU.S. Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) announced May 23 the formation of the Congressional Public Transportation Caucus aimed at addressing issues facing the country’s public transportation systems, including rail, light rail, bus rapid transit, and traditional bus service.

The bipartisan Caucus will provide a forum for members of Congress to engage in constructive dialogue on the challenges and needs of mass transit agencies across the country as increasing demand and decreasing funding are putting unprecedented pressure on America’s public transportation systems.

Both Lipinski and Grimm were endorsed by the SMART Transportation Division prior to the 2012 congressional elections.

“Many SMART Transportation Division members are employed by the country’s public transportation systems, from Los Angeles Metro to the Long Island Rail Road, from Philadelphia’s SEPTA to Charlotte’s CATS system. We fully support Reps. Lipinksi and Grimm in this effort and appreciate their understanding of the importance of public transportation,” SMART Transportation Division President Mike Futhey said.

“Public transportation is vital to people from all walks of life in communities all across northeastern Illinois. Buses, trains, and light rail that run safely and reliably reduce congestion on our roads, improve travel times across all modes, cut down on air pollution, and make our communities more attractive places to live, work, and own businesses,” said Lipinski, who sits on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Maintaining and improving our public transportation systems must be a part of the solution to creating jobs at home and ensuring our competitiveness in the global marketplace. I look forward to joining Congressman Grimm in calling attention to these issues as co-chair of the new Congressional Public Transportation Caucus.”

“New York City has the largest public transit system in the nation – transporting millions of commuters each day by bus, rail, and ferry,” Grimm said. “A strong public transport system is crucial to our economy and our livelihood, which is why it must be maintained and updated to meet growing demand and ensure the highest levels of safety. Unfortunately, there is currently a gap between where our public transportation infrastructure needs to be and where it is today, which is why this caucus is so important. As co-chair of the Congressional Public Transportation Caucus, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on solutions that will improve our aging public transportation system and bring it well into the 21st century.”

The America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in its annual report card on America’s infrastructure, gave the country’s transit infrastructure a “D” grade. Yet the impact from investing in our public transportation infrastructure would be substantial, not just for improving safety and reliability, but for creating jobs.

According to a release from Lipinski’s office, every dollar spent on transit generates an economic return of at least four to one.

For every $1 billion of capital spending on transit, 24,000 jobs are created, according to a report by the Economic Development Research Group. Additionally, transit has been shown to increase nearby property values and relieve the economic costs and pollution caused by traffic congestion.

“Transit is a key component of America’s transportation system, which is the backbone for the country’s economy,” said Joe Costello, Executive Director of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority and founding member of the transit advocacy group Getting America to Work. “We appreciate the leadership of Congressmen Lipinski and Grimm in creating this caucus to focus more national attention on this critical need.”

Amtrak LogoWASHINGTON – The Amtrak board of directors is extending the contract of President and CEO Joe Boardman for his achievements in improving the operational and financial performance of America’s Railroad and providing the continuity of leadership critical to the ongoing implementation of the company’s strategic plan.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress Amtrak has made under the leadership of Joe Boardman,” said Chairman Tony Coscia. “The changes Joe is managing within the railroad are resulting in real accomplishments and it is important for him to stay on, continue his work and provide leadership for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

At its May meeting, the Amtrak board of directors approved a two-year renewable contract for Boardman, who was appointed president and CEO in November 2008.

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Joseph Boardman

“As a result of the good work Amtrak employees across the company are doing to implement our plans and produce our achievements, the board of directors asked me to continue in my role,” said Boardman. “Key to our current success is our improved financial position and our plans for growth are made more attainable because Amtrak is covering more of its operating costs, and costs are under control and in line with industry standards.”

Under Boardman’s leadership, Amtrak has experienced many accomplishments including record ridership and revenue, continued reductions in the need for federal operating support, a significant reduction of debt, the best ever system-wide on-time performance, expansion of state-supported services, the introduction of Wi-Fi service and eTicketing, and the creation and implementation of a corporate strategic plan.

In addition, he is managing new equipment orders for Northeast Corridor (NEC) and long distance services, a major planning effort for the development of next-generation high-speed rail, a comprehensive employee safety program, enhanced security initiatives and numerous capital projects to improve Amtrak infrastructure, stations, maintenance shops and other facilities.

On his first day at Amtrak during the 2008 Thanksgiving holiday travel period, Boardman walked the platforms at Washington Union Station, greeting passengers and talking with employees and has continued that practice whenever and wherever he travels. It is not uncommon to see him speaking to passengers aboard a train or visiting with employees out on the railroad at crew bases, rail yards, stations and other locations. He has logged over 200,000 miles traveling on Amtrak trains during his tenure.

Joseph H. Boardman was appointed president and chief executive officer of Amtrak by its board of directors in November 2008. Under his leadership, Amtrak has improved its operating and financial performance, and is building the equipment, infrastructure and organization needed to ensure its strong growth continues. The company is investing in projects critical for enhancing the passenger experience and essential for supporting its national network of intercity and high-speed rail services. In addition, Amtrak’s next-generation high-speed rail vision will provide a global competitive advantage for the United States.

Before joining Amtrak, Boardman was the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency under the U.S. Department of Transportation, and also served as a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors. Prior to his position at FRA, he was the longest serving commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation.

Operating employees of Chicago Terminal Railroad May 20 were successful in their efforts to bring union representation to their property.

The National Mediation Board has certified that 70 percent of eligible employees voted for representation by the SMART Transportation Division.

CTR operates three segments of track in the city and its suburbs, serving a variety of industries. It connects to Union Pacific at the North Ave. and Elk Grove locations, and to Canadian Pacific at its Bensenville, Ill., location.

The Class III railroad comprises 7.6 miles of the trackage and 32 miles of storage tracks. It also interchanges with Kansas City Southern operations at Veals Yard.

The organizing effort was led by SMART Transportation Division Director of Organizing Rich Ross, who was assisted by International Organizer Larry Grutzius.

CTR is a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holdings, which also operates San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, Texas-New Mexico Railroad, West Texas & Lubbock Railway and other lines.

CHARLES CITY, Iowa — Faced with dark and muddy conditions, firefighters used a long ladder to rescue three railroad workers from a train derailment caused by a washed-out rail line near Charles City early Tuesday. No one was injured.

Tuesday night, Ed Greenberg, a spokesman for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, confirmed that the partially submerged 80-car train was leaking ethanol and diesel fuel into the Little Cedar River.

Read the complete story at Mason City Globe Gazette.

 

Mike Futhey
Mike Futhey

By Mike Futhey, 
SMART Transportation Division President – 

Throughout my career as a union officer, I have experienced every type of carrier safety program imaginable: from official company “snitches” to complex, overly burdensome and intrusive research, to innovative, cooperative, joint ventures. Employees need a program to know the program du jour.

When programs fall by the wayside, a newer, shinier version is released, with all the markings of its failing predecessor.

After such a critique, you may be surprised to know that, through it all, I have been a consistent proponent of collectively bargained, cooperative endeavors that recognize the real value of universal buy-in to a goal of a safer work environment.

The evidence is clear and convincing that a correlation exists between employee involvement and reduced incidences of on-duty injuries. There have been examples of carriers that have entered into collectively bargained agreements with our organization’s general committees that generated reduced rates of personal injuries on the job, only to see the positive results reversed when the agenda and agreement compliance morphed into a managerial option, with “reinterpretations” of long-standing proven processes becoming the standard.

There is one basic premise that must be recognized: “Our members are not masochists. This organization, from every level, desires to see each member go home safely at the end of the shift.”

We want to be a part of what works for the betterment of all concerned, but, we will not subscribe to a system designed to compromise the rights of the members we represent – we know the difference.

We know the difference when the managerial prerogative supersedes the integrity of the process.

We know the difference when the organization extends an offer to carriers to jointly explore a remedy for repeated violations of whistle-blower, provisions only to be met with “lawyering up.”

Genuine partnerships never, ever pull rank. Genuine partnerships must respect the integrity of the process and all who participate.

The process must be consistently adhered to, even when it is not comfortable to do so.

My message to the various decision-makers, whether they be in the airline, bus or railroad industry is, “it’s your call.”

The example you set will resonate, exposing the intent of your rhetoric. Do safety programs produce safety or manipulation of reality?

The answer to both is yes, if that becomes your intent.