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Slain UTU bus operator eulogized at funeral

June 11, 2012 Some 600 mourners – including more than 300 coworkers and UTU officials — attended the funeral June 9 of slain Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) bus operator Alan Thomas, who was murdered May 20 by a lone passenger. Also in attendance wer [...]

Tags Alan Thomas, LACMTA, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Funeral services set for slain LACMTA bus driver

June 4, 2012 Funeral services have been set for Alan Thomas, 51, a bus driver for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and member of Local 1563, who was murdered aboard his bus May 20 by a lone gunman. Services will be held Saturday, June 9, at 10 a.m. at the Secon [...]

UTU VP’s niece ends life to escape bullying

June 4, 2012 Tori Nakol Swoape, a niece of UTU International Vice President Delbert Strunk, was, according to friends, a “beautiful” and “very bubbly” 15-year old high school sophomore. Tori committed suicide in May, the victim, say friends and family, of relentless physical and verbal bu [...]

Tags bullying, Delbert Strunk, Troi Nakol Swoape

Virginia SLD Walter Yeatts dead at 51

May 22, 2012 UTU Virginia State Legislative Director Walter W. Yeatts (UTU Local 971, Crewe, Va.) died unexpectedly Sunday, May 20. He had celebrated his 51st birthday May 12 and was a UTU member for more than 30 years, including service on Norfolk Southern and predecessor Norfolk & W [...]

Tags James Stem, Local 971, Virginia SLD, Walter Yeatts

Memorial service for former Local 318 officer Hagen

May 4, 2012 A memorial service will be held May 7 at 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Susquehanna Depot, Pa., for retired former Local 318 Legislative Rep. Robert A. Hagen, who died April 16. The address of the church is 695 Jackson Ave. Hagan had also served as vice local chairpers [...]

Geraldine Turner, mother of VP Doyle, dies

April 13, 2012 Geraldine “Jerri” Turner, 78, of Flatwoods, Ky., mother of Alternate Vice President and CSX General Chairperson Doyle Turner, died April 11 at the Community Hospice Care Center in Ashland, Ky. She was born Aug. 7, 1933, and worked at GTE in Ashland, Ky., for many years. She w [...]

Former Canadian officer Dennis Schweitzer dies

April 5, 2012 Dennis J. Schweitzer, former chairperson of the UTU’s Canadian Legislative Board and the Ontario Provincial Legislative Board, died April 4. A member of the former UTU Local 472 at Windsor, Ontario, Schweitzer, 64, had also served as vice chairperson of the Canadian Workers’ [...]

UTU member killed in Ind. rail accident

February 3, 2012 GARY, Ind. – Michael M. Shoemaker, 55, a conductor and member of UTU Local 1383, was killed Jan. 30 in a switching accident on at U.S. Steel’s Gary Works here. Reports are that he was wedged between two freight cars. Shoemaker, of Hobart, Ind., was an 10-year employee, of Gar [...]

Tags Gary Railroad, killed, Michael M. Shoemaker

Ken Knorr, longtime local official, dies

January 23, 2012 UTU local and International officer Kenneth L. Knorr, 58, died Jan. 20. Knorr was a member of Local 1031, Savannah, Ga. He hired on with the Seaboard Coast Line, now part of CSX, in 1977. He served in a variety of local union offices for 29 years, and was president of Local 1 [...]

Tags 1031, knorr, savannah

BNSF worker dies in Texas yard accident

January 10, 2012 AMARILLO, Texas – A BNSF maintenance-of-way employee was killed here Jan. 9 after being struck by a rail car, according to media reports. One report said the accident occurred as a rail grinder was being moved in a BNSF yard. The Federal Railroad Administration is investigati [...]