AMTRAK EMPLOYEES RATIFY CONTRACT

AMTRAK EMPLOYEES RATIFY CONTRACT

CLEVELAND -- UTU members working as conductors and assistant conductors on Amtrak have overwhelmingly approved a contract retroactive to December 1995 that addresses work rules, rates of pay and working conditions through the remainder of this year.

"Essentially, this is the same package that was effective May 8, 1996, for workers under national handling, with a few differences specific to Amtrak operations," said General Chairperson A. L. Suozzo, who heads UTU General Committee of Adjustment GO-769.

"The centerpiece of the agreement is the crew-consist issue, which dominates the agreement," Suozzo said. "Those matters consumed an enormous part of our time, and that’s why it took as long as it did to reach this agreement. In fact, the moratorium period expires Monday (November 1, 1999), and it’s time again to serve Section 6 notices on Amtrak."

The agreement calls for four wage increases totaling about 9.75% (plus a 56-cents-per-hour cost of living allowance), a lump-sum payment (3% of 1995 earnings), a $400 signing bonus, and a possible second lump-sum payment.

Crew-consist provisions in the agreement include a "savings-sharing formula" that produce special payments to conductors and assistant conductors under specific circumstances.

In addition, the pact calls for merging of Northeast Corridor workers’ seniority rosters with off-corridor workers’ rosters, so that off-corridor employees will begin accumulating seniority in on-corridor service, and on-corridor employees will begin accumulating seniority in off-corridor service.

Under the agreement, workers will also be allowed to take a week of vacation in single days without any change in the work days needed in the preceding calendar year to qualify for a vacation.

Also addressed by the contract are work rules and provisions related to discipline and appeals.

"Obviously, this was a long and difficult negotiation, and I’m pleased that the contract was ratified overwhelmingly," said Suozzo. "I want to thank (UTU International President) Charlie Little, (UTU Assistant president) Byron Boyd and (UTU International Vice President) Pete Patsouras for their help in bringing about this contract."

"I’m very pleased about the outcome of the vote, as well as the level of participation," said UTU International Vice President Pete Patsouras. "More than 75% of those eligible to vote did so."