July 20, 1999
Mr. Robert McFail,
Jr.
12114 Timberlake Road
Riverview, FL 33569
Dear Sir and Brother:
This has reference to your letter of June 14, 1999, suggesting to set the record straight.
Sir, setting the record straight is exactly what we intend to do. There is no need to embellish the truth, or put a "spin" on the facts, because those facts speak for themselves quite clearly enough.
First, the post card vote you refer to which sold jobs was not a vote which required a secret ballot. Rather, the agreement at issue was the result of findings reached by PEB-219, and enacted by Congress, which eliminated the moratorium provisions of the then existing crew consist agreements. UTU was mandated by Congress to renegotiate the crew consist agreements in accordance with PEB-219 and that renegotiated agreement was put before the members involved in accordance with the ratification provisions of the UTU Constitution.
You reference the UTU Convention in Hawaii. The record clearly shows that I was opposed to holding that Convention in Hawaii and I helped to successfully defeat the person responsible for doing so.
You talk again about "selling" jobs. Let’s take a good hard look at who sold what – and for how much. In 1959, the railroads served notice on the Brotherhoods calling for changes in the consist of engine and train crews. Their argument was that since most all railroad power was converted from steam locomotives to diesel, there was no longer any need for firemen. They also contended that a train crew member could be eliminated.
A fact-finding panel was established and in 1962 the Presidential Railroad Commission issued a report calling for the elimination of firemen and the reduction of a train crew member. The former BLF&E vigorously objected to the PRC findings and the matter was ultimately resolved by an act of Congress on August 28, 1963 and the rendition of Award of Arbitration Board 282 on November 26, 1963.
Despite the loss of thousands of fireman jobs during the effective period of the Award – March 2, 1964 through March 30, 1966 – the BLF&E never gave up and served notice to reestablish fireman positions. Those efforts were successful and not only were these jobs reestablished, but a National Manning Agreement was reached in 1972 – after UTU was formed – and it was not until 1985 that the craft of fireman was eliminated – and only then solely by attrition from the work place!
What did the BLE do during this time to aid in the retention of firemen? Absolutely nothing! The fact is they worked contrary to the BLF&E efforts when an agreement was reached between the BLE and the railroads on July 18, 1964, providing for the payment to the engineer of $1.50 each time an assignment was worked without a fireman! This payment was frozen at $4.00 by agreement reached March 10, 1969.
The crew consist agreements were reached on individual railroads and again based solely on the principal of attrition. These agreements provided for a special allowance of $4.00, subject to all general wage and C-O-L-A increases, and also established a "productivity" fund where the railroads placed $48.25 each time an assignment was worked with a reduced train crew. This resulted in annual earnings for train service employees far exceeding the annual earnings of engineers, despite the fact that the engineer continues to have the highest daily rate of pay.
What did the BLE do in response to this? They served a notice for additional compensation due to their "increased productivity" when required to work with a reduced ground crew.
You may ask the question "What has UTU done for the engineer?" The answer is simple. UTU has lead the way in nearly all National negotiations, while the BLE has simply said "ME TOO" to those agreements, then tried to lay blame on UTU for their own failure to negotiate.
It was the UTU which lead the way in 1995 to provide for an increase in the rate progression upon promotion to conductor and/or engineer. And it is the UTU that continues to fight for the repeal of rate progression as it relates to all operating crafts.
We already know what the BLE did for firemen—they sold them for $1.50. So what have they done for the trainmen? For the answer to this question we need look no further than VIA Rail, Montana Rail Link and I&M Rail Link. There are no train service employees on those railroads, nor does the craft of trainman exist. Those jobs were sold for a pittance and the railroad was given the sole right to determine crew consist as needed.
The BLE also voiced no opposition to efforts of Wisconsin Central to operate freight trains with only an engineer. It was solely through the efforts of UTU that the Wisconsin Central has a Conductor on the train and that legislation was passed requiring Conductors on all trains operating in Wisconsin.
Now, the question is where did the UTU sell the engineer job for anything? The answer is never. If UTU can be charged with any fault by the BLE, it is that UTU provided better representation and obtained better agreements for the members of all crafts represented.
Now the record has been set straight.
Fraternally yours,
Charles L. Little
International President
cc:
Mr. B. A. Boyd, Jr., Assistant President
Mr. D. E. Johnson, III, Vice
President – Administration