UTU NEWS
| Volume 30 | April, 1998 | Number 4 |
UTU NEWS APRIL 1998 PROGRESS THROUGH UNITY A Service of the United Transportation Charles L. Little Editorial Offices: WELCOME TO THE VOICE OF TRANSPORTATION LABOR "We told the Union Pacific that we are damn tired of our people suffering on the job because of problems caused by its merger with the Southern Pacific." UTU International President Charles L. Little ------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS IN THIS EDITION UTU pushes Union Pacific for labor fixes
........##A AROUND THE UTU News from around the U.S. and Canada ............##G MEMBERSHIP PROFILES Committees' consolidation makes good match ...##H BUS DEPT. / STREET BEAT "Safe Transit?"
.................................##I Roaring Forks operators seek representation ..##J YARDMASTER REPORT "Optimism Key"
..................................##K EDITORIALS Union Pacific needs to shape up
..............##L "Rail officials: Trucking's best
friend" ........##O "Competitive access threatens rail
jobs" .....##P "A little bit of Debs and
Dempsey" ..............##Q Voices: Members share their opinions .........##R STATE WATCH News from UTU State Legislative Boards ..........##S MONTHLY FEATURES Voluntary teams tackle critical incidents
....##T FELA UPDATE "Know your rights when injured"
..............##V SENIOR NEWS Medicare reform panel holds first meeting
.......##W TPEL HONOR ROLL Contributors' support recognized ............##BB NOTICES UTU posts Daily News Digest
....................##CC ==================================================== IN THIS EDITION --UTU pushes Union Pacific for labor fixes ........##A HOUSTON -- At an unprecedented "summit meeting" between the top two International officers of the United Transportation Union and the top officials of the troubled Union Pacific Railroad here last month, the carrier promised to immediately correct serious labor issues plaguing its operations. "We told the Union Pacific that we are damn tired of our people suffering on the job because of problems caused by its merger with the Southern Pacific," said UTU International President Charles L. Little. "We are damn tired of our people not getting properly and promptly paid. We are tired of our people being awakened at all hours of the night and being intimidated. We will no longer tolerate our members being stranded on trains when their hours of service are up. We told the UP it has to stop here and now. We believe we are now on the road to making order out of chaos. We need to work together to fix these problems for everyone's sake. There is no other rational choice," Little said. Little said the UP agreed to a series of changes that will benefit all operating employees. They include immediate, on-the-spot payment of any payroll shortages, fixing the crew-calling system and hours of service problems, as well as several agreement compliance issues. The UTU represents approximately 14,000 union employees on the UP. "Only the UTU has the ability and strength to effect these positive changes for its operating members," said Little. "Now, we will shine the spotlight on UP to make sure it lives up to the agreements we made in Houston this week. Only actions will count from now on." Additionally, Little made it clear that UTU members need stability in their jobs and lives. "We will not tolerate another repeat of the disruption our members have put up with because of the merger," said Little. Attending the multi-day Houston "summit meeting" from the UTU were Little and Assistant International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr. The UP contingent included Chairman Dick Davidson, President Jerry Davis, Executive Vice President/Operations Brad King, Vice President/Labor Relations Tom Watts, Vice President/Labor Relations John Marchant, and Houston- area General Manager Ed Handley. On Tuesday, March 3, Linda Morgan, a member of the Surface Transportation Board, joined the labor-management group. The UTU-UP Houston Summit includes these items: -- All UTU members who discover a pay shortage in their paychecks will be immediately paid the difference on the job. When a UTU member discovers a pay discrepancy, he or she should immediately notify their UP supervisor who will assign an appropriate UP officer to issue a check on the spot. -- UP has agreed "to do whatever it takes" to immediately solve the hours of service issue. UTU members are too often stranded on trains sometimes for hours when their hours of service have expired. -- UP acknowledges it has a serious problem with its crew calling system and has agreed to make immediate changes so it will no longer be disruptive to UTU members and add to stress and fatigue. -- UP acknowledges it has a problem with the attitude of many company managers and will immediately implement a large-scale program to retrain managers and change their attitude towards employees. -- UP has agreed to increase its workforce to help relieve the burden on current employees. UP said it is committed to hiring up to 4,400 new workers, most for train and engine service, this year. UP said it also intends to maintain the same hiring pace over the next 10 years. -- UP has agreed to furnish all former Southern Pacific employees with copies of the National Agreements, and other agreements, so they have knowledge of contract provisions. -- UP has agreed to re-energize its Operation Redblock employee assistance program to help those employees with alcohol and/or drug problems. -- The UTU International will monitor the progress and success of the Houston Summit by establishing a special UTU-UP Task Force with the assistance and cooperation of UP general committees. The UTU will set up a hotline for members to immediately report any problems. An appropriate UTU official will be immediately assigned to investigate and resolve the issue. "We will make sure the Union Pacific lives up to its word," said Little. "We are asking all UTU members on the UP to immediately inform the union of any breaches or lapses in these agreements so we can act quickly to resolve them." Little said that the UTU and UP also came to terms on agreement compliance issues in several cases and rectified a number of grievances. Little said the UP will no longer send threatening letters to workers with personal injuries directing them to report back to work at the risk of loss of seniority or discipline if they fail to report. "That practice is done with here and now," said Little. Little also said that a number of initiatives are being taken to improve the quality of line-ups, including the establishment of an equal-TL update position around the clock in the Harriman Center. This position is staffed by locomotive engineers and trainmen from the Omaha/Council Bluffs area who have received special computer training and are developing a new process for updating line-ups on the Northern Region. UP top management has reinforced the urgent necessity of updating line-ups and making the information available daily through its website and TV network. "We emphasized how important quality line-ups are to our members," said Assistant President Byron Boyd. "This will go a long way to solving the fatigue issue." --UTU/UP toll-free hotline established .........##B A hotline is now in operation specifically for UTU members working on the Union Pacific Railroad. (See story at left.) All UTU members on the UP are urged to actively report operating problems they encounter so the appropriate union official can be immediately assigned to investigate and resolve the issue. The number to call is 1-800-964-9464. --UTU to seek peer-support programs ...............##C CLEVELAND -- The United Transportation Union will ask railroads participating in the next round of national wage and rules negotiations to sponsor peer-to-peer support programs to aid employees who witness incidents resulting in serious injuries or fatalities. "We remain committed to working with the carriers, first and foremost, to create the safest work environment possible for the benefit of our members, the carriers, their customers, and the public," said UTU International President Charles L. Little. "As part of that commitment, during the next round of national negotiations, we will ask those railroads represented by the National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC) to sponsor these programs where they do not yet exist." Overlooked in such incidents, Little said, are those who may remain physically unharmed, but are mentally scarred by what they've witnessed. Without timely support, such workers may run the risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders, posing a potential danger to other workers, the railroad, and the general public. "The result too often is a traumatized crew," Little said. "Their normal emotional reactions to such abnormally stressful events may interfere with their ability to function properly, either at the scene of the incident or some time later." Little noted that some railroads are already sponsoring such peer-to-peer support programs, and the positive experiences they report indicate the time has come to create similar programs nationwide. "A two-year-old labor/management program on Conrail has resulted in a 'win-win' situation for the carrier, its customers, and its employees, in large part due to the voluntary efforts of those who man the railroad's Critical Incident Response Teams," Little said. "A similar effort on the Union Pacific also demonstrates tangible, measurable benefits for everyone involved." Because employees who receive peer support after a critical incident are returned to work faster, the railroad experiences reduced absenteeism and greater employee retention. At the same time, by minimizing traumatic stress, the cost of mental health benefits is reduced. Carriers also report increased morale which translates into greater productivity and safer operations. "Despite the best cooperative efforts of our members and their railroad employers, the unfortunate fact remains that rail work is dangerous, and 'critical incidents' resulting in serious injury or death occur," said Little. The last round of negotiations resulted in an agreement between UTU and NCCC-represented railroads that runs through December 31, 1999. --Rail tunnel eyed for New York City ...........##D New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the state's two senators are backing a new, $1-billion railroad freight tunnel to link the city with the mainland, cutting the city's heavy reliance on trucks. At present, cargo that comes in by rail from the south and southwest destined for New York City and Long Island must first travel a 280-mile detour north to Selkirk, just south of Albany and the only place trains can cross the Hudson River, before it can be shipped back down to the city. The city is meeting with experts who worked on the English Channel tunnel to carry out an engineering study that is expected to take almost two years to complete and cost $4.5 million. Preliminary plans call for the tunnel to connect Brooklyn and Newark, N.J., either directly or via Staten Island. --Union Pacific may bar new shipments .............##E Union Pacific said it may be forced to stop accepting new shipments if it can't solve its service problems by the middle of this month. The warning is the latest sign of how stubborn the UP's massive service delays have become since they began last summer. A UP spokesman conceded that many of the delays were caused by infrastructure problems and outmoded freight terminals in Houston, issues that will take more than crews and equipment to solve. The carrier also said recently it would issue as much as $1 billion in securities to try to address the problems. The funds will be used for yard expansions, double and triple tracking in key corridors, and other improvements to be identified by an intensive study UP launched in February of operational and infrastructure needs on the El Paso- New Orleans corridor that includes Houston. --Unity Initiative update ......................##F -- Saying the AFL-CIO "does not understand the Railway Labor Act or operating rail labor," the UTU appealed an Article XX ruling by a federation umpire. As of UTU NEWS deadline, no action has been taken on the appeal. -- A well-known BLE officer and writer agrees that there has been a blurring of craft lines on the railroad. In the September 1997 issue of Rail News magazine, Doug Riddell, a BLE officer, wrote in his "From the Cab" column: "Over the years, the craft lines have become blurred as a result of contract negotiations between the railroads and their unions." Thanks, Doug, that's exactly the point. AROUND THE UTU --News from around the U.S. and Canada ............##G LOCAL 77, NEW YORK, N.Y. Retired members of Local 77 are invited to attend the monthly luncheons hosted the third Monday of every month except January and February at 11 a.m at Umberto's Restaurant on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. For information, contact Grace Butler at (914) 454-4555. LOCAL 465, GILLETTE, WYO. Members are mourning the loss of Brother Robert C. "Chuck" Harden, an engineer who was killed February 18 in a van accident in which member Pat R. Reed was also injured, according to Local President Billy Montgomery. Harden, who worked for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, is survived by a wife and two sons. LOCAL 471, LAGRANDE, ORE. Vice Local Chairperson Michael R. BeBout's wife Donna is set to ride a recumbent bicycle 3,000 miles in 45 days, leaving from Seattle, Wash., on June 15 and arriving in Washington, D.C., on August 1, to raise money for the American Lung Association (ALA). The fund- raiser hopes to enlist 1,000 riders, who each must raise a $6,000 share from sponsors to participate in the event. For more information, or to aid the cause, contact Mrs. BeBout at (541) 686-1174, call the ALA at 888-306-BIKE, or reach UTUIA Field Supervisor John R. Rookard at (253) 857-2739. LOCAL 770, HEAVENER, OKLA. Members voted to send two representatives to the UTU Regional Meeting in Houston, Tex., with the trainmen's representative yet to be determined, according to Treasurer John T. Locke. Also, the local plans to sponsor a high school student's participation in an American Legion program called "Boys' & Girls' State," which teaches citizenship and government sciences in a hands-on environment. Meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month at Simple Simon's Pizza in Heavener, Okla. LOCAL 1083, VILLA GROVE, ILL. The Local's members, who began providing interdivisional service in 1995, are waiting to see how the Union Pacific's St. Louis hub deal will affect them, noted Secretary & Treasurer Bruce E. Thompson. Regular meetings are held at 1 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at the Villa Grove Library. For more information, contact Thompson by calling (217) 288-9349. LOCAL 1375, PHILADELPHIA, PA. Retirees in the area are invited to share a meal and some camaraderie with the former Reading Railroad workers who gather on Fridays between 10 a.m. and noon at the Neshamany Mall Food Court, according to UTU Retiree Program member Michael T. Gehringe. Retirees from the Reading also meet around 11:30 a.m. for a noon luncheon on the third Tuesday of each month at the Moose Hall in Willow Grove, Pa. LOCAL 1462, BOSTON, MASS. Amtrak conductor and Local Treasurer David M. Bowe is seeking information about a floral arrangement called "The Broken Wheel," so his local florist can produce it when needed. Contact Brother Bowe by calling him at (617) 397-6847, by e-mailing him at <UTU1462@aol.com>, or by writing to him at 105 Summer St., #108, Malden, MA 02148. LOCAL 1582, ALBANY, N.Y. Members are needed to run for various union positions and to help uphold the local's contracts, according to General Chairperson Edward Rosa, who urges Adirondack Transit Line employees to attend the next meeting, to be held at noon on April 8 in Syracuse, N.Y. LOCAL 1594, UPPER DARBY, PA. Negotiations continue with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where the UTU contract expires this month. Meanwhile, Ron Koran has documented the names of 39 UTU members who can boast perfect attendance through 1997. LOCAL 1670, LAREDO, TEX. With Valley Transit in Harlingen, Tex., causing problems for members, Local Chairperson Tony Urbina, Jr., is now running into a new problem imperiling members' jobs. Companies with 15-passenger vans are now traveling from the U.S. to Mexico to pick up passengers for travel to U.S. destinations. Many of these small companies have neither for-hire operating authority nor insurance. Vans stopped and found to be illegal earn fines. LOCAL 1697, LUBBOCK, TEX. Local officers have been "conspiring" with Secretary & Treasurer Pat Tuman to feature a member nearly every month in the newsletter created by Tuman. Friends uncover amusing stories about the unsuspecting honoree, who is later presented with a UTU cap when the laughter subsides. April's Member of the Month is Tom McMahon, which allows his brother Ray McMahon, featured in the February edition, to even the score. LOCAL 1741, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. The local's first arbitration case, involving the San Mateo School District, is being handled by General Chairperson Jim Harford, who is guiding the relatively new local chairperson Frank Gallardo through the basics of conducting such hearings. At issue is the district's failure to allow all runs to be bid. LOCAL 1895, CHICAGO, ILL. Members of the local recently attended a special Arbitration Advocacy Skills class sponsored by UTU Designated Legal Counsel Hoey, Farina & Downes and led by former arbitrator and member of the firm Alan Fisher. Local President William Ewing said the class offered a unique insight into the process, and brought members of different crafts and unions together for the benefit of all. LOCAL 1915, TRACY, CAL. Member Scott P. Ivey is building a new website featuring newsletters from various union locals, his UTU general chairperson's newsletter, a recently revived satirical publication called Snakebites, and other rail- related items. He hopes to add newsletters from around the continent and invites anyone who wants his work posted to contact him by sending e-mail to <Scotti@calweb.com>, or by writing to 104 Langley St., Roseville, CA 95661. Browse his website at: http://www.calweb.com/~scotti/railnews.htm. MEMBERSHIP PROFILES --Committees' consolidation makes good match ...##H It's tempting to say the recent consolidation of GO- 719 into GO-687 was a match made in heaven. In fact, it's a match made necessary by the pending acquisition of Conrail by Norfolk Southern and CSX. According to Rex A. Grice, now vice chairperson of GO-687, it's an arrangement that "makes us a lean, mean operating machine." His new partner, Delbert G. Strunk, Jr., who continues to serve as chairperson of GO-687, agreed. "We clicked right from the start, and get along real well." The two committees had shared jurisdiction in the same geographic areas. But with approval of the Conrail acquisition, GO-719 stands to lose some 200 members, putting the committee on shaky financial ground. Consolidation solves that problem, saves members the cost of supporting two offices, and results in members of Grice's former committee paying about $4 less per month in dues. Strunk thinks a dues reduction for the rest will follow in the wake of the Conrail acquisition. "We're maintaining our own respective general committee by-laws, at least through 1999," noted Grice. "And we're going to make the union stronger. We complement each other in a lot of ways." Strunk agreed. "Rex is from engine service, and I'm from ground service. We're both very pleased with the way this is working out." BUS DEPT. / STREET BEAT --"Safe Transit?" .................................##I Editorial by Bernard J. McNelis Vice President and Director, UTU Bus Dept. Most public transit agencies in the United States are exempt from any significant Federal safety oversight. Also, most states do not have any safety oversight of public transit agencies, except for some roadside safety inspections. Public transit agencies that provide transit buses for transporting school children do not have any state standards for safety operating practices. Due to two recent transit bus accidents, however, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted public hearings on these matters last month, which I attended as an invited participant. Also in attendance were representatives from the Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration, American Public Transit Association and other highway and transportation officials. The NTSB claims that, as a result of those accidents, they just discovered that the transit agencies have no significant Federal oversight. The NTSB had a board of inquiry and technical panel to question the FTA, FHWA, APTA and other officials. We also had an opportunity to question the panels. It was quite obvious that the public agencies follow the FTA regulations, but the FTA has no enforcement powers. The NTSB will now examine the facts gathered at these hearings and issue a special investigation report. We hope that the NTSB will report what we have known for a long time: The transit agencies should no longer be allowed to regulate and oversee their own agency. --Roaring Forks operators seek representation ..##J The United Transportation Union's Bus Department is proud to report that the campaign wheels are in motion as bus operators of the Roaring Forks Transit Agency (RFTA) in Aspen, Col., seek to organize their own. General Chairpersons Karen Belcher and J. David Lyall described one-on-one meetings held in February with Roaring Forks drivers as both productive and encouraging. After the operators expressed an interest in retaining the UTU as their official collective bargaining representative late last year, UTU Bus Vice President Bernie McNelis and Director of Strategic Planning John Nadalin welcomed Roaring Forks employees to two informational seminars held in the cities of Aspen and Carbondale from December 1-5, 1997. McNelis said that attendance at both meetings was promising. Wages, scheduling assignments and seniority rosters at Roaring Forks were some of the issues that compelled the drivers to seek UTU representation. The agency employs between 100 and 140 full and part- time drivers, with seasonal conditions and tourism affecting rates of employment. McNelis said there is much work to be done before a representation election can be held. The RFTA operates about 70 buses. It operates in the summer from 7 a.m. to midnight, and from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. during the busier winter months. The company runs a free skiers' shuttle between four different ski areas, and charges nothing for journeys within the town. It also serves the airport ($1 fare) and other outlying areas. RFTA also allows bicycles aboard their buses at no charge. Many people load their bikes onto the RFTA and ride up into the mountains so they can coast leisurely down. YARDMASTER REPORT --"Optimism Key" ..................................##K Editorial by Don R. Carver Assistant to the President, Yardmasters' Dept. We must reach for new goals. They must be defined and be seriously considered achievable, if they are to be obtained. Optimism is a key ingredient in "goal reaching." A lack of optimism can often become a self- fulfilling prophecy. We have achieved ratification of the BNSF Implementing Agreement covering the Amarillo, Ft. Worth and Kansas City terminals. The agreement was accepted by vote ratio of more than 18 to 1 for ratification. The agreement enlarged the territory of representation jurisdiction. It also enhanced and lengthened the New York Dock protective benefits. General Chairperson William Cobean and his committeemen invested much time and effort in reaching the agreement. Working with General Chairperson Richard DeGenova and his committee, we have reached tentative agreement with the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad covering the yardmasters and clerks. In addition to the general wage increases and improved benefits, the agreement provides for the carrier to match 25% of yardmaster and clerk 401(k) contributions. This agreement will be submitted to the membership for ratification. The National Mediation Board has scheduled mediation sessions on the Soo Line, Grand Trunk Western and Amtrak. We give an enthusiastic "Welcome back, Joe" to Delaware & Hudson General Chairperson Joseph Mercurio. Joe has returned to work after a successful recovery from open-heart surgery. EDITORIALS --Union Pacific needs to shape up ..............##L Enough is enough. The troubled Union Pacific must solve its serious labor problems now. UTU members have suffered needlessly because of the poor execution of UP's merger with the Southern Pacific. Our recent meeting with top UP brass is a step in the right direction to getting the mess cleaned up. But now only positive action will count. The list of problems is detailed in our Page One story. They are problems that affect too many good, hard-working UTU members. They are problems that cannot be solved by words alone, but only by serious action by the UP. That's why the UTU has created the UTU-UP Task Force. Our mission is making sure UP lives up to its word. With this task force we can stay on top of the problems. --BMWE "blue smoke" ...............................##M "There is no question that each labor organization should speak for itself, without interference by any other labor organization." Remember those words, Mac Fleming. They're your words. They were included in an apology you wrote to the UTU on April 16, 1996, for inappropriate comments you made in a Traffic World magazine article. They are words you should remember. We note that your recent column in the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes newsletter does not support our Operating Unity Initiative. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. While we respect your right to want to maintain the status quo, we do not agree with it. Nor do we agree with much of what you wrote or with your interpretation of events. The president of the BMWE should not be meddling in operating rail issues. We wonder what your real motivation is? Is it to complete a merger and takeover of the BLE by the BMWE? Maybe we should talk about the working conditions of BMWE rank and file members. No wonder you fear change that will create a powerful operating union that will be able to effectively challenge the mega-carriers. No wonder you are opposed to a powerful operating union that will preserve the historic crafts - all of them! - and preserve jobs. No wonder you want to deny all operating employees the rights they are guaranteed under the Railway Labor Act. And no wonder your words of April 16, 1996, are just more blue smoke, Mac. --"Making history is never easy" ...............##N Editorial by Charles L. Little UTU International President I get mail. These days it comes largely in two varieties. The first batch calls me every name under the sun - and some even beyond that - because I want to unite locomotive engineers with the other operating crafts into one powerful operating union that can effectively take on the mega-carriers. That comes mostly from BLE officers. The second group thanks me for doing something that should have been done a long time ago and asks some pretty tough and fair questions. Those letters come from UTU members and their families, and BLE members who see there is merit in our Operating Unity Initiative. All of the letters combined tell me that making history is never easy. It wasn't easy back in 1787 either. Back before the days when the 13 colonies created the United States of America, we had a confederation of states. But it just didn't work very well because there was too much squabbling among the colonies. So the founding fathers decided something had to be done. They called a meeting. That meeting became the Constitutional Convention and what they ended up doing was inventing the United State of America. Everything changed forever, but it was not as easy as the history books make it look today. The course of this continent's history and destiny was changed forever. We were no longer a collection of colonies, or of petty individual interests, but a united nation that shared important common interests and ideals that needed to be protected for the greater good. Back then during the heated debate over whether the 13 colonies should become the U.S.A., the propaganda was thick and furious. Many who proposed creating this country were labeled as every name under the sun - and some even beyond that - by those whose self-interests were jeopardized. In 1787, when the propaganda was thickest, a gentleman from North Carolina, William R. Davie, said, "It's much easier to alarm people, than to inform them." And he is right. That is exactly what many BLE officers are sadly doing. But just as the confederation gave way to history and gave birth to the United States of America, we have great faith that the way will become cleared for the United Transportation Union, or a unified operating union, to represent all railroad operating employees. When you are making history that will benefit the individual member, over the interests of mega-carrier management and closed-minded labor union leaders, you will take plenty of heat. I can assure you, however, that my asbestos suit is doing very well. Here's why: Because when you know what you are doing is right, and will be right with history, the heat doesn't matter. Uniting all railroad operating employees under one union banner is right with history. --"Rail officials: Trucking's best friend" ........##O Editorial by James M. Brunkenhoefer UTU National Legislative Director Hello, Mr. Railroad Boss: Bet you didn't know you are the trucking industry's best friend! Look at the ways you play into their hands. One is the adversarial attitude towards your own employees. They are the ones who actually provide the service to the customers, who make sure the customers receive what they need. It is their efforts that keep the customer from changing to trucks or another railroad. They are the ones who work all hours of the day and night without a day off. These are the people who you fire because they get injured. These are the people who constantly have their pay delayed. Is discipline or the constant threat of discipline the only tool you have to motivate your employees? Why not look at more forward-looking industries? Why not try positive motivation and education? You will not get better results or more productive employees by using the same old, tired tactics that other industries have abandoned. Shippers in every category predict they will be shipping more, a lot more. West Coast port officials say they expect a 14% growth in traffic. The railroads have predicted a 3% growth in intermodal business for the last several years, but that traffic has been growing at 8%. The same can be said for chemicals, autos, coal and almost every type of traffic. For years, railroad management has looked forward to the future by cutting track, cutting workers, not buying cars and locomotives, pulling up or selling track. Sure, they have put a few bucks back into their systems. Sure they have hired a very few people, but these are generally replacements. Today, the railroads don't have enough of anything to handle the current traffic levels, much less growth. Railroads keep promoting people who know how to cut but not how to grow. They are missing tremendous opportunities. They cry about trucks taking their business but they couldn't handle it if the shippers wanted to give it to them. Meanwhile, they are working overtime trying to repeal Railroad Retirement, the Federal Employers Liability Act, etc., so they can cut costs. While they are spending a few pennies and cutting everywhere, the trucking industry is buying trucks in double digit numbers. Railroads need to hire people who know how to handle growth or they will remain the trucking industry's best friends. --"Competitive access threatens rail jobs" .....##P Editorial by John Risch North Dakota State Legislative Director Imagine that instead of us railroad workers running trains across our lines, shippers who own coal mines, container owners, chemical companies, and others ran their own trains, with their own crews, over our rails. Sound far fetched? Think about it. Shippers, for the most part, already own their own rail cars - all they need are locomotives, qualified crews and the right to use our track. There's a growing belief among many railroad customers that they are captive shippers that are being price-gouged by railroads. Freight rates are too high, they say, because there is not enough competition in the transportation industry. The solution these folks have come up with is to have the federal government force railroads to open their lines to competition or what they are calling "competitive access." Specifically, they want the government to force railroads to allow anyone to operate trains over their privately owned lines by simply paying some government-set fee to the existing railroad. You might think this can't happen. Well, look around. We have already witnessed the deregulation of the long- distance telephone industry, when the government busted up AT&T, forcing this company to open their telephone lines to anyone wanting to set up shop and market long distance services. In recent years the wholesale transmission of electricity has been deregulated, with those who own electrical transmission lines being forced to allow anyone to ship wholesale power over their lines. Closer to home, some states are adopting something called "retail wheeling," which forces local electric companies to open their electrical lines to anyone who wants to market electricity to individual households. So, if you were president of a large electrical company that ships coal, had watched the deregulation of the telephone and electric industries, and on top of it, you've been forced to buy your own rail cars, it's not hard to come to the conclusion that the next logical step is to open up the nation's rail lines. Competitive access, better termed "forced access," is a threat to railroad workers both in terms of job security and a safe work environment. Job security because the trains these folks would like to operate are the ones we are operating now. From a safety standpoint, allowing inexperienced crews to operate over existing rail lines is a recipe for disaster. For now, this issue is just a threat and not reality. It's a fight that will take place on the legislative front with railroad workers teaming up with our employers to protect our jobs and their profits. I'm confident that if we do a good job of lobbying, and railroad workers across the country respond when we ask them to contact their congressional delegation, we'll win this fight. It won't be by accident or luck that we'll win it. It will happen because we are organized and we work hard to thwart this serious threat. In thinking about this issue, it struck me about how being organized in a union is a really good thing. Because we're organized, we have the ability to monitor the comings and goings of government, and can stop folks who would like to cheat us out of our jobs, steal our pensions, or stick us under bankrupt state worker compensation plans. If we don't protect our jobs, there ain't nobody gonna do it for us. Which is why we are organized and is what the UTU is all about. Say something good about the UTU today. ------------------------------------------------ Editor's note: John Risch is the legislative director in North Dakota. He also serves on the International Executive Board. Risch recently submitted testimony on behalf of the UTU before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee that held a field hearing in North Dakota about this issue. --"A little bit of Debs and Dempsey" ..............##Q Editorial by Frank Wilner, former chief of staff to STB Vice Chairman Gus Owen Reprinted from February 1998 RAILWAY AGE magazine In his navy suit, white shirt, and conservative tie, the trim, silver-haired, and polite-speaking Charlie Little does not appear to be a firebrand labor leader. Yet Little, president of the United Transportation Union, is following the historic footsteps of the incendiary Eugene Debs who envisioned a consolidated railroad union as an appropriate countervailing force to Wall Street wealth and power. But don't be misled here, either. Little's search for compromise and avoidance of congressionally imposed settlements causes him to be compared with management's most trusted negotiator - Bill Dempsey of a generation ago. It was Little, after all, who broke ranks with his peers and opted for binding arbitration in the previous round of national handling, and it was Little who counseled with general chairmen and eventually supported the UP-SP merger and Conrail carve-up in exchange for what he promises is more extensive income protection than available under the New York Dock conditions routinely imposed by STB. Now Little, who clearly marches to a different drummer than his peers, is quoting another great communicator - "if not us, who; if not now, when?" - in his quest to merge BLE and UTU into "the largest and most powerful operating craft union ever." Actually, Little's appetite is the same as that of his fellow labor leaders - "more, now" as well as protection of jobs, benefits, and quality of life. It is his tactics that differ - emanating from hope rather than cynicism. "Charlie knows technology isn't going backwards," explains National Mediation Board (NMB) member Maggie Jacobsen of previous actions by Little. "Instead of expressing hostility and insecurity and turning me into a fire hydrant, he's assimilating into the new culture, participating in interest-based problem solving and creating a sense of purpose." (She has not discussed Little's desire to merger BLE and UTU into a single union.) Little recognizes that as railroads grow larger and stronger, it is increasingly difficult for fragmented unions to influence corporate policy or a Congress that is growing more conservative. In fact, BLE leadership similarly recognizes the advantages of a single union inside the locomotive cab, with BLE International Vice President Bill Walpert exclaiming last summer that "there eventually will be one operating craft across the country." But BLE's leadership fears extinction should a merger occur now when UTU has twice as many members as BLE. So a forthright Little is asking NMB to require a rank-and-file vote aimed at imposing single-craft representation of all train and engine service employees wherever BLE and UTU represent workers inside the cab. Through a single T&E union, he envisions an enhanced ability to withstand carrier attempts to whittle crew size to one and, eventually, obliterate engineer-only operations by relying entirely on remote control. The foundation upon which Little builds his quest for single representation is the seven-year-old PEB 219, which requires all post-1985 hires to accept promotion from brakeman to conductor to locomotive engineer, and a 1993 NMB decision recognizing a consolidated craft of T&E employees on the Florida East Coast. Little observes that hiring qualifications for brakemen, conductors, and engineers are similar, operating crews receive common training, operating rules are equivalent, and as brakemen and conductors are promoted to engineer - and as engineers occasionally "flow back" to position of conductor and brakeman - an operating employee is represented at various stages of his or her career by BLE and UTU. "The distinction between the duties and training of engineers, conductors and brakemen has been blurred to the point of extinction," insists Little. He further frets that the cost of duplicate union structures is making it prohibitive for BLE and UTU separately to provide suitable representation. Perhaps if BLE and UTU didn't have a documented history of raiding each other's memberships - with more charges of this sort hurled between the two than any other unions in the history of AFL-CIO - and perhaps if BLE hadn't crossed UTU's picket lines during the Soo Line strike there would be less of a warlike attitude between leaders of the two unions. To critics who see Little playing into the hands of carriers that hope to obliterate craft lines and create a ubiquitous railroader who can be trained for and assigned to a multitude of tasks, Little asserts he is a defender of craft distinctions and separate seniority rosters. He points to UTU's heritage of uniting, while preserving, autonomous crafts including brakemen, conductors, firemen, switchmen, and yardmasters. For sure, Charlie Little has disturbed a hornet's nest and the outcome of his latest initiative is anything but assured. In the process he is forcing his fellow labor leaders to confront an observation of the legendary United Auto Workers chief Walter Reuther: "We have to work out common demands and bring to bear upon the collective bargaining process the full power and leverage of a united approach." --Voices: Members share their opinions .........##R Periodically, the UTU NEWS will contact members at random to report their thoughts on a question of interest to the general membership. This month's question: WHAT CHANGE WOULD MOST IMPROVE LIFE ON THE JOB? "Here at Texas, New Mexico & Oklahoma Coaches, the most important change would be to respect our intelligence and capabilities, and stand by the drivers, instead of projecting a 'guilty-until-proven-innocent' attitude. They check your references, then hire you under the pretense that you will be an asset to the company. But you dare not make a decision for fear of incurring their wrath. It's almost as if the company is insulted because we can do our jobs." -- PAT TUMAN, L-1697, LUBBOCK, TEX. "Up-to-date line-ups would mean a lot to us on the Kansas City Southern. You could get a lot better rest and be ready to work. You could plan your life out instead of staying by the phone. That has a lot to do with your life at home, too. Sometimes, because you don't know what's going to happen, you can sit there anywhere from two to six hours just waiting, when you could be doing other things. Also, locomotive cab conditions mean a lot to those of us in engine service." -- JOHN T. LOCKE, L- 770, HEAVENER, OKLA. "For the bus industry in general, a shorter work day would be appreciated. I do a 400-mile bus run for Adirondack Transit Lines, plus a 51-mile commute each way. I get up at 3:45 a.m. and often don't get home until about 8:30 p.m. I could do shorter runs, but they don't pay as well because of the mileage component. In the summer, guys on the extra board do about 15 hours a day. The contract that expired in April 1996 got us just one day off per week, so it's a tiring routine." -- EDWARD ROSA, L-1582, ALBANY, N.Y. "I work the yard and road right now for Norfolk Southern (NS), where a lot of little things would improve conditions a lot. Better safety appliances and ergonomics, which the NS has not gotten into, would help a lot. So would better seating, and some kind of air- conditioning or climate control in the cabs. It gets to 120 degrees sometimes, and there's not much breeze in the cab doing yard work. On road jobs, a set calling time would help you plan to get some rest." -- JIM H. VALLEY, L-783, SPENCER, N.C. STATE WATCH --News from UTU State Legislative Boards ..........##S TEXAS The Texas Department of Public Safety has been formulating rules necessary for the implementation of HB 3252, which was passed by the state legislature last year with strong support from the United Transportation Union, reported State Legislative Director Sam Arrington. The rules, which were set to be adopted in late February, pertain to limousine driver qualifications, hours of service for limousine drivers, and the inspection, repair and maintenance of vehicles. "At long last, there is some regulation of the companies responsible for the transportation of our crews. So many members, myself included, have feared for the safety of their lives because there was no regulation of the limo companies. Now that has changed," said Arrington. SOUTH DAKOTA Legislative Director Rick Davids would like to thank Paul Aylward of AFSCME and Joe Kraljic of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees for their assistance in defeating SB 185, which would have prohibited the use of payroll deduction for not only PAC contributions, but union dues as well. State Senator Alan Aker, primary sponsor of the legislation, attempted to portray the bill as a "paycheck protection device." However, eight Republicans and the entire Democratic caucus disagreed. "These eight Republicans will be remembered when they run for re-election," said Davids. "Their support was essential." MISSOURI State Legislative Director Larry Foster is asking all UTU members in the state to contact their Missouri state senators and request that they reinstate funding for Amtrak to $4.95 million on House Bill 1004, as Amtrak service between St. Louis and Kansas City is now threatened. The Missouri House Appropriations Committee voted to eliminate a budget request for Amtrak service in the state, but the Senate reinstated Amtrak's budget to $4.95 million. The House Committee again returned the budget to the Senate, provided funding was cut to $3.6 million. The Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on HB 1004 following their spring recess and can amend the legislation to reinstate funding to $4.95 million, again. Contact Chairman Mike Lybyer at (417) 967-3227 or (573) 751-2601. Without your help, Missouri could loose passenger rail service, along with 144 union jobs that contribute to Railroad Retirement. NEVADA In response to a "paycheck protection" petition filed by the Nevada Republican Party that would curtail union, but not corporate, contributions to political candidates, the state's AFL-CIO is pressing its own campaign finance reform agenda through the "Full Disclosure Initiative." If passed, the initiative would require "full disclosure" of all campaign contributions and expenditures, prevent foreign contributions, and prohibit the laundering of political contributions. Should both petitions receive the number of signatures necessary to place them on the November ballot, the one receiving the most votes would become law. Although contributions to the UTU's Transportation Political Education League are strictly voluntary, Legislative Director John Fetters said the UTU is "strongly opposed" to the Republican Party's plan, which would require annual permission from each union member to use any dues money for political contributions. NORTH CAROLINA State Legislative Director James A. Stem, Jr., is urging UTU members in that state to vote for the following candidates in the May 5th primary election. No recommendations are made in uncontested primary elections. U.S. SENATE John Edwards (D) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st District Eva Clayton (D)* 4th District David Price (D)* 7th District Mike McIntyre (D)* * = Incumbent candidate OHIO State Legislative Director William J. Thompson would like all UTU members to be advised that April 29 has been designated International Noise Awareness Day by the Noise Center at the League for the Hard of Hearing. The purpose of this day is to educate the general public about the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health and the quality of life, and a 60-second moment of silence will be observed between 2:15 p.m. and 2:16 p.m. on that date. For more information, contact the Noise Center at (212) 741-7650, or visit the center's website at http://www.lhh.org/noise. MONTHLY FEATURES --Voluntary teams tackle critical incidents ....##T By John H. Horvath UTU NEWS staff writer Michael Lydon, Jr., will tell you: It's not a matter of "if," it's "when." And when it does happen, Lydon or another member of the volunteer-staffed Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) do everything they can to make the difference between coping and emotional crippling. Lydon, a Conrail conductor and member of Local 1722, York, Pa., knows only too well that nearly everyone who's spent any time on a railroad as an operating employee has witnessed an unthinkable tragedy. Whether it's a trespasser fatality, a rail-highway grade crossing accident, a switching accident in the yard, a slip-up in the machine shop, a collision, a derailment, or even a random shooting, the result is measured in victims. Unfortunately, often overlooked are victims who emerge from such critical incidents physically unharmed but mentally scarred by the experience. POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS "Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when a critical incident becomes a part of your life," Lydon explained. "Those who are suffering need to come to terms with the trauma they've witnessed. They need to let it go and allow the healing to begin. That's where peer-to-peer support plays such an important role." Lydon stressed that he and the other 75 members of the Labor-Management program spread across six geographic areas do not offer counseling. "Only professionals should engage in true counseling, and we recognize that's not the role we're trained to play," Lydon said. "We're there to relieve any unnecessary stress on the scene, or after the incident. We'll make contact afterward with those involved to see if referrals to mental health professionals are needed." Lydon has served as chairman of the Critical Incident Response Team for just a few months, but his experience with peer support goes back nearly four years, when a handful of people at Conrail began to think about addressing the problem via the Labor-Management program. "The program we have today began with Veronica Neary, who had worked for Conrail as a counseling services manager," Lydon said. "Until recently, she chaired the team, but now serves as mentor and strategic planner." Neary, a trained social worker, now works as a project manager in Conrail's Operations Department. As an employee of the medical services department in 1993, she was a speaker at a program that included a session on peer support techniques. CULTIVATING TRUST "I began to see parallels between what I was doing and what was being talked about at the presentation," Neary recounted. "My job at the time was to talk to crews after critical incidents to see if they needed any assistance. I began asking, 'If a fellow crew member talked to you about this, would it help? Would you have an interest in setting up a peer support program?'" Early on, Neary saw a need for the program, but a potential problem with setting it up under the auspices of one of Conrail's regular departments. "I felt leadership for the program shouldn't come from the medical department because it might be perceived as a 'company' program, and people might be suspicious of it. They might think, 'Will this get back into my personnel file? Will they think I'm nuts? Will this jeopardize my job?'" Neary began to think the program might have its best chance as a Labor-Management Project initiative, and in September 1994, the idea was the subject of a number of workshops at a Labor-Management Congress. "We had a lot of good ideas and decided to go ahead with the program, but funding was exhausted for the year," Neary said. "The following January, at a monthly Labor-Management meeting, I sparked interest in people developing the project. About eight people on the North Jersey Division attended the first meeting, then a few from the South Jersey Division expressed interest. In April, I brought the two groups together for nearly a year of brainstorming on implementation. We got workers and management more involved, and we looked at other industries, such as airlines and trucking companies, to see how their programs worked." Among the programs eyed was one on Union Pacific. "We didn't lift theirs verbatim," Neary said. "They have peer counselors, but they don't routinely go out on the scene, like we do, maybe because they cover such a big territory. At the time, they held periodic workshops for those involved in critical incidents." PILOT PROJECT By the end of 1995, Neary's team convinced Conrail management to back the program as a pilot project for one year. As the program took wing, the need for training in peer support intervention techniques became apparent. "Veronica brought in Guy Schiller to school about 16 members in February 1996," Lydon said, "and we began on- site peer support operations in March. At a second session the following June, about 60 members received training." Schiller, along with other consultants who help school CIRT volunteers, is associated with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, a non-profit organization connected with the University of Maryland. He teaches stress management and peer support techniques to law enforcement officers and others who deal with extreme circumstances, and was on hand to aid those involved in the PanAm Flight 800 disaster. With trained volunteers responding to incidents and a growing body of evidence to attest to the program's value, the CIRT team met again with Conrail management in February 1997 and gained recognition for their project as a permanent program. Lydon credits UTU Vice General Chairperson Gary R. Galvin (L-1074, Freeport, Pa.) as being instrumental in helping the effort along. "When we needed backing, when we needed identifying jackets for our team members, Gary made it happen for us," Lydon said. MERGER IMPERILS PROGRAM "The problem we're facing now is that with CSX and Norfolk Southern looking to acquire Conrail, the program might not be continued," said CIRT volunteer Gary F. Petrewicz, a member of Local 830, Harrisburg, Pa. "Just after getting involved in the program, my engineer and I ran over a suicide," Petrewicz related. "At the scene, the prosecutor kept drilling us about drink and drugs, over and over. No one seemed to be interested in how we were handling what we had just witnessed, except for the CIRT team. "It's absolutely critical that we keep this program running," Petrewicz continued. "I know how I felt at the time. Your eyes are open, but nobody's home. You can't focus on the job, and you can't focus the way you need to. I really think all railroads should have teams like this." That Conrail has given the program its blessing points to the fact that its benefits constitute a two- way street. PROGRAM SAVINGS The benefits of having alert, focused individuals running multi-million-dollar trainloads of freight across the countryside are easy to see. Less obvious are the savings that accrue from the program. "The carrier found its workers were back on the job faster if one of our teams had been on site to help those involved vent their emotions," said Steve Stambaugh, chairperson of Local 1722 and another CIRT volunteer. "At the same time, Conrail found reduced absenteeism, along with increased morale all the way around, which goes hand-in-hand with greater productivity," Stambaugh explained. "And when you minimize traumatic stress, you reduce the costs of mental health benefits." Lydon also points out that the program is, in a sense, ecumenical. "Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and other unions participate in the program and benefit from it, just as management members do. We all stand to gain when we work together." Despite the best efforts of workers and their employers, incidents resulting in serious injury or death will continue to occur. "We have about 10 incidents per month per division," Lydon said. "I've seen eight or nine critical incidents myself. Each one is different, but each time, it's like someone reached in and ripped my heart out. There's no question there's a need for this program." --Anatomy of a critical incident ..................##U When tragic events occur, the normal emotional reactions of those involved in abnormally stressful events may interfere with their ability to function, either at the scene of the incident or later. Principles gained from the study of human behavior allow the volunteers of the Conrail Labor-Management Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) to mount an organized response, revolving around well-defined procedures and techniques, to defuse the situation, relieve anxiety, and accelerate the normal recovery process. "Fast response is the key," according to conductor and CIRT Chairman Michael J. Lydon, Jr., of Local 1722, York. Pa. "You can defuse emotions correctly if you get there fast." The normal physiological responses to highly stressful conditions follow a pattern that evolved in the days of mastodons and saber-toothed tigers. These responses assured the specie's survival, but can be counterproductive in the modern environment. Immediately following a life-threatening or fatal incident, the individual experiences the classic fight- or-flight reaction. Shortly after, the excitement level drops a few notches. During this phase, the individual may be confused about the flow of time, what happened, and what emotions are being experienced. Tunnel vision may ensue, a response in which peripheral vision actually closes down. This phase presents a window of opportunity for the CIRT volunteers. Their task is to establish a bond of trust, reduce the individual's stimulation level by acting as a buffer between those involved in the incident and those investigating or performing clean-up duties, and allow the individual to express the torrent of emotions being experienced. Peer support delivered at this juncture is essential to the team's effectiveness and the individual's recovery. About an hour after such incidents, the individual typically drops into a state of exhaustion, with the door to the psyche slamming shut. Once that door shuts, the individual becomes vulnerable to guilt, anger, depression, despondency, anxiety, and a host of emotional difficulties which can add up to post-traumatic stress syndrome. An individual in that state may pose a threat to himself, to fellow crew members, and to the safe and efficient operation of the railroad. When an incident occurs, a call goes out from the on- site crew to the dispatcher, who alerts Lydon to the circumstances. As chairman and CIRT coordinator, Lydon must quickly determine if the incident requires a critical response, and then address the logistics involved in getting available volunteers on the scene immediately. "The whole program is like walking on a razor's edge," Lydon observed. "Volunteers must get there quickly, and apply the correct intervention techniques without overstepping their qualifications. It's a delicate balancing act. We can't become involved in the investigation or in any way interfere with it." In the hours and days following an incident, team members make follow-up contact with the individual and apprise the CIRT coordinator of the outcome of the incident. CIRT volunteers sign a code of ethics and pledge of confidentiality that requires discretion and governs their actions. They are bound by a responsibility to urge individuals to seek professional help when the situation goes beyond the volunteers' qualifications to render assistance. Lydon pointed out that Value Behavioral Health offers coverage of such services to UTU members working under the national contract. Value Behavioral Health representatives can be reached at 1-800-934-7245. For more information about the CIRT program, call Lydon at (717) 684-5340, reach his pager at 1-888-226- 0322, or write to him at 911 Walnut St., Columbia, PA 17512. FELA UPDATE --"Know your rights when injured" ..............##V by Monte Bricker, Designated Legal Counsel 1-800-547-8811 If you are seriously hurt on the job, the railroad has the right to require you to fill out an accident report before you are taken to a hospital, so long as you are conscious. Your immediate supervisor or any company officer is entitled to accompany you to the hospital. While you are being transported, the company representative is permitted to question you about how you got hurt so that the official can fully inform the hospital personnel about the mechanism of injury. Upon arrival at the hospital, the official is also entitled to be with you while you are examined and to offer advice about medical care, so that the railroad has a complete report about the nature and extent of your injuries and treatment. Finally, if you are admitted to the hospital, railroad company representatives should come into your hospital room to share with you and your family the concerns the railroad has about your well-being. The above scenario is all too common and it is TOTALLY WRONG. In the event of a significant injury, your employer has no right to interfere with your immediate access to medical care, to go with you into an examining room, to suggest any form of treatment or to come into your hospital room. The best protection you can have if you find yourself enroute to the hospital is to have your Designated Legal Counsel meet you there to explain to you or your family what your rights are under those trying circumstances. Monte Bricker, Coordinator Designated Legal Counsel 1-800-547-8811 SENIOR NEWS --Medicare reform panel holds first meeting .......##W The special U.S. commission charged with producing recommendations to save Medicare held its first meeting last month, agreeing to explore modest incremental fixes as well as options for building a new program from the ground up. The 17-member National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, created as part of last year's balanced-budget measure, faces a March 1, 1999, deadline to overhaul a 33-year-old system viewed as too stingy to seniors and too costly for taxpayers. As created, the panel can only report to Congress recommendations that win the votes of 11 members. It will meet in public at least six times to air the various issues, reach bipartisan agreement, and build nationwide support for reform. Its chairman, Sen. John B. Breaux (D-La.), has indicated that "everything will be on the table," including such possibilities as raising the age of eligibility, using tax-sheltered accounts to pay for care, issuing vouchers to be used to purchase coverage from private plans, plugging coverage gaps, hiking premiums, and expanding benefits. Though the panel will also consider President Clinton's proposal to allow those between ages 55 and 64 to join Medicare, Sen. Breaux has urged Congress to put off action until the panel weighs in with its recommendations. At its first meeting, the panel created three task forces. One will eye creation of a totally new program, another will try to build on the existing framework, and the third's task is to examine the role Medicare now plays in the nation's health care system. According to the most recent estimates, Medicare will remain solvent until about 2010. It delivers health coverage to about 38 million seniors and disabled people. Though it's first meeting was characterized by a cooperative spirit, observers expect the panel to divide along sharp ideological lines, with Democrats pushing for expansion and Republicans seeking more cost control and privatization. --Labor projects keep retired VP occupied ......##X Newly retired individuals, accustomed to a lifetime of work and responsibility, frequently find old habits hard to break. Sooner or later, many become involved in projects that sound suspiciously like work. Such is the case with recently retired UTU Vice President Michael Hone, a member of Local 700, Ottawa, Ont., who officially retired January 1, 1998. "I'm involved in some labor research projects sponsored by Human Resources Development Canada," Hone said. "I'm likely going to do some further work in this area, but only on a part-time basis." Hone had been a key figure at UTU's Canadian headquarters. Shortly after his arrival there in 1984 as Research Director, he became editor of UTU NEWS Canada, producing a bilingual version of the newspaper while pioneering in-house desktop publishing. He became Chief Agent for UTUIA Insurance, built up the UTU's national research library, coordinated the 1980s campaign against cabooseless trains, and spearheaded the effort to computerize arbitration cases and submissions. He played a key role in agreements that alter the method of pay, and helped shape the UTU's internal shortline strategy. Hone was born into a rail family October 14, 1943, in Brockville, Ont. His father was a general chairman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLF&E), his uncle was a BLF&E local chairman, and his grandfather was a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers local chairman. Hone began his career as a brakeman on CN in 1963, joined Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Lodge 208, and was soon promoted to conductor. In 1969, he was elected secretary and treasurer of UTU Local 700, became local chairperson in 1974, and later served as secretary and vice general chairperson of the Central Road General Committee. In 1995, he was elected an international vice president. --Senior employee marks 80th birthday .............##Y At UTU International Headquarters, where seniority is sacred, workers recently treated the union's most senior employee to an impromptu birthday party. At the top of the employment roster sits Mary Glenn, section head of the President's File Room and the Membership File Room, who celebrated her 80th birthday on February 5, 1998. "I'm glad I could be here to see President Little launch the Unity Initiative," Mrs. Glenn recently commented. "UTU is a great union, and I'm very proud to be a part of it, and to be a part of this effort." Mrs. Glenn has been part of the action since January 1949, when she began working as a clerk/typist in the President's File Room at the Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters of the former Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen (BLF&E). Since then, she has worked for seven international presidents. Born in West Austintown, Ohio, all of her schooling took place in a single building, now known as Fitch High School, from grade school through her graduation in 1936. She held a variety of jobs, and married the late Norman Glenn in 1940. "We did a lot of traveling because he was a delegate with the typographic union." That wasn't her only connection with unionism. "My uncle, D.B. Robertson, was president of the BLF&E from 1922 until 1953, and another uncle worked in that organization's GS&T department," she explained. "They were both off the old Erie Railroad. And my father-in- law, R.L. Glenn, was general chairman on the Atlantic Coast Line." "I enjoy my job very much, and take great pride in being efficient," remarked Mrs. Glenn, who counts travel and gardening among her hobbies. --PRR/Conrail (RETRENSO) retirees' dinner ......##Z Pennsylvania Railroad/Conrail retirees in Western Pennsylvania will be holding their 16th annual dinner dance on Sun., May 23, 1998, at the Lamplighter Restaurant in Delmont, Pa. The event is sponsored by the RETRENSO Club (REtired TRainmen and ENginemen SOcial Club). Retired trainmen and enginemen, as well as retirees from other departments, are welcomed and invited to attend. For further information contact retired yardmaster A.V. "Jock" Powers, Box 325, Westmoreland City, PA 15692, or call (724) 863-1232. --The Final Call .................................##AA Following are the names of members of the UTU Retiree Program who have died recently, according to reports received at the UTU International Headquarters. These brothers and sisters will be sorely missed by their many friends and by fellow UTU Retiree Program members. LOCAL NAME CITY 0002 Blank, Lloyd W. Niles, MI 0007 Stensvad, John R. North Platte, NE 0118 Simmons, William H. Bradley, WV 0211 Addley, Robert J. Archbald, PA 0221 Nance, Elmer E. Springfield, MO 0329 Huddleston, James W. Boone, IA 0349 Alexander, Henry J. Independence, MO 0418 Wagner, Edward R. Blue Springs, MO 0453 Abbott, R. L. Clinton, IL 0496 Bodmer, Robert L. Friendship, OH 0498 Furry, Gerald L. Bethlehem, PA 0590 Balfany, Russell W. LaCrosse, WI 0693 Schauer, Virgil G. Navarre, OH 0724 Harrison, Richard J. LaBelle, FL 0762 Mills, Jesse L. Montgomery, AL 0773 Wilkerson, Ray E. Yoakum, TX 0774 Swiderski, William F. Atchison, KS 0783 Stone, T. W. Salisbury, NC 0792 Wenzel, John J. Cleveland, OH 0800 Bonkowski, Thomas Clifton, NJ 0816 Cunningham, K.L. Harrisburg, PA 0823 Mayfield, Carl D. Sweetwater, TX 0823 Moore, R. H. Big Spring, TX 0835 Riggs, Dwight W. Arcadia, CA 0847 Hinkle, Edward R. Gardendale, AL 0894 Garner, Blance E. Tulsa, OK 1000 Kreutzian, E. F. Plymouth, MN 1033 Brown Jr., Lloyd L. Tucker, GA 1075 Buck, Howard C. Flat Rock, MI 1374 Halase, Louis P. Campbell, OH 1376 Beatty, Albert W. Columbus, OH 1376 Gray, Harry H. Columbus, OH 1376 Leach, Charles W. Springfield, OH 1391 Tomson, Ralph G. Lorain, OH 1400 Lenfest, William A. Rochester, NH 1468 Oswald, Samuel Hermiston, OR 1477 Isabel, James D. Farmington, MI 1494 Super, Harold W. Oak Lawn, IL 1522 Howard, Nicholas T. Lanham, MD 1545 Patton, Claude V. Pine Bluff, AR 1582 Winkler, Dennis W. Ballston Lake, NY 1594 Dougherty, Edward J. Holland, PA 1883 Willey, Charles W. Riverdale, IL 1929 Lamkins, Claude C. Cahokia, IL TPEL HONOR ROLL --Contributors' support recognized ............##BB This month's traditional print edition of the UTU NEWS includes a special 8-page insert dedicated to those who have contributed to TPEL in the past year. Due to its size, it has not been included in this file. An Adobe Acrobat Portable Document File (PDF) capturing the contents of this special section is available on the UTU's website at <http://www.utu.org>. Go to UTU NEWS page, and download the file UTU9804A.PDF. Copies of the print edition may be obtained by writing to: UTU NEWS, 14600 DETROIT AVENUE, CLEVELAND, OH 44107-4250. NOTICES --UTU posts Daily News Digest ....................##CC Check out the new "UTU Daily News Digest" on the UTU's website, <www.utu.org> to stay in touch with rail and transportation information. Every weekday we'll report information that's important to operating rail, bus and other transportation and union workers, everything from the red-hot Operating Unity Initiative to what's happening in Washington to the Union Pacific's weekly reports to the STB. If you have news that you feel should be included in the UTU Daily News Digest, please e-mail it to <utu@compuserve.com> or call the UTU Daily News Digest at 216-228-9400. --Toll-free JBISP phone line available ........##DD As part of its continuing efforts to serve the membership, the UTU has installed a toll-free telephone number for its Job Benefit Income Security Program (JBISP). The telephone number is 1-888-452-3729. Calls will be accepted between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. The JBISP offers members financial protections in the event they are held out of service on account of disciplinary action. --Toronto Regional Meeting rooms going fast ......##EE All 400 rooms of the International Plaza Hotel, the host hotel for the Toronto, Ont., Regional Meeting set for June 22-24, 1998, have been reserved and room reservations are now being directed to the Carlton Place Best Western nearby. See "Regional Meeting dates, prices noted" (##HH) in this file for complete details. --United HealthCare changes hospitals .........##FF United HealthCare has notified the UTU of changes that will be impacting members in the Nashville, Tenn., area. Beginning May 1, 1998, St. Thomas Hospital will no longer participate in the United HealthCare network for services. "There have been additions within the last six months of the following two institutions which can provide coverage to employees in this area," a United HealthCare spokesperson said. Those institutions are: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 1211 22D AVE. S. NASHVILLE, TN 37322 BAPTIST HOSPITAL 2000 CHURCH ST. NASHVILLE, TN 37205. --Monthly apparel winner announced ...............##GG This month's lucky winner of his choice of any item of UTU-logoed wearing apparel is MICHAEL L. CARTER of Covington, Va. Brother Carter is an active member of Local 623 at Clifton Forge, Va., which represents workers employed on CSX Transportation (C&O/P). Brother Carter will be receiving by mail a gift certificate redeemable for any one of the many fine quality union-made UTU jackets, shirts or caps available through the International (many new items are now available; write to the UTU Supply Department for details). --Regional Meeting dates, prices noted ........##HH Listed below are telephone numbers and room rates for the host hotels for the three UTU/UTUIA Regional Meetings scheduled for later this year. Due to the popularity of the meetings and the limited number of rooms available at the hotels, those members planning on attending a Regional Meeting should call as soon as possible to make their room reservations. A one-night deposit is required to guarantee your reservation. It can be paid by credit card when you call. Remember, each Regional Meeting will last three full days, and will offer something for everyone, from bus and rail members to local and general committee members to family members. A golf outing will be held the day before the first day of the meetings. ----------------------------------------------- Monday - Wednesday, June 22-24, 1998 International Plaza Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 1J4 (800) 668-3656; (416) 244-1711 NOTE: If traveling by train or plane, you must have a valid passport or certified copy of a birth certificate with official raised seal. GUEST ROOM RATES: $99 (Canadian) per night, plus tax, single or double occupancy (identify yourself as with the UTU). GUEST ROOM DEPOSIT: Required and applied to first nights' stay; check or credit card; NOTE: To obtain the best possible U.S./Canadian currency exchange rate please use a credit card. RESERVATION DEADLINE: May 27, 1998; only 400 rooms are available. OVERFLOW HOTEL: Carlton Place Best Western, (416) 675-1234; same room rate as International. PARKING: Free at both hotels; $5C for other guests. CHECK IN: 3 p.m.; Check out: Noon. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Monday - Wednesday, July 20-22, 1998 Westin Galleria and Oaks Houston, Tex. 77210 (800) 228-3000; (713) 960-8100 GUEST ROOM RATES: $92 per night, plus tax, single or double occupancy (identify yourself as with the UTU). GUEST ROOM DEPOSIT: Required and applied to first nights' stay; check or credit card. RESERVATION DEADLINE: June 26, 1998. PARKING: $14 overnight; $6.50 short term. CHECK IN: 3 p.m.; Check out: 1 p.m. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Tuesday - Thursday, Aug. 11-13, 1998 Reno Hilton, Reno, Nev. 89595 (800) 648-5080; (702) 789-2031 GUEST ROOM RATES: $99 per night, plus tax, single or double occupancy (identify yourself as with the UTU). GUEST ROOM DEPOSIT: Required and applied to first nights' stay; check or credit card. RESERVATION DEADLINE: July 10, 1998. PARKING: Free. CHECK IN: 3 p.m.; Check out: 11 a.m. ----------------------------------------------- --Regional Meeting registration form .............##II ------------------------------------------------ UTU REGIONAL MEETING PRE-REGISTRATION FORM ------------------------------------------------ By registering in advance for the UTU/UTUIA Regional Meetings, you will speed registration at the meeting sites and help organizers plan more accurately. Name badges and information kits will be waiting for you upon arrival. _______Toronto, Ont,, June 22-24, 1998 _______Houston, Tex., July 20-22, 1998 _______Reno, Nev., Aug. 11-13, 1998 UTU Local_______or other affiliation_________________ Name/Title___________________________________________ Name for Badge (if different)________________________ 2d Registrant name/title_____________________________ Name for Badge (if different)________________________ 3rd Registrant name/title____________________________ Name for Badge (if different)________________________ Home address_________________________________________ City_________________________________________________ State_______________________ Code____________________ Daytime phone number (_______) ______________________ Advance registration fee of $100 (U.S.) per person included with this form? ______Yes ______No All registration fees include: Sunday (Monday Reno) welcome reception; Monday (Tuesday Reno) night theme reception; Tuesday (Wednesday Reno) night special night out and Wednesday (Thursday Reno) evening reception/banquet/awards dinner; three lunches; all training workshop materials. This fee is due 30 days prior to each meeting date. Make all checks payable to "UTU Regional Meeting." Send this completed form to UTU Registration, 14600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44107-4250. You may cancel seven full days prior to arrival with no penalty. Please fax any changes or cancellations immediately to the UTU International at (216) 228-5755. --Regional Meeting golf outing information ....##JJ Arrangements have been made for golf outings at each of the UTU/UTUIA Regional Meetings. These golf outings will be held the Sunday before the start of each Regional Meeting (except at Reno; the golf outing will be held on Mon., Aug. 10) at challenging local golf courses. Printed below is information on the individual golf outings and a registration form. Please note the registration deadline for each golf outing. The registration fee includes the greens fee and golf carts, as well as round-trip transportation to the golf course from the host hotel. TORONTO, ONTARIO, REGIONAL MEETING Date: Sunday, June 21, 1998 Place: Hunter's Glen Golf Club, Kleinburg, Ont. Tee-off time: 7:30 a.m. shotgun start Fee per person: $75 U.S. per person Deadline for registering: June 1, 1998 HOUSTON, TEX., REGIONAL MEETING Date: Sunday, July 19, 1998 Place: Bear Creek Golf World, Houston, Tex. Tee-off time: 8:30 a.m. shotgun start Fee per person: $75 U.S. per person Deadline for registering: July 3, 1998 RENO, NEV., REGIONAL MEETING Date: Monday, Aug. 10, 1998 Place: Wildcreek Golf Course, Sparks, Nev. Tee-off time: 8 a.m. shotgun start Fee per person: $75 U.S. per person Deadline for registering: July 31, 1998 --Regional Meeting golf registration form ........##KK ------------------------------------------------ GOLF OUTING REGISTRATION FORM ------------------------------------------------ Name______________________________________Local_______ _ Address_______________________________________________ _ City/State/ZIP________________________________________ _ Which golf outings will you be attending? ______Toronto ______Houston ______Reno Handicap or average 18-hole score_____________________ The format at all outings will be scramble/best ball. All foursomes will be established by draw from a handicap pool. No prearranged foursomes will be considered. Foursomes will be made up of one golfer from each of four classes: A, B, C and D. Please complete this form and send it with your registration fee (payable to "UTU") by the applicable deadline to: UTU REGIONAL MEETING GOLF REGISTRATION, 14600 DETROIT AVE., CLEVELAND, OH 44107-4250. ------------------------------------------------ --UTUIA handles tomorrow today ................##LL How many times have you thought, "I really should look into some life insurance for the kids," and the next thing you know, a year or more has gone by and you haven't found the time to do so? It's never too early to start thinking about life insurance for children and grandchildren. Permanent life insurance provides living benefits and is a wonderful way to provide a legacy for your youngsters. What better way to show them you care? Permanent life insurance is very inexpensive at young ages, and premium-paying choices are endless. Premiums can be paid in one lump-sum payment, over a five- or ten-year period, for the whole life, or anything in between. For information and personal service, call (800) 558- 8842, Ext. 211 today! |