UTU NEWS
| Volume 31 | February 1999 | Number 2 |
UTU NEWS ONLINE EDITION
FEBRUARY 1999
PROGRESS THROUGH UNITY
A Service of the United Transportation
Union
Public Relations Department
Charles L. Little
International President
Roger D. Griffeth
International General Secretary & Treasurer
Editorial Offices:
UTU NEWS
14600 Detroit Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44107-4250
UTU@compuserve.com http://www.utu.org
WELCOME TO THE VOICE OF TRANSPORTATION LABOR
"We've lived within a cocoon for too
long. If we're not fighting each other,
we can devote more resources to the fight for better wages, benefits, quality of life and
job security."
Clarence V. Monin, International President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IN THIS EDITION
Union
members killed in crash ....................##A
UTU/BLE unification talks on track
............##B
Union Pacific names siding for
crash victim ......##C
Lake Terminal fight continues
.................##D
Conrail carve-up set for June 1
..................##E
Union Pacific okays napping
...................##F
Trust fund established for member's
son ..........##G
BLE officers invited to UTU meetings
..........##H
AROUND THE UTU
News from around the U.S. and Canada .............##I
MEMBERSHIP PROFILE
Local 340's donation rescues free clinic ......##J
BUS DEPT. / STREET BEAT
"Much more driving, much less
safety" ............##K
Editorial by Bernard J. McNelis
Vice President and Director, UTU Bus Dept.
YARDMASTER REPORT
"CSXT yardmasters ratify
agreement" ...........##L
Editorial by Don R. Carver
Assistant to the President, Yardmasters' Dept.
EDITORIALS
Protections vital for peace of mind ..............##M
"For the first time ever..."
..................##N
Editorial by Charles L. Little
UTU International President
"Railroads treat shippers
like workers" ..........##O
Editorial by James M. Brunkenhoefer
UTU National Legislative Director
Voices: Members share their opinions ..........##P
Feedback: "UTU, BLE seek joint
pact" .............##Q
By Frank N. Wilner
(Article from January 18, 1999, TRAFFIC WORLD magazine.
Re-printed with permission.)
STATE WATCH
News from UTU State Legislative Boards ........##R
FEATURES
Safety problems at Belt Railway of
Chicago .......##S
What really happened to Gene Janik?
...........##T
SENIOR NEWS
G.K. "Trudy" Weber retires
-- again ..............##U
Medicare reform panel debates fixes
...........##V
Social Security market
investments opposed .......##W
Picnic planned in St. Petersburg,
Fla. ........##X
The Final Call ...................................##Y
TPEL HONOR ROLL
Contributors' continued support recognized........##Z
FELA UPDATE
Fraudulent claims can lead to trouble ........##AA
NOTICES
Rail
workers get vision plan ....................##BB
Monthly apparel winner announced
.............##CC
UTU 1999 Quadrennial Convention
information .....##DD
UTU 1999 Regional Meeting information
........##EE
Regional Meeting pre-registration
form ..........##FF
Airline offers discount fares
................##GG
Regional Meeting golf outings planned
...........##HH
UTUIA seeks Volunteer of the Year
............##II
====================================================
IN THIS EDITION
Union members killed in crash ....................##A
NAPOLEON, Ohio -- Fog that limited visibility to a few feet may have contributed to a crash of three freight trains that killed members of both the UTU and BLE, investigators said.
The UTU Safety Team is aiding in the accident investigation.
Killed were Raymond Corell, 52, of Angola, Ind., who was a legislative representative and secretary/treasurer of UTU Local 227 in Huntington, Ind., and Roger H. Bell, 57, of Oregon, Ohio, a member of BLE Division 457 at Toledo, Ohio.
Corell and Bell were thrown from the engine of their train and died of head injuries.
The crash last month scattered cars over a quarter- mile on Conrail's busiest route in the Midwest. One engine burned for hours and a handful of homes were evacuated.
It was too early to determine a cause, Jay Kivowitz, investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said. "It's hard for me to speculate, but we'll be looking into the weather conditions," he said.
A train taking mail from Morrisville, Pa., to Chicago hit another westbound train carrying trailers and containers from Boston to Chicago. A third train, with 50 empty cars, hit debris from the crash within seconds. The train was traveling east from Portage, Ind., to River Rouge, Mich., near Detroit.
The three trains had a total of eight locomotives and 149 cars. Conrail spokesman Bill McGeehan said track, computer and electronic signals are supposed to keep trains from getting close. "Those systems are designed to prevent these kinds of things from occurring," he said.
Investigators said they did not know how fast the trains were going when they hit.
UTU/BLE unification talks on track ............##B
WASHINGTON -- The UTU/BLE Drafting Committee began meetings in the nation's capital as this issue of the UTU News was going to press.
"There is a great deal of common ground," said UTU Vice President Paul Thompson, one of the UTU's five representatives at the meeting. "I am optimistic we will come to a meeting of the minds in advance of our deadline."
The 10-member group, five from both the UTU and BLE, is responsible for drafting and preparing a unification agreement and constitution for the new union. The committee was charged with finishing its task so the full memberships of both unions can vote on unification around October 1.
"The groundwork we laid this summer, which is contained in the Statement of Principles," said Assistant President Byron A. Boyd, Jr., "is proving very beneficial to the unification process. We have already agreed on many issues."
In related news, in mid-January the UTU and BLE held their first exploratory joint meeting in Atlanta with the carriers' representative in advance of formal national freight-handling contract talks. For the first time in history, the UTU and BLE are jointly pursuing a new multiyear national contract and hope to reach an agreement before Section 6 notices are formally issued on November 1. The UTU and BLE represent about 95,000 operating employees, or more than 40% of all active railroad workers.
"This is where the UTU and BLE, acting as one fraternal group, can begin flexing its combined muscle," said International President Charles L. Little. "Our goal is to conclude a new national freight agreement before we ask our members to vote on unification. We will only agree on a new contract that is fair to all operating crafts. This, we believe, is the right way to do things."
Little said that reaching a new unified collective bargaining agreement early and without disruptions is a strong demonstration of how a single operating union can more effectively represent its members and also protect both crafts working in the cab.
Issues on the table include doing away with the two- tier wage system, work/rest and fatigue concerns, safety, and possible certification of conductors. In addition, a new pay formula that would replace the mileage-based method of paying train crews, based on new guidelines tied to special characteristics of individual trips, will be explored. However, before any change could be agreed to, there must be minimum annual earnings, guaranteed consecutive rest days, and improved job protection for represented members.
In addition to Thompson, other UTU members on the Drafting Committee are: Carl M. Vahldick, BNSF general chairperson; Tim S. Secord, Canadian National Legislative Director; Jack V. Shaver, Colorado State Legislative Director, and Robert A. McHenry, executive assistant to the International President.
Union Pacific names siding for crash victim ......##C
SAN ANTONIO -- Following repeated requests by members of United Transportation Union Local 756 in San Antonio, the Union Pacific Railroad has named a new rail siding after Conductor Terry E. Yarbrough.
Yarbrough was one of two UTU members killed in a head-on collision of two UP freight trains near Devine, Tex., in June 1997 that grabbed national headlines.
The crash also claimed the life of another UTU member, Engineer Neal A. Wilhelm. Two unidentified stowaways also lost their lives. A third UTU member, Conductor Randy W. Dennis, was seriously burned in the wreck and is no longer working for the railroad.
The new siding, located along the carrier's busy San Antonio-Laredo route near Devine, is officially named the "Yarbrough Siding," and appears as such in the railroad's new timetables.
As this issue of the UTU News went to press, John A. Dunn, local chairperson of UTU Local 756 at San Antonio, confirmed the UP's plans to name the next new siding in that area after Wilhelm. That siding, to be built in the year 2000, will be located in Cotulla, Tex., approximately 65 miles north of Laredo.
The protocol for naming sidings or crossings is to do so after the nearest city or town, but decisions are usually left to a carrier superintendent or general manager. Prior to receiving confirmation about the naming of the Wilhelm siding from UP Superintendent Gary Norman, Dunn had said he would not "let this issue go away, even if it requires a petition."
Said Dunn, "These were two wonderful, great guys, who were loved by all of their fellow workers."
Dunn originally approached UP management about naming the sidings after the employees following discussions with co-workers at a local meeting. He said he was not aware of any other sidings or lines that were named after employees killed on the job.
Yarbrough's widow, Nancy, said that both she and her family were very proud to have the siding named after her husband.
"I feel very honored that they're doing this," she said. "It shows what the other employees thought of my husband and of Neal."
Following the accident, Mrs. Yarbrough attended hearings conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C. Investigators blamed the collision on a communication system that forced the trains' operators to rely on radio transmissions from a Nebraska control center.
As a result, the carrier installed a new signaling system, known as central traffic control, in conjunction with the siding. Lighted signals now allow locomotive engineers on the San Antonio-Laredo route to detect approaching trains.
Dunn said that Mrs. Yarbrough had fought hard to get the CTC system installed.
Both Dunn and Mrs. Yarbrough recalled a similar accident that occurred in 1973, and at that time, the Texas Railroad Commission had recommended a signaling system there.
"It was a long time coming," Mrs. Yarbrough said. "If it was done when they should have done it, a long time ago, the accident would never have happened. I hate that Neal and Terry had to lose their lives before the railroad realized it."
Mrs. Yarbrough said she hopes to talk with others about forming a support group for widowed spouses of railroad workers.
Lake Terminal fight continues .................##D
LORAIN, Ohio -- On December 29, a non-union railroad created specifically to replace the legendary 104-year- old unionized Lake Terminal Railroad began operations at USS/Kobe Steel here.
The Lake Terminal Railroad, which had been the only railroad to service the mill for the last 104 years, lost out in unfair bidding because new USS/Kobe Steel management believed untrained non-union workers could replace well-trained union railroad workers without harming plant operations. About 170 union workers, including 88 UTU members, lost their jobs.
However, the steel company's new non-union railroad, IRSS, is performing so poorly that steel production has been severely impacted and mill managers have been told to use a trucking company because they can't count on rail transportation, union and management sources say. Plant operations have been seriously impaired and it is costing steelworkers tens of thousands of dollars in lost wages and the company lost revenues.
"Everything we said would go wrong has gone wrong, and more," said Tim Smith, UTU general chairperson for the Lake Terminal Railroad. "This goes way beyond the winter weather problems to a non-functioning rail system that has handcuffed operations, taken money out of steelworkers' pockets, and cost the mill millions in lost productivity because it is pure gridlock over there."
Middle management at USS/Kobe is asking that the Lake Terminal be brought back, according to plant sources.
Smith said that USS/Kobe is making payments of about $17,000 daily, about $500,000 monthly, in demurrage bills because of chaos in keeping track of rail cars. A demurrage bill of $100,000 for a month is considered high.
Recently, an inspector from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) spent four days investigating IRSS and USS/Kobe rail operations. According to sources familiar with the investigation, IRSS has no safety procedures or rules and was called "the worst operation ever seen." A formal FRA report is expected to be filed at the FRA's Philadelphia office in less than 30 days. FRA is currently investigating USX rail operations around the country at the request of the UTU.
Union steelworkers have also said that USS/Kobe management has asked them to bypass reporting safety concerns or violations to their union and instead to only report to management.
Smith pointed out that IRSS has already experienced several accidents, and that its workers have committed numerous safety violations. He said that IRSS workers have been seen riding on the knuckles of trains and were not using safety devices. Smith said witnesses have told the FRA about a recent serious safety violation when a remote-controlled IRSS train trespassed onto Lake Terminal Railroad tracks near a busy roadway during rush hour and nearly caused an accident.
"We still have a shot to get back to work here," said Smith. "We are not giving up."
Conrail carve-up set for June 1 ..................##E
CSX and Norfolk Southern will postpone the closing date of the Conrail transaction until June 1.
The two railroads are seeing an "increasing level of scrutiny" from the Surface Transportation Board and shippers. The rail-roads also don't have all labor agreements necessary for the split in place yet. Part of the regulatory approval included a prerequisite that the two companies obtain labor agreements before splitting Conrail.
UTU members affected by the transaction splitting Conrail can now contact UTU International Headquarters to ask questions or express their concerns via the toll- free UTU Hotline at 1- 800-964-9464.
Union Pacific okays napping ...................##F
The Union Pacific Railroad will allow train crew workers in an eight-state region to take naps of up to 45 minutes while trains are stopped.
The railroad joins several other carriers in implementing what is termed a "napping policy" intended to reduce train crew fatigue.
Crews are required to have authorization from dispatchers before taking a nap. Only one crew member can nap at a time.
UP plans to implement the policy throughout its system by the end of March 1999.
Trust fund established for member's son ..........##G
A trust fund has been established for Eric Akalski, the four-year-old son of Steven Akalski, a 49-year-old New Jersey Transit conductor and UTU Local 60 member who died last October of injuries sustained in a commuter- train accident.
"He was respected and well liked by the membership," Local 60 President Steven Padelski said of Akalski.
Donations should be sent to the Eric Akalski Fund, c/o First Union National Bank, 44 Washington Ave., Pleasantville, NY 10570.
BLE officers invited to UTU meetings ..........##H
CLEVELAND -- Officers of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) are being invited to attend this year's UTU Regional Meetings, announced International President Charles L. Little.
"In a gesture of fraternal unity and shared interests," said Little, "we are inviting BLE officers to attend our three Regional Meetings in Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. These are excellent opportunities to get to know each other and build bonds that will carry over into our new union."
The Regional Meetings are scheduled for May 24-26 in Los Angeles, June 14-16 in St. Louis, and July 12-14 in Washington, D.C. Last summer's Regional Meetings in Toronto, Houston and Reno, Nev., set all-time attendance records.
"We believe the education and training we provide at our Regional Meetings is among the best in organized labor," said Little. "We want to begin sharing our knowledge and friendship with our BLE brothers and sisters and build relationships that will help cement our new union."
The UTU website, www.utu.org, now provides information on the Regional Meetings. Links to the web pages of UTU Regional Meeting host hotels also are included.
BLE members wishing to attend one of the UTU Regional Meetings should fill out the registration form printed on Page 11 of this newspaper or download one from the UTU web site.
AROUND THE UTU
News from around the U.S. and Canada .............##I
LOCAL 117, VANCOUVER, WASH. Amtrak brakeman G.R. "JERRY" CREECH has volunteered to serve as cook-off chairman for a pair of community fund raisers, including the Dutch Oven Cook-Off, slated for May 22, and a Chili Cook-Off set for August 28. In addition, Creech is helping organize about a dozen other fun events to benefit the Meacham Volunteer Fire Department and the Quick Response Team, which bring aid during local and rail emergencies. For information, contact Creech at P.O. Box 116, Meacham, OR 97859, phone him at (541) 983-2644, or send e-mail to <MEACHAMDAYS@juno.com>.
LOCAL 168, CHICAGO, ILL. Local President ED DACE, JR. has tapped Alt. Legislative Representative MIKE McKENNA to fill the shoes of Legislative Representative LEE CHANNING, who continues to make progress following liver transplant surgery. McKenna has linked up with Illinois State Director JOE SZABO to advance an intensive TPEL informational campaign on Conrail properties.
LOCAL 439, TYLER, TEX. Due to changes at the local and general committee level, the local is in the process of getting reorganized to include Union Pacific employees from Palestine, Tex., and other locations, according to former Local Chairperson (conductors) BILLY HOBBS. Members working out of the Longview, Tex., hub should keep an eye open for notices regarding a new time and location for the local's monthly meetings.
LOCAL 465, GILLETTE, WYO. Burlington Northern Santa Fe conductor DAVE REECE in January was awarded the designation "Safety Employee of the Month." The Gillette Safety Committee nominated him in recognition of the time and effort he puts into training new hires to work safely, according to Local President BILLY MONTGOMERY.
LOCAL 469, MADISON, ILL. Those attending the local's annual Christmas party, sponsored by the Midwest Railroaders (a charity organization) and Designated Legal Counsel LANCE CALLIS, learned about the plight faced by members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), who are on strike against the Freeman Coal Company. In response, a collection took place, raising $600 to aid the cause, said Secretary and Treasurer JOHN I. PAYER. Besides members of Local 469, those in attendance included members of UTU locals 1929, 1405, 1388, 1517, and 1534.
LOCAL 610, BALTIMORE, MD. Former Local Chairperson DENNIS I. STEVENS, for the first time in 20 years, decided not to seek any local offices, a decision lamented by members who will miss his guidance and thank him for his years of service, said JOHN A. MOWBRAY. Officers now include Local Chairperson (road) MARIO MARQUES, Local Chairperson (yard) KENNY McBEE, Local President BILL HOVATTER, and Secretary and Treasurer C.E. "MICKEY" McBEE.
LOCAL 753, MEMPHIS, TENN. The local, comprised of switchmen and yardmen until the Illinois Central eliminated the crafts, was visited late last year by International President CHARLES L. LITTLE, according to Vice Local Chairperson R.N. "BOBBIE" PORTER. President Little promised assistance in attempting to re-establish yard engines and get yardmen back on the property, and has asked members to turn in all applicable claims to help build a case. Meanwhile, Local Chairperson JAMES D. MOSS is being assisted by Porter, who stepped down as local chairperson at the beginning of the year.
LOCAL 1290, CHICAGO, ILL. JOHN D. O'BRIEN, legislative representative and delegate for the 140-member local, has been appointed by the mayor of Matteson, Ill., to represent that city as a member of the Chicago South Suburban Mass Transit District's Board of Trustees, according to Illinois State Legislative Director JOE SZABO. The district is responsible for the commuter cars used by the Metra transit system, where O'Brien works as a conductor.
LOCAL 1373, PHILADELPHIA, PA. Members are mourning the loss of JOSEPH A. KOCHERSPERGER, who died of a massive heart attack on Dec. 27, 1998. Kochersperger had served as local chairperson and legislative representative and had proven himself to be "a loyal and devoted brother," said MARK POSERINA.
LOCAL 1589, NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. Members driving buses for Suburban Transit are welcoming to the local 110 new brothers and sisters employed as part-time drivers who chose the UTU to represent them by a 2-to-1 margin during an election held December 17, 1998. Vice President and Director of the Bus Department BERNIE McNELIS acknowledged the efforts of former General Chairperson WALT MITCHELL, General Chairperson WILLIAM ROBERSON, representatives EVERTON SIBBLIS and QUINDELLA FRASER, organizers BOB GABE, JOE PASTOR and JOHN McKENZIE, and New Jersey State Legislative Director DAN O'CONNELL.
LOCAL 1741, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. Members in December marked the 35th anniversary of the local's founding with a banquet celebrating the theme, "Thirty-five Years of Community Service." Members, who drive school buses for Laidlaw and A&E Transportation, recognized the seniority of driver COZETTA BRUCE, who hired on in September 1963, by presenting her with a UTU watch and a plaque proclaiming her "#1 in Seniority and #1 in Our Hearts." Also honored was driver MATTIE BOWER for her work with the homeless, FRANK GALLARDO for serving as first general chairperson at A&E Transportation, and AARON JACKSON for his years of dedicated service. Said General Chairperson JIM HARFORD (Laidlaw), "For an organization to build for the future, it is important to honor the past."
LOCAL 1908, BUFFALO, N.Y. Members driving for National School Bus are reminded by Local Treasurer and newsletter editor ROBIN CRADDOCK that their contract expires in June, and now is the time to submit ideas and suggestions for changes.
GO-505, LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD Members are reminded the UTU Trainmen's Entertainment Committee is hosting its 20th Annual Dinner Dance on February 27, 1999, at the Cresthollow Country Club in Woodbury, N.Y., where the guest list includes newly elected senator Chuck Schumer, and congressmen Rick Lazio and Mike Forbes. According to Dance Committee Chairperson JOE RUTIGLIANO (president of Local 645, Babylon, N.Y.), more than 700 attended last year's event. For information, call (516) 661-3500.
MEMBERSHIP PROFILE
Local 340's donation rescues free clinic ......##J
The members of Local 340 in Connellsville, Pa., last December thought they might treat themselves to a Christmas party -- until they heard about the plight faced by the Wesley Church Health Center.
"The health center provides free health care and medications to the less fortunate in our community who don't have health insurance or qualify for public health care," said Local Treasurer Ronald C. Hoburn. "The care is provided without regard to religion or race. Community doctors donate their skill and time, and the medications and supplies are purchased through donations."
When members learned the health center faced a financial shortfall that threatened its existence, they realized their year-end spending decision would be easy.
"At our December meeting, the members voted to donate $500 to the health center in lieu of having a party or treating ourselves to turkeys or gift certificates," said Rick Bassinger, the local's charities committee chairman.
Thanks to the help provided by Local 340 and others in their community, the health center and the people it serves face a much brighter future.
"We now have enough operating funds for at least six more months," noted Martin E. Kurta, the clinic's executive director. "It is the caring and support of people like you that will help us continue this much- needed ministry."
Local 340 comprises about 60 very generous CSX workers from the vicinity of Connellsville and Cumberland, Md.
A photograph in the traditional print version of this month's edition of the UTU NEWS depicts Local 340 Treasurer Rick Bassinger presenting a $500 check to Marty Kurta, executive director of the Wesley Church Health Center in Connellsville, Pa. Also in the photograph are local members Chuck Speeney, Ron Hoburn, Fred Lee, Ron Fetsco, Ron Miller, Brad Witt, Terry Marchewka, James Lamanna, Francis Hatter and Randy Matthias. (Photo appears courtesy of The Daily Courier.)
BUS DEPT. / STREET BEAT
"Much more driving, much less safety" ............##K
Editorial by Bernard J. McNelis
Vice President and Director, UTU Bus Dept.The American Trucking Association (ATA) is seeking to change the hours-of-service regulations administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This is not good news; this is not good sense.
Simply put, the FHWA is considering changing the hours a driver may operate his or her vehicle, which is exactly what the ATA wants. The FHWA is considering changing regulations to allow drivers to operate for as many as 12 or 13 hours, and then have nine or 10 hours of rest. Right now, the regulations require a driver to be off eight hours after 10 hours of driving.
While many UTU members in the public sector will not be affected by this change unless the agency or authority for which they work follows the FHWA regulations, many more will be negatively affected if such a change is approved.
If the ATA, which represents mostly trucking company owners, wants to change the regulations, we all know it will have a negative impact on drivers. We also know those changes will negatively affect safety.
The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, of which we are a member, is objecting to the change on behalf of all the transportation unions. UTU National Legislative Director James Brunkenhoefer is working to convince the FHWA of the serious safety implications such a change will have on UTU members, other transportation employees and the riding public. Other unions are joining us, seeking to convince the FHWA to continue with the current hours-of-service regulations and to withdraw any such proposals for change.
The American Bus Association (ABA) also is against such changes, and is seeking at the very least to separate the motorcoach industry from the trucking industry.
We agree that any change in the hours of service regulations must be to improve safety, rather than to diminish it, and we will continue to fight efforts aimed at worsening driving conditions rather than improving them.
YARDMASTER REPORT
"CSXT yardmasters ratify agreement" ...........##L
Editorial by Don R. Carver
Assistant to the President, Yardmasters' Dept.Yardmaster members have a new agreement on CSX Transportation.
The membership spoke and ratification has been achieved.
Yardmasters on the former properties that comprise CSXT will now be covered by a single working agreement. Seven agreements have been replaced by this one new agreement.
I was able to assist the three yardmaster general committees in reaching the agreement. General Chairpersons Doyle K. Turner, Richard P. DeGenova and former General Chairperson Eric C. Howell cooperated in the negotiations. A majority of returned ballots favoring the agreement from each committee, tallied separately, was required for ratification.
General Chairperson Turner rallied the members of the Chesapeake & Ohio/Louisville & Nashville committee to return more than three out of four ratification ballots favoring the new agreement.
The agreement expands work opportunities with a regional seniority system, with prior rights to current locations. It also provides a package of wage and benefit increases.
Yardmasters will be paid to keep their skills updated along with an annual stock package of ten to 30 shares based on CSXT performance. Additionally, vacation pay computations have been revamped.
Another key provision of the agreement guarantees the rights of the three committees to represent their membership.
Meetings have been scheduled with representatives of the Grand Trunk Western in an effort to reach an agreement covering the GTW and Detroit, Toledo & Shore Line yardmasters following the recent failure of the ratification vote there.
EDITORIALS
Protections vital for peace of mind ..............##M
Change is never easy. Anyone who says it is should get his or her head examined. But it is our job to make sure that changes affecting our members are as agreeable as possible.
The carve-up of Conrail by CSX and Norfolk Southern, which is now expected to take place on June 1, will affect many of our members. That's why we are hopeful that the implementing agreements that were overwhelmingly approved in late December by train and engine service and yardmaster local chairpersons will be effective.
These implementing agreements feature unprecedented protections for UTU members by providing automatic certification of adversely affected employees under New York Dock provisions. They also provide for moving and other expenses should an employee be forced to relocate, although the vast majority of members affected by this mega-merger will not be facing the sale of their homes and the uprooting of their families.
"The implementing agreements provide the greatest protection available for our affected members, which far exceeds the protections imposed by the Surface Transportation Board," says Vice President Bob Earley, who, along with Vice Presidents Larry Davis and Al Smith, helped negotiate these agreements.
Automatic certification assures our members entitlement to all of the provisions of New York Dock. The certification clause allows existing employees to be automatically certified as adversely affected without being required to identify causal connections to the transaction. As long as an employee has exercised his or her seniority to the highest job available, he or she will be protected from any loss of wages based on their earnings from a previous 12-month period.
The healthy economy and booming railroad business mean that few, if any, job losses are expected because of the Conrail carve-up. But any employee who is "dismissed" from service, as defined in New York Dock provisions, will be provided protection of earnings and continuation of benefits for up to six years.
The Congress and the country will be closely watching what happens with the Conrail carve-up. We believe these implementing agreements are a win-win for UTU members. We intend to make sure they stay that way.
"For the first time ever..." ..................##N
Editorial by Charles L. Little
UTU International PresidentLater this year, the UTU and BLE will officially serve the major freight carriers with Section 6 notices. When we do so, it will formally reopen contract talks.
One thing will be very different this time around. The UTU and BLE will negotiate as one for the first time ever, and we will jointly pursue a new multiyear national contract before the formal reopening of contract talks on November 1.
We have often talked about strength through unity, and this is one way the leadership of the UTU and BLE can begin flexing its combined muscle. Together, the UTU and BLE represent more than 40% of active rail employees, about 95,000 operating workers, and that means increased bargaining leverage during contract talks.
We believe this dynamic will for the first time ever limit the carriers' power to reach agreement with one smaller union and impose that "pattern settlement" on the rest. That way of doing business is no longer acceptable, and will not work in the 21st Century.
Our goal is to reach a new national agreement before separately submitting to our memberships for ratification by year-end the proposed unification of the UTU and BLE. That is the best and wisest course of action.
Reaching a new unified collective bargaining agreement early and without threat of disruptions will demonstrate that a single operating union can more effectively protect the separate crafts working in the cab of a locomotive better than fragmented representation.
To do so, and because the times demand we try a new approach, we will engage in interest-based bargaining instead of confrontational negotiations. Both the UTU/BLE negotiating team and the carriers need to find mutually beneficial solutions that are acceptable to each side. We plan to identify the issues early and collaborate to solve them.
Issues include the two-tier wage system, work/rest and fatigue issues, safety, and possible certification of conductors.
In addition, we will explore replacing the mileage- based method of paying train crews with a new formula tied to special characteristics of individual trips. In return for any change, however, there must be minimum annual earnings, guaranteed consecutive rest days, and improved job protection that also provides greater flexibility to assign crews across a carrier's system.
In mid-January, the UTU and BLE began exploratory talks toward a new wage, benefits and work rules package. It is our hope that these National Wage and Rule Panel meetings will help us move swiftly down the track toward developing a new and better wage and rule system before formal talks begin in November.
For the first time ever, we have the opportunity to do something together that will benefit the pocketbooks and quality of life for all operating employees. We intend to seize the moment and make it work to our members' advantage.
"Railroads treat shippers like workers" ..........##O
Editorial by James M. Brunkenhoefer
UTU National Legislative DirectorI recently represented President Little at a National Industrial Transportation League (NIT League) conference. The NIT League is an association of more than 1,000 major shippers. I spent many hours visiting with the members of this organization. I listened very carefully to their concerns but it didn't take long to hear what the problems were: It appears that the railroads are treating their shippers very much like they are treating us, and the shippers aren't any happier than we are.
It seems that railroads have a history of living in a world of not keeping their promises, to the shippers or us. The railroads cannot give the shippers an accurate estimate as to when their cars will arrive. The railroads promise the shippers that they will have their cars available to unload at a certain time. The shippers call out crews to load or unload the equipment which shows up, in some cases, not only hours, but days or weeks, late. While the railroads leave us to sit for hours on trains, the shippers are calling other forms of transportation. Shippers have told this union that not only are trucks more dependable than rail service, they are, in many cases, even more dependable than barges, ships and pipelines. The shippers have said they would even be willing to pay more if the railroads would just keep their promises and deliver on schedule.
In our "just-in-time" society, late deliveries or no delivery are extremely costly to the shipper. The railroads are always ready with an excuse as to why the shipment is late and they always have the same reason: it is not the lack of power, it is not the lack of equipment, it is you. It's always you. It is your Hours of Service Act. It is that you won't work 60 to 80 hours a week. It is your work rules. The shippers are no longer buying that excuse; they are buying trucks. The shippers are flat out of patience.
The shippers said the railroads' traffic departments can learn a great deal from their own billing departments. The cars are never on time but the bills are. Not only that, but the railroads disregard the inquiries of the shipper while demanding prompt and full payment for the inadequate service they perform. The railroad appears to be more concerned about getting the bill to the shipper promptly than getting the car to the destination.
In today's global, competitive economy, shippers expect quality service. Of course they want their shipments fast, but even if they can't get them fast, they want a dependable delivery time. In other words, they are just like you. They want a dependable line up so they can make plans. It is amazing how much we have in common.
It is most unfortunate that the railroads constantly blame their employees for their own inability to manage. They don't keep their promises to us or to the shippers. I am sure that the railroads would be amazed at just how much business they could get if they could be accurate, dependable and truthful.
Because the railroads have lied about their ability to perform, the shippers have promised that you will be hearing more about their problems both in Congress and at the Surface Transportation Board. I wonder if those bodies will be able to tell the difference between our problems and the shippers' problems. They sound so much alike.
Voices: Members share their opinions ..........##P
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: WHY ARE UTU MEMBERS AN ADVANTAGE TO YOUR EMPLOYER?
"Those of us who drive charters and sightseeing runs for Grosvenor Bus Lines are willing to work long hours, usually 10-12 hours a day, 5-7 days a week. We hold Commercial Drivers' Licenses, know how to operate a slew of bus equipment, from Neoplan to MCI to Flyers, and we have enough diverse skills to conduct four different tours and deliver the different lectures. I think we've proved we can't be replaced with people right off the street." -- DEL HANKINS, L-115, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
"UTU-represented employees have a willingness to give 100% to their employer. The members of my local and I work for the Union Pacific (UP), and we know how to get the job done. We know what the job entails, and have the will and fortitude to work, 24 hours a day, at the ring of the telephone. We know that, based on the hours, it can be seen as an undesirable job, but the good pay and benefits that come from union-led negotiations make it a good job." -- BILLY HOBBS, L-439, TYLER, TEX.
"Union workers here on the Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines tend to be more responsible. We know we get wages and benefits over and above those who are non-unionized, so we feel an obligation to give more to our employer. Because the UTU provides training for bus department people, our employer gets knowledgeable employees who can give valuable feedback to improve operations. Also, the security we enjoy allows us to concentrate on doing a better job." -- PERCY PALMER, L-1785, SANTA MONICA, CAL.
"They get well-trained employees at a reasonable rate. Here on the Illinois Central, we don't have a school like they do on the CSX. We train our workers, at no additional cost to the employer. It takes skilled employees to negotiate the moves we make. If you want unskilled, untrained workers, you pay the price somewhere. A manager who knows his business understands this. They get a good, honest day's work from us. That's exactly what they get. They're getting a great deal." -- R.N. PORTER, L-753, MEMPHIS, TENN.
Feedback: "UTU, BLE seek joint pact" .............##Q
By Frank N. Wilner
(Article from January 18, 1999, TRAFFIC WORLD magazine. Re-printed with permission.)The two unions representing railroaders who work aboard trains have made a historic pledge jointly to pursue a new multi-year wage, benefits and work-rules pact with most of the nation's major freight railroads in advance of the formal re-opening of contracts in November.
A deal could include replacing an eight-decade-old mileage-based method of paying train crews with a new formula tied to unique characteristics of individual trips and promising minimum annual earnings, guaranteed consecutive rest days, improved job protection and greater carrier flexibility to assign crews across its system. Eventual cost savings to railroads could be substantial, while shippers could benefit from shorter, faster and more truck-competitive trains.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) President Clarence Monin and United Transportation Union Assistant President Byron Boyd said they will strive for the new agreement before separately submitting to their memberships for ratification at year end a proposed consolidation of the BLE and the UTU into the tentatively named North American Rail and Transportation Union (NARTU).
The two spoke at a luncheon sponsored by Traffic World and the Journal of Commerce at the National Press Club.
A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT A new collective bargaining agreement reached early and without threat of a strike would demonstrate, they said, that a single union protecting the separate crafts working in the cab of a locomotive can deliver more for members than fragmented representation.
Class I carriers with which the BLE and the UTU hope to conclude the agreement include Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSX, Illinois Central, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, Canadian National-owned Grand Truck Western and Canadian Pacific-owned Soo Line. An early agreement among major railroads and their operating unions would establish a pattern likely to hasten new contracts between railroads and their other unions and lessen substantially the threat to shippers of a national railroad shutdown in late 2000 or early 2001.
For almost a century, rail workers have sought a single union, cutting across craft lines and patterned after industrial representation in the auto and steel industries. That objective has greater economic urgency today. As unionized railroad employment has tumbled by almost 300,000 since 1981, some one dozen dues-starved separate craft unions are struggling to provide suitable representation for 160,000 Class I employees.
"We've lived within a cocoon for too long," said Monin. "If we're not fighting each other, we can devote more resources to the fight for better wages, benefits, quality of life and job security." The two unions, according to their own estimates, have spent more than $7 million raiding each other's memberships in recent years. During a 1994 UTU strike against the Soo Line, BLE members crossed picket lines.
CONSOLIDATION WOULD PRESERVE CRAFT AUTONOMY Proposed BLE-UTU consolidation would preserve craft autonomy by maintaining separate BLE and UTU divisions within the new NARTU, separate seniority rosters for engineers, brakemen and conductors, and require separate ratification of any contract settlement by the BLE and UTU divisions.
Actually, craft distinctions among operating crews have been fading for years. The UTU, for example, is a 30-year-old amalgam of formerly separate crafts including brakemen, conductors, firemen and switchmen. Among locomotive engineers, many hold dual membership in the BLE and the UTU and often use seniority to flow back to conductor when business downturns cause layoffs of engineers. A 1991 congressionally imposed contract settlement requires UTU-represented brakemen and conductors hired after 1985 to accept promotion to locomotive engineer even if their seniority is adversely affected. Also, hiring qualifications for engineers, brakemen and conductors are similar, operating crews receive common training and operating rules are equivalent.
A STRONGER VOICE ON CAPITOL HILL A combined BLE-UTU also would strengthen rail labor's voice on Capitol Hill and in state houses. The UTU political action committee fund, already larger at $2.6 million than any single railroad and all other rail unions combined, would grow to at least $3.2 million when combined with that of the BLE.
Railroads also favor union consolidation and are expected to work as diligently as BLE and UTU negotiators to reach an early wage, benefits and work- rules contract in anticipation of encouraging rank-and- file ratification of the BLE-UTU consolidation. Rail negotiators fret that individual craft bargaining discourages voluntary settlements out of fear among union negotiators that a rival union might subsequently extract a better contract.
The BLE-UTU courtship has been tempestuous and required mediation by senior AFL-CIO officers. If the rank and file ratify the proposed consolidation into the NARTU, it would be effective Jan. 1, 2000. "This consolidation is structured so that other unions can become partners if they wish," said Boyd.
The BLE and the UTU together represent some 95,000 train and engine service employees, which is more than 40% of the Class I work force. The next largest craft, with fewer than 40,000 Class I-employed members, is the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, which has shown no interest in consolidating with another rail union.
EXPLORATORY TALKS SET TO BEGIN BLE and UTU negotiators were scheduled to begin exploratory talks last week toward a new wage, benefits and work rules package with the rail industry's chief labor negotiator, Bob Allen. Negotiations will begin over 14 unresolved disputes on work rules and quality of life issues remaining from the two-year bargaining round that culminated in separate BLE and UTU contracts in 1996.
Allen, Boyd and Monin are optimistic the contract talks will be productive and swift. In 1996, UTU President Charlie Little stunned other union chiefs by abandoning confrontational negotiating tactics that traditionally culminated in brief work stoppages, presidential emergency board recommendations and congressional imposition of settlement terms.
UTU was accused by other unions of granting the carriers too many concessions, but Little and Boyd defended their strategy as more beneficial to union members than permitting a Republican-controlled Congress to establish new wages, benefits and work rules. Congress may ignore auto, steel and baseball strikes, but predictably issues its own back-to-work orders within hours of a railroad work stoppage. During the process, shippers divert business to trucks and are slow in returning their freight to the rails, and rail- employee morale suffers severely.
"Today, the art of making a deal is to be up front and quick," said Boyd. "You are better off being the first guy to make a deal. One stable voice in dealing with carriers would be even better."
"Two separate unions in the locomotive cab is like two families living under the same roof," said Little.
LABOR STRIFE INCREASES POSSIBILITY OF LINE SALES Observing that one consequence of labor strife has been line sales to nonunion short lines and unceasing substitutions of technology for workers, Monin said, "Unions shouldn't be in a race with each other for the bottom." Where unions previously fought unsuccessfully to retain cabooses, flagmen, telegraphers and five- person crews, Monin said the fight now is against "zero- person crews" as railroads exploit advances in computer- assisted remote-control technology. A new, more effective bargaining strategy is required, said Boyd and Monin.
As for the joint efforts to reach a new agreement, Allen, Boyd and Monin said interest-based bargaining would replace confrontational negotiations. Instead of each side demanding a specific outcome, the parties place on the table an issue and collaborate to solve it, said Allen.
A new pay formula could prove the toughest objective, but both sides have incentive for reform. Freight train crews traditionally have been paid based primarily upon mileage traveled. A formula dating to World War I, when steam engines periodically stopped to reload coal and water, established 100 miles as the basis for a day's pay, with penalty payments for so-called overmiles. Today, diesel-powered freight trains often travel several hundred miles in eight hours, affording train crews multiple days' pay from overmiles.
With fewer labor-friendly Democrats in Congress, congressionally imposed settlements over the past two decades have increased to 130 miles the distance required for a day's pay, reducing the number of overmiles and the heft of many pay envelopes. This has been especially so in the West where trains generally travel faster for longer periods.
A new pay formula to be discussed by the BLE, the UTU and major railroads, said sources, would scrap the mileage system altogether, but preserve current annual income of train crews while assuring additional time off and more predictable work schedules. The new formula could mimic airline pay by establishing a pay rate for each individual train run. BLE and UTU members would bid for those runs based on seniority. Crews would be guaranteed a minimum number of rest days per month and be assured more notice before being summoned to work. Those with lower seniority might be subject to floating assignments. An attempt to reach such an agreement with just Illinois Central several years ago was rejected by that railroad's operating-crew members.
If such a new national package can be negotiated and the BLE-UTU consolidation ratified, "a total victory for labor in general and rail labor particularly will result," said Monin.
STATE WATCH --News from UTU State Legislative Boards ........##R
ARIZONA - The Arizona State Legislative Board would like to congratulate Local Chairpersons Tom Moore (807) and Steve Collins (1800) for co-hosting another successful Annual Special Meeting in Tucson late last year.
Representatives from Aetna, United HealthCare and the Railroad Retirement Board were on hand to discuss changes in member and dependent benefits, and representatives from the Crow Law Firm discussed employee rights and the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). The UTU Auxiliary hosted a day-long recruiting session and information room.
Assistant President Byron A. Boyd, Jr., and Vice President Paul Thompson were on hand for the event, as was Membership I, the UTU's mobile education and training coach.
Congratulations are also in order for Local 1559 Secretary/Treasurer and Legislative Representative David Shearer, for his appointment to the office of vice chairman of the State Democratic Party, and to State Legislative Director Scott Olson, who will continue as chairman of the Arizona State Labor Caucus, reports Steve Coffey (1081).
MISSISSIPPI - State Legislative Director Neal Fowler is proud to report that Democrat Ronnie Shows was sworn last month as the 4th District's representative to the U.S. House, having defeated Delbert Hosemann in the last general election.
Fowler boasted that Shows was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and on the House Subcommittee on Railroads.
"Mr. Shows is very knowledgeable about rail issues and will serve us well in this position," Fowler said.
TEXAS - State Legislative Director Sam Arrington has asked the Union Pacific Railroad to implement a new system for reporting unsafe conditions at the carrier's Houston hub and other hub units in the state.
At the request of Local 1892 Legislative Representative Mike Hardy and Alternate Legislative Representative Brad Sowers, Arrington has asked that the UP restore the system used by the former Southern Pacific Railroad prior to its acquisition by the UP.
Unlike the UP's current voice-mail hotline, Arrington and others would like to see the UP appoint a safety officer to hear and respond to employees' safety concerns.
He said the current system provides no acknowledgment of employees' concerns and leaves UTU members wondering whether their warnings are being heeded.
Arrington said the SP's old system put management on the hot seat, and that is why he is in favor of it.
"I have had conversations with UP Vice President Ed Handley on this subject, and I feel he is on the affirmative. I don't think he's trying to stonewall us on this thing, it's just something he's got to get around to," he said.
"I think it is a good idea, and if others see it in place here, it may spread," Arrington added.
FEATURES
Safety problems at Belt Railway of Chicago .......##S
CHICAGO -- On May 26, 1998, a tragic accident took place in the Belt Railway of Chicago's Clearing Yard in suburban Bedford Park. Gene Janik, 57, the foreman of a switch crew and a 36-year veteran of the railroad industry, was crushed to death between the couplers of two freight cars.
The incident was not only tragic, but ironic. Safety on the job had always been Gene's chief concern. As chairperson of Local 1597 of the United Transportation Union, he spent much of his time teaching and preaching safety to the Belt Railway's 203 switchmen, while alerting employees and management alike to every unsafe condition and work practice that came to his attention.
To this day, his colleagues still are unclear as to why a safety-obsessed professional railroader would suddenly be in the wrong place at the wrong time with fatal results.
Despite their unanswered questions, Gene's fellow railroaders at the Belt gradually have come to accept his death. The passage of time has helped to heal their wounds, but a new serious issue is rearing its head.
More difficult to accept, however, is a persistent series of inappropriate and sometimes contemptuous responses to the incident on the part of the Belt Railway of Chicago and its president, Thomas Shurstad.
These responses have been directed largely against Switchman Kenneth D. Filipiak, the first crew member to reach Gene immediately after the accident and the only person who actually witnessed his death.
The railroad company brought charges against Ken and fired him, citing "false statements" made to the railroad claim agent who interviewed him immediately after the accident. On examination, however, the "false statements" represent nothing more than a modest, and thoroughly understandable, discrepancy between the first impressions related at the scene by a witness still in shock and more reflective statements made later to law enforcement officials and a lawyer for the dead man's family.
What is the nature of the alleged "false statement"? What is the discrepancy between that statement and Ken's later testimony?
In his initial oral statement May 26, just after the accident, Ken allegedly told the railroad claim agent that when he reached the scene and saw his foreman crushed between the couplers, "There was no doubt about it; he was dead." Ken made this statement after the agent, Royal Gelder, told him that his statement was being taken for insurance purposes only and would not be used in connection with any investigation or hearing related to Ken's proper performance of his job.
In a handwritten statement made three days later, on May 29, however, Ken said that when he first reached the scene Gene was still alive, although just barely.
"When I came on the third car," he wrote, "I turned and Gene was looking at me. He had his arms reached out towards me and he was trembling. It looked like he wanted to scream but he couldn't talk. I started screaming, 'Oh no, it can't happen.' I ran to him and said, 'Gene, I'm here.' Then his arms started to drop and his eyes closed. It sounded like a gasp. I knew he was dead." Later in the statement Ken said, "When I first saw him there was blood coming out of his nose and the bottom of his chest. He was standing in a pool of blood."
Was Gene Janik dead at the scene when Ken Filipiak reached him? Or was he technically still alive and only in the process of expiring?
Given that Ken Filipiak was extremely distraught and in shock at finding his foreman, and longtime friend, fatally injured, and given that he had no medical knowledge and no experience in first aid, could a reasonable person expect him to ascertain a fact even physicians and coroners occasionally dispute - the precise moment of clinical death? Is the distinction between Gene Janik's last breath, second-to-last breath or third-to-last breath actually relevant?
Moreover, it is entirely possible that in his oral statement to the agent, Ken Filipiak was describing not his initial impression on arriving at the scene of the accident, but the first memory he could recall, either the death of Gene Janik, or his impression from observing Gene that death was certain and would be swift. It is a common practice among speakers of colloquial American English to use the present tense to lend drama to the prediction of an immediate future event, especially death, as in: "You're history," "He's a dead man," or "I'm a goner." It is perfectly logical that a distraught and shocked friend would say, "There was no doubt Gene was dead" to mean, "There was no doubt Gene was about to die."
On November 3, 1998, Ken Filipiak was called into a hearing to give a deposition about the incident to Belt Railway management. Three days later, on November 6, he was told he was removed from service. He was escorted from the property and was handed a letter signed by Belt Railway Manager of Crew Development James Ford telling him he would be the subject of disciplinary proceedings for having given false statements to the railroad concerning the death of Gene Janik.
FIRED OVER A TINY DISTINCTION Just recently, Belt officials fired Ken Filipiak. Why was he fired over a tiny distinction that represents no true difference?
The most likely answers are to be found in the recent history of the Belt Railway, in larger trends that have unfolded over the last several years in the railroad industry as a whole, and in Belt Railway President Thomas Shurstad's behavior toward employees, and particularly toward safety issues, in his previous position with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis.
-- At the Belt Railway, Gene Janik's death was the second workplace fatality in four months and the third in 26 months, an appalling record for what is essentially a small railroad.
-- There is a financial premium to railroads for proving that an employee died "instantly." Under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, which covers railroad employees, families of fatally injured workmen receive a higher settlement if it is proved that suffering occurred before death.
-- Prior to his death, Gene Janik had been increasingly concerned about deteriorating safety conditions at the Belt Railway. His wife, Linda, who typed his reports, said management's toleration and tacit encouragement of unsafe work practices made up a significant part of her husband's correspondence with the company, the union and the Federal Railroad Administration.
TOO MUCH WORK FOR THE WORKERS -- Since 1989, the Belt Railway has undergone a business turnaround that has seen the daily throughput of freight cars rise from an occasional maximum of 2,400 per day to a frequent maximum of 3,000 per day. Rather than staff up to meet the additional demand, however, the Belt has kept its employment roster static while resorting to overtime assignments of up to 12 hours per day and elimination of vacations and days off to keep traffic moving. In the context of Chicago's severe winters, this work routine leaves employees too fatigued and too distracted by lack of family time to exercise the strict attentiveness essential to safe railroad work.
-- An industry-wide surge of traffic and profits and a downsizing of railroad work forces following deregulation in 1980 has led to a fatal conjunction of three unsound managerial attitudes and practices. First, in order to raise productivity, employees are tacitly encouraged to ignore safety rules if strict application of a rule threatens to reduce output. Second, if an accident occurs due to such neglect of safety rules, management retroactively invokes the same rule it ignored in practice and uses the violation to discipline or fire the employee who committed the violation. "Going by the book" is regarded by management as "malicious compliance," until there is an accident. Then the rule reassumes its importance. Third, management discourages the reporting of workplace injuries by threatening to fire employees who submit a medical claim.
-- It is a matter of record that when Belt Railway President Shurstad was president of the Terminal Railway Association of St. Louis, he held a "safety discussion" in August of 1997 at which he threatened enginemen and switchmen with retaliation if they reported injuries to a physician or if they retained attorneys to sue the carrier to collect medical expenses or damages resulting from an on-the-job injury. In sworn testimony, employees present at the meeting said Shurstad told them that suing the company, the only recourse available to railroad employees, who are not covered by Workmen's Compensation, amounted to "racketeering." When one employee told Shurstad he was about to visit his physician a third time in connection with an injury, the executive replied, "You're going to be under a lot of pressure." He then told the employees, "These lawsuits are going to stop. If not, people are going to go to jail for racketeering. When I was working on the ground (i.e., as a switchman) I got hurt a lot of times but I didn't report it because it was my fault."
In view of the above facts, it is apparent that the Belt Railway of Chicago's treatment of Kenneth Filipiak represents a deliberate management policy to intimidate employees into refraining from reporting injuries so that the company can reduce its insurance and medical expenses and misrepresent its safety record to state and federal officials.
DEATHS CANNOT BE MISREPRESENTED Deaths, however, cannot be misrepresented, although the survivors can be manipulated. The high death rate at the Belt Railway of Chicago suggests that the railroad is not as safe as its injury rate indicates. And management's conduct toward employees suggests that the chief executive officer understands this distinction and is prepared to minimize its implications.
At the Belt Railway the real "discrepancy" is not between Ken Filipiak's first, shocked reaction and his more sober later testimony, but between the injury rate reported by the company and the death rate known to local public-safety officials.
Belt Railway employees may be discouraged from seeing a doctor, but Belt Railway managers are strongly encouraged to doctor their safety statistics.
What really happened to Gene Janik? ...........##T
Eugene A. Janik, general chairperson on the Belt Railway of Chicago and a member of Local 1597 in Chicago, Ill., with 36 years of experience, was killed May 26, 1998, in a switching accident, the second fatality on the property that year and the third in 26 months. On February 4, 1998, Mike Mallin died after being hit by a railcar, and on March 20, 1996, a switching accident took the life of Andrew Shiu. Both were members of Local 1997.
Jim Farina, a lawyer with the UTU designated legal counsel firm of Hoey, Farina and Downes in Chicago, which is representing the Janik family, talked about the case:
"There was the biggest sun kink in the track I'd ever seen. At the point where the coupling was to be made, the tracks weren't aligned, and that's what caused Gene to go between the cars, to re-align the drawbars after the failed coupling.
"Some trainmen had complained about it long before the accident happened, but the Belt did nothing about it.
"Janik could not see clearly from where he was standing if the car was stopped or not. He called on the radio and said, 'I see it (the car) there. It'll be out, then? Looks like that car is dying,' but got no answer from the yardmaster.
"He proceeded between the cars to align the drawbars, and that was it.
"Three months earlier, Mike Mallin was killed there. That was on February 4, 1998. He was run over. He was working on track 12 but was found on track 11, and he had no reason to be on track 11. We are convinced that he inadvertently lost his balance by tripping over debris and a broken rail, was clipped by a tank car moving on the adjacent track, rolled underneath and was killed. The clearances are really close, and the lighting is poor.
"These tracks didn't fall from the sky and end up like that. They (the railroad company) put them like that so they can run more trains and make more money. To them, space is money.
"The first guy killed was Andrew Shiu, who was working as a conductor with just three months' experience. His helper had been on the job only about three weeks. They send these guys out with minimal training. He (Shiu) was coupling cars and one slowly and silently rolled back on him. It was his lack of experience that killed him."
In the wake of the Janik investigation, Farina said Filipiak has been fired for allegedly filing false statements.
"The Belt has really put on the brass knuckles," Farina said. "This is the worst case of harassment I've ever seen. I'm convinced they fired him because he worked with us. They set up a trumped-up charge of lying in his deposition. Right after he finds his friend dying they put a tape recorder in his face and started asking him questions."
"We have the testimony of the coroner that said Janik could have lived a half hour to an hour or more, and he supported Filipiak's testimony totally. The Belt lawyers got the same testimony, but have chosen to ignore it."
SENIOR NEWS
G.K. "Trudy" Weber retires -- again ..............##U
Gertraud K. "Trudy" Weber retired in January 1999, and this time she hopes it sticks.
A member of Local 1908 in Buffalo, N.Y., Weber tried retiring before, but the action marked one of the few times in her life when her efforts didn't pay off with success.
Until her retirement this year, Weber held the position of UTU Alternate Vice President - Bus - East, a position she won at the UTU's Seventh Quadrennial Convention in Chicago in 1995 when she was talked out of retirement by the Bus Caucus.
Immediately prior to holding that office, she served as UTU International Vice President - Bus Department, leaving her mark within the union as the first female to rise to the vice presidency at the International level.
Her road to achievement began in Amberg, West Germany, where she was born in 1934. In her youth, she served a two-year apprenticeship as a bookkeeper, a job she didn't enjoy, and she vowed to never take a non- union job again.
Coming to America shortly afterward, she got married and soon had two children. "I was working for Cattrell, now owned by Laidlaw. They wanted me for full-time work in the office," she said. "I didn't want a full-time job, so I took a job driving a school bus so I could be home for my children."
As her boys grew older, she drove as many charter trips as possible to fund their college educations, while at the same time, she attended night school at Buffalo State College to learn about labor law.
Weber's philosophy toward life led to union involvement. "I can't stand seeing people mistreated, and I believe that if you don't like what's going on, you should change it from the inside out," she said.
Despite her positive attitude, she said she wasn't a "natural" for union work. "I really didn't enjoy the politics, and I always had to try to fit my family around the job. It was demanding, and it was stressful, but I always loved it."
Medicare reform panel debates fixes ...........##V
A Medicare reform panel is eyeing proposals that would raise the eligibility age and transform the program into one that buys health insurance rather than pays medical bills.
The 17-member Bipartisan Commission on Medicare Reform also is considering ways to include prescription drug coverage, and has amended its ground rules to make its sessions and documents accessible to the public.
The panel's two co-chairmen and most of its members have indicated support for increasing the age of eligibility from 65 to 67, with the change phased in slowly over a quarter century. The change would parallel a gradual age increase already approved by Congress for Social Security benefits.
At the same time, consensus is growing to model the program after the health-benefit packages granted by many private companies and offered to federal government workers.
Under such a system, a retiree would choose from a menu of health insurance plans and receive a Medicare subsidy to help cover the premium or enrollment fee.
Proponents of a premium-support program argue that adoption of the plan would lure a wide range of insurance companies willing to compete for government contracts to provide a basic package of benefits.
Medicare would negotiate with the plans to get the best deal possible, they argue, and then set an annual subsidy based on a percentage of the average bid.
According to reports, the panel is also looking at options that would add prescription drug coverage to Medicare or require Medigap insurers to expand their offerings.
The reform commission, created as part of a 1997 federal budget agreement, is looking for ways to modernize the program, help it avoid a projected bankruptcy early in the next century, and enable it to cope with the pressures it will face when the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement.
The panel is due to issue recommendations to Congress and the president on March 1, 1999, but some members are suggesting the deadline be extended.
Social Security market investments opposed .......##W
President Clinton has proposed a double-barreled plan to bolster the Social Security system that calls for investing nearly $700 billion in stocks and creating retirement accounts for each U.S. citizen.
The plan, outlined during last month's State of the Union Address, relies heavily on anticipated future budget surpluses. The proposal to invest government funds in the stock market met nearly immediate opposition from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer (R-Tex.).
In his plan, Clinton proposed investing 62% of the projected budget surplus over the next 15 years in the stock market, with revenue from the investments to be used exclusively by Social Security. According to current projections, that would amount to about $40 billion a year that would be invested.
Clinton also called for another 11% of the surplus to be used to create government-subsidized "universal savings accounts," similar to 401(k) accounts, for American workers, an idea embraced by financial experts and generally backed by Republicans.
In addition, Clinton proposed that another 15% of the expected surplus be earmarked for Medicare, with the remainder to be spent on military and other domestic programs, angering many Republicans who want an across- the-board tax cut.
Rep. Archer said government investment in the stock market "will open the doors to all kinds of mischief." Greenspan said the move was too risky, could hurt the economy, and is dangerous because there's no way to insulate investment decisions from "political forces."
Picnic planned in St. Petersburg, Fla. ........##X
Rail retirees, their spouses and companions in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Fla., are again invited to join the fun at the annual picnic begun by Conrail retirees eight years ago, said Retiree Program member Joe Alenduff (L-1963, Louisville, Ky.).
This year's picnic will begin at 11 a.m. in St. Petersburg's Ft. DeSota Park on March 20, 1999. Participants are urged to bring their own cups and place settings and a dish or two to share, with iced tea, coffee and a ham to be furnished.
For information, call Alenduff at (813) 522-6808.
The Final Call ...................................##Y
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 0006 Krumreich, Edward G. Indianapolis, IN 0048 McKown, Edward C. Norfolk, VA 0145 Hann, Lawrence V. Zephyr Hills, FL 0168 Maurer, John J. Inverness, FL 0194 Ladow, Alfred L. Elkhart, IN 0195 Stewart, R. L. Ottumwa, IA 0196 Marcum, Frank J. Centralia, IL 0284 Kelleher, F. D. Amherst, OH 0324 Gallarno, Charles W. Troutdale, OR 0404 Bennett, Robert W. Vickery, OH 0418 Finnegan, Thomas M. Sioux City, IA 0432 Taylor, Jackie D. Centralia, IL 0440 Nash, Curtis G. New Carlisle, OH 0440 Krekeler, Arthur C. Cincinnati, OH 0492 Seder, Reuben J. Wheeler, OR 0598 Roberts, Marion F. Mobile, AL 0622 Vendegrift Jr., W. M. Birmingham, AL 0630 Judd, Arthur Martin, KY 0811 Stephenson, Duane L. Wheatland, WY 0923 Selby, Julius C. Dalhart, TX 0945 Hendren, Robert B. LaJunta, CO 0980 Wehmhoefer, Ray W. Bismarck, ND 0998 Williams, James W. Ray City, GA 1011 Thrailkill, R. O. Batesburg, SC 1042 Thompson, Howard O. Oklahoma City, OK 1074 Shoaf, Merle J. Manor, PA 1374 Benson, Robert Grand River, OH 1376 Park Edwin B. Gahanna, OH 1399 Snellenberger, Cecil R. Jasonville, IN 1418 Bulat, Metro Beaver Falls, PA 1470 McCorkle, John J. Baltimore, MD 1502 Collins, Clyde J. Leesburg, FL 1564 Bouler, Julius C. Los Angeles, CA 1591 Peterson, Edward E. White Marsh, MD 1614 Johnson, Harold C. South Haven, MN 1628 Bowden, Lawrence F. N. Huntingdon, PA 1638 Rea, Peter J. Twinsburg, OH 1638 Weisbarth, George P. Yuma, AZ 1765 Sleeper, Donald F. Ludington, MI 1785 Borys, John D. Los Angeles, CA
TPEL HONOR ROLL --Contributors' continued support recognized........##Z
Below are benefactors of the UTU's Transportation Political Education League (TPEL) who have begun contributing more than $100 per year, or have increased their donations to more than $100 per year, within the last month. This list is a regular feature in the UTU NEWS, honoring those men and women who help make this union and nation great.
* Denotes Retired Member
PLATINUM CLUB ($1,200 or more per year) NAME LOCAL CITY/STATE Van Bree, Frank E. 72 Battle Creek, MI Coffman, Phillip W. 835 Bakersfield, CA
DOUBLE DIAMOND CLUB ($600 or more per year) NAME LOCAL CITY/STATE Saunders, John A. 508 Smithville, TX Harford, James T. 1741 San Francisco, CA
DIAMOND PLUS CLUB ($400 or more per year) NAME LOCAL CITY/STATE Stotts, Johnnie 243 Ft. Worth, TX Cox, Steven D. 322 Milwaukee, WI Hensler Sr., Thomas E. 490 Princeton, IN
DOLLAR-A-DAY CLUB ($365 or more per year) NAME LOCAL CITY/STATE Passet, Joseph R. 329 Boone, IA Schultz, Janet L. 329 Boone, IA Ball Jr., Elgin 807 Tucson, AZ Morrison II, M. T. 1011 Hamlet, NC Homme, David N. 1293 Altoona, WI *Kenny, Edward C. 1375 Philadelphia, PA McKillip, Larry D. 1468 Walla Walla, WA Alexander, Robert G. 1581 Bakersfield, CA Vanneman, Richard B. 1581 Bakersfield, CA McNelis, Bernard J. 1594 Upper Darby, PA
DIAMOND CLUB ($300.00 or more per year) NAME LOCAL CITY/STATE Bottles, Raymond C. 2 Toledo, OH *Sloan, George 5 Kansas City, MO Backoff, William D. 17 Marshalltown, IA McNary, David H. 17 Marshalltown, IA Wilkens, Stephen C. 17 Marshalltown, IA Woodruff, Mark W. 17 Marshalltown, IA *Morin, Louis A. 386 Reading, PA Russell, Ronald W. 490 Princeton, IN Weaver, Edgar D. 508 Smithville, TX Kasecamp, Lawrence E. 600 Cumberland, MD Hicks, Daniel V. 807 Tucson, AZ Vandeberg, Wayne C. 891 Whitefish, MT Thomas, Brad 1033 Atlanta, GA Long, Johnnie E. 1293 Altoona, WI *Spahr, Albert 1445 Elizabeth, NJ Hansen, Harry R. 1532 Kansas City, KS Rodriguez, Ruben 1563 El Monte, CA Thompson, Gary D. 1614 St. Paul, MN Tuck Jr., George P. 1814 Spartanburg, SC
GOLD CLUB ($100 or more per year) NAME LOCAL CITY/STATE Doyle III, James J. 61 Philadelphia, PA Famulare, Santo A. 95 Rensselaer, NY Evans, Ronald L. 226 Moberly, MO Matlock Jr., Frank A. 226 Moberly, MO Wilson, Nate 226 Moberly, MO Arthur, Todd A. 228 Cedar Rapids, IA Podoll, Jason P. 233 Aberdeen, SD Heisel, Russell I. 234 Bloomington, IL Jack, John J. 240 Los Angeles, CA Brazier, Eric M. 243 Ft. Worth, TX Cunningham, James M. 243 Ft. Worth, TX Grylls, Amanda R. 243 Ft. Worth, TX Lionberger, Scott 243 Ft. Worth, TX Long, Tracy L. 243 Ft. Worth, TX Mapes, Mark A. 243 Ft. Worth, TX McConathy, Mark A. 243 Ft. Worth, TX McKinney III, Melvin 243 Ft. Worth, TX Peoples, Craig E. 243 Ft. Worth, TX Zepeda, Richard 243 Ft. Worth, TX Neary, William T. 256 Watervliet, NY Lankford, Joshua J. 303 Springfield, MO Venhaus Jr., Billie D. 305 Lincoln, NE Connors, Michael R. 311 La Crosse, WI Gibbs, Martin L. 313 Grand Rapids, MI Mallinger, Greg S. 329 Boone, IA Prowant, Darrin R. 329 Boone, IA Pence, Rex L. 445 Niota, IL Perry, Orville B. 453 Clinton, IL Evans, Terry C. 490 Princeton, IN Hess, Kevin P. 490 Princeton, IN Wolf, Gregory W. 490 Princeton, IN Joyce, David P. 500 Grand Jct., CO Schwengels, Dane E. 500 Grand Jct., CO Crow, James E. 504 Wheeling, WV Fehlker, David R. 508 Smithville, TX Keen, Kenneth R. 508 Smithville, TX Vinklarek, Russell D. 508 Smithville, TX Williams, Scott A. 508 Smithville, TX Lybecker, Eric W. 544 Havre, MT Hiatt, David E. 734 Battle Creek, MI Berry, Brett J. 763 Pittsburg, KS Skinner, Jack L. 763 Pittsburg, KS Wilson, Brian H. 763 Pittsburg, KS Powell, Larry M. 771 Needles, CA Sharpe, Christopher J. 793 Columbia, SC Grundy, James R. 807 Tucson, AZ McCowin Jr., Samuel 807 Tucson, AZ *Lorimor, Larry 832 Superior, WI Tribbey, Paul 832 Superior, WI Carroll, Michael E. 856 Houlton, ME Langston, James E. 891 Whitefish, MT McDowell, Brian D. 891 Whitefish, MT Crockett, Charles E. 904 Evansville, IN Moody, Troy D. 904 Evansville, IN Moody, Virgil W. 904 Evansville, IN Craig, Paul D. 931 Greenville, SC O'Bryant, Thomas C. 931 Greenville, SC Porter Sr., Kirk S. 931 Greenville, SC Thompson, Jack W. 931 Greenville, SC Larson, Clyde P. 1067 Virginia, MN Santoro, David J. 1117 Las Vegas, NV Payne, Preston N. 1126 Pratt, KS Boles, Jimmy E. 1129 Raleigh, NC Brown, Neal A. 1129 Raleigh, NC Brown, Robert J. 1129 Raleigh, NC Robinson, James C. 1403 Kansas City, MO Butkowsky, Walter 1413 Jersey City, NJ Atkins, David R. 1445 Elizabeth, NJ Richter, Paul 1445 Elizabeth, NJ Turner, Richard A. 1445 Elizabeth, NJ Bowe, David M. 1462 Boston, MA Hodges, Robert U. 1501 Baton Rouge, LA Jackson, Kenneth B. 1501 Baton Rouge, LA Patin, Clifton J. 1501 Baton Rouge, LA Dempsey, William L. 1522 Washington, DC Hudson, Frank L. 1522 Washington, DC Chilson, Michael T. 1532 Kansas City, KS Conley, Matthew J. 1532 Kansas City, KS Evans, William S. 1532 Kansas City, KS Gacek, John E. 1532 Kansas City, KS Hansen, Harry R. 1532 Kansas City, KS Martin, Kenneth D. 1532 Kansas City, KS Montgomery, Aaron L. 1532 Kansas City, KS Paige, Latonda A. 1532 Kansas City, KS Penn, Roger E. 1532 Kansas City, KS Sheppard, Johannah 1532 Kansas City, KS Woodbury, Jeff M. 1532 Kansas City, KS Baker, Robert E. 1545 Monroe, LA Fuller Jr., James W. 1545 Monroe, LA Parker Jr., Adrian L. 1545 Monroe, LA Williams, Larry D. 1545 Monroe, LA Gross, Richard S. 1557 Memphis, TN Murdock, Donna N. 1607 Los Angeles, CA Forsman, Timothy R. 1614 St. Paul, MN Hansen, Terry M. 1614 St. Paul, MN Ward, Dennis J. 1637 Wishram, WA Duncan, Gloria J. 1715 Charlotte, NC Fox, Emma A. 1715 Charlotte, NC Herndon, Jason 1715 Charlotte, NC Holland, Glennie P. 1715 Charlotte, NC Johnson, Christopher 1715 Charlotte, NC Williams, Rhonda C. 1715 Charlotte, NC Edwards, Danny M. 1780 Kansas City, MO Pikorz, Earl W. 1883 Riverdale, IL Riggan, Tim S. 1933 Washington, DC Poole III, York D. R Norfolk, VA
FELA UPDATE
Fraudulent claims can lead to trouble ........##AA
I have been asked to write an article about fraudulent claims under the Federal Employers' Liability Act. This is difficult for me because I have rarely seen one in the 35 years that I have represented railroad employees. Once in a while, however, someone will talk to me, and the story does not seem quite right. It does not pass the smell test. Everyone knows the rules: faking a claim is wrong. It can get you fired. It may be a criminal offense. Do not do it.
Fraud can take different forms. A person gets hurt off the job and tries to convince others that it is an on-the-job injury. Or maybe the injury happened on the job, but it was the fault of the person who got hurt; he or she wants to pretend it was the railroad's fault so that there is a claim under FELA. Or maybe the injury is not a disabling one, but the injured person wants everyone to believe that he or she cannot work any longer.
Sometimes an injured person may not recognize that there is legal fault on the part of the railroad for that injury. That is one of the things that lawyers are trained to do: to recognize theories of liability that may not be obvious to people who are not lawyers. But if an employee comes to us after faking an injury or lying about how it happened, it is probably too late to help that employee.
Remember our advice: Call us first. Find out about your rights. Protect yourselves and your families
Monte Bricker,
Coordinator
Designated Legal Counsel
1-888-241-7076NOTICES
Rail workers get vision plan ....................##BB
The Railroad Employees National Vision Plan, administered by Vision Service Plan (VSP), is now available to most agreement employees and their dependents.
Employees must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for this benefit:
-- The railroad and union must have reached an agreement to provide vision benefits, and,
-- The employee must have completed one or more years of service.
Those eligible do not have to apply for coverage. VSP will be receiving a list of eligible employees and their dependents twice a month.
VSP has established a toll-free number for the plan. Call the toll-free number (1-888-877-4782) to locate a participating provider.
Detailed information about the benefits was made available in the Railroad Employees' National Vision Plan Summary Plan Description (SPD), which was mailed to all employees in November. If you have not received your SPD by now, please call VSP to request one.
VSP has an extensive nationwide network of doctors who provide the finest optometric care and materials. The plan is designed to assist covered employees and dependents in maintaining their vision by providing for regular eye examinations and benefits toward vision care expenses including glasses or contact lenses.
Monthly apparel winner announced .............##CC
This month's lucky winner of his choice of any item of UTU-logoed wearing apparel is A.J. Mayeux of Alexandria, La.
Brother Mayeux is a retired member of Local 462 in Pine Bluff, Ark., which represents workers employed on the Union Pacific Railroad.
These items are awarded every month by random drawing to show appreciation to the many members who have supported the UTU throughout the years. Congratulations to Brother Mayeux!
UTU 1999 Quadrennial Convention information .....##DD
UTU 1999 QUADRENNIAL CONVENTION
Monday-Friday, August 23-27, 1999Fontainebleau Hilton Resort and Towers
4441 Collins Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33140
Reservation number: (800) 548-8886Cut-off date for room reservations: July 20, 1999
Room rates: $ 125, single or double $250 to $375 for Suites
(All Tower rooms with ocean and bay views are SOLD-OUT) Parking: $13, valet onlyAdmittance onto the floor at the 1999 UTU Quadrennial Convention is restricted to delegates from individual locals. Officers, members and others may observe the proceedings from a small gallery at the rear of the convention floor. Local delegates will be receiving information packets from the International well in advance of the start of the convention.
UTU 1999 Regional Meeting information ........##EE
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 one of these Regional Meetings 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.
The UTU web site (www.utu.org) features the latest Regional Meeting information, links to web sites of host hotels, and a registration form.
Remember, each Regional Meeting lasts three full days. A golf outing is held the day before the first meeting day.
The UTU works hard to ensure that each Regional Meeting offers something of interest to all members, from local members to local and general committee officers to members of the family. Come and see why a UTU/UTUIA Regional Meeting is something not to be missed. (All rates quoted are per day)
WESTERN REGIONAL MEETING
Monday - Wednesday, May 24-26, 1999Wyndham Hotel at Los Angeles Airport
6225 West Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Reservation number: (310) 670-9000Cut-off date for room reservations: April 13,1999
Room rate: $109 double/$99 single
Parking rates: $7 self park/$12 valetOverflow hotel for Los Angeles meeting:
Sheraton Gateway Hotel (next door to Wyndham)
6101 West Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Reservation number: (800) 445-7999Cut-off date for room reservations: April 13, 1999 Room rate: $109 double/$99 single
Parking rates: $9 self park/$13 valetCENTRAL REGIONAL MEETING
Monday-Wednesday, June 14-16, 1999Regal Riverfront Hotel
Downtown St. Louis
200 South 4th Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
Reservation number: (314) 241-9500Cut-off date for room reservations: May 2, 1999 Room rate: $99, single or double
Parking rates: $11EASTERN/CANADIAN REGIONAL MEETING
Monday-Wednesday, July 11-14, 1999Hyatt Regency Washington (on Capitol Hill)
400 New Jersey Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Reservation number: (202) 737-1234Cut-off date for room reservations: June 1,1999 Room rate: $99, single or double
Parking: $22, valet only
Regional Meeting pre-registration form ..........##FF
UTU REGIONAL MEETING
PRE-REGISTRATION FORMBy 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.
Which Regional Meeting will you be attending?
_______Los Angeles, Cal., May 24-26, 1999
_______St. Louis, Mo., June 14-16, 1999
_______Washington, D.C., July 11-14, 1999
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 welcome reception; Monday lunch and evening theme reception; Tuesday lunch and special night out; Wednesday lunch and evening reception/banquet/awards dinner, and all training workshop materials. This registration fee is due 30 days prior to each meeting date. Make all checks payable to "UTU Regional Meeting." Send this completed form to: UTU Meeting 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.
Airline offers discount fares ................##GG
Southwest Airlines, a unionized national air carrier, is offering discounted airfares for travel to and from the Regional Meeting cities of Los Angeles, St. Louis and Baltimore/Washington, D.C.
Members should call the Southwest Airlines Group and Meeting Desk at 1-800-433-5368, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., by no later than five days prior to the first date of travel, and refer to identifier code E8389 for Los Angeles, E8399 for St. Louis, or E8409 for Baltimore/Washington, D.C., to take advantage of this offer.
UTU members should make their airline reservations as soon as possible as fares are subject to terms and availability. Because of scheduling, reservations may not yet be available for confirmation.
Regional Meeting golf outings planned ...........##HH
Arrangements are being made for golf outings in each Regional Meeting city. These golf outings are held the Sunday before the start of each meeting at challenging local golf courses. Information about locations, tee-off times, fees and registration deadlines will be printed as it becomes available, along with a registration form. The fee includes the greens fee and golf carts, as well as round-trip transportation to the course from the host hotel.
UTUIA seeks Volunteer of the Year ............##II
The United Transportation Union Insurance Association is looking for a special person to honor as its 1999 Volunteer of the Year.
Do you regularly volunteer at a hospital or nursing home? Do you lead a Cub Scout or Girl Scout troop or work with the handicapped? Are you involved in some other activity that benefits those in your community? If so, we'd like to know about it!
A panel of judges at the UTU International will review all submissions and select the 1999 Volunteer of the Year. The individual selected as UTUIA Volunteer of the Year will receive a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond and a plaque of appreciation from UTUIA. Additionally, he or she will be honored at the 1999 UTU/UTUIA Regional Meeting nearest his or her home (all expenses paid by UTUIA). Also, 20 runners-up will be selected to receive certificates of appreciation for their volunteer efforts.
Deadline for submission of nominations is February 28, 1999.
The outstanding individual will be notified by registered mail, and certificates of appreciation will be forwarded to runners-up as soon as possible. Decision of UTUIA judges is final. Previous nominees may be nominated again, however, former Volunteers of the Year are ineligible to receive awards.
The Volunteer of the Year program is designed to accomplish many things, not the least of which is the opportunity for UTUIA to let its fraternal light shine. It also provides an opportunity for UTUIA to recognize its volunteers for their outstanding contributions to others.
The nomination form should be mailed to: UTUIA Volunteer of the Year, 14600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44107-4250. Don't forget to include a separate sheet of paper describing your volunteer activities.
Become a part of fraternalism in action! Let us know about the helping, sharing and caring activities in which that special person has engaged so that we may give a deserved recognition to that very appreciated person. Help UTUIA in its continuing commitment to help others by completing the accompanying nomination form.
UTU NEWS ONLINE EDITION
FEBRUARY 1999
PROGRESS THROUGH UNITY