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Column by Paul C. Thompson
JB/ISP, new UTU credit card
As General Secretary and Treasurer, I have two important announcements to share with you. First, the UTU board of directors recently took action to decrease the assessments for the UTU Job Benefit Fund/Income Security Program by 40%. Second, we have been successful in negotiating an excellent new credit card deal with National City Bank. -- Full text.
Column by James M. Brunkenhoefer
The secret of UTU's success?
Look in the mirror!
The real reason that UTU is growing is you. It is not just Charlie Little or Byron Boyd or the other International officers or even the officers of your local. -- Full text.
A tale of two UTU cities
In Chicago, the more than 300 UTU-represented conductors working on the Metra commuter railroad ratified a new seven-year agreement being hailed as "one of the best commuter rail agreements in the nation."
In Los Angeles, the powers that be at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are trying to squeeze the 5,000 UTU members who operate its buses and trains on a new long-term contract.
In Chicago, the agreement was approved overwhelmingly by 86% of the Metra conductors who voted. It goes into effect on July 1, 2000, is retroactive to 1998, and includes back pay for the past two years.
In Los Angeles, the membership voted 98% in favor of authorizing the UTU to strike if negotiations go sour with the MTA in the future.
In Chicago, patient and reasoned negotiations conducted by General Chairperson Kevin J. King and his team finally paid off, including two years of back pay and a healthy pay raise and other benefits.
In Los Angeles, we believe that General Chairperson James Williams and his team will make the MTA see the light and achieve a contract for our 5,000 UTU members that is just and fair.
Webcasting to the world
On June 12 from the Reno, Nev., Regional Meeting, the UTU became the first North American labor union to webcast in real time its international president's "state of the union" speech to the world. We are told that some people got great reception in both video and audio while others got only audio. So it goes in the Internet age. Regardless of the glitches in some people's reception, the UTU has ushered in a new way to communicate directly with its members and others around the world interested in the North American transportation labor movement. This was only the beginning. The best is yet to come.
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