UTU scores two big wins
Court upholds STB merger moratorium;
House set to pass Railroad Retirement bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The UTU scored two impressive victories -- one political, the other legal -- in the nation's capital last month when a U.S. Court of Appeals supported the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) 15-month moratorium on railroad mergers, and then, in Congress, a major Railroad Retirement bill, H.R. 4844, was introduced. -- Full story.

Molitoris calls Little "visionary"
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- At the Regional Meeting here, Federal Railroad Administrator Jolene Molitoris praised UTU President Charles L. Little, calling him the "(union) president for the 21st century." -- Full story.

UTU vindicates PATH conductor
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- When a passenger fatality occurred last September at the Port Authority Trans-Hudson's (PATH) 14th Street Station platform, it seemed a forgone conclusion to management that an employee would pay with his job, his reputation, and his future. But PATH management was wrong in thinking it could callously use a UTU member as its scapegoat. -- Full story.

LACMTA talks continue
LOS ANGELES -- Negotiations between the UTU and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) are continuing as this issue of UTU News goes to press.

The transit agency and union are under a 60-day cooling-off period while negotiations continue. The cooling-off period expires at midnight, Sept. 3.

"We have received a comprehensive proposal from the MTA and have prepared a response to that proposal," General Chairperson James Williams said. "We will be meeting with the MTA to try to resolve these outstanding issues."

"We are hopeful we can achieve a resolution to this dispute," Williams added.