UTU, BNSF work for safety
CLEVELAND, Ohio ­ In response to an initiative launched last month by UTU International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr., Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) officials have agreed to a summit meeting that will include participation of representatives from the UTU and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE).

In a March 14 letter to BNSF President and CEO Matthew K. Rose, President Boyd challenged the BNSF leader to attend a summit "to discuss a full range of issues related to safe rail operations and working conditions."

In his letter, Boyd cited "a number of serious injuries and the deaths of workers" on the railroad, noted that the approaches of the past "have not met the mutual interests in safe operations and have not led to effective solutions," and concluded that a "new dialogue needs to take place with new ground rules."

"The BNSF has accepted our request for a summit, and at this time it appears the UTU and BLE will work jointly on this project," Boyd said as the UTU News reached deadline. "We're still trying to set up dates for a meeting. It appears the summit will take place in Kansas City, Mo., in the very near future."

In response to news of UTU's initiative, BLE International President Edward Dubroski issued a statement applauding Boyd's request for a summit.

"We share President Boyd's concern about safety on the BNSF," Dubroski wrote. "The SACP process on that property has been disappointing, and we have begun receiving troubling reports that SOFA safety audits are being used as a disciplinary tool in some areas. On top of that, we recently learned that BNSF's genetic testing program ­ which has been temporarily stopped by a federal court ­ has included at least one locomotive engineer.

"Safe working conditions for operating employees, and indeed for all railroad workers, is an issue that must transcend rivalries between unions," Dubroski continued. "We all should unite behind this struggle."

In his letter to BNSF's Rose, Boyd proposed that the summit be attended by top officers of the organizations, as well as the UTU's general chairpersons and state legislative directors.

"I believe the parties have a real opportunity to address each other's interests, to determine their mutuality, and to come up with mutually satisfactory resolutions" of issues concerning safety and working conditions.

Boyd's call for a safety summit was issued just four days before an Amtrak's California Zephyr derailed last week on BNSF track in southwest Iowa.

No UTU-represented workers were hurt in the accident that took one life and injured about 90 other passengers.

According to reports, the derailment occurred on a section of track where a defect had been found and a temporary replacement rail was installed until permanent repairs could be made.

Safety a UTU concern
Safety and working conditions on the BNSF have long been a concern of the UTU's, with recent sore spots dating back to at least late 1999, when the BNSF promulgated its notorious "Availability Policy," which required employees to work or be ready to work as many as 400 hours a month.

That policy ran counter to the work/rest guidelines agreed to earlier that year, prompting the UTU and other unions to pursue a legislative remedy through "guaranteed-time-off" legislation.

At the same time, UTU informed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that the union would no longer participate with the carrier on vital labor/management programs, including the Safety Assurance and Compliance Program (SACP) and the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), until BNSF honored the work/rest principles.

The UTU continued to apply pressure for adherence to the work/rest principles by opposing BNSF's proposed merger with CN in early 2000.

In January 2001, the FRA concurred with UTU Montana State Legislative Director Fran Marceau that BNSF had been violating the FRA's hours-of-service reporting regulations.

Last month, U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general testified at a congressional hearing that his office had decided well before the Iowa derailment to review the FRA's SACP program.

Of particular concern, he said, was "the lack of follow-up" work on deficiencies found in inspections under the program.

Pat Hiatte, a BNSF spokesperson, said the carrier's management had been talking with union leaders for some time about holding such a summit to discuss safety issues.

"Rail safety is really a team sport and we want to address any substantive issues," Hiatte said.

Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE) President Mac Fleming recently told the Des Moines Register that hundreds of rail maintenance workers have been laid off by BNSF to cut costs and boost profits, and said the move is hurting rail safety.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe employs 40,000 workers who operate 200,000 freight cars and 5,000 locomotives on a system encompassing 33,500 miles of track in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. It is the largest hauler of grain in North America.

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