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WARR meets with Union Pacific; no truce in site

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – The first meeting between WARR – Women/Wives Against the Railroad – and Union Pacific officials last Thursday here didn’t do much to solve the problems. But it at least opened the lines of communication between the new grassroots women’s railroad group and the troubled carrier.

UP says it doesn’t like the group’s name, but they are taking them seriously. In the July issue of the UTU News, WARR was featured in a major article and supported in an editorial.

"They got the company’s attention," an UP spokesperson said after Thursday’s meeting. "There’s no doubt about that."

Wives upset about their husband’s working conditions on the UP started the group last month. They say that the carrier needs to hire more workers, allow employees more rest time and address safety issues.

UP President Jerry Davis said that WARR’s concerns about worker shortages and rest time are "certainly valid."

However, at the meeting several WARR members walked out saying that UP officials didn’t address the issues.

"It’s ridiculous. He’s not addressing any of the issues," said WARR member Carol Gutherless.

"It’s just mumbo-jumbo," said Friede Hunt, another WARR member.

Others who stuck it out for the 3-hour meeting said some relevant issues were finally talked about near the meetings end.

UP officials said a new scheduling program will be ready Sept. 1.

"I really think the lines of communication were opened," said Kathy Beisner, WARR’s co-founder and president. "At least they acknowledged us, although I’d like to see some of the things they told us in the room come true."

SEPTA strike ends after 40 days

PHILADELPHIA – A bitter transit strike here ended Friday after 40 days.

"The strike is over," said TWU Local 234 President Steve Brookens.

This time the dispute ended when SEPTA management agreed to seek binding arbitration to resolved issues of part-time workers. In exchange for that agreement, the union said it would accept SEPTA positions on half a dozen other issues ranging from work rule changes to benefits.

Neither TWU nor SEPTA would disclose details of the settlement, which will go to TWU members for ratification in two weeks.

Amtrak told to pay up for ’95 crash

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Amtrak was ordered to pay $2.3 million in damages for failing to put up a crossing signal at Florida intersection where a train hit a truck killing an assistant engineer in 1995.

A jury awarded $1.6 million to the family of Randall Moses, 43, who died when the train smashed into a tanker truck hauling sewage near Indiantown.

The jury also awarded $400,000 to engineer Steve Wilkinson of Savannah and $250,000 to assistant engineer Bobby Dyal of Jacksonville, who were injured.

Derailment sends cars plunging into Hudson River

HAVERSTAW, N.Y. – A freight train derailed near here on Saturday and one of its cars and one from another track plunged into the Hudson River.

No injuries were reported on a busy line shortly before 7:30 a.m., a Conrail spokesperson said. Conrail said 27 cars of the 146-car train jumped the tracks 30 miles north of New York City. Most of the cars were bare flatbeds and empty tanker as well as gondolas hauling rocks.