====================================================
                        UTU NEWS                    
                     ONLINE EDITION                 
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        -------------------------------------
                       JUNE 2001
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      -----------PROGRESS THROUGH UNITY-----------
====================================================

    A Service of the United Transportation Union
            Public Relations Department

                Byron A. Boyd, Jr.
             International President
                        ---
                Daniel E. Johnson III
    International General Secretary & Treasurer
                        

                 Editorial Offices:
                      UTU NEWS
                 14600 Detroit Ave.
              Cleveland, OH 44107-4250
                  utunews@utu.org
                 http://www.utu.org

The following may be reprinted, or re-posted in 
electronic form, in part or in whole, to any network or 
computer system worldwide, or distributed via disk, 
provided proper credit is included and no alteration of 
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NOTE: This text file is best viewed using a 12 pt. 
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Courier.

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                      WELCOME TO
           THE VOICE OF TRANSPORTATION LABOR
"We cannot stop and enjoy our victory. We must continue 
to work. If we are to continue to be successful, it is 
imperative that we contact the members of the Ways and 
Means Committee and ask that they vote out H.R. 1140 
without amendment."
    -- UTU NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR JAMES 
BRUNKENHOEFER
------------------------------------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS
--The UTU NEWS On-Line Edition takes advantage of the 
search-and-find features in your word processing 
software or on-line editor. For example, to read about 
the latest group of workers to choose the UTU as their 
workplace representative ("P&L train, engine workers 
vote UTU"), have your word processing software or on-
line editor search for the text ##H.

IN THIS EDITION
--Retirement measure moves through Congress ........##A
--Labor, carriers to discuss H&W .................##B
--UTU, BLE, BN work for safety .....................##C
--Members halt runaway train .....................##D
--Member hurt in bus hijacking .....................##E
--Cumby named to post ............................##F
--State legislative directors to meet ..............##G
--P&L train, engine workers vote UTU .............##H
--Alex Transportation employees get ballots ........##I

AROUND THE UTU
--News from around the U.S. and Canada ...........##J

MEMBERSHIP PROFILE
--Co-worker's concern bridges membership ...........##K

STATE WATCH
--News from UTU State Legislative Boards .........##L

BUS DEPT. / STREET BEAT
--"We all benefit from diversity" ..................##M
   Editorial by Bernard J. McNelis
   Vice President and Director, UTU Bus Department

YARDMASTER REPORT
--"Jim Cumby elected to post" ....................##N
   Editorial by Don R. Carver
   Assistant to the President, Yardmasters' Dept.

EDITORIALS
--Working together .................................##O
--"Providing the tools" ..........................##P
   Editorial by Paul C. Thompson
   UTU Assistant President
--"Bravery, courage morale and brains" .............##Q
   Editorial by James M. Brunkenhoefer
   UTU National Legislative Director
--FEEDBACK: Keynote address at AAR Awards ........##R
   by Byron A. Boyd, Jr.
   UTU International President
--Voices: Members share their opinions .............##S

REGIONAL MEETINGS
--Schedule set Winnipeg Regional Meeting .........##T
--UTU Auxiliary offers tours .......................##U
--Golf outings at Regional Meetings ..............##V
--Register now for Regional Meetings ...............##W

FELA UPDATE
--Use caution when signing railroad releases .....##X

SENIOR NEWS
--ACL retirees share the laughs ....................##Y
--RRB notes COLA correction ......................##Z
--Retired former officers pass away ...............##AA
--Annual PRR reunion scheduled for July 10 ......##BB
--The Final Call ..................................##CC

TPEL HONOR ROLL
--Contributors' growing support recognized ......##DD

NOTICES
--Monthly winner announced ........................##EE
--UTUIA announces scholarship winners ...........##FF
--Fall Foliage Cruise loaded with extras ..........##GG
--AT&T offers package for UTU members ...........##HH
--UTUIA offers accidental death benefit ...........##II

====================================================

IN THIS EDITION

--Retirement measure moves through Congress ........##A

   WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Legislation to improve the 
Railroad Retirement System is progressing smoothly 
through Congress, in spite of many hurdles.

   On May 16, the legislation, H.R. 1140, the Railroad 
Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001, was 
approved by unanimous voice vote of the full 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. 
House of Representatives.

   The measure now goes before the House Ways and Means 
Committee for consideration. Assuming the Ways and Means 
Committee approves the measure, it would then pass 
through the House Rules Committee and, finally, to the 
floor of the House for a vote by all representatives.

   UTU National Legislative Director James Brunkenhoefer 
was cautiously optimistic about the progress of the 
legislation. "We cannot stop and enjoy our victory,"  he 
said. "We must continue to work. If we are to continue 
to be successful, it is imperative that we contact the 
members of the Ways and Means Committee and ask that 
they vote out H.R. 1140 without amendment. Let me 
repeat: The message that must be repeated over and over 
is that we want H.R. 1140 moved out of the House Ways 
and Means Committee, as soon as possible, without 
amendment."

   Brunkenhoefer urged all members and their families to 
contact the members of the Ways and Means Committee, who 
are listed on the UTU's website (www.utu.org.).

   "Please write, call, email, fax and schedule meetings 
in their district offices," Brunkenhoefer stressed. 
"Please do this every day until this legislation is 
favorably voted on and moved out of committee without 
amendment. You have proven how effective you can be over 
the last 18 months. Please continue your hard work. It 
is proving to be successful."

   H.R. 1140, also introduced as S. 697 in the U.S. 
Senate, currently has more than 350 cosponsors in the 
House and 60 in the Senate. Included in that total are 
32 members of the House Ways and Means Committee, 15 
Republicans and 17 Democrats.

   Support for this legislation has actually grown since 
last year. During the last session there were only 306 
cosponsors. The number of organizations supporting this 
legislation has also grown. Additionally, the state 
legislatures of Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, 
Oregon and West Virginia have passed measures of support 
for the legislation.

   H.R. 1140, the product of two years of negotiations 
between rail management, labor and retiree 
organizations, essentially is the same legislation that 
was approved by the House of Representatives last year 
by a vote of 391 to 25. It includes all the benefits and 
funding improvements agreed to last year by the parties.

   If enacted into law, the measure would result in an 
expansion of surviving spouse benefits, fixing an 
inequity that prevents parity with similar benefits paid 
by the Social Security System.

   H.R. 1140 also promises unreduced retirement benefits 
at age 60 for those with 30 years of service; five-year 
vesting in the Railroad Retirement System for newer 
employees; a repeal of artificial caps on benefits for 
long-term employees; and includes a guarantee that the 
railroads will ensure the future solvency of the pension 
fund by absorbing any necessary future tax increases.

   In addition, H.R. 1140 will enhance and modernize the 
system by allowing for investment of its assets in a 
diversified portfolio, with the anticipated increase in 
returns to be used to provide improved benefits to 
retirees and lower taxes on railroads.

   Separate but attached to the measure is a collective 
bargaining agreement that will provide continued health 
and welfare coverage until age 65 for those who retire 
at age 60.

   The Bush White House, however, is voicing concerns 
about the measure. President Bush last month appointed a 
Commission to Strengthen Social Security, which has been 
instructed to make recommendations to strengthen and 
modernize Social Security according to six reform 
principles. One of those principles is that, "Government 
must not invest Social Security funds in the stock 
market."

   "Under H.R. 1140, the reserves in a federal 
retirement trust fund would be invested in the private 
equities market, and the proceeds from those investments 
would be used to pay for federal entitlement benefits," 
National Economic Council Director Lawrence Lindsey, 
speaking for Bush, wrote in a letter to Congressional 
leaders.

   "While we are concerned about this fundamental shift 
in trust fund policy, we are sympathetic to some of the 
goals of this legislation, such as its provision to 
increase widows' benefits in the Railroad Retirement 
System," the letter read.

   "At first reading, it would appear that the letter 
was not helpful," Brunkenhoefer responded. "After close 
reading, however, it appears that someone at the White 
House is misinformed, to say the least. The 
correspondence actually concerns the investment of 
Social Security Trust Fund Assets and is not about the 
investment of Railroad Retirement Trust Fund Assets.

   "Obviously, there will soon be additional meetings 
between the Coalition and the White House in order to 
clear up any misunderstandings. Of course, we will 
attempt to make any improvements in the legislation that 
do not detract from the principles of the Coalition 
agreement."

   "This measure speaks to our members' values and 
includes something for all rail workers and their 
families," said UTU International President Byron A. 
Boyd, Jr. "We are committing the same level of energy 
and resources as we did last year to get this bill 
passed into law."



--Labor, carriers to discuss H&W .................##B

   CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The National Carriers' Conference 
Committee and the rail labor organizations participating 
in national handling, except for the Brotherhood of 
Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), were scheduled to 
meet and discuss issues pertaining to the health and 
welfare provisions of the pending national rail contract 
as this issue of the UTU News reached deadline.

   UTU International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr., said 
he remained optimistic that the railroads would 
understand that the health and welfare provisions in the 
proposed BMWE contract would not be accepted by UTU 
members.

   "The BMWE settlement should not be viewed as a 
pattern in either wages and or health care issues," Boyd 
said, "as it dealt solely with areas of bargaining that 
are peculiar to BMWE members only and their working 
conditions. It certainly is unacceptable to the UTU."

   Meanwhile, Boyd noted that the date of elimination of 
entry rates of pay has yet to be agreed to by 
negotiators.



--UTU, BLE, BN work for safety .....................##C

   KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- At an unprecedented "safety 
summit" held here April 30, 2001, the United 
Transportation Union, Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers (BLE) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe 
Railway Co. (BNSF) agreed to establish an Executive 
Safety Committee empowered to recommend solutions to 
improve safety issues on the carrier.

   The Executive Safety Committee will be charged with 
developing a state-of-the-art safety plan and process by 
August 1, 2001.

   Representing the UTU is Vice President Rick Marceau. 
Representing the BNSF is Vice President, Transportation 
David Dealy. Representing the BLE is Vice President Dale 
McPherson.

   The original call for the BNSF Safety Summit came on 
March 14 from UTU International President Byron A. Boyd, 
Jr. After BLE International President Edward Dubroski 
applauded the safety initiative, Boyd proposed that both 
unions participate in the summit together, along with 
BNSF President & CEO Matthew K. Rose.

   "By taking these first steps today to create a high-
level Executive Safety Committee and committing to a 90-
day timeline to develop a plan," Boyd said, "we are 
telling our members and the railroad industry that this 
Safety Summit is about getting real results. Safety goes 
beyond rivalries between unions and rivalries between 
those unions and a company. We must do everything in our 
power to make sure our members go home safely each and 
every day from their job."

   "We each said what was on our minds and then we all 
came to a meeting of the minds, that the safety of our 
members and BNSF operating employees must be a top 
priority," said Dubroski. "We expect this Executive 
Safety Committee to develop a real-world plan that will 
work on the BNSF and that accomplishes our major goals. 
Working together with the UTU at this safety summit 
showed BNSF just how serious we are."

   "The labor movement in this country was established 
primarily to deal with workplace injuries. The situation 
at BNSF does not differ significantly from conditions 
existing in the workplace at the turn of the last 
century," Marceau said. "Our BNSF brothers and sisters 
are suffering injuries; the policies causing those 
injuries must be identified and the peril must be 
eliminated.

   "The Executive Safety Committee is empowered to 
recommend solutions to improve safety issues on the 
BNSF. It goes without saying that, in order to suggest 
remedies, there must be an understanding of the issues 
and there must be an agreement between the parties as to 
the cause," Marceau said.

   "The cause may be something that local managers have 
not been willing to admit, eager to address or capable 
of fixing. It is encouraging to find that top management 
at BNSF is willing to acknowledge the situation. 
Interest-based bargaining techniques, usually included 
as part of the UTU Regional Meeting seminar program, are 
the best tools for reaching consensus quickly, 
especially when the issues are contentious," Marceau 
said.

   "The BNSF Safety Summit and resulting Executive 
Safety Committee, both established by President Byron A. 
Boyd, Jr., are examples of the evolution of a process, 
new techniques intended to move an agenda rapidly, 
rather than reliance on the same old stuff that does not 
work anymore," Marceau said.

   After three years of tensions between the UTU and 
BLE, Boyd characterized the safety summit as "a new 
beginning" between the BLE and UTU. Dubroski said that 
the BLE "should seize upon this opportunity, and others 
that are sure to come about in the coming months, to 
mutually advance the causes of our memberships."



--Members halt runaway train .....................##D

   KENTON, Ohio -- A pair of UTU members played key 
roles in halting a 47-car CSX freight train hauling 
toxic materials that rolled across more than 60 miles of 
northwestern Ohio for two hours last month with no one 
aboard.

   In a daring maneuver, trainmaster Jon Hosfeld, a 
member of Local 830, Harrisburg, Pa., jumped aboard the 
moving train at a crossing near Kenton, Ohio, entered 
the locomotive and turned off the power.

   The train, which sometimes hits speeds of about 50 
mph, was slowed to 10 mph after another engine, giving 
chase under the control of engineer Jesse Knowlton and 
conductor Terry Forson, linked up with the back of the 
runaway in a dramatic coupling maneuver and applied the 
brakes.

   Two of the train's tank cars contained thousands of 
gallons of the hazardous material molten phenol acid, a 
toxic ingredient of paints and dyes harmful when it is 
inhaled, ingested or comes into contact with the skin.

   "They never said nothing about this during training," 
said Forson, a member of UTU Local 1397, Columbus, Ohio, 
who had been a conductor for just about a year when 
faced with catching the runaway train. "It was 
definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It was just a 
weird feeling to see that thing go by with nobody on it 
and then have to come out and chase it down. It was an 
intense moment."

   The National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) and CSX are continuing to 
investigate the incident, which began in Toledo, where 
CSX said the train was being assembled.

   According to CSX, the train was set loose when an 
unidentified engineer accidentally pulled a throttle on 
engine No. 8888 instead of a brake.

   "Prior to dismounting the locomotive to line a 
switch, he (the engineer) intended to engage the three 
types of brakes on the locomotive," the CSX release 
said. "He applied two brakes, but then inadvertently 
grabbed the throttle lever instead of the third braking 
lever. By the time he realized the error, he was already 
off the locomotive, and it was moving too quickly for 
him to climb aboard to stop the movement."

   A number of questions remain about the incident. 
Initially, the police believed someone aboard the train 
was incapacitated by a medical emergency. Authorities 
didn't learn the train was unmanned until local police 
officials climbed aboard the stopped train.

   Another question remaining is why various safety 
mechanisms didn't stop the train.

   A CSX spokesperson said the locomotive was equipped 
with an alertor that, under normal circumstances, would 
have applied the train's brakes.

   Whether that didn't happen, or whether the train was 
running with so much power that it overwhelmed the 
brakes, is being investigated, he said.



--Member hurt in bus hijacking .....................##E

   LOS ANGELES -- A UTU-represented bus driver was 
injured May 2 when a shooting suspect hijacked her MTA 
bus, held a gun to her head and forced her to drive.

   Police chased the bus several blocks until it crashed 
into a minivan, killing the van's driver. Seven others 
were injured.

   The bus driver, Emma Gutierrez of Local 1607, Los 
Angeles, Cal, suffered cuts to her face, scrapes and 
multiple trauma. She was admitted to the hospital in 
serious condition.

   Officers shot at the suspect as he fled the bus and 
quickly took him into custody. The pursuit ended with 
the bus broadsiding the minivan at an intersection and 
pushing it violently into a parked United Parcel Service 
van. The bus veered onto a sidewalk and into more than a 
half-dozen cars in a parking lot.

   Others injured included the five passengers on the 
bus and the UPS driver.



--Cumby named to post ............................##F

   CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The UTU Board of Directors last 
month elected J.R. Cumby by acclamation to the position 
of Alternate Assistant to the President-Yardmasters, 
effective June 1, 2001.

   Cumby will fill the position formerly held by Jerry 
D. Martin, who in March succumbed to cancer at age 56. 
"We look forward to welcoming Brother Cumby to UTU 
International headquarters in Cleveland," said UTU 
International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr. "UTU-
represented yardmasters will find they have a dedicated 
and extremely talented representative in J.R. Cumby."

   Cumby, 43, is a member of Local 1962, Toledo. He 
currently is local president, and for seven years served 
as local chairperson. He has held the position of 
general chairperson on CSXT since January 1995, and is 
coordinator for the UTU Transportation Safety Team.

   "I'm very grateful for this opportunity to serve UTU 
members, and want to thank the members of the UTU Board 
of Directors for this vote of confidence," said Cumby. 
"I look forward to the challenges of helping usher the 
craft of yardmaster into this new century, and pledge to 
commit myself to work equally with all the general 
committees to which I'm assigned."



--State legislative directors to meet ..............##G

   CLEVELAND, Ohio -- David H. Brickey, chairperson of 
the National Association of State Legislative Directors, 
reminds all state legislative directors attending this 
year's Regional Meetings that they will convene on 
Tuesday at 8 a.m. at each meeting.

   In Greensboro, the directors will meet in the 
Carolina Room of the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel on June 
26.

   No meeting room has yet been assigned for the 
Winnipeg meeting. Other legislative board officers are 
welcome to attend, but space is limited.



--P&L train, engine workers vote UTU .............##H

   CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An overwhelming 90% of train and 
engine service employees on the Paducah & Louisville 
(P&L) Railroad have selected the UTU as their bargaining 
representative.

   The P&L operates about 265 miles of trackage between 
Paducah and Louisville, Ky.

   The UTU had represented the trainmen on the P&L, and 
a few of the locomotive engineers, but the majority of 
employees on the carrier expressed a desire to speak 
with one voice, according to Alternate Vice President 
and Illinois Central/Kansas City Southern General 
Chairperson Jerry Batton, who helped lead the 
unification campaign.

   "These employees recognized that they would be better 
off with one union representing all train and engine 
service employees, and they chose UTU," he said.

   All P&L operating employees will now belong to UTU 
Local 785.

   UTU International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr., 
praised Batton and the many others for their hard work 
and dedication to unification. He singled out Illinois 
Central General Chairperson Warner Biedenharn, IC Vice 
General Chairperson Jim Herndon, Local 785 President 
Butch Loe, Local 785 Secretary Larry Erwin, and Local 
Chairpersons Roger Conner, Billy Gilkey and Roy Clemons 
for their efforts.

   "The train and engine service workers on the P&L are 
to be commended for their foresight and solidarity," 
Boyd said. "By joining together, they have forged a bond 
that can only grow stronger with time."

   Batton also praised the many members of Local 785 who 
worked hard for unity. "These individuals were the 
hardest-working group of people I have ever been 
associated with. They were determined to bring unity to 
this property," he said.



--Alex Transportation employees get ballots ........##I

   CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ratification ballots have been 
mailed to approximately 300 employees of Alex 
Transportation, giving them the opportunity to approve 
their first-ever labor agreement with their employer.

   A tentative agreement was reached late last month 
between the United Transportation Union and Alex 
management. Ballots are to be counted by the union on 
June 15.

   "This contract represents a significant increase in 
wages and provides for vacation and holiday benefits, 
which the employees previously did not have. And, more 
importantly, it provides the employees with a grievance 
and arbitration process, which gives the employees a 
voice in matters affecting their workplace," UTU 
Alternate Vice President Percy Palmer, who led the 
negotiations for the UTU, said.

   "I think it is a very good package and will be 
accepted by the membership," Palmer added.

   In addition to the pay increases, the contract 
provides for six paid holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial 
Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and 
Christmas. Employees who are required to work on 
holidays will receive a $20 holiday bonus, in addition 
to their holiday pay and their pay for straight time 
worked.

   The Alex employees, who transport rail-crew members, 
work in six different states. They have been placed into 
one of three bargaining units. The units consist of 
employees in Washington and Oregon; Arizona; and Texas, 
Oklahoma and Kansas.

   UTU Bus Vice President Bernie McNelis called the 
tentative agreement "a good start" and commended Palmer 
on a job well done.



AROUND THE UTU
--News from around the U.S. and Canada ...........##J

LOCAL 4, CHARNY, P.Q.
   Members voted last month to raise local dues by $1 
per member per month, said Secretary and Treasurer 
Louis-Fran¨ois Garceau, who noted the local also 
recently finished organizing the Railway Colloquium on 
Safety and Security Matters in Ste. Foy, P.Q.

LOCAL 18, EL PASO, TEX.
   Members are hosting the UTU Wes-Tex Mini-Regional 
Meeting on June 15 at the El Paso Airport Hilton, said 
Pete Sandoval, who noted the guest speaker will be UTU 
International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr. The free 
event begins at 9 a.m. and includes lunch and an evening 
dinner and dance. To make reservations for the dinner 
and dance, call (915) 532-1818 and leave your name, 
local number, and number attending.

LOCAL 23, SANTA CRUZ, CAL.
   Members employed by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan 
Transit District are currently involved in the second 
round of "online bidding updates" via their recently 
revamped website at <http://www.local23.org>, said Steve 
Paulson. Meanwhile, members are supporting efforts to 
build a new operating facility by spreading the word and 
gathering signature cards to be presented to city 
council and the district's board of directors.

LOCAL 212, ALBANY, N.Y.
   CSX employee Brian Hotaling, pinned between two rail 
cars last March, lost the battle to retain his left leg, 
which was recently amputated above the knee, said Vice 
General Chairperson (Yard) Rick Manell. A fund to aid 
Hotaling and his family has been set up, and the local 
is sponsoring a number of fundraisers. To help out, 
contact Manell by calling (518) 281-6541 or by writing 
to him at 30 Tattersall Lane, Albany, NY 12205-4031.

LOCAL 338, CHATTANOOGA, TENN.
   At last month's regular meeting, G.M. "Greg" Chambers 
was elected secretary and treasurer, filling the slot 
vacated when T.D. Pierce stepped down to focus on his 
duties as local legislative representative. Meanwhile, 
Chambers said he and Local Chairperson W.D. Elliott have 
made plans to attend the Regional Meeting in Greensboro, 
N.C.

LOCAL 343, HAMILTON, ONT.
   Members working for Canadian National recently 
resorted to withdrawing from the Oakville 
Interfunctional Committee to protest the carrier's 
failure to respect union activities, said Local 
Chairperson (Y&YDM) and Vice President Scott Montani, 
who noted similar problems at Locals 483 (Toronto) and 
344 (Sarnia). Montani said Ontario Legislative Board 
Director Glenn King and Canadian Legislative Director 
Tim Secord have been instrumental in helping to 
straighten out company officials.

LOCAL 469, MADISON, ILL.
   The annual Spring Crappie Tournament, sponsored by 
the Midwest Railroaders and UTU Designated Legal Counsel 
Lance Callis, was a resounding success, said Secretary 
and Treasurer John I. Payer. First place was won by 
Sidney Riedinger (L-219) and his son; second place by 
Tom Wemhoener (L-195) and his son; third place by Gerald 
Ebmeyer (L-1229) and his wife, and last place went to 
Jim McKinstry (L-1388), who caught a fish weighing three 
ounces.

LOCAL 750, KNOXVILLE, TENN.
   Members employed by Norfolk Southern have lost a 
number of brothers who recently passed away, including 
Gordan Shults, Minnis Jeffers, Fred L. Franklin, W.C. 
Beeler, J.H. Beckner and R.R. Bean, said Local 
Chairperson (Engineers) H.D. Boles, who will be 
representing the local at the Regional Meeting in 
Greensboro, N.C.

LOCAL 866, RAWLINS, WYO.
   Union Pacific engineer Bobbie Moon and conductor Juan 
Leyva have been hailed as heroes by State Legislative 
Director George Bagby, who said their quick actions 
saved the life of a two-year-old boy who was struck by 
the train they were operating. After hearing an unusual 
sound and seeing something roll off the right-of-way, 
they put the train into emergency. Leyva found the 
injured child along the tracks and kept him warm while 
Moon called 911, actions that saved the boy's life.

LOCAL 977, PASCO, WASH.
   Members recently hosted a town hall meeting, with 
guest Cong. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) present to answer 
questions about the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' 
Improvement Act, said Legislative Representative 
Mitchell J. Newell.

LOCAL 1397, COLUMBUS, OHIO
   The 52nd Annual Fish Fry and Old-Timers Party 
followed last month's meeting, featuring food, friends 
and fun, said Secretary and Treasurer Robert L. Smith, 
who thanked head cook Jon Larkin and UTU Designated 
Legal Counsel Tom Wood and Bob Thompson, who helped make 
the event possible. Smith noted that a UTU Brass Lantern 
and a cash prize were raffled off this year to help 
raise funds for the annual Christmas party.

LOCAL 1413, JERSEY CITY, N.J.
   General Chairperson Ray Arenas and his committee last 
month went through intensive training focused on 
commuter rail operations with Director of Strategic 
Planning John Nadalin, Associate General Counsel Kevin 
Brodar, National Legislative Director James M. 
Brunkenhoefer and New Jersey State Legislative Director 
Dan O'Connell. "We're very grateful we had this 
opportunity and want to thank International President 
Byron Boyd and Vice President Tony Iannone for making 
this training possible," said Arenas.

LOCAL 1594, UPPER DARBY, PA.
   The regular meeting this month will be moved to the 
third Tuesday, said Local Chairperson and President Ron 
Koran, who said Vice Chairpersons Tom Bisignani, Bob 
Ellingsworth and Ed Scott, along with Treasurer Stan 
Savchuck, will be joining him at the Greensboro Regional 
Meeting. He also noted Carmen Hall, discharged by SEPTA, 
has been returned to service with full back pay, 
benefits and seniority as a result of the successful 
progression of a grievance. Meanwhile, the AA-sponsored 
annual picnic will be held at Dorney Park in Allentown, 
Pa., on Father's Day, June 17.



MEMBERSHIP PROFILE
--Co-worker's concern bridges membership ...........##K

   With 30 years of rail service, CSXT engineer James R. 
Stultz, Sr., chairperson of Local 706, Roanoke., Va., 
believes that "we need everybody in the same union." But 
on the job, he'd be the first to talk about a fraternity 
of safety, compassion and concern that takes precedence 
over everything.

   A recent experience underscored that reality for the 
53-year-old Stultz, who carpools to the job with other 
rail workers, including conductor Greg King, a member of 
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), who 
Stultz thinks is probably in his early 30s.

   On a recent afternoon before work, sitting in his car 
with King and waiting to pick up the others, Stultz 
found King questioning his physical condition. Though 
they had only known each other for about six months, 
King knew Stultz had gotten a heart stent in 1998 and 
suffered a heart attack in 1999.

   "He asked if I felt okay," Stultz said. "I told him I 
felt fine, but he said I didn't seem to be myself. He 
asked again a few minutes later, when I lit a cigarette. 
I took two puffs, put it out, and said, 'Greg, you're 
right. I'm going to the hospital to get myself checked 
out.'"

   Though Stultz was prepared to drop off his friend and 
drive himself to the hospital, King wouldn't hear of it 
and insisted on driving. When they arrived, Stultz took 
a few steps into the hospital and collapsed in the grip 
of a major heart attack.

   Doctors found Stultz was suffering from a 99% 
blockage in the right aorta and performed a life-saving 
angioplasty.

   "The doctors told me later that if I had driven 
myself, I probably wouldn't have made it," Stultz said. 
"And despite the loss of pay, Greg didn't leave the 
hospital until 9 p.m., and he was back there again in 
the morning."

   Stultz said King has received a letter of recognition 
from the railroad for his efforts. "You can't get any 
better buddies than we've got right here on the job," 
Stultz said. "Because that's a buddy!"



STATE WATCH
--News from UTU State Legislative Boards .........##L

ARIZONA
   Governor Jane Dee Hull, on April 14, signed into law 
S.B. 1408, amending the Joint and Several Liability 
statutes which regulate Federal Employers' Liability Act 
claims against railroads, reported State Legislative 
Director Scott Olson.

   Changes in the statutes now allow a railroad to sue 
third parties to recapture losses resulting from FELA 
lawsuits. However, the law excludes "co-employees" from 
being sued by a railroad and requires the railroad in 
question to settle FELA claims prior to filing suit 
against third parties.

   "This was a major victory for the UTU because, as 
originally introduced, it would have had both portions 
of the trial going on at the same time, and that would 
have prolonged the trial and discovery for our injured 
members," Olson said.

   In other news, Olson commended Assistant Director 
David Shearer and Board Chairperson Steve Coffey for 
their assistance in getting two U.S. representatives 
from the state to sign on as co-sponsors of the Railroad 
Retirement and Survivors' Act of 2001.

   Olson said that two more co-sponsors are near signing 
on, but Sen. John McCain is not yet on board. Olson is 
encouraging all UTU members to telephone McCain's office 
in Phoenix at (602) 952-2410 or in Washington at (202) 
224-2235 and ask for his support on this issue.

   Also, the Arizona Legislative Board office has moved 
and Olson said members should note the new address and 
fax number. The office is now located at 528 W. El 
Caminito Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85021. The new fax number is 
(602) 997-0732.


MASSACHUSETTS
   In response to a 1999 endeavor by the Massachusetts 
Bay Transportation Authority that would have opened 
various commuter rail operations to the lowest bidder, 
the UTU and other rail labor organizations have 
sponsored a bill before the state's legislature 
requiring full labor protections for all employees 
engaged in the maintenance and operation of commuter 
rail services owned by the state.

   H. 947 and S. 1785 will, if passed, afford the full 
protection of all federal labor, pension and safety laws 
pertaining to railroad employees under the Railway Labor 
Act, the Railroad Retirement Act, the Federal Employers' 
Liability Act and other federal statutes to all state 
commuter rail employees, regardless of which entity 
operates the service.

   "This bill is supported by all of rail labor and will 
require all future bidders who may operate these 
services to maintain all labor protections," 
Massachusetts State Legislative Director George Casey 
said.

   H. 947 was scheduled to have its first reading on May 
17 and Casey said that supporters of the legislation had 
already lined up 20 co-sponsors, including the chairman 
of the state's House Transportation Committee.

   Casey is encouraging all UTU members and their 
families to contact their state legislators and ask for 
their support of the measure.

   H. 947 was sponsored by Rep. Martin Walsh in the 
House of Representatives, and its Senate counterpart, S. 
1785, was sponsored by Sen. Steven Tolman, whose father 
was a UTU conductor.


NEBRASKA
   Nebraska Legislative Director Ray Lineweber reports 
that L.B. 185, the two-person train crew bill, remains a 
"speaker's priority" bill and is only two steps away 
from passage.

   The bill also was unanimously endorsed by the 
Nebraska Public Service Commission.

   "While it was chosen as a speaker's priority, it, 
like the rest of the speaker's priorities, fell behind 
redistricting, taxes, the budget and teacher salaries," 
Lineweber said.

   Also, L.B. 432E, a bill that would prevent genetic 
testing of employees by employers, is on final reading 
and is awaiting the appropriations bill to "catch up," 
said Lineweber, who added that appropriations are 
generally addressed in the last few days of a 
legislative session.

   "This bill has a lot of diverse support, including 
the governor, and we anticipate it will be signed into 
law no later than June 8," Lineweber said.


WEST VIRGINIA
   A retirement dinner was held in honor of Byron R. 
Mullens (1172) on April 10, 2001, at Hoss's Steak and 
Seahouse in Beckley, W.Va., reports State Legislative 
Director John R. Pennybacker, Jr.

   Mullens, chairperson of the state's legislative board 
for the last four years, retired from the Norfolk 
Southern Railroad after 37 years of service on March 1.

A photograph in the print edition of this month's UTU 
NEWS depicts Barbara Mullens, Mullens, Pennybacker, 
Assistant Legislative Director Mark Mewshaw and 
Legislative Representative Mark Woosley (1172).


WYOMING
   Former Wyoming State Legislative Director Glenn Sweem 
passed away on May 8, 2001, at the Sheridan V.A. Medical 
Center in Sheridan, Wyo., reported retired Legislative 
Director Titus Shelby. He was 82.

   Sweem, a Burlington Northern conductor for more than 
40 years, served as the UTU's Wyoming legislative 
director from 1969 to 1971 and from 1976 to 1981.

   He was active in Democratic Party politics, serving 
as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 
1974 and as a member of Wyoming's Electoral College in 
1976.



BUS DEPT. / STREET BEAT
--"We all benefit from diversity" ..................##M
   Editorial by Bernard J. McNelis
   Vice President and Director, UTU Bus Department

   Labor unions around the world realize, as the UTU did 
in 1969, the importance of unity and the benefits that 
can be derived from the strength in unity.

   In March 2001, five German labor unions voted to 
merge to create the United Services Union. The new union 
will represent three million workers in the service 
industry. The new union will be larger than the German 
engineer's union, which has approximately 2.6 million 
members. Two reasons for merging given by union leaders 
were that more firms are trying to sidestep collective 
wage bargaining, and that the merger will provide for a 
bigger strike war chest. The unions that merged 
consisted of a public service and transport union; a 
media union; trade, banking and insurance unions, and 
the postal workers' union. The new union is already 
nicknamed the "mammoth" by the German press.

   Diversity is one of the UTU's themes at this year's 
Regional Meetings. That term, as commonly used, usually 
applies to the make-up of people. However, as was done 
in Germany, it also means the diversity of different 
unions with different crafts coming together to form 
bigger, stronger and more powerful unions. That is not 
an easy thing to accomplish, but in the face of 
continuing mergers of major corporations, shouldn't 
American unions also continue to look for merger 
partners, whether big or small, and try to make it work? 
Won't that help ensure that unions, big or small, will 
remain strong and will be able to endure through the 
constant struggles they face with employers now and in 
the future?

   In my opinion, consolidation is needed so that our 
smaller locals and unions will still be able to continue 
their struggles with their employers knowing the support 
of the "mammoth union" is there.



YARDMASTER REPORT
--"Jim Cumby elected to post" ....................##N
   Editorial by Don R. Carver
   Assistant to the President, Yardmasters' Dept.

   Yardmaster General Chairperson James R. Cumby has 
been elected to the office of Alternate Assistant to the 
President-Yardmasters.

   The International Board of Directors, by unanimous 
vote, elected Brother Cumby to fill the vacancy left by 
Jerry D. Martin. Yardmaster Department general 
chairpersons overwhelmingly supported Cumby's election 
and placed their recommendation before the Board of 
Directors for consideration.

   Jim began his rail career as a Penn Central brakeman 
in 1976 and became a yardmaster in 1977. He comes from a 
UTU rail family. His father, Charles Cumby, retired in 
1990 as a member of Local 1477 at Dearborn, Mich., and 
his brother, Dave, is a yardmaster and member of Local 
1962 at Toledo, Ohio, 

   Jim brings to the department a wealth of experience. 
He has been an elected yardmaster representative for 
more than 13 years, president of Local 1962 since its 
creation in 1992, International organizer and serves as 
coordinator of the UTU Transportation Safety Team that 
works closely with the National Transportation Safety 
Board investigating rail accidents.

   As assistant director of the Yardmaster Department, 
Jim will assist our general committees with 
negotiations, contract issues, insurance problems and 
dispute resolution.

   Jim and his wife, Linda, have a daughter, Amanda.



EDITORIALS

--Working together .................................##O

   A theme has emerged recently that underpins many of 
the stories reported in this edition.

   When we called on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe 
for a safety summit, we were applauded by the 
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE). BLE 
International President Edward Dubroski observed that 
"safe working conditions for operating employees, and 
indeed for all railroad workers, is an issue that must 
transcend rivalries between unions."

   Seizing the opportunity, UTU International President 
Byron A. Boyd, Jr., invited Dubroski to join him at the 
summit, where the significance of the two labor leaders 
joining together jolted the industry to attention.

   Likewise, the National Carrier' Conference Committee 
is returning to the negotiating table after a coalition 
comprised of the UTU and eight other unions served 
notice that the health and welfare provisions in the 
national contract negotiated by the Brotherhood of 
Maintenance of Way Employes were not acceptable as a 
"pattern" for the industry.

   And again, the combined efforts of more than a dozen 
organizations is propelling the Railroad Retirement and 
Survivors' Improvement Act through the gauntlet of the 
various House and Senate committees.

   These developments point to the power of a united 
effort, but recent grass-roots events underscore what it 
really means to work together.

   A story on Page Two illustrates the reality of life 
in the trenches, where the concern of a BLE-represented 
conductor for his co-worker helped a UTU-represented 
engineer avert an untimely end. And on Page One is the 
story of workers from two unions whose combined heroic 
actions halted a runaway train before catastrophe 
ensued.

   President Boyd said it best before the BNSF safety 
summit: "By working together, we can accomplish twice as 
much for our members."



--"Providing the tools" ..........................##P
   Editorial by Paul C. Thompson
   UTU Assistant President

   No other labor organization provides the workshops 
and educational training like the UTU. We train all 
officers, from local chairpersons to state legislative 
directors. However, the foundation of any union is the 
rank-and-file member.

   Union activism starts with you, the member. Local 
chairpersons, general chairpersons and your 
International have no knowledge of violations of 
contracts or safety issues until they occur to you. It 
is you, the member, who must put forth the effort to 
provide the information that will be used to progress 
any grievance or safety issue.

   The two people in the local upon which each member 
must depend are the local chairperson and the local 
legislative representative. The local chairperson 
handles all claims and grievances that are submitted; 
the local legislative representative handles all safety 
issues and violations of Federal laws, such as Hours of 
Service violations. Each will progress the grievances or 
complaints first with the carrier. If unsuccessful, the 
local chairperson will forward the issues to the general 
chairperson, or the local legislative representative 
will forward the complaint to the state legislative 
director.

   Every item that is handled first must come from the 
individual member that has first-hand knowledge of the 
grievance or complaint. Over the years we all have found 
it easier to pick-up the telephone and call the local 
chairperson or local legislative representative and give 
them the information. This is the wrong way to handle 
our problems. The carrier does not handle their side of 
these issues in this manner and neither should we. If it 
is a claim, you, the individual, are the only one 
entitled to the penalty claim. Take the time to write up 
all the necessary information so that your local 
chairperson has something on paper to work with. In 
other words, it is essential that the organization has a 
paper trail of each issue handled directly from the 
member involved.

   Over the years, I have been involved in many Public 
Law Boards, and in most cases where we lost it was 
because we did not have sufficient facts to support the 
members' claim. When we progress claims to a Public Law 
Board without sufficient facts, we risk the possibility 
of not only losing the claim but, in many instances, we 
get a decision that results in us losing a rule from our 
collective bargaining agreements.

   When you experience a violation, make sure you know 
the rule that was violated. If not, ask your local 
chairperson. Many times we handle claims that have no 
merit and when we do this, this takes away from our 
ability to handle good claims that do have merit. Our 
system is bogged down with many claims that either lack 
sufficient facts to support the claim or the claim has 
no merit.

   If each of you will help out by following the above 
guidelines, we will have the necessary tools to 
successfully progress your claims, grievances and 
complaints. Try and attend a Regional Meeting; you will 
not be disappointed.



--"Bravery, courage morale and brains" .............##Q
   Editorial by James M. Brunkenhoefer
   UTU National Legislative Director

   I enjoy reading military history. Believe it or not, 
many of the military battle tactics are similar to the 
approaches that we use in legislative strategy. The 
Turkish Army in WWI attempted to fight the first 
airplanes by shooting at them with Enfield rifles while 
riding on horses. Needless to say, the planes won. The 
Polish Army met Hitler's Blitzkrieg and his tanks 
outside of Warsaw with the best horse cavalry in 
history. I don't need to say who won that battle. 
Obviously, in any battle, bravery, courage, morale and 
the will to fight are important, but so are strategy and 
the most up-to-date weapons.

   Most of the strategies used today by the American 
labor movement came out of the 1930s, when there was an 
overwhelming number of friends of organized labor in 
both the House and Senate. Much has changed over the 
last 70 years, except for most of American labor's 
battle strategies. Advancements in the 1930s were made 
through massive strikes, rallies and marches, and they 
worked. In today's battles, those tactics have a place, 
just as in the military the rifle is still needed. 
However, we have to have a battle strategy that is 
effective against the high-tech weapons that are used 
against us.

   It is unfortunate that some in organized labor have 
developed only one battle plan. However, it is as 
effective as the horse cavalry against the tank. Of 
course, organized labor has bravery, courage, morale and 
the will to fight. However, by using only these tactics, 
the victories will be limited.

   Some union members appear to encourage the type of 
leadership that is strong on the heavy use of rhetoric. 
I can assure you that rhetoric and threats do not scare 
railroads or transit companies. These efforts receive 
applause and cheers, but seldom victories. Here in 
Washington, you can build a reputation of always 
fighting, always proving you are tough, and almost 
always losing. Once you have the reputation of being a 
constant loser, no one considers you much of a threat; 
they either beat you or go around you.

   That is not the case with your union. The UTU picks 
its battles and uses courage, planning, bravery, brains 
and winning tactics. This union is recognized for its 
leadership and its victories, not for its rhetoric. Pick 
up any publication; it is the leadership of this union 
that is quoted. Others recognize that the tactics of 
Byron Boyd win. Your union uses not only government 
agencies but the courts and Wall Street, as well as 
Congress, to fight for you.

   I am proud to be part of a union whose tactics are 
more than just saying "no" until the tanks roll over 
them. This union has proven that it can make major 
accomplishments. This is sometimes done by fighting 
against management and sometimes joining management and 
fighting together against those who want to weaken our 
industry. To be feared and respected, it must be proven 
that you can win. Management has no doubt that UTU can 
do just that. We are the first union they call for 
support and we are the most feared when we are in 
opposition.

   Not a day goes by that someone in this nation's power 
structure isn't calling on Byron Boyd to find out what 
our thoughts are and what action we will take. They know 
that this union makes it happen either way. Others in 
organized labor seem to be comfortable with strong 
rhetoric, rallies, marches, lots of noise, and losses. 
UTU members have impressed upon the UTU leadership that 
it is not rhetoric but victories that they and their 
families want. They know that we can't deliver every 
time, but they are satisfied going into battle with 
tactics that can win. Since the same tactics don't win 
every battle they must be constantly changed and 
improved, just like in war. Your union is at war and 
that war is to benefit you and your families. Your 
encouragement and support makes our team stronger. We 
will plan and continue to update our tactics while 
fighting your battles.



--FEEDBACK: Keynote address at AAR Awards ........##R
   by Byron A. Boyd, Jr.
   UTU International President

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United Transportation Union 
International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr., called on 
the railroad industry to become involved with labor in 
"an interest-based approach to resolving safety issues" 
during a keynote address delivered May 2, 2001, at the 
Association of American Railroads' (AAR) annual safety 
awards program.

   (A transcript of President Boyd's address follows 
below.)

   Boyd's appearance marked the first time in the 88-
year history of the E.H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards 
presentations that a labor leader addressed the group.

   Boyd reminded the rail executives, politicians and 
others attending the presentation of the Harriman Awards 
and the Harold F. Hammond Rail Safety Award that "both 
labor and management have an equal and fundamental 
obligation" to provide a safe work environment.

   Significantly, Boyd's remarks were delivered at an 
event that focuses on and recognizes the safety efforts 
of organizations and individuals.

   The Harold F. Hammond Award, established in 1986, is 
awarded to an individual railroad employee who has 
demonstrated outstanding safety achievement during the 
preceding year.

   The award, named for Harold F. Hammond, former 
president of the Transportation Association of America, 
this year was presented to A.R. "Rudy" Bilka, a 
locomotive engineer working on Norfolk Southern's 
Pittsburgh Division, whose record reflects 31 injury-
free years on the job, the AAR said.

   The E.H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards, established 
in 1913 in memory of Edward H. Harriman, a pioneer in 
American railroading, are presented each year to 
railroads with the lowest injury rates as determined by 
Federal Railroad Administration statistics.

   This year, gold, silver and bronze medals went to 12 
companies in three groups of line-haul railroads, and to 
a fourth group of switching and terminal companies.
---------------------

Transcript of UTU International President Byron A. Boyd, 
Jr.'s, keynote address delivered May 2, 2001, at the 
Association of American Railroads' (AAR) annual safety 
awards program.
---------------------

I want to take this opportunity to thank the association 
and its members for inviting me to remark upon the vital 
interest UTU, its members, and the nation's railroads 
have in ensuring safe and efficient operations on the 
rail carriers of this nation.

   We appreciate the interest of the carriers in safe 
operations and the good intentions behind the Harriman 
Award. As a long-time operating employee of the Union 
Pacific, I became familiar with the worker-friendly 
"Harriman tradition" in the early years of my career.

   To be clear, no one has a greater interest in safe 
rail operations than a carrier's employees, many of whom 
UTU represents. It is their lives and livelihoods that 
are literally at stake.

   Over the years, both the carriers and UTU have worked 
hard, on their own, toward achieving safer rail 
operations. The carriers' operating departments have 
worked on their operating rules and their enforcement. 
The UTU representatives, and particularly our 
Legislative Department, have lobbied the Congress to 
pass safety legislation, the safety agencies to 
promulgate regulations, and the courts and arbitrators 
to enforce those laws and regulations. We have also 
championed new approaches with the carriers to achieve 
safe rail operations, such as RSAC and SACP at the FRA.

   We believe in cooperative efforts to address safety. 
Today the UTU, in partnership with the American Short 
Line Railroad Association, is working to establish 
training programs for operating employees via the 
internet. This will be the first time, to my knowledge, 
that an endeavor of this nature has been undertaken.

   A well-trained employee is a safe employee, and both 
labor and management have an equal and fundamental 
obligation to provide a safe-as-possible work 
environment. I want to thank Frank Turner, president of 
the American Short Line Association, for his vision.

   However, despite the efforts of the parties on their 
own to achieve a safer workplace, the personal injuries 
and deaths of our members and your employees have not 
abated. As a result, UTU has become interested in 
another approach, in use on CSX and parts of UP. Just 
this past Monday I attended and participated in a Safety 
Summit at Kansas City, Missouri, between BNSF, UTU and 
BLE, which marks the beginning of an interest-based 
approach to resolving safety issues on that carrier.

   I believe it is time for the parties to begin a real 
and substantial dialogue concerning working conditions 
in general, and their potential impact upon the safety 
of operations in particular. This new dialogue needs to 
take place with new ground rules because, to be frank, 
without casting aspersions on anyone, there are opinions 
out there that the various joint committees that have 
met in the past have been expensive endeavors without 
any enduring results.

   By the same token, the atmosphere of this dialogue 
must be free of blame-game tactics on either side. The 
approaches of the past have not met the mutual interests 
of the parties in safe operations and have not led to 
effective long-term solutions.

   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 them in such a setting.

   The parties' positions to date have not yielded this 
kind of desirable result. We invite all the members of 
the association to consider this new approach so that 
together we can go about the business of seeing that the 
carriers' operations are safe and efficient, which is in 
the best interest of all concerned.



--Voices: Members share their opinions .............##S

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:

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ENERGY CRUNCH?

   "I've been a bus operator with the Los Angeles 
Metropolitan Transportation Authority for more than 17 
years, and it's very dangerous driving during rolling 
blackouts. Before gasoline and electrical lights, people 
survived. We just need to figure a way to live without 
using as much energy. I think we should conserve by 
regulating ourselves. If we love this country, we should 
all make an effort to conserve energy so we don't have 
to pay a bigger price in the long run. If that doesn't 
work, then there should be energy regulation that 
affects us all equally. I don't think we should be 
buying more energy from other countries."
   -- Raul Villegas, L-1563, El Monte, Cal.


   "I'm a Norfolk Southern employee with 27 years of 
experience, and transferred to engine service in 1992. 
I'm also the legislative representative for my local. As 
far as oil and gas prices go, I think the oil companies 
are trying to gouge us. But we had this problem 20 years 
ago, and we should have been looking for alternative 
methods of supporting a healthy energy appetite, whether 
it's solar or more efficient use of coal, which would 
keep our jobs stable. But now we're back at square one. 
We can't change people's driving habits overnight. I 
think we need to look at the whole spectrum of options, 
including conservation, new exploration and maybe even 
nuclear power."
   -- Stu Gardner, L-225, Bellevue, Ohio


   "I'm a foreman on a switching job with BNSF. I also 
worked for Southern Pacific and Chicago & North Western, 
with a total of 31 years of railroading. I think we 
should investigate why this came up. It's hard to 
believe that, all of a sudden, we're having this 
problem. Our political leaders should look into this. 
That's what we pay them for. Maybe the unions should 
serve as a watchdog. I think there's plenty of supply 
and the problem lies elsewhere. Look at all the coal we 
haul. Someone's taking advantage of the situation. I'm 
afraid when our contract gets settled, our raises will 
be offset by the higher price of gasoline and heating."
   -- Robert Pearson, L-1177, Willmar, Minn.


   "I recently retired as a conductor from BNSF after 45 
years of service, and held every office in the local at 
one time or another. We need to take a look at how we 
got into this situation so fast. We've experienced 
rolling blackouts here, and there seems to be no rhyme 
or reason why gasoline jumps as much as 11 cents in a 
week. Each of us is tied to this, and all UTU workers 
have a big stake in this problem. It takes a lot of fuel 
to move freight, and if they start laying off people and 
congesting the rail yards again, we'll be the first to 
suffer. Union workers have to be part of the solution. 
Where else can we go, other than to our unions, to have 
a collective voice?"
   -- Don Heffernen, L-1252, Fresno, Cal.



REGIONAL MEETINGS

--Schedule set Winnipeg Regional Meeting .........##T

Here is the listing of workshops and other events 
scheduled for the upcoming UTU/UTUIA Regional Meeting in 
Winnipeg, Manitoba. If you haven't registered for the 
meeting yet, don't delay; it will be three days of 
education, fraternalism and fun.

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2001
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Registration

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Welcoming reception, with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and 
entertainment


MONDAY, JULY 23, 2001
7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.
"State of the Union Address." International President 
Byron A. Boyd, Jr., addresses the membership.

10:15 a.m. - Noon
"Membership Orientation." This workshop will provide 
participants, in easy-to-understand language, with an 
overview of the UTU structure, from the local level to 
the International level.

10:15 a.m. - 3 p.m.
UTU Auxiliary Meeting, with Edythe M. Walter, president, 
UTU Auxiliary; Joan Montgomery, secretary/treasurer; 
Barbara Duncan, vice president, District 5; Patricia 
Shacklette, vice president, District 6.

10:15 a.m.-3 p.m.
"Don't Ask Dumb Questions." Local chairpersons' 
workshop. Witness preparation and cross examination 
techniques for rail disciplinary investigations. Panel 
members: Charles P. Fischbach, arbitrator; L.S. Young, 
attorney.

10:15 a.m. - 5 p.m.
"Becoming An Effective Advocate." Bus workshop. 
Processing grievances and arbitration research in 
support of grievances, presented by Assistant General 
Counsel Dan Elliott; internal organizing and 
communication with members, presented by Director of 
Strategic Planning John Nadalin.

10:15 a.m.-5 p.m.
"Streamlining a Mountain of Regulations." General 
Secretary and Treasurer Dan Johnson, Director of 
Insurance Ralph Dennis, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board 
representative Wayne Scharnak, and International 
Auditors Ed Vogel, Steve Noyes and Ted Maxwell discuss 
the status of UTU finances and how we are reacting to 
same. A product overview of UTUIA insurance will be 
given, followed by reporting requirements from the 
Railroad Retirement Board. Internal auditors will review 
the responsibilities and financial reporting 
requirements of the local treasurer.

10:15 a.m.-5 p.m.: Canadian Secretary and Treasurer 
Workshop.

Noon-1:30 p.m.
Lunch. U.S. Cong. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii will be the 
guest speaker.

1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
"All Politics Are Local." Legislative representative 
workshop. The importance of political activism in the 
local and state political arenas. Panel members will 
include National Legislative Director James M. 
Brunkenhoefer, Alternate National Legislative Director 
James A. Stem; New Jersey State Legislative Director 
D.J. O'Connell and Illinois State Legislative Director 
Joe C. Szabo.

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
"CN Pension Seminar." An in-depth look at the 
requirements of the CN Pension Plan, including 
references to the statutory requirements in plain 
language. Emphasis on some of the recent changes. 
Question-and-answer session. Panel members: Vice 
President G.W. Scarrow and Darlene Cherry.

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
"CP Employee Family Assistance Plan." Focus will be 
purpose and need for the EFAP, usefulness and accessing 
the benefits of the CP EFAP. Panel members: CP General 
Chairperson L.O. Schillaci, CP EFAP Coordinator Bruce 
Gudmundson.

3:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.
"Shortline Workshop." Analysis of the structure of the 
shortline industry throughout North America, using the 
Canadian experience as a model. Panel members: Canadian 
Director of Strategic Planning Steve Keene; U.S. 
Director of Strategic Planning John Nadalin, and CN 
General Chairperson Raymond LeBel.

3:15 p.m.-5 p.m.
"Legislative Board Workshops." State legislative board 
officers and members will conduct legislative workshops.

6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Reception, with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and 
entertainment.


TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2001
7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Registration

8 a.m.-10 a.m.
"Duty to Accommodate." The practical application of the 
statutory requirements and the relevant jurisprudence 
concerning the employee, employer and union's duty to 
accommodate injured or ill workers. Panel members: 
Manitoba Provincial Chairperson D.G. Tennant, CN General 
Chairperson R.J. Long.

8 a.m.-Noon
"Rules/No Rules." Special presentation by UTU General 
Counsel Clinton J. Miller, III, and UTU Human Resources 
Coordinator Ray Cunningham. This is a continuation of a 
series of local chairperson workshops with emphasis on 
effective local representation during formal railroad 
disciplinary investigations. Panel members: Francis X. 
Quinn, arbitrator, and L.S. Young, attorney.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
"What's New in WinSTABS 2001?" This workshop, presented 
by UTUDirector of Computer Information Technologies 
Applications Matt Dolin and International Auditors Ed 
Vogel, Steve Noyes and Ted Maxwell, will focus on 
WinSTABS 2001, the local treasurers' automated 
bookkeeping system. Participants will learn how to 
simplify the local bookkeeping procedures by using this 
customized software, developed specifically for UTU 
locals.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Canadian Secretary and Treasurers Workshop.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
"Contract Negotiations; National Labor Relations Act; 
Effective Witness Preparation and Cross Examination 
Techniques." Bus workshop. How to conduct successful 
contract negotiations. How to prepare witnesses and 
cross examine witnesses for the desired results.

10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
UTU Auxiliary Tour. Explore Lower Ft. Garry National 
Historic Park. (See details this page.) Pre-registration 
for the UTU Auxiliary Tour is required to ensure that 
space is reserved.

10 a.m.-Noon
"Young Worker Awareness." Focus on new workers entering 
the workforce, the importance of being aware of your 
surroundings and working safely.

Noon-1:30 p.m.
Lunch, with guest speaker Bill Blaikie, member of 
Parliament.

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
"CN Employee Family Assistance Plan." Identify the 
requirements of and the needs for an EFAP. Overview of 
the EFAP's purpose, usefulness and success will provide 
participants with the groundwork for better 
understanding EFAPs. Panel members: Vice President John 
Armstrong, CN Rail manager of Employee Assistance 
Programs Sheila Hagen-Bloxham.

1:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
"What's Developing in Washington and How It Affects 
You." Discussion of The Railroad Retirement and 
Survivors' Improvement Act 2001, its history, current 
status and future; discussion of safety, legislative and 
regulatory issues, with a question-and-answer session. 
Panel members: National Legislative Director James M. 
Brunkenhoefer; Alternate National Legislative Director 
James A. Stem; Designated Legal Counsel Larry Mann.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Cocktail Reception

7 p.m.-Midnight
Dinner/Dance, with entertainment by the D-Drifters.


WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2001
7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.
"How the Roles of the FRA and NTSB Positively Affect Our 
Lives." FRA Deputy Administrator George Gavalla and 
National Transportation Board representative Jo Strang 
discuss the respective roles of the FRA and NTSB, their 
effects on the rail industry and the employee.

8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.
"Thinking Backwards: Local Grievance Procedures." Local 
chairpersons workshop. Attorney Allan Fisher, UTU 
General Counsel Clinton J. Miller, III, and BNSF General 
Chairperson Robert Kerley present techniques for 
effective handling of local grievances and appeals.

8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
"Effective Local Leadership." Local officers' workshop. 
Methods to improve the leadership and effectiveness of 
the local.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
"What's New in WinSTABS 2001?" A continuation of the 
workshop on the operation and application of WinSTABS 
2001.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Canadian Secretary and Treasurer Workshop.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
"How Arbitration Works." Bus workshop. Overview of the 
arbitration process pursuant to the National Labor 
Relations Act.

9 a.m.-Noon
"CP Pension Seminar." An in-depth look at the 
requirements of the CN Pension Plan, including 
references to the statutory requirements, in plain 
language. Emphasis on some of the recent changes. 
Question-and-answer session. Panel members: Vice 
President John Armstrong; CP General Chairperson L.O. 
Schillaci, CP Rail Director of Compensation Service 
Kathie Brown.

9 a.m.-Noon
"Lifestyles: Impact of the Hours of Work." With new 
work, rest and fatigue rules in the offing, how fatigue 
can be managed in connection with lifestyles. Panel 
members: UTU Instructors Bill Katerynuk and Heather 
Anderson.

10:15 a.m.-Noon
"Designated Legal Counsel Forum." The Federal Employers' 
Liability Act and how it benefits the rail employee.

Noon-1:30 p.m.
Lunch, with guest speaker Athabasca University Professor 
of Industrial Relations Winston Geruluk.

1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
"New Power Brake Regulations." Jim Wilson, Federal 
Railroad Administration representative, will present a 
review of the new power brake regulations anticipated to 
become effective in Fall 2001.

1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
"How Transportation Stocks Affect You." Tony Hatch, NYSE 
stock analyst, will present a unique perspective on how 
UTU members should view transportation stocks. The stock 
market will be explored, with simple analysis on how 
investors view the value of railroads and rail services.

1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
"Engineer Certification." John Conklin, Federal Railroad 
Administration representative, will hold a discussion of 
changes in the locomotive engineer certification 
regulations.

1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
"Think Before You Drink: Alcohol and Drug Regulations." 
An overview of the changes in the alcohol and drug 
regulations that become effective August 21, 2001. Panel 
members: Nebraska State Legislative Director Ray L. 
Lineweber; Designated Legal Counsel Larry Mann.

1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
"Health and Welfare Forum." Representatives of the 
health and welfare providers will present an overview of 
the benefits of the respective plans, and will answer 
general questions.

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
"Canada Labour Code Part II." A workshop on the changes 
made to Canadian legislation affecting workers' rights 
and obligations.

3:15 p.m.-5 p.m.
"General Committee Workshops." General chairpersons will 
conduct general committee workshops, addressing issues 
of importance to those committee members.

3:45 p.m.-5 p.m.
"Fatigue Management Plans." Participants will discuss 
impending new rules covering work, rest and fatigue and 
ways to address the challenges and solutions. Panel 
members: CN General Chairpersons R.A. Beatty and B.J. 
Henry, and CP General Chairperson L.O. Schillaci.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Cocktail Reception

7 p.m.
President's Banquet



--UTU Auxiliary offers tours .......................##U

The UTU Auxiliary will offer tours of local attractions 
at both the Greensboro and Winnipeg Regional Meetings.

   All registered spouses, family members and guests are 
welcome to enjoy these tours free of charge as part of 
their Regional Meeting package, but space is limited and 
all those planning on taking the tours must pre-register 
by checking the appropriate box on the registration 
form.

   In Greensboro, the UTU Auxiliary tour will take place 
on Tuesday, June 26, 2001. Participants will travel to 
the faithfully restored German Moravian congregational 
town of Old Salem, founded in 1766. Those taking the 
tour will be able to walk streets virtually unchanged in 
200 years and see costumed interpreters re-enact how 
ordinary people lived, worked and worshipped. Lunch will 
be at the Old Salem Tavern.

   In Winnipeg, on Tuesday, July 24, 2001, participants 
will travel from the host hotel by motorcoach to enjoy a 
paddlewheel-boat tour to Lower Fort Garry National 
Historic Park, a restored 1830s trading post where 
modern voyageurs re-enact the days of the fur trade. 
Lunch will be aboard the 400-passenger paddlewheeler as 
it returns to dock.



--Golf outings at Regional Meetings ..............##V

The UTU will hold golf outings the Sunday morning before 
both the Greensboro and Winnipeg Regional Meetings.

   The fee, $80 per golfer, includes transportation from 
the host hotel, greens fees, a golf cart for every two 
golfers, lunch and much more.

   In Greensboro, golfers will play the beautiful and 
challenging Grandover Golf Course, 1000 Club Road, 
Greensboro, N.C. In Winnipeg, golfers will play The 
Links at Quarry Oaks, Steinbach, Manitoba.

   Both courses require soft golf spikes and proper 
attire. Golf club rentals are available at both courses 
and should be reserved ahead of time by calling the 
Grandover Golf Course at (336) 294-1800, or The Links at 
Quarry Oaks at (204) 326-9864. All play will be Texas 
Scramble, or four-player scramble.

   Register for the golf outings in the space provided 
on the registration form. Be sure to include your golf 
fee with your registration fee.



--Register now for Regional Meetings ...............##W

The UTU/UTUIA Regional Meetings scheduled for this 
summer promise fraternalism, education and fun.

Each Regional Meeting lasts a full three days, with the 
President's Banquet on the evening of the third day.

Each attendee at the meeting MUST be registered in order 
to attend any planned social functions. Pre-registration 
speeds the registration process at the meeting, helps 
organizers plan more accurately and saves on the meeting 
cost. This savings is being passed on to each attendee 
who is pre-registered.

A pre-registration form is included in the print version 
of this issue of the UTU NEWS. A printer-friendly pre-
registration form in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document 
File (PDF) format can also be downloaded from the UTU's 
website at <http://www.utu.org> by accessing the HTML-
version of this month's or last month's issue of the UTU 
NEWS and going to the section regarding the Regional 
Meetings. Extra copies of the print edition can also be 
obtained by writing to: UTU NEWS, 14600 Detroit Avenue, 
Cleveland, OH 44107-4250.

The pre-registration fee will be $125 per person over 
the age of 11. Children 11 years of age and under will 
be complimentary. A pre-registration form and complete 
payment for each attendee, regardless of age, must be 
received at the UTU International Headquarters, 14600 
Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44107, 10 days prior to the 
scheduled start of the meetings or attendees will be 
charged an on-site registration fee of $175.

One-day registrations are offered for those who would 
like to attend the Regional Meetings but can't spare the 
time away from work or family. The cost of a one-day 
registration for any day is $60.

The Regional Meeting agenda, as well as details of the 
UTU Auxiliary Tour and golf outing, are printed at left.

All fees must be paid in U.S. currency only. Make all 
checks or money orders payable to "UTU Regional 
Meeting." For convenience, you may also pay by credit 
card.

Notice of cancellation of your Regional Meeting 
attendance or golf tournament participation must be 
received at the UTU International Headquarters 10 days 
prior to the first day of the Regional Meeting for a 
full refund without penalty. Please fax any changes or 
cancellations immediately to the UTU International 
Headquarters at (216) 228-5755.

You should make your own room reservations at one of the 
Regional Meeting hotels listed below. Please note 
certain reservation deadlines apply at each hotel.

June 25-27, 2001, Greensboro, N.C.
SHERATON GREENSBORO HOTEL AT FOUR SEASONS
3121 High Point Rd., Greensboro, NC 27407
Hotel direct reservations: (800) 242-6556
Call between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. EST
Reservation code: UTU
Room rate: $119 single/double
Reservation deadline: May 20, 2001
Parking: Free, self parking

July 23-25, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba
DELTA WINNIPEG HOTEL (HOST HOTEL)
350 St. Mary Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C3J2
Hotel direct reservations: (800) 268-1133
Reservation code: UTU
Room rate: C$125 single/double
Reservation deadline: June 19, 2001
Parking: C$9 per day

SHERATON WINNIPEG HOTEL (first overflow hotel)
161 Donald St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C1M3
Hotel direct reservations: (800) 463-6400
Reservation code: UTU
Room rate: C$109 single/double; C$124 deluxe king/2 
queens
Reservation deadline: June 19, 2001
Parking: C$8.50 per day

PLACE LOUIS RIEL ALL-SUITE HOTEL (second overflow hotel)
190 Smith St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C1J8
Hotel direct reservations: (800) 665-0569
Reservation code: UTU
Suite rate: C$120 to C$135, single/double
Reservation deadline: June 19, 2001
Parking: C$4.50 per day



FELA UPDATE
--Use caution when signing railroad releases .....##X

A recent decision from a Federal appeals court 
highlights a danger in signing railroad releases after 
on-the-job injuries are sustained.

   In SeaLand Service, Inc. v. Sellan, 231 F. 3d 848 
(11th Cir. 2000), the United States Court of Appeals for 
the eleventh circuit held that a worker could release 
the employer even for future injuries if he is not 
careful in reviewing the release signed.

   The SeaLand case was a Jones Act case for a seaman, 
but such cases use the same federal principles of law 
applied to railroad workers under the Federal Employers' 
Liability Act (FELA).

   In this case, the worker sustained an injury that 
appeared to be disabling. He signed a settlement release 
acknowledging that he was disabled, and stating that if 
he returned to work, he would "do so at his own risk, 
and the company will bear no responsibility for any 
illness and/or injuries he may suffer." He then returned 
to work, re-injured his back, and filed a new claim.

   To the surprise of most people following this case, 
the Court of Appeals held that the release was valid. 
This upset people who fight for the rights of railroad 
workers, because part of the FELA statute, 45 USC ¤55, 
states that the railroad cannot use a release to "exempt 
itself from any liability" under the FELA.

   The Court of Appeals tortured this language to find 
that the law permits a release of a known risk, even 
though this re-injury had not yet occurred.

   UTU designated legal counsel will be able to argue 
that this case is limited to a unique set of 
circumstances, because the worker had agreed in the 
release that he was totally disabled and stated that he 
would not return to work with the employer, so the Court 
of Appeals may have created a unique exception.

   Nevertheless, this case highlights the importance of 
carefully reading the release from the railroad, 
recognizing that the railroad "form release" frequently 
attempts to get you to give up far more rights than you 
have discussed with the claims agent.

   The review of your case by a qualified FELA attorney 
is always appropriate.

   Thanks to Robert N. Peirce, Jr., designated legal 
counsel from Pittsburgh, Pa., for this month's column.


Monte Bricker, coordinator
Designated Legal Counsel Program
888-241-7076 toll free
montebrick@aol.com



SENIOR NEWS

--ACL retirees share the laughs ....................##Y

If laughter is the best medicine, Retiree Program 
members Jim and Ann Blanchard make sure the ACL Retired 
Employees Luncheon Club receives a regular dose.

   Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) retirees gather at 
11:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month at the 
Piccadilly Cafeteria in Tampa, Fla., to celebrate 
birthdays and anniversaries, and enjoy each other's 
company, said Mrs. Blanchard.

   The club demonstrates remarkable staying power. "It 
was established before my husband and I got involved in 
1986," Mrs. Blanchard said. "The man who started it 
passed away, and after we began attending, his widow 
turned it over to me."

   Mrs. Blanchard, whose husband is a member of Local 
1221, Tampa, Fla., keeps attendance, handles the 
"sunshine fund," brings cards for members to send to 
those who are ill, arranges guest speakers, and keeps 
things lively.

   She also presides over the awarding of "white 
elephant" door prizes and kicks off the regular joke-
telling session. "That was one of my innovations," Mrs. 
Blanchard said. "Everyone looks forward to the jokes."

   Attendance is growing, with about 50 at the last 
meeting. Some, such as Retiree Program member Albert E. 
McMillan of Local 30, Jacksonville, Fla., drive 125 
miles from Sanford, Fla., to attend the luncheons.

   The Blanchards invite all ACL retirees to contact 
them by calling (813) 988-5460, or by writing to them at 
112 Oak Ridge Ave., Temple Terrace, FL 33617-4837.



--RRB notes COLA correction ......................##Z

Some Railroad Retirement annuitants, like Social 
Security beneficiaries, will see a small increase in 
their monthly benefits, beginning with a retroactive 
payment in late July, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board 
(RRB) said.

   Because of a Department of Labor error in calculating 
the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) during the 12 
months preceding October 1999, the cost-of-living 
adjustment paid in January 2000 for Tier I and Social 
Security benefits was 2.4%, rather than the 2.5% due.

   Tier II Railroad Retirement benefits were not 
affected, as the 0.1% error in the CPI was too small to 
trigger a change in the Tier II cost-of-living increase 
of 0.8%, the RRB said.

   About 92% of retired employees on the RRB's  rolls, 
along with 38% of spouse beneficiaries and 79% of 
survivor beneficiaries, are affected. About 95% of those 
affected were underpaid $1 a month or less since January 
2000, while another 5% were underpaid up to $2 a month. 
The retroactive payments are expected to average $19 for 
those on the rolls since January 2000. Monthly payments 
in the corrected amounts will begin on August 1.



--Retired former officers pass away ...............##AA

Gordon C. Gale, 91, retired former UTU International 
vice president, and Irving Newcomb, Jr., 74, retired 
former Missouri Pacific general chairperson, passed away 
recently.

   Brother Gale, who passed away on April 12, began his 
rail career as a brakeman in 1928. He joined Brotherhood 
of Railroad Trainmen (BRT) Lodge 860 (now UTU Local 
1229) in Sioux Lookout, Ont., in 1939, and was promoted 
to conductor in 1947.

   Gale was secretary of the BRT General Grievance 
Committee on the CN-Lines West from 1945 to 1955, when 
he was elected general chairperson. He was elected a BRT 
vice president in 1960, a post he held until his 
retirement on Jan. 1, 1975.

   Brother Newcomb, who passed away on April 20, began 
his career as a yardman on the Missouri Pacific in 1956 
and joined BRT Lodge 49 in N. Little Rock, Ark. (now UTU 
Local 221) several months later.

   Newcomb was elected in 1974 to the office of general 
chairperson of GO-569, a post he held until his 
retirement in June 1988.



--Annual PRR reunion scheduled for July 10 ......##BB

Retiree Program member R.L. Brown of Local 1518, 
Indianapolis, Ind., is making final arrangements for the 
22nd annual Pennsylvania Railroad Reunion.

   The event will be held Tuesday, July 10, 2001, at the 
Columbus, Ind., Holiday Inn on State Road 46 West, with 
July 2 as the cut-off date to make arrangements to 
attend.

   For more information, call Brown at (812) 376-8273, 
or write to him at 3170 Flintwood Dr., Columbus, IN 
47203.



--The Final Call ..................................##CC

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
R      Prather, James V.             Salina, KS
0002   Derr, Pearl E.                Luckey, OH
0005   Maimer, B. C.             Osawatomie, KS
0048   VanNorton, Sr., R. H.        Norfolk, VA
0215   Dake, Robert W.                Enola, PA
0221   Newcomb, Jr., Irving     Hot Springs, AR
0243   Rich, Basil W.             Ft. Worth, TX
0265   Grunig, James D.      Lava Hot Spgs., ID
0298   Kirk, George V.              Elkhart, IN
0300   Sipps, Michael C.       Philadelphia, PA
0316   Wilson, Arthur C.              Boone, IA
0375   Kildow, Glen C.             Edgemont, SC
0385   Scaglione, Louis            Brooklyn, NY
0386   Koenig, John J.             N. Wales. PA
0440   Bierman, Frank E.         Cincinnati, OH
0446   Benedict, Paul E.        Pine Bluffs, WY
0473   Hamblin, Lawton L.         La Grande, OR
0492   Fair, Fred F.                 Wilton, CA
0508   Foster, Byron W.          Smithville, TX
0598   Cink, Sr., James J.           Mobile, AL
0610   Pardue, John R.              Hanover, MD
0623   Dodd, Everett C.       Clifton Forge, VA
0631   Weller, R. T.            Martinsburg, WV
0650   Shannon, William P.       Mason City, IA
0653   Street, William A.       Blue Island, IL
0656   Smith, Junious C.        Little Rock, AR
0693   Radich, Charles             Brewster, OH
0707   Jeffries, Jr., Clarence       Agency, MO
0794   Warkentine, Jack L.       Wellington, KS
0832   Willoughby, James            Foxboro, WI
0857   Luedecke, John F.        San Antonio, TX
1011   Perry, Jr., Albert W.         Hamlet, NC
1117   Johnson, Raymond P.        Las Vegas, NV
1177   Bergman, Donald D.           Willmar, MN
1177   Walsh, Cyril A.                Fargo, ND
1292   Fischer, Carl J.             Hibbing, MN
1292   McCall, Herbert J.          Shakopee, MN
1370   Perna, Joseph S.              Naples, FL
1375   Grabowski, V.F.               Naples, FL
1374   Manning, Glenn W.         Pittsburgh, PA
1390   Ward, Elisha E.              Bayonne, NJ
1409   Agin, Gerald W.          Kansas City, KS
1522   Williams, Allen R.          Sterling, VA
1538   Zvonkovich, J.H.      Colorado Spgs., CO
1548   Smith, Robert H.          Cincinnati, OH
1565   Burris, Charles T.         Inglewood, CA
1614   Bauer, Edward J.            St. Paul, MN
1736   Snyder, Verl H.                Flint, MI
1917   Halpin, Jerome L.         Cincinnati, OH
1918   Overstreet, Charles E.       El Paso, TX
1974   Ledford, Jack T.            Burleson, TX
1976   Skjold, John P.          Grand Forks, ND

NOTE: Erroneously included in this listing last month 
was Aubrey Lancaster of Local 793, who resides in 
Chapin, S.C.



TPEL HONOR ROLL
--Contributors' growing support recognized ......##DD

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.

    * Denotes Retired Member

PLATINUM CLUB
($1,200 or more per year)
NAME                  LOCAL   CITY/STATE
Warshauer, Michael J. 1245    Atlanta, GA
Manley, Duncan Y.     1291    Birmingham, AL
Sophie Jr., Kenneth   1433    Elmwood Park, IL

DOUBLE DIAMOND CLUB
($600 or more per year)
NAME                  LOCAL   CITY/STATE
Barnes, John D.        339    Jackson, TN

DIAMOND PLUS CLUB
($400 or more per year)
NAME                  LOCAL   CITY/STATE
Langston, Les K.        84    Los Angeles, CA
Huschka, Joseph L.     486    Glendive, MT
Pearson, Robert J.    1177    Willmar, MN
Drabek, Robert E.     1293    Altoona, WI
Eckwright, James E.   1293    Altoona, WI

DOLLAR-A-DAY CLUB
($365 or more per year)
NAME                  LOCAL   CITY/STATE
Mueller, Mark S.      1293    Altoona, WI
Quinn, William R.     1293    Altoona, WI
*Boyle, Edward P.     1581    Bakersfield, CA
McNelis, Bernard J.   1594    Upper Darby, PA

DIAMOND CLUB
($300 or more per year)
NAME                  LOCAL   CITY/STATE
*Barrett, Cyril L.      78    Pocatello, ID
*Morin, Louis A.       386    Reading, PA
Waverek, Thomas A.     891    Whitefish, MT
Freeman Jr., Donald S. 937    Mart, TX

GOLD CLUB
($100 or more per year)
NAME                  LOCAL   CITY/STATE
*Ward, Vaughn R.        17    Marshalltown, IA
Elam, Bruce D.         185    Brookfield, MO
*Curtis, Mark D.       194    Elkhart, IN
*Sanders, James S.     233    Aberdeen, SD
Parker, Timothy R.     278    Jackson, MI
Brothers, H. William   283    Portland, OR
*Lostumbo, Dominick    292    E. Syracuse, NY
Chambers, Gregory M.   338    Chattanooga, TN
Cherry, Kevin L.       446    Cheyenne, WY
Koenig, James C.       471    Eugene, OR
Beard, Richard L.      490    Princeton, IN
Brown, William H.      490    Princeton, IN
Bennett, Luther C.     781    Shreveport, LA
Burks, Charles W.      781    Shreveport, LA
Smalls Sr., Kenneth    781    Shreveport, LA
Sample, Steven C.      816    Harrisburg, PA
*Dillensnyder, Earl B. 830    Harrisburg, PA
Fish Jr., Melvin L.    934    Alliance, NE
Robertson, Daniel G.   934    Alliance, NE
*Lyon, Robert J.      1059    Minot, ND
Milligan, Dennis D.   1136    Sterling, CO
*Zelinski, Jr., J. J. 1137    Fargo, ND
Costa, Louis C.       1241    Richmond, CA
Huye, David W.        1337    New Orleans, LA
*Weiand, Adam M.      1344    Mandan, ND
Hopson, Gary L.       1361    New Haven, CT
*Kenny, Edward C.     1375    Philadelphia, PA
Leslie, Christopher   1397    Columbus, OH
Jorgensen, Donald W.  1421    Franklin Park, IL
*Toler, James C.      1433    Elmwood Park, IL
*Lear, Bruce R.       1477    Dearborn, MI
*Barnes, Alvin R.     1518    Indianapolis, IN
*Hopper, Donald       1548    Indianapolis, IN
*Seward Jr., Fred W.  1571    El Paso, TX
Zegar, Naji           1597    Chicago, IL
*Slattery, Louis E.   1770    Los Angeles, CA
Flores, Ruben R.      1857    Green River, WY
Troncin, Donald D.    1857    Green River, WY
Vanderpool, Douglas   1857    Green River, WY
Krengel, Timothy J.   1882    Minneapolis, MN
UTU Auxiliary Lodge      5    Cleveland, OH
UTU Auxiliary Lodge     19    Elizabeth, NJ



NOTICES

--Monthly winner announced ........................##EE

This month's lucky winner of his choice of any item of 
apparel bearing the UTU logo is James F. Smith of Local 
1393, E. Buffalo, N.Y., which represents workers on 
Conrail. These items are awarded every month by random 
drawing as a show of appreciation to the many members 
who have been supportive of the UTU throughout the 
years.



--UTUIA announces scholarship winners ...........##FF

Congratulations to the following winners of $500 annual 
scholarships from the United Transportation Union 
Insurance Association:

DISTRICT 1
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New 
York, Rhode Island, Vermont

Valerie A. Miller, granddaughter of Eugene R. Bieron of 
Local 1393, E. Buffalo, N.Y.; Stacy A. Scibelli, 
daughter of Lawrence M. Scibelli of Local 212, Albany, 
N.Y.; Therese E. Smith, granddaughter of Matthew Cahalan 
of Local 262, Boston, Mass.; Desiree E. Marsala, 
daughter of Robert J. Marsala of Local 645, Babylon, 
N.Y.; Debra-Ann Magioncalda, daughter of Terry P. 
Magioncalda of Local 722, Babylon, N.Y.


DISTRICT 2
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, 
Pennsylvania

Lindsey B. Kern, granddaughter of Kenneth K. Kern of 
Local 997, Enola, Pa.; Gregory A. Keller, grandson of 
John E. Wilson of Local 454, Baltimore, Md.; Lori D. 
Lepley, daughter of Jeffery G. Lepley of Local 600, 
Cumberland, Md.; Michael J. Lewis, son of Frank Lewis of 
Local 1074, Freeport, Pa.; Lisa M. Witt, granddaughter 
of Fred W. Ellis of Local 309, Altoona, Pa.; Regina M. 
Lombardo, granddaughter of Howard L. Snyder of Local 
830, Harrisburg, Pa.


DISTRICT 3
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West 
Virginia

William R. Beard, grandson of Henry L. Hunter of Local 
48, Norfolk, Va.; Ashley D. Stewart, granddaughter of 
Gillyard P. Monroe of Local 793, Columbia, S.C.; Ricky 
S. Davis, member of Local 941, Columbus, Ga.; Lisa N. 
Hodge, daughter of Donald J. Hodge of Local 1172, 
Mullens, W. Va.; Jennifer M. Barton, daughter of  Harold 
J. Barton of Local 1310, Loyall, Ky.; Crystal G. 
Tummins, daughter of Charles R. Tummins of Local 974, 
Nashville, Tenn.; Clint S. Daniel, son of Bruce S. 
Daniel of Local 1910, Macon, Ga.; Alfoniso K. Long Jr., 
son of Alfoniso K. Long, Sr., of Local 1221, Tampa, Fla.


DISTRICT 4
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio

Scott W. Jones, grandson of Lawrence J. Wotaszak of 
Local 1765, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Natalie E. Herman, 
daughter of Ralph M. Herman of Local 1438, Lincoln Park, 
Mich.; Anthony F. Abela, son of Francis Abela of Local 
1477, Dearborn, Mich.; Donald W. Krauss, son of Ted C. 
Krauss of Local 1638, Cleveland, Ohio; Chris G. Muneio, 
son of George J. Muneio of Local 1760, Detroit, Mich.; 
Steven A. Baker, grandson of Edward Kisiel of Local 927, 
Detroit, Mich.


DISTRICT 5
Illinois, Wisconsin

Jennifer M. Zolper, daughter of John J. Zolper of Local 
1423, Galesburg, Ill.; Brett E. Shores, son of Randall 
E. Shores of Local 196, Beardstown, Ill.; Arika K. 
Guenther, granddaughter of Donald I. Crawford of Local 
832, Superior, Wis.; Michael E. Kolar, son of Tom J. 
Kolar of Local 281, Milwaukee, Wis.


DISTRICT 6
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Leah J. Henson, granddaughter of Ross S. Henson of Local 
1092, Teague, Tex.; Thomas A. Atchley, grandson of James 
R. Atchley of Local 564, Cleburne, Tex.; Deonna S. 
Turner, daughter of Bernell Turner of Local 1501, Baton 
Rouge, La.; Jesse M. Benavides, son of Ismael Benavides 
of Local 857, San Antonio, Tex.; Brandy L. Herman, 
granddaughter of Bill R. Herman of Local 9, Slaton, Tex.


DISTRICT 7
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North 
Dakota, South Dakota

Melissa M. Albaugh, daughter of Mickey Albaugh of Local 
525, Grand Forks, N.D.; Jennifer J. Bishop, daughter of 
Johnny W. Bishop of Local 1059, Minot, N.D.; Ashley 
Marie Moss, daughter of Joe S. Moss of Local 933, 
Jefferson City, Mo.; Laura E. Sweeney, daughter of Joe 
A. Sweeney of Local 1216, Kansas City, Mo.; Heather J. 
Hamilton, granddaughter of Jimmy C. Bond of Local 527, 
Coffeyville, Kan.; Christopher M. Tack, grandson of 
Walter G. Wockovich of Local 525, Grand Forks, N.D.


DISTRICT 8
Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

Abigail Flores, daughter of Manny M. Flores of Local 
1581, Bakersfield, Cal.; Courtney L. Meister, daughter 
of Dennis E. Meister of Local 113, Winslow, Ariz.; 
Heather K. Freiler, daughter of Raymond J. Freiler of 
Local 811, San Bernardino, Cal.; Allyson Browning, 
granddaughter of William K. Browning of Local 1366, Salt 
Lake City, Utah; Amy M. Evaretts, daughter of Steve L. 
Evaretts of Local 113, Winslow, Ariz.; Paulette 
Fontanez, daughter of Louis G. Fontanez of Local 1608, 
Chatsworth, Cal.; Crystal J. Coombs, daughter of Terry 
W. Coombs of Local 204, Pueblo, Col.


DISTRICT 9
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming

Robert A. Gable, son of Bob L. Gable of Local 977, 
Pasco, Wash.; Loyal G. MacMillian, grandson of William 
L. Nelson of Local 446, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Grethe K. Hahn, 
granddaughter of William L. Nelson of Local 446, 
Cheyenne, Wyo.



--Fall Foliage Cruise loaded with extras ..........##GG

The upcoming UTU Travelers Club Fall Foliage Cruise 
aboard the Princess Cruise Line's Crown Princess, set 
for Oct. 19-29, 2001, has been sweetened with a number 
of complimentary items, making it an even more 
attractive and competitive package.

   While traveling round-trip from Boston to Quebec and 
back, each participant will enjoy $75 in shipboard 
credit (with a maximum of $150 per cabin), as well as a 
complimentary group photo and an invitation to a private 
get-acquainted cocktail party. Because prices that start 
at just $1,335 per person already include all taxes, 
port fees and cancellation insurance, participants will 
enjoy nearly $500 in extras!

   For a brochure and reservation form, write today to: 
UTU Travelers Club, 14600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 
44107-4250. To learn about the various upgrade options 
and airfares, call Lakewood Travel Bureau toll free at 
1-800-726-9294. (From Canada, call 216-221-9294.)



--AT&T offers package for UTU members ...........##HH

UTU members are eligible to receive discounts on rates 
and cellular equipment not available through AT&T retail 
stores!

All plans include:
-- FREE Caller ID
-- FREE Voice Mail
-- FREE Paging
-- FREE Text Messaging
-- FREE Call Waiting
-- FREE Three-Way Calling
-- PLUS, the activation fee is waived for those signing 
up on most plans!

Receive 1,000 free night and weekend minutes on local or 
regional plans of $39.99 a month and higher for 12 
months. Receive 500 free night and weekend minutes on 
local and regional plans of $29.99 a month and higher 
for 12 months. Nights begin at an early 8 p.m.!

UTU members and families also receive a 20% equipment 
discount, 15% bonus minutes on most local and regional 
plans, and a 2% discount off monthly airtime charges!!

Call Christine Manzo at (216) 225-0926 for complete 
information on these deals!



--UTUIA offers accidental death benefit ...........##II

NO PHYSICAL EXAM REQUIRED!
NO MEDICAL QUESTIONS ASKED!!

Q: AM I ELIGIBLE?
A: Yes, if you are presently a working UTU member and 
don't have the maximum $30,000 coverage.

Q: IS A PHYSICAL EXAM REQUIRED?
A: No.

Q: DO I HAVE TO ANSWER ANY MEDICAL QUESTIONS?
A: No.

Q: ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS UNDER THIS POLICY?
A: Yes. If you lose a hand, foot or eye in an accident, 
you will receive a $15,000 benefit payment.

Q: IS THAT ALL?
A: No. The policy will pay a $60,000 benefit if death is 
caused by a private passenger automobile and a $120,000 
benefit if death is caused by common carrier while you 
are a fare-paying passenger.

Q: ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS UNDER THIS POLICY?
A: Yes, any exception is listed in the policy. For 
instance, coverage is not provided for death or loss 
caused by intoxication, suicide or commission of a 
felony.

A: For more information, call the toll-free number 1-
800-558-8842 for assistance from your UTUIA 
representative.
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                        UTU NEWS                    
                     ONLINE EDITION                 
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                       JUNE 2001
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      -----------PROGRESS THROUGH UNITY-----------
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