Railroad Retirement measure
moves through Congress
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. -- Full story.

Labor, carriers
to discuss H&W
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. -- Full story.

UTU, BLE, BNSF work for safety
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. -- Full story.

Members halt runaway train
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. -- Full story.

P&L train, engine
workers vote UTU
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. -- Full story.

Alex Transportation
employees get ballots
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. -- Full story.

President Boyd delivers
keynote address at AAR awards
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. (Click here to read the transcript of President Boyd's address.) 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. -- Full story.

Schedule detailed
for Winnipeg Regional Meeting
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. -- Full story.

UTUIA announces
scholarship winners
Listed in this issue are the names of the winners of the $500 annual scholarships offered by the UTU Insurance Association. -- Full listing.

Fall Foliage Cruise
loaded with extras
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. -- Full details.

AT&T offers members
cellular phone plans
UTU members are eligible to receive discounts on rates and cellular equipment not available through AT&T retail stores! -- Full details.

UTUIA accidental death benefit
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A $30,000 accidental death benefit for only $5 per month? No physical exam required and no medical questions asked? -- Full details.

News & Notes

State legislative
directors to meet
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.

Cumby named
to yardmaster post
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."

Member injured
in bus hijacking
LOS ANGELES -- A UTU-represented bus operator 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 operator, 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.

Monthly winner
This month's lucky winner of his choice of any item of apparel bearing the UTUlogo 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.