RRB schedules informational conferences
From Rob Newhouse
Every year the Railroad Retirement Board holds a series of informational conferences across the country.
All informational conference registrations begin at 8 a.m., with the programs beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 12:30 p.m.
For more information see www.rrb.gov or call (312) 751-7139
Friday, May 2: Kansas City, Missouri, Embassy Suites Kansas City Airport, 7640 Tiffany Springs Parkway
Friday, May 2, Altoona, Pennsylvania, Ramada Conference Center, 1 Sheraton Drive
Friday, May 9, Lakewood, Col., Holiday Inn Lakewood, 7390 West Hampden Avenue
Friday, May 9, Smyrna, Ga., Holiday Inn Express, Vinings/Smyrna, 1200 Winchester Parkway
Friday, May 16, Independence, Ohio, Holiday Inn, 6001 Rockside Road (I-77 and Rockside)
Friday, May 16, Washington, D.C. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Office, 900 7th Street, N.W.
Friday, May 30, Little Rock, Ark., Hilton Hotel, 925 South University, Ballroom A-D
Friday, May 30, Buffalo, N.Y., Holiday Inn Express, 601 Dingens Street
Friday, June 6, Billings, Mont. Wingate Hotel, 1801 Majestic Lane
Friday, June 6, Mansfield, Mass. Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire Street
Friday, June 13, Salt Lake City, Utah, Quality Inn Airport, 1659 West North Temple
Friday, June 13, Tinley Park, Ill., Holiday Inn Select and Convention Center, 18501 South Harlem Ave.
Friday, June 20, Duluth, Minn., Radisson Hotel Duluth Harborview, 505 W Superior St.
Posted in News on 04.30.2008 11:38am
Your help needed on safety bill
From Rob Newhouse
The Senate is poised to vote on a crucial rail safety bill, and your phone calls and e-mails to your U.S. senators can and will help the effort.
Ask your two senators to support Senate Bill No. 1889, the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act, which could face a vote on the Senate floor before week's end.
As with a separate bill that previously was passed by the House, the Senate safety bill would increase minimum rest periods for train crews and reduce the limbo time imposed on train crews for which there is no compensation. It also would require railroads to develop safety-risk reduction programs, and expand mandatory employee safety training.
Please telephone and e-mail your two U.S. senators and politely urge them to support S. 1889, the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act.
To find the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of your senators, go to the UTU home page at www.utu.org, look to the left in the red-tile box and left-click on "Washington Updates."
Then scroll down and left-click on "Contacting the Congress." Then left-click on your state and the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of your two senators will be displayed.
If you want to telephone your senator, the main telephone number is (877) 668-3864 or (877) 668-3866; you will be re-directed to your individual senators from there.
April 29, 2008
Posted in News on 04.29.2008 11:08pm
Canadian Pacific forecasting great year!
From Rob Newhouse
CN and CPR yet to board U.S. rail rally
Canada's two largest railways are forecasting another year of stellar profit, but the freight carriers have yet to excite investors because of lingering concerns over growth prospects and the perception that U.S. railroads are a better bet, the Toronto Globe and Mail reports.
Of the two Canadian carriers, analysts say Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. is the stock to choose if investors are looking for a play on "bulk commodities" such as grain, fertilizer and coal.
Canadian National Railway Co. would benefit more than CPR if the U.S. economy rebounds because CN has greater exposure to moving extra lumber, should the U.S. housing sector bounce back, analysts say. CN would also thrive if there are increased consumer imports from Asia because it has tracks at the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia.
The key investment question is whether CN and CPR are poised to participate in the rally of railway shares south of the border. Analysts respond that the two Canadian stocks are likely to continue trading at a discount to the U.S. railways, and uncertainty over growth prospects could spell further weakness in CN and CPR shares before there's a sustained rally.
Montreal-based CN and Calgary-based CPR have U.S. expansion plans, but they are far from becoming reality. CN said this week that it could take until next spring before it finds out whether the U.S. Surface Transportation Board will approve its acquisition of Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway Co.
CPR expects that the regulatory board will issue a ruling by Sept. 30 on whether to approve the railway's purchase of another U.S. regional carrier, Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corp.
CN and CPR reported this week that wintry blasts in Canada disrupted shipments, contributing to weaker-than-expected profit in the first quarter and prompting a cut to profit growth estimates for 2008. Higher diesel prices and the stronger Canadian dollar also hurt.
Despite the first-quarter setbacks, CN and CPR have proven to be resilient amid the U.S. economic slowdown, both saying that they remain on track to set another record for annual profit.
But in a tale of two countries, CN and CPR shares haven't kept pace with the sharp increases in stock prices enjoyed by U.S. carriers, said National Bank Financial Inc. analyst David Newman.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp., Union Pacific Corp. and CSX Corp. have maintained a strong measure of "pricing power," having the ability to charge premium freight rates even in the face of lower volumes of shipments in some cases, Mr. Newman said.
Shares in the four major U.S. railways began a three-month rally on Jan. 10, when U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke vowed to cut interest rates in an effort to halt an economic slump. The American rail rally started to lose steam this week, with the selloff continuing yesterday, but even so, the four U.S. carriers have watched their shares climb an average of 28 percent since Jan. 10. By contrast, CN has risen 16 percent and CPR has increased 10 percent.
Besides the currency woes and wicked Canadian winter, another explanation for the lagging stock prices of the Canadian carriers is that they don't have as many opportunities as their U.S. rivals to renegotiate higher freight rates for expiring contracts, Mr. Newman said.
RBC Dominion Securities Inc. notes that the Dow Jones transport index, which includes the four major U.S. railways, has been showing strength. For some observers, the index is a leading indicator that a broad-based market rally is around the corner.
This week, however, the index has retreated along with U.S. railway stocks. Yesterday was a dreary day for North America's Big Six railways as their stock prices all fell.
"Investors will jump on the rails far before the broader economy recovers," Mr. Newman said. "But I think trading in the railways will be choppy. Buy on weakness in the rails."
(This item appeared April 24, 2008, in the Globe and Mail.)
April 24, 2008
Posted in News on 04.25.2008 12:35am
Tentative National Agreement link
From Rob Newhouse
Copy and paste this link into your web browser to learn about the UTU national agreement.
http://www.utu.org/worksite/ContractNeg/negotiations0208.htm
Posted in News on 04.04.2008 5:20am
FRA civil penalties to hold individuals responsible for mistakes in operating rules... UTU disagrees
From Rob Newhouse
Be careful out there and read on... ( from utu.org )
FRA asked to reconsider civil penalties
The UTU and other rail labor organizations have asked the Federal Railroad Administration to reconsider its intended April 14 imposition of civil penalties against railroad employees proven guilty of violations of certain operating rules.
These civil penalties are part of an FRA final rulemaking that establishes individual liability for failure to properly position switches and derails, not protecting the point on shoving movements, and not leaving cars in the clear of adjacent tracks and cross-overs. The rulemaking also permits the FRA to conduct operational tests without a carrier officer present.
The final rule also allows the required Switch Position Awareness Form to be discontinued.
A joint labor-management working group that participated in drafting this new rule could not reach consensus on all provisions contained in the final rule
The FRA rulemaking grew out of a Jan. 5, 2005, fatal accident on Norfolk Southern in Graniteville, S.C., involving the release of chlorine gas, and a similar accident on BNSF on Jan. 8, 2005.
In the Graniteville accident, the National Transportation Safety Board subsequently placed blame for the accident on a train crew's failure to reline a switch for mainline operations.
The labor organizations' request for reconsideration itemizes reasons that the civil penalties are not good public policy for improved railroad safety; and includes an alternative form of analysis of existing FRA data in support of reconsideration.
Alternate National Legislative Director James Stem, who represents the UTU on many safety issues before the FRA, said, "Railroad employees that understand how to work by the existing operating rules will see no change from the application of this new regulation. All three of these issues are just basic common sense railroading.
"However, the imposition of civil penalties would encourage an employee not to report the need for immediate corrective action in an attempt to evade accountability," Stem said.
In addition to the UTU, rail labor organizations filing this joint petition for reconsideration include the American Train Dispatchers Association, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, and the Brotherhood Railway Carmen Division (Transportation Communications Union).
The joint petition was signed by the presidents of each of the organizations, including UTU International President Mike Futhey.
Posted in News on 04.04.2008 3:49am
Yet More info on the tentative National Agreement
From Rob Newhouse
HOUSTON -- By a unanimous show of hands, UTU general chairpersons expressed support March 25 for the tentative national railroad agreement, which will be mailed to members in complete form by late May for a ratification vote.
The delayed ratification vote provides opportunity for local meetings to explain the agreement, respond to member questions and assure members are fully informed before being asked to cast a ballot. The entire agreement will be posted on the UTU Web site ahead of these educational meetings.
More than 50 general chairpersons -- representing affected members on BNSF, CSX, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and many smaller railroads -- met here to review the entire document and discuss with the UTU negotiating committee its provisions and application.
Also soon to be posted on the UTU Web site, along with the entire agreement, will be the agreed upon questions and answers jointly written by UTU negotiators and the carriers.
Beginning in April, International vice presidents and general chairpersons will lead on-property discussions, to which affected members will be invited with their questions. Members should watch for announcements from their general chairperson and local officers as to the time and place of these gatherings.
"These informational meetings are to assure members cast an informed ballot when they receive their ratification package," said UTU International President Mike Futhey. "Those unable to view the tentative agreement and the questions and answers on a computer -- in advance of the informational meetings and mailing of the hardcopy versions -- should ask their local officers for assistance. It is important that every affected member be fully educated on this tentative agreement before voting."
UTU negotiators emphasized to the general chairpersons that, while the tentative agreement does not obtain everything sought by members, it is a superior agreement, especially considering the atmosphere in which negotiations transpired.
These provisions include:
•Arbitration to settle the dispute over entry rates tied to training;
•Continuation of a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) during the next round of bargaining -- a provision that put more than $7 per day in our pockets while we were at the negotiating table this round. COLAs are an advance on retroactive pay and help ease the burden of higher fuel and grocery prices while new agreements are being negotiated;
•An increase in the meal allowance;
•Contributions to the yardmasters' supplemental retiree medical insurance program;
•Reduction in the waiting period from 120 days to 30 days for new-hire health-care coverage.
The UTU also led the way in gaining a contract provision to recalculate health-care insurance cost-sharing if Congress passes a form of national health care.
"I have been asked why we didn’t obtain in our national agreement certain provisions that the BLET obtained in system agreements," Futhey said. "The answer is that those BLET provisions are in system agreements. UTU general committees of adjustment similarly can negotiate system agreements that piggyback the national agreement, but members should not look at the BLET system agreements without considering what the BLET had to give up to obtain those provisions.
"Carriers do not provide something of value without obtaining something of value for themselves," Futhey said. "The BLET system agreement on BNSF, for example, provides for eventual full attrition of the engineer craft as the technology becomes available. That is not something I would ever care to negotiate."
In fact, the UTU did obtain considerably more than the carriers offered during the three years of negotiations. Chief among them is a path to eliminating/amending entry rates of pay.
Assistant President Arty Martin explained, "We gained arbitration of the entry-rates issue, which will begin 30 days following contract ratification -- and it will be by arbitrators we will have a hand in choosing, and with our negotiating team making our case.
"If we reject the agreement, it is highly unlikely that a Presidential Emergency Board, appointed solely by President Bush, will address the issue," Martin said. UTU General Counsel Clint Miller and National Legislative Director James Brunkenhoefer agreed, with each explaining that once a pattern is established in national negotiations -- as is the case with this round of negotiations -- there is no record of a PEB straying from that pattern.
UTU International Vice President Tony Iannone, who participated in the Amtrak negotiations, reported that a PEB in those talks recommended following the pattern reached between freight railroads and other crafts.
"That we managed to negotiate a superior agreement is quite remarkable considering the anti-labor culture of the Bush administration, which would appoint a PEB were we not to ratify this agreement," Futhey said.
"The bottom line," Futhey said, "is that this agreement will provide our members with significant wage increases, with no loss of work rules, plus other valuable provisions."
March 27, 2008
Posted in News on 03.29.2008 10:31am