Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen • International Brotherhood of Teamsters

LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN

NEWSPUBLISHED BY THE BLET, A DIVISION OF THE RAIL CONFERENCE, INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS

FEBRUARY2006

Protecting jobs, safety& Railroad Retirement

Setting past differencesaside, the Brotherhood ofLocomotive Engineers andTrainmen (BLET) and theUnited TransportationUnion (UTU) have agreed towork together on a jointcampaignto ensure asuccessfuloutcome tothe currentround of collective bargain-ing.

During negotiations, themajor rail carriers have at-tempted to use past differ-ences between the BLETand the UTU as a wedge toreduce crew size. Reducingcrew size puts the lives of allrail workers and the generalpublic in danger. It also se-riously threatens the finan-

cial security of the RailroadRetirement system.

BLET President Don M.Hahs and UTU PresidentPaul C. Thompson an-nounced the joint campaignin a letter dated Jan. 27,

2006.“ O u r

two orga-nizationshave hadtheir dif-

ferences, but when it comesto protecting our members’jobs and safety, we muststand together against thehostile attacks of the carri-ers’ expressed intent oneliminating jobs,” the presi-dents said.

A copy of the joint letteris available on Page 5 of thisissue. •

Rail Labor to resumebargaining with carriers

Read joint letteron Page 5

BLET, labor wins first round in FMLA court battle

Rail Labor secured a major courtvictory for its members in a decisionreleased by the U.S. District Court inChicago on January 3 regarding theFamily and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The unions challenged a decisionmade by the major rail carriers to forcetheir employees to exhaust their vaca-tion and personal leave days for FMLApurposes before taking the unpaidleave they are entitled to under federallaw. U.S. District Judge Wayne R.Andersen sided with the unions, rulingthat the FMLA does not allow carriersto force employees to substitute paidvacation and personal leave for unpaidleave when existing collective bargain-ing agreements give the employees —not the carriers — the right to decide

when to use their paid leave. The courtheld that “if a CBA gives employees theright to determine when, or in whatmanner, they take accrued vacationand/or personal leave, an employercannot force employees covered by thatCBA to use such vacation and/or per-sonal leave at a time of the employer’schoosing.”

Judge Andersen further noted that,pursuant to the Railway Labor Act(RLA), (a) the parties must “maintain”collective bargaining agreements, (b)carriers are not permitted to changeCBA provisions other than through theSection 6 process, and (c) any disputesregarding the interpretation of an ex-isting CBA must be submitted to bind-ing arbitration. The court held, against

the carriers, that the FMLA did not inany way override these basic RLA re-quirements.

“Sometimes, an employee who re-sorts to the Family and Medical LeaveAct has a family member who is verysick,” said Don Hahs, National Presi-dent of the Brotherhood of LocomotiveEngineers and Trainmen (BLET). “Forthe carriers to bully employees in thatsituation is just wrong. I am proud wewere able to work with other Rail La-bor unions who felt the same way inorder to rectify this situation.”

Shortly after announcing the deci-sion, however, the BLET National Divi-sion learned that it is 99 percent likelythat the carriers will appeal the DistrictCourt’s order to the U.S. Court of Ap-peals for the Seventh Circuit. There-fore, the carriers will not be changingtheir policies until the Court of Appealsupholds the lower court’s ruling, at the

very least.Per agreements made during the

litigation, claims should continue to befiled, and stating that they are withoutprejudice to the position that this is amajor dispute; the carriers previouslyagreed to hold such claims in abeyanceafter on-property handling pending thecourt rulings.

The BLET joined with five otherunions in obtaining this result: the In-ternational Brotherhood of ElectricalWorkers, the American Train Dispatch-ers Association, the Brotherhood ofRailroad Signalmen, National Confer-ence of Firemen and Oilers (SEIU), andthe Sheet Metal Workers InternationalAssociation. Michael Wolly and MargePave of Zwerdling, Paul, Kahn, & Wolly,P.C., represented the organizations.The other rail unions also participatedin the litigation and were separatelyrepresented. •

Carriers ‘99 percent likely’ to appeal ruling on Familyand Medical Leave Act; Won’t change policy for now

BLET and UTU work together to opposecrew size reductions sought by carriersPressure from labor forces NCCC to return to negotiations

Late on February 13, theNational Carriers ConferenceCommittee (NCCC) withdrewits request for release frommediation, representing a vic-tory for BLET members and allof Rail Labor.

Withdrawing the requestmeans that the NCCC hasagreed to continue bargainingwith Rail Labor as opposed toseeking a forced agreementthrough Congress via a Presi-dential Emergency Board.

“It was a hard-earned vic-tory for our members and RailLabor,” said BLET NationalPresident Don Hahs. “Count-less telephone calls, e-mailsand faxes from BLET membershelped persuade the NationalMediation Board to keep theNCCC in mediation, and pres-sured the NCCC to continuebargaining.”

As part of a joint cam-paign, BLET and UTU mem-bers bombarded the NationalMediation Board (NMB) withletters, faxes, e-mails and tele-phone calls in an effort to make

a point: Rail Labor wants a ne-gotiated settlement during thisround of collective bargaining.

Since February 7, the NMBswitchboard has received anaverage of one telephone callper minute requesting that theBoard keep the parties at thebargaining table.

Substantial support for thecampaign came from the RailLabor Bargaining Coalition(RLBC), Change to Win Fed-eration, the AFL-CIO, and theInternational Brotherhood ofTeamsters.

Labor’s campaign influ-enced two key Republicanleaders in Congress, who is-sued stern warnings to the car-riers not to seek the assistanceof Congress in imposing aforced contract on Rail Laborthrough a Presidential Emer-gency Board.

Representative Don Young(R-Alaska), Chairman of theHouse Transportation & Infra-structure Committee, issuedhis warning on January 23.Representative Steven

LaTourette (R-Ohio), chair-man of the House Subcommit-tee on Railroads, issued hiswarning on February 6.

“Congressional interven-tion in any transportation la-bor dispute should always bea very last resort,” Rep. Youngwrote. “My additional concernis that we may be headed forconflict among the branches ofgovernment. I therefore recom-mend that the Board carefullyconsider whether it would beprudent to release the partiesfrom mediation before thecourts have resolved the pend-ing litigation.”

Rep. LaTourette echoedRep. Young’s warning.

“Congressional interven-tion is neither assured norguaranteed for either party ifresolution is left to the Con-gress,” Rep. LaTourette wrote.“Again, I encourage both par-ties to redouble their efforts toreach an agreement.”

The rail carriers asked theNMB for a release from media-tion on Dec. 14, 2005, less than

a year into the current roundof negotiations. Labor pro-tested and the NMB set datesfor more bargaining sessions,but the carriers refused towithdraw their request for re-

lease. After more pressurefrom Rail Labor, the carriersverbally agreed to withdrawtheir request, but failed to do

See Congress, Page 3

Page 2 Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006

2006 BLET DELEGATE LISTHere is the list of official

BLET delegates to the First Na-tional Convention of the Brother-hood of Locomotive Engineers andTrainmen, as reported by BLETdivisions at press time.

The convention is scheduledfor June 19-22 at Bally’s in LasVegas.

Reservation and travel infor-mation will be mailed to delegatesshortly.

This list is published in theLocomotive Engineer & Train-men News as required by Section20, Paragraph (g) of the BLET By-laws.

All BLET divisions are listedbelow in numerical order, followedby the delegate’s name.

1. F A Battaglia2. D T Fernald3. M W Fitzgerald4. C F Kopf5. J R Saunders6. K T Christians7. R L Casad8. J S Early9. D W Klaus10. R W Marshall, Jr11. J J Raia12. D Raptis13. C E Sheets14. C S Dort15. D M Vawter17. S J Tuck18. R M Smith19. R P Novasky20. C R Glick22. A S Ortiz, Jr23. J D Howell24. M D Whitchurch25. T B Dawson26. J V Pedro27. M J Gaab28. J H Booth29. W C Smith30. D R Neal31. D W Johnson32. A W Walker33. T R Vaughn34. J D Scott35. D E King36. D R Morehead37. G W McReynolds38. W L Hardbarger39. T E Biedenbender40. R Campbell41. W M Pulley42. D W Grimes44. T R Jones45. W D Stewart46. C W Otten, Jr47. C A Mc Dowell48. R S Durham49. J W Hinely50. E F Doorley51. D H Hansen52. F M Cox53. J P Chappelle55. T S Holden56. D W Hannah57. G J Newman58. J P Allen59. C A Leisey60. D P Estes62. W D Phillips63. R E Bernash64. R G Roth65. G E Welker69. J P Regan71. S J Bruno72. J D Brown73. G A Bradberry74. J C Rupp75. W F Paalhar77. J D Carlson78. M A Wofford79. E L Bright80. T T Holt81. R S Schneider83. T J Buyan84. M G Parks85. O N Edmunds86. C W Davis87. R W Guard88. W P Elliott90. T L Biehler92. C R Rosenthal94. L F Kemper95. R L Koch, Jr96. D W Davidson97. J M Shifflett98. J C Jensen99. J R Wood100. M P Huber

101. R E Pate103. R A Turner104. R D Holton106. K B Barker107. R A Gebauer108. T L Ostruh109. C E Browning110. J G Sturdivant112. N V Yelin113. P T Lee114. D D Harken115. J A Thompson116. H W Flippin117. D J Heichel118. W A Taylor120. J S Elmore121. F E Parks122. J W Tibble123. J J Fender124. D A Edwards125. M L Elsberry126. B L Loudermilk127. M A Donch129. L R Sanders130. R A Lyon131. H A Balough133. D L Geisler134. E Sanchez135. J C Edwards136. K L Phillips139. R J Sikorski140. E W Rice, Jr141. M R Lane142. P F Nealon143. R T Dunnigan144. R E Barnes147. R L Canon150. D A Browning152. A L Tinney153. M L Barse154. B S DuBois155. J F Kresse156. T E Hudson157. R J Chapter158. T J Carter160. S J Randolph163. R E DeLano164. J M Norlen165. D R Hays167. B L Fannon169. M W Henry171. T E Foran, Jr172. J L Thurman173. E A Hau174. J A Woyak, Jr175. J L White176. J G Sturdy177. L R Hall178. J D Willis179. J L Jenkins180. A R Goll181. G K Gordon182. G W Bell183. S J Caruso184. D S Cook185. R C Spencer186. M L Weston187. J L Carroll188. S D Reinke190. P D Henry191. M D Twombly192. J T Brown193. G L Gore194. M A Peterson195. L R Fitterer196. J L Dickerson197. R R Elley198. P L Wingo199. J A Miller200. T L Bengtson201. M L Bonn202. T E Finnegan203. M S Strange204. D A Floyd205. R D Carter206. T E Hawk207. K E Kriegh208. S W Beamon209. J W Reynolds210. L Horton211. T J Jenkins212. T M Foster213. B L Merriman214. A C Meza215. L H Fraser216. D S Lavery217. M O Armentrout219. J C Wainwright221. C T Hamilton222. J P Benich223. D W Martin224. J L Swim, Jr226. B P Simon227. A J Chick, Jr228. S H Jordan229. K H Sorensen230. D W Mixon

231. M G Crothers232. J J Zawada234. B D Davis235. M C Kronyak236. J L Dayton237. R F Conrad238. M K Ricci239. J G Mason241. J E Haller242. J W Hollingsworth244. J Garza, Jr245. D T Newey246. D R Woods249. G L Tutor250. R L Smith251. R R Martin, Jr253. J J Schesny255. G R Murray256. W R Mitchell259. G S Brown260. R H Anderson261. G L Rucker, Jr262. R D Smith263. J A Lenahan264. J R Gomez265. O K Creel266. T A Mangler267. M L Wallace269. G M Maccarone, Jr270. M R Shields, Jr271. T J Braden272. T A Schurger273. E P Roliczek274. M P Lemieux275. L Moore276. J A Sanchez278. C R Gartman279. D R Hartill280. J M Askew281. W C Hill282. W J Baumiller283. A G Ray284. L R James, II285. J R Toomey286. S J Hockin287. R W Stainbrook289. M R Nolte290. J R Knutson291. H M Connell292. A J Stock294. E T Huart, Jr298. C A Gilchrist299. R J Maloy301. D L Young302. W E Hook303. L E Olson304. D J Norman306. G A Rowland309. J H Rodgers311. S M Vaughan, Sr312. M F Finn314. C R Hyde315. K K Howry316. H L Sawyer, Jr321. G C Baldwin, Jr323. W S Mauldin, Jr325. R T Woodruff326. S C Sit328. D J Stone, Jr332. D A Bowen333. M L Mercier335. J M Regan, Jr336. C R Brand343. D M Beloat344. B S Goodman348. M D Schaffer349. R B Jeppson350. R Gutierrez353. D G Simons354. D A Senft357. J B Ruth362. M S Nelson364. R C Burke365. G L Abell366. L R Jean Louis369. S M Alberg370. D M Caniff373. R J Darcy374. C S Gallagher375. R D Wagner382. K F Lefauve383. G N Harper385. R K Cutlip386. G A Hartley387. R A Vogt, Jr391. K L Yocum392. E G Laprath393. F W Rick394. J E Kaulins398. R P Kleinsorge400. B J Botone401. R G Preece402. K T Solheim403. N E Davis405. S M McGovern409. N C Neill, Jr415. N C Carstenson

416. D L Summerlin421. J P Louis423. T R Thompson425. D A Bednarczyk426. T E Loebig428. G L Strebeck430. T R Williamson435. C D Driggers439. M T Nichols442. B C Thompson443. S A Myers444. J E Russell446. P T Lynch447. L E Schindley448. T A Reed450. B B Harry, Jr456. K S Peek457. R A Weith458. G D Cutright459. M E Counsman462. J R Hagar463. L Hinkle473. J R Lyons474. R B Ullmann475. M T Rogers477. H J Hall, Jr480. T H Bauer481. S L Casto482. M E Shaw483. T K Stolnis484. D R Tartt, Jr488. A A Bower489. D G Glenn491. R L Martin494. L C Benzinger495. J B Smith496. J B Hall497. R J Nunziato498. G D Best499. D L Helander500. B M Anderson502. A W Markworth503. H E Robinson504. W G Stanich505. C R Anderson507. T L Stipp508. R F Smithson511. W E Knight512. M W Walters517. K E Foley518. G S Larsen520. R E Jackman521. B J Martin523. T R Martin524. S L Christian526. A M Workman527. R C Johnston530. T D Briggs531. D A Guillot532. M E Mellott537. R W Peters542. P P Hoskins547. P W Culpepper548. D L Dehart549. L D Rice551. T J Vanderlee, Jr553. J J Rios561. W L Hamm565. J R Hill566. C A Garcia567. D D Brown569. I P Renfro573. P J Waguespack574. A G Morrison575. J F Appel577. R D Johns578. W P Mackenzie582. A Vasquez585. T L Todd587. R J Dame590. R B Salyers, III592. W E Hill593. B C Jourdan595. R J Dumey597. H E Ring598. W R Peace599. L Metcalf601. R A Uffert602. A G Rapp604. F G Weaver607. P T Maher609. M W Offineer610. T M Mc Clary612. J D Herring613. R D Gifford620. J M Bobo621. S J Sughroue622. B K Keys623. K N Confer624. C L Schmit629. J O Frier632. G C Merritt, Jr636. S D Meredith642. R C Springer644. J J McGovern, IV646. L L De Loach647. B W Staffield

648. D Johns650. M J Tyler656. D G Yackle659. T J Curran660. D W Carroll662. J R Stevens664. P A Doolette665. T L Crompton671. C K Eberhard672. G T Haskins, Jr674. R K Smith676. R R Franks678. W J Fullerton681. M R Carter682. R R Pasquarella683. J M Dugal687. D R Pierce692. D N Azarcon695. M D Sauvageau696. M W Poss698. B D Salisbury699. L E Sass700. S F Wagner, Jr703. M G Mabry706. J M Wilson, Jr708. E Ochoa, Jr711. M H Dugger713. B L Gates714. J R Farren, II717. T D Davis721. P A Petty722. R Sekermestrovich724. C R Jones726. D A Keuseman727. M E Brandt730. G A Gardner735. D R Hendricks736. F E Schulze739. S W Barber740. D B Johnson742. S E Utley746. R A Olson751. C B Boggs752. G J Paplow754. G L Heald755. R H Prejean757. M D Yajich758. R E Etienne762. W H Knight, III765. J W Fuller766. D M McLaughlin768. C E Pesch769. M L Tanner775. T R Gray776. J A Holdcraft777. J P Atchison778. J D Lukehart779. J F Cuddington, Jr781. M A Thornton782. W R Skidmore786. R C Lance790. P M Semenek791. L Zimmerman794. P L McDaniels800. M G Holt803. C M Wilson804. S W Hammons811. R D Switzer812. J M Karakian815. D R Thews827. O L Smith829. W E Singleton830. T R Kidd831. R A Couch834. J E Ussery839. R B Frank842. S G Palmer846. F J Huff848. S P R Wilcox849. W B Hall, III850. B S Peacock851. R E Smale857. J E Hanson858. R H Lindsey861. R B Behrends863. R L Moore867. G B Durocher869. D R Hanson871. C A Mosser882. T T Rauman886. J S Blodis888. R C Saccomanno892. D M Clark894. R L Scholl895. H W Kaack899. D R Roberts910. M S Allen914. T A Street915. N D Krig918. J D Tindol919. P Barrett920. G D Powell932. A A Fountain934. W C Ingram, II937. B B Clemmons940. M E Moyano944. D Compton, Jr •

Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006 Page 3

BLET NEWS

so in writing. Escalating pres-sure from Rail Labor, as partof the BLET-UTU campaign,led to the carriers’ February 13letter formally withdrawingtheir request for release.

The BLET and UTU haveworked jointly on the cam-paign, putting past differencesaside. Driving the two unionstogether is the threat of re-duced crew size, a dangerousidea put forth by the NCCC.Reducing crew size puts thelives of all rail workers and thegeneral public in danger. Italso seriously threatens the fi-nancial security of the Rail-road Retirement system.

The carriers claim that ex-perimental positive train con-trol (PTC) will permit crew-size reduction and the perma-nent elimination of thousandsof jobs. In fact, the carriers’ at-tempt to reduce crew size hasnothing to do with new technol-ogy and everything to do withincreasing corporate profitsand executive bonuses.

The carriers have told theNational TransportationSafety Board that implementa-tion of PTC is many yearsaway. Moreover, the FederalRailroad Administration hasnot conducted a study into thesafety and reliability of re-duced crew size, nor its impacton an already highly fatiguedworkforce operating trainsthrough congested areas car-rying highly toxic hazmat dur-ing this era of heightened ter-rorist threats to the security ofour nation’s railroads.

As a show of good faithduring the current campaign,the UTU has withdrawn its re-quest for a single-craft repre-sentation election at the UnionPacific Railroad while theBLET has pledged to refrainfrom conducting organizingdrives at UTU-representedproperties. •

CongressContinued from Page 1

Labor helps beat back asbestos billOrganized labor successfully lob-

bied for the defeat of a controversial$140 billion asbestos bill in the Senateon February 14 by a vote of 58-41.

Labor, including the Change to WinFederation, opposed the bill for variousreasons.

The BLET put out a call to its mem-bers on February 8, asking them to urgetheir Senators to vote no on the mea-sure. The Brotherhood’s State Legisla-tive Board Chairmen also spent a great

deal of time and effort lobbying againstthe bill.

“Their efforts were successful asthe bill was ultimately defeated by twovotes,” said John Tolman, the BLET’sPolitical and Legislative Director. “Withthe exception of three unions, all ofLabor wanted to see this bill to fail.”

For various reasons, numerousspecial interest groups joined labor tolobby against the bill. From labor’s per-spective, the trust fund for resolvingclaims was too small. In addition, the

legislation did not resolve the issues ofclaims already filed against existingbankruptcy trusts, claims from indi-viduals suffering from both asbestosand silica-related disease, and it did notcontain an orderly sunset process thatwould have allowed for matters to beresolved before the fund was shutdown.

The bill was introduced by SenatorArlen Specter (R-Pa.) and sought tocreate a $140 billion trust fund to com-pensate victims for asbestos-related

medical problems. Asbestos manufac-turers and their insurers would havefinanced the trust fund. In exchange,those organizations could no longerhave been sued if the bill had beenpassed.

Senator Specter has alreadypledged to continue the pursuit of simi-lar legislation. However, with theSenate’s attention turning to PatriotAct issues for the rest of the week, thenrecess next week, it may be some timebefore the issue resurfaces.

Legislation would have created a trust fund too small; BLET State Chairmen lead the way

Page 4 Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006

BLET NEWS

The American Train DispatchersAssociation (ATDA) has launched arepresentation election to organize ap-proximately 550 train dispatchers atUnion Pacific Railroad.

“For many years, UP’s train dis-patchers have not had a say in theirterms and conditions of employment.There is no better time to change thatthan now,” ATDA President LeoMcCann said.

“On behalf of the Brotherhood ofLocomotive Engineers and Trainmen,I wish the ATDA the best of luck in thiscampaign,” BLET National PresidentDon Hahs said. “I urge all other RailLabor unions to support the ATDA intheir organizing campaign.”

Along with the BLET, the ATDA isa member of the Rail Labor Bargain-ing Coalition (RLBC), an alliance ofseven Rail Labor unions currently en-gaged in collective bargaining with theNational Carriers Conference Commit-tee (NCCC). •

ATDA files torepresent UPdispatchers

By Sereena Hogan3rd International Vice-PresidentGrand International Auxiliary

Surely by now most of us have atleast heard the term “mobilization”used in connection with the BLET, andare aware that the GIA has a Mobiliza-tion Program as well. But do you reallyknow what mobilization is? Quite sim-ply, mobilization is the grassroots in-volvement of the membership inworksite issues, and inbroader issues that affect notonly our daily lives, but alsoour communities. At the heartof mobilization is the recogni-tion that a union’s strengthlies with its members. It’sabout creating a movement towork together and demonstrate ourunity. If we are mobilized, we can takeaction on a moment’s notice.

The GIA Mobilization network wasstarted in 1997 when a few forward-thinking BLE and GIA officers realizedthe potential impact that spouses andfamilies could have in effecting changesin working conditions for our engineersand trainmen. A group of GIA membersand officers met with BLE educators inShreveport, La., to learn the concept ofmobilization, its power, and how to es-tablish a plan for the GIA. Not long af-ter that meeting, a flyer was distributed

inviting spouses and family membersto join the GIA’s Mobilization Network.In September 2001, at the SeventhQuinquennial Convention in MiamiBeach, Fla., a resolution was enactedto add the position of Mobilization Co-ordinator to the list of local auxiliaryofficers.

Auxiliary Mobilization Coordina-tors are responsible for creating andmaintaining a current list of members,including names, addresses, phone

numbers and e-mail ad-dresses. These lists are for-warded to the GIA Interna-tional Mobilization Coordina-tor, a position currently heldby International Vice Presi-dent Mabel Grotzinger.

This network is the mostefficient way we have to communicatewith our members on important issues.When an issue arises that impacts allof us, we can contact our membersquickly to notify them regarding theissue, why we need to support it, andinstructions regarding what actionneeds to be taken. With e-mail becom-ing a widely used form of communica-tion in almost every household, we canuse it to expeditiously contact our mem-bers in a very cost-effective manner.

During the Railroad RetirementReform fight in 2001, and more recently,during the National Mediation Board

(NMB) Campaign, our Mobilization Net-work provided the ability to contact GIAmembers to urge them to write lettersand make telephone calls regardingthese issues. During the Railroad Re-tirement Reform fight, those of us (bothGIA and BLET) who had provided oure-mail addresses to our National Leg-islative Rep, Becky Schneider, werecontinually updated with detailed in-structions on who to contact and evenhow to word our requests. We believethis movement had a profound effect inthe final hours of the voting process onthis legislation, resulting in a victorythat will impact railroad families foryears to come.

The NMB Campaign was another

success. The mass of e-mails, phonecalls, and letters that the NMB receivedfrom BLET and GIA members on a dailybasis persuaded the Board not to re-lease the carriers from national nego-tiations with the BLET and UTU.

We must work to strengthen theGIA so that we have coverage acrossthe country when issues arise that im-pact the livelihood of us all. It is impera-tive that we have accurate informationon all of our members in order to besuccessful during times when we mustmobilize quickly. If you have not alreadydone so, please be sure that MabelGrotzinger or Becky Schneider hasyour contact information for our Mobi-lization Program. If you are not cur-rently a GIA member, please considerjoining so that you can help make a dif-ference in the lives of our railroad fami-lies. Send your information to:• Mabel Grotzinger at:mmgrotzinger@comcast.net, or;•Becky Schneider at:beckygia1@earthlink.net; or• Phone Becky at (915) 581-1373. •

GIA Dialogue

Mobilization — A plan that works!

MOB

ILIZ

ATIO

N = OrganizationSetting in place the internal local structures to effectivelycommunicate with each member, face-to-face, one-on-one.

= EducationOnce the structure is in place, the next step is communicationwith the members and educating members one-on-one onthe issues.

= ActionOnce the members understand the issues, the Union can askthem to become actively involved in solidarity actions.

Several BLET officers from across the United States successfully completed a Secretary-Treasurer training workshop put on by theBLET’s Education and Training Department in downtown Cleveland in early December.

Seated, from left: Lawrence Mosley, Division 22 S-T (El Paso, Texas); Tracy Jensen, Division 200 S-T (Davenport, Iowa); Chris Handley,Division 203 S-T (Jackson, Miss.); Ken Kroeger, Coordinator, Education & Training Dept.; Ed Rodzwicz, First Vice-President; BillWalpert, National Secretary-Treasurer; Monty Murphy, Division 24 S-T (Centralia, Ill.); Dan Cook III, Division 1 Local Chairman(Detroit, Mich.); William Johnson, Division 754 Local Chairman (Terre Haute, Ind.); and Chad Colucci, Division 292 S-T (Beach City,Ohio).

Standing, from left: Richard Edmunds, Retired; Russell Bates, Washington State Legislative Board S-T; Walt Schmidt, BLET Webmaster;Tommy Butler, Division 647 S-T (Phoenix, Ariz.); Mike Crawford, Division 511 S-T (Portsmouth, Ohio); Douglas Myers, Division 447 S-T (Bellevue, Ohio); Mark Anderson, Minnesota State Legislative Board S-T; Paul Finch, Division 2 S-T (Jackson, Mich.); Gene Imler,BLET Special Representative; Michael Goebel, Division 234 Legislative Representative (Columbus, Ohio); Rusty Jones, Division 239 S-Tand Vice-Local Chairman (Knoxville, Tenn.); Karl Mattingly, Division 548 S-T (Peru, Ind.); Gary Zahorchak, Division 757 S-T (NewCastle, Pa.); Daniel Maynard, Division 271 S-T (Russell, Ky.); Bernard Schmitt, Division 481 S-T (Parkersburg, W.Va.); Nick Johnson,Division 28 (Tucson, Ariz.) S-T; Kevin Peek, Division 456 S-T and Local Chairman (Norfolk, Va.); Michael Huber, Division 100 S-T(Danville, Ill.); Bob Broka, BLET Director of Record Dept.; and Richard Conner, Division 578 S-T (Tulsa, Okla.).Present but not pictured: Dave Fernald, Division 2 Local Chairman (Jackson, Mich.).

Full house for ST Workshop in Cleveland

Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006 Page 5

BLET NEWS

Brotherhood of Locomo-tive Engineers and Trainmen(BLET) President Don M. Hahsand United TransportationUnion (UTU) President Paul C.Thompson issued the followingoutline describing joint con-cerns over railroad attempts tocompromise public safety andsecurity by reducing crew sizeon the nation’s railroads:

Railroading is one of themost dangerous occupationsin North America

• Rail-related injuries typi-cally result in amputations,other career-ending injuriesand death.

• Over past three years,train collisions increased bymore than 42 percent, accord-ing to Federal Railroad Admin-istration data

• Also over past threeyears, employee fatalities areup by 17 percent.

• For period January-Sep-tember 2005 (9 months), theFRA says there were morethan 2,200 train accidents,some 1,200 yard accidents,1,655 train derailments and 21rail-employee fatalities.

• Additionally, more than350 private citizens die annu-ally in accidents at highway-rail grade crossings.

• This deterioration insafety statistics is NOT the re-sult of more business on therails, because the FRA “nor-malizes” these data based onmillions of train miles.

• Every major railroad —BNSF, CSX, KCS, NS and UP —has posted an increased intrain accidents over past threeyears.

Railroads haul some of themost deadly of hazardousmaterials

• Railroads haul deadlychemicals such as chlorine,nuclear weapons and nuclearwaste – all targets of terroristsand all deadly to large areas ofevery community throughwhich these chemicals travelon trains.

• Terrorists have targetedrailroads in foreign countries(bombings in Madrid, Spain)and have threatened to do soin the United States. Having atleast two people on the trainenhances the number of eyesand ears on the front lines forthe benefit of homeland secu-rity.

• Positive Train Controlmay or may not be effective inimproving rail safety.

• We don’t know becausePTC is in the experimentalstage.

• PTC is operating underspecial waivers from the FRAover just a few hundred milesof track. There are about1700,000 miles of rail track inthe U.S.

• Not only is PTC experi-mental, but there are thou-sands of miles of track in theUnited States today that areconsidered “dark territory,”which is no more technologi-cally advanced than railroadtracks were in the 1800s.

• Where PTC is beingtested, such as BNSF’sBeardstown subdivision in Il-linois, the technology’s failurerate is significant. One third oftests of PTC there have re-sulted in an unintentional ap-plication of brakes indicatinga system failure of some sort.

• Carrier operating offic-ers have told the NationalTransportation Safety Boardthat implementation of PTC onany wide-scale is 7 to 10 yearsaway. The costs are enormous— some $7 billion — and norailroad has indicated to itsstockholders that it is embark-ing on such a capital expensein the near future. PTC re-mains an experimental tech-nology.

Railroads want to reducetrain crews without addingnew technology

• Railroads have told WallStreet analysts that they wantto take advantage of a suddenand sharp increase in retire-ments by not hiring replace-ments for these train & engineservice employees.

• Railroads predict tens ofmillions of dollars in savings bynot hiring and reducing crewsize to one person, who wouldnot have benefit of PTC andwho would also be required toleave the train to operate re-mote control in switching op-erations and tend to unex-pected mechanical problems.

The danger of reduced crewsis primarily from fatigue

• Noted sleep scientist Dr.William Dement, director ofStanford University’s SleepDisorders Research Center,compared going to work fa-tigued with going to workdrunk. Fatigue impairs themotor skills, concentration,and response time of traincrew members.

• Fatigue already is a se-vere problem in the railroad in-dustry. Insufficient train crewsrequire railroads to demandemployees work up to 30 dayswithout rest periods. It is notuncommon for train & engine

service employees not to re-ceive even six hours of uninter-rupted sleep daily.

• Fatigue is most oftencited by the National Transpor-tation Safety Board as a con-tributing factor in railroad ac-cidents.

One person crews sought bythe carriers are a prescrip-tion for disaster

• Trains operatingthrough populated areas andcarrying deadly hazmat andconsidered a target of terror-ists should not be permitted to

operate with only a single per-son aboard.

• Medical emergencies, theneed for restroom breaks andmeal periods all put trains,their contents and communi-ties at risk when there is but asingle person aboard to oper-ate and monitor the train andremain in radio contact withdispatchers and nearby emer-gency responders.

• Railroads transportdeadly hazmat on tracks thatare within blocks of Capitol Hillin Washington, D.C. Traintracks are located in the heart

of major population centersand trains carrying hazmattravel next to hospitals andschools.

A Federal Railroad Adminis-tration study of reducedcrews is needed

• Before Congress allowscarriers to turn current labornegotiations into a congres-sional plebiscite on reduced-crew size, a Federal RailroadAdministration study into thesafety concerns of reducedcrews is essential. •

BLET, UTU warn ofrail safety concerns

Page 6 Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006

BLET NEWS

Delegate Nominations and Elections: – Sixteen General Committees of Adjustment have held their nomina-tions meetings so far, with the rest scheduled through March, 2006. It’s easy to find out where and when the meetingsare taking place, and the results. Just go to www.ibtvote.org and follow the links:

Written Nominations Permitted: – Remember, you can nominate, second and accept a nomination in writinginstead of actually attending the nomination meeting. Please consult the nomination notice you received in the mailor Article II, § 5 of the Rules for the 2005-2006 IBT International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“ 2006Rules”), available on our website, for a complete description of how to nominate, second and accept a nomination inwriting.

Correct Date for the International Convention: – The 27th IBT International Convention will take place in LasVegas, Nevada on June 26-30, 2006. The Timetable of Events published in the erroneously states June 25-29, 2006 asthe dates for the 27th IBT International Convention. Disregard that printed date and write the correct date for theconvention in your booklet or other copy of the 2006 Rules.

International Officer Campaign Material: – Accredited candidates for IBT International Office published cam-paign material in the February 2006 issue of Teamster magazine.

Do You Want Your Own Copy of the 2006 Rules? – Contact the Election Supervisor’s Office in Washington, D.C.and request your copy of the 2006 Rules. Rules booklets are available in English, Spanish and French. Call toll-free888-IBT-2006 (888-429-2006) or send your request by email to ElectionSupervisor@IBTvote.Org

Richard W. MarkElection Supervisor

Want to review thatmaterial or getanother copy? Go towww.teamster.org

Click on “2006Election CampaignLiterature,” andfollow the links tothe campaignliterature of theslates.

Election Supervisor’s Third Report to BLET members

my family and enjoy my grandchil-dren.” He also enjoys fishing and oldcars.

“I’ve met good people and bad dur-ing my career,” said Brother Heath. “Istarted out on a 6:30 a.m. job and endedon a 10:30 p.m. job. All and all, 30 yearsat 55 years of age should be enough forthose in train service. I’ve workedenough hours to be 65 years old already.

“Hopefully, the BLET and Team-sters can provide rail workers with bet-ter pay, health insurance and earlier re-tirements.”

Upon retirement, Brother Heathwas presented with two clocks. One isa standard issue CP Rail retirementclock and the other is a Stormy Kromerclock presented to him by coworkers.

The Heaths live at 5536 AlamedaSt., Shoreview, Minn. 55126. •

Heath RetirementContinued from Page 7

Send us your LastRuns/Honor Rolls

BLET members planning to retirein coming months should contact theNational Division to have their Last Runand/or Honor Roll published in themonthly Locomotive Engineers andTrainmen News. Last Runs feature re-cently retired members while recognizemembers with 40 or more years of con-secutive membership. For details, con-tact:

BLET Public Relations Dept.1370 Ontario St., Mezzanine

Cleveland, OH 44113E-mail: Policy@ble-t.org

Meany Center announces 2006 hazmat workshops The Rail Workers Hazardous Ma-

terials Training Program will conducthazardous materials transportation/chemical emergency response trainingprograms at the George Meany Cam-pus in Silver Spring, Md., on the follow-ing dates:

May 7-12, 2006June 4-9, 2006

July 16-21, 2006The training, eligible for three aca-

demic credits from the National LaborCollege, addresses OSHA and DOT re-quired procedures and different levelsof response and worker protection in ahazardous materials emergency or re-lease, weapons of mass destructionawareness, the incident command sys-tem, as well as components required to

complete OSHA 10-Hour OutreachTraining. Training includes advancedclassroom instruction, small group ac-tivities, intensive hands-on drills and asimulated hazmat response in fullsafety gear.

The Rail Workers Hazardous Ma-terials Training Program is funded toprovide this training by varioussources, including the North AmericanRailway Foundation (NARF) and a fed-eral grant from the National Instituteof Environmental Health Sciences(NIEHS). This funding will providetransportation, lodging, and meals fortraining participants. In addition, par-ticipants who are unable to secureregular pay through the railroad to at-tend training are eligible for a stipend

of $550.00.In Fall 2005, the Rail Workers Haz-

ardous Materials Training Programwas refunded for another five years inpartnership with the InternationalBrotherhood of Teamsters as a HazmatTransportation Consortium. As of Au-gust 31, 2005, the Rail Program com-pleted 14 years of training provided tomore than 19,500 rail workers.

The BLET Education & TrainingDepartment encourages all BLET mem-bers to consider taking advantage ofthese educational opportunities. Eventhose who have completed hazmatworkshops in the past will benefit fromnew programming that will be offeredthis year.

The Program’s curriculum has

been expanded to include two newtraining program areas — Hazmat Di-saster Worker and U.S. Department ofEnergy (DOE) Radiation Worker Train-ing. The Disaster Training can encom-pass anything from security and terror-ism to natural disasters, such as work-ing in the aftermath of HurricaneKatrina. The DOE training will provideradiation awareness training to railworkers involved with the transporta-tion of radioactive materials shipments.

For your convenience, a registra-tion form is available from the BLETwebsite at:

h t tp : / /www.b le - t .org /pr /pdf /0506TrainingApplication.pdf

Completed registration formsshould be faxed, mailed or e-mailed tothe Hazmat office as soon as possible.Space is limited to approximately 25 foreach program. Check the Rail Workerswebsite for schedule updates and toregister online: http://www.hazmatgmc.org.

For more details, contact the follow-ing:

Rail Workers HazardousMaterials Training Program

10000 New Hampshire AvenueSilver Spring, Maryland 20903

Phone: (301) 439-2440Fax: (301) 628-0165

crodgers@nationallaborcollege •

Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006 Page 7

LAST RUNS

The Brotherhood of Lo-comotive Engineers andTrainmen congratulatesRobert A. Harvey on his re-tirement after many yearsof dedicated and profes-sional service to the organi-zation. Brother Harvey re-tired officially on January 1,2006.

A pioneer in the field ofregulatory research for alabor organization, BrotherHarvey was hired full-timeafter the BLE’s 1996 con-vention. Working out of theBLET’s Washington, D.C.,office during the past nineyears, he has spent count-less hours participating inmore than 15 Rail SafetyAdvisory Committees(RSACs), helping to developrules and regulations thatimpact the working condi-tions of locomotive engi-neers and trainmen. Bobhas also testified on behalfof the BLET at numerouspublic hearings.

“Bob has an impeccablereputation in D.C., and hisintegrity has been a positivereflection upon the Brother-

hood these past nine years,”said BLET Vice President andNational Legislative Represen-tative Raymond Holmes.

Brother Harveys work be-hind the scenes has been no-ticed by many in the BLET.

“We appreciate his accom-plishments — often conductedbehind the scenes withoutmuch fanfare — on issues ofgreat importance to the jobs oflocomotive engineers andtrainmen, always relying onhis first-hand experience as alocomotive engineer to keepthe safety of BLET members at

the forefront at all times,”said BLET National Presi-dent Don M. Hahs. “Thankyou, Bob, for your hardwork and dedication overthe years, and your atten-tion to detail, which hashelped make the rail indus-try a safer place to work.”

Brother Harvey leavesbehind an unparalleledlegacy of hard work and de-votion to the Brotherhoodand the railroad industry.His history of exemplaryservice to the BLET will bemissed by all. •

The BLET’s Executive Committee thank Brother Bob Harvey for hismany years of dedicated service to the Brotherhood. From left: FirstVice President Ed Rodzwicz; Brother Harvey; National President DonHahs; and National Secretary-Treasurer Bill Walpert.

Congratulations, Brother Harvey!

BLET Division 607 inCleveland recently bid a fondfarewell to three members whoare now enjoying retirement.At a retirement party in theCleveland area, Division 607President Bud Ramkey pre-sided over a ceremony to honorthe retirees and present themwith farewell gifts.

Ronald T. Andolsen of Di-vision 607 Cleveland hired onthe Norfolk & Western Railwayon Nov. 19, 1964, earning pro-motion from fireman to loco-motive engineer in 1969. Heofficially retired on October 7,2004

During his 40-year career,Bother Andolsen worked vari-ous yard assignments in Cleve-land and Bellevue, Ohio, andworked many locals as well. Hecompleted his last run on trav-eling switcher L-24 at SouthLorain Yard. He enjoyed thecontinuous daily challengesthat railroading presents, es-pecially his acclamation periodthat afforded him some uniqueproblems and accomplish-ments.

Division 607 presented himwith an engraved desktopmodel of a NW locomotive anda hat bearing the NW logo as aretirement gift.

Richard L. Hunt hired onthe Akron, Canton & Young-stown Railroad on May 23,1964. The AC&Y was absorbedby the Norfolk & Western,

which later became the NorfolkSouthern.

Brother Hunt’s Last Runcame on the former Conrailyard assignment BF-14 atChrysler Yard in Twinsburg,Ohio, on Jan. 2, 2004. Duringretirement, he hasenjoyed boating,skiing, spendingtime with his family,and continues to im-prove his golf game.

As a retirementgift, he was given adesktop model of anAC&Y locomotive bythe Brothers andSisters of his divi-sion.

George J. Henry Jr. is asecond-generation locomotiveengineer. His father worked asan engineer on the former BigFour (Cleveland, Chicago, Cin-

cinnati & St. Louis division ofthe New York Central retiringfrom Conrail in 1981).

George Jr. worked as alineman for a public utility un-til corporate downsizing tookits toll. At age 56, he hired out

on Conrail as atrainman on Janu-ary 11, 1999, andserved as a conduc-tor on the roadfreight pool betweenCleveland andConway, Pa. He laterearned promotion tolocomotive engineerand made his lastrun between Cleve-

land and Mingo Junction, Ohio,on train 62R on March 3, 2005.

George plans to enjoy hisretirement traveling with hiswife, spending time with hisgrandsons, and maybe takingsome college courses. •

Brother T.J. Gowan ofBLET Division 192 (El Paso,Texas) made his last run onNovember 18, 2004on a road switcher inEl Paso.

Brother Gowanfollowed in hisfather’s footsteps. Hebegan his railroadcareer as a clerk forthe Southern PacificRailroad on Septem-ber 3, 1946 in El Paso.He went firing in Au-gust 1950 and waspromoted to the position of lo-comotive engineer on Decem-ber 16, 1960. He joined BLE Di-vision 591 on July 1, 1958.Brother Gowan’s father, Will-iam T. Gowan, hired out in 1911as a switchman and, upon hisreturn from service in theArmy in 1920, worked as an

operator/agent for the SantaFe Railroad.

During his years of mem-bership in the BLEand the BLET,Brother Gowanserved the organi-zation in many ca-pacities. He wasthe Secretary-Trea-surer for Division591 in the 1960sand served as Lo-cal Chairman from1972-1991. He alsoserved as the Sec-

retary-Treasurer of the South-ern Pacific Western Lines Gen-eral Committee of Adjustment.

Brother Gowan has fourchildren, Tommy, Lisa, Gregand Debbie, and nine grand-children.

He lives at: 8513 Basil Ct.,El Paso, Texas 79925. •

Locomotive Engineers & ConductorsMutual Protective Association

535 Griswold • Suite 1210 • Detroit, MI 48226-3638(800) 514-0010 • (313) 962-1515

FAX: (877) 633-1910 • E-MAIL: lecmpa1910@lecmpa.org •WEB: www.lecmpa.org

Job Protection Headquarters for Transportation EmployeesSince 1910

Gowan’s career began in 1946

From left: Division 607 President Bud Ramkey presents George J. HenryJr. with a model of a NY Central locomotive attached to a Conrail cabooseat a retirement party for Brothers Henry, Andolsen and Hunt.

Cleveland Division 607 honors three retirees

Richard L. Hunt

Brother David A. Heath ofBLET Division 357 (Minneapo-lis, Minn.) made his last run asa yard conductor on Dec. 21,2004, in Canadian Pacific’s St.Paul Yard.

Heath began his railroadcareer in 1964 as a switchmanon the Rock Island lines in Ot-tawa, Ill. During his railroadcareer, he worked for severalrailroads due to sales and con-solidations. He quotes JohnnyCash to explain the wide vari-ety of places he has wordedthroughout his 40-year career:“I’ve been everywhere, man.”

He joined the BLE in 1998after many years as a memberof other organizations. BrotherHeath noted that when hehired out in 1964, he was paid$24.64 for eight hours of work.At the time of his Last Run, heearned $172 for eight hours ofwork.

Brother Heath and hiswife, Cheryl, were married onNov. 21, 1964. The couple hasa son, Tracy; two daughters,Kari and Jamie; and twograndchildren.

During his retirement,Brother Heath plans to “seethe sights, visit friends, be with

Brother Heath, with his covetedStormy Kromer clock — aretirement gift from coworkers.

See Heath Retirement, Page 6

He’s worked everywhere, man

Page 8 Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen News · February 2006

LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN NEWSBrotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and TrainmenA Division of the Rail Conference, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

BLET Publications Committee:Don M. Hahs, National PresidentEdward W. Rodzwicz, First Vice-President & Alternate PresidentWilliam C. Walpert, National Secretary-TreasurerRaymond A. Holmes, Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Rep.John V. Bentley Jr., Editorwww.ble-t.org • (216) 241-2630Kathleen Policy, Associate Editor

COPYRIGHT 2006, ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDVOLUME 20 • NUMBER 2 • February 2006

LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS & TRAINMEN NEWS (ISSN 0898-8625)is published monthly by theBrotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen,1370 Ontario Street, Cleveland, OH 44113-1702.Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toLocomotive Engineers & Trainmen News — BLETRecords Department, 1370 Ontario Street, MezzanineCleveland, OH 44113-1702.

PERIODICALS

POSTAGE

PAID AT

CLEVELAND, OH

0206

BLET NEWSFEBRUARY 2006CALENDAR & EVENTS

Advisory Board December ActivityIn accordance with the BLET Bylaws, summaries of BLET AdvisoryBoard members’ activities are published monthly:

MARCH 19-23, 2006... Local Chairman Workshop, University of Illinois-Champaign, Ill.The BLET Education & Training Department hosts this workshop on the campus of the University of Illinois-Champaign near Chicago. To register, contact Ken Kroeger at (216) 272-0986 or kroeger@ble-t.org.

JUNE 4-9, 2006... 79th Annual BLET-GIA Southeastern Meeting Association (SMA)Hosted by SMA Chairman T.L. Reed and the members of BLET Division 205, the 79th annual SMA will beheld at the Chattanooga Marriott at the Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. More information to comewhen available.

JUNE 12-16, 2006... 68th Annual BLET-GIA Eastern Union Meeting Association (EUMA)Hosted by EUMA Arrangements Chairman R.J. Chapter and the members of BLET Division 157, the 68thannual EUMA will be held at the Tropicana Casino & Resort on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J. Moredetails at www.ble-t.org.

JUNE 19-22, 2006... BLET National Division Convention, Las Vegas, NevadaThe First Quadrennial Convention of the BLET National Division will be held at Bally’s in Las Vegas. Moredetails to come when available.

JUNE 25-29, 2006... 27th IBT International Convention, Las Vegas, NevadaThe 27th International Convention of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will be held at Bally’s inLas Vegas. More details to come when available.

JULY 18-23, 2006... 66th Annual BLET-GIA International Western Convention (IWC)Hosted by S.V. Halbrook and the members of BLET Division 94, the 66th annual IWC will be held at theHoliday Inn Rapid City–Rushmore Plaza in Rapid City, S.D. Registration details at www.ble-t.org.

AUGUST 20-24, 2006... 71st Annual BLET-GIA Southwestern Convention Meeting (SWCM)Hosted by A.L. Williams and the members of BLET Divisions 182, 278, 585, 858 and GIA Auxiliary 37, the71st annual SWCM will be held at The Peabody Little Rock in Little Rock, Ark. Contact Chairman A.L. Will-iams by e-mail at: ALWMS1@sbcglobal.net; or Vice Chairman Norman Baker at: (501) 835-0858.

National President Don M. Hahs—National Division office: General supervision of BLET activities; General office duties; BLETWage/Rule meetings, Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition meetings with National Carriers Conference Committee, Washington, D.C.;Mtgs. w/ Gary Curry, ORBA, Sacramento, Calif.; Mtg. w/ Painters Union, Washington, D.C.; Division 192 and Division 22 mtgs.;Division 463 Christmas party (Cumberland Falls State Park, Ky.); Div. 548, Peru, Ind.; Vacation.First Vice-President & Alternate President Edward W. Rodzwicz— Assisted President in general operation of National DivisionOffice; Vice President assignments; Special Representative assignments; Organizing department; Shortline department; Passengerdepartment; Various correspondence & phone calls.National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert—General supervision of BLET financial, record depts.; ND office; BLET Educa-tion & Training Dept.; Internal Organizing, Mobilizing & Strategic Planning Dept.; Safety Task Force; Meetings with vendors andfinancial institutions; S-T Workshop, Cleveland; Christmas party, Cumberland Falls, Ky.; Christmas party, Scott City, Mo.Vice-President Paul T. Sorrow—CSX Western Lines GCofA mtg.; Mtgs. w/ CSX General Chairmen regarding dual track bargaining;Public Law Board 1063, NS; CSX Family Day event, Greenwood, S.C.; Mtg. w/ President Hahs; Assisted Grand Trunk Western GCA forplanning session with upcoming negotiations and day-to-day issues; Assisted CSX, NS and GTW committees and performed generaloffice duties.Vice-President Richard K. Radek— ND Office; BLET Decertification Helpline services; Director of Arbitration Dept; National RailroadAdjustment Board (NRAB); Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; Indiana Harbor Belt; METRA; Belt Rwy. of Chicago; Paducah & Louisville;Chicago Central & Pacific; EQAL 03-47 filings; Special Div. 114 mtgs., CN-IC, Waterloo, Iowa, Monticello, Wisc.; L/M mtg., CN-IC,Oak Brook, Ill.; CN-WC negotiations, Schiller Park, Ill.; Metra special mtgs., 0/17/05 derailment, Chicago; Metra document produc-tion, supeona; Preliminary settlement conf., scheduling procedures, Metra, Chicago; IC agreement ratification, Cleveland; Arbitratorselection strikes, EJ&E, manning provision/remote control dispute arbitration-SBA; PLB 6881 filings, Chicago; FRA 49 CFR 240.409dockets this month: FRA EQAL 01-16, 05-01, 03-47.Vice-President Dale McPherson — CP Rail; Port. Term. RR; Longivew Portland & Northern; Longview Switching Co.; Indiana RR;W&LE RR; Utah Railroad; UP Eastern Dist.; UP former CNW; DM&IR RR; Portland & Western RR; Great Western RR; Appalachian &Ohio RR; Public Law Boards 5604, 5681, 5721, 6040, 6281, 6558, 6589; UP work/rest projects; RSAC positive train control cmte.;National wage/rules; General office duties, telephone, correspondence; Arbitration, PLB 6449 and 6440, UP, Cheyenne; Nationalwage/rule contract mtgs., Washington, D.C.; Portland & Western contract mtgs., Salem, Ore; National Association of Railroad Arbitra-tors mtg., Chicago.Vice-President & U.S. Nat’l Legislative Representative Raymond A. Holmes — BLET Washington D.C. office; General officeduties, telephone, correspondence; BLET General Chairmen’s mtg., Las Vegas; BLET Advisory Board mtg., Las Vegas.Vice-President Merle W. Geiger Jr.— Assigned to: BLET Trainmen’s Department; Kansas City Southern; Gateway Western; MidsouthRail; Southrail; Texas-Mexican Rwy.; Springfield Terminal, Delaware & Hudson; Indiana & Ohio RR; Louisville & Indiana RR; St. Lawrence& Atlantic RR; Indiana Southern RR; Mtg. w/ GC Clark, Koonce, Parker and KCS, Shreveport, La.; Joint division Christmas dinner,Kansas City; Mtg. and Christmas dinner w/ Division 527, Pittsburg, Kan.; Conference call regarding dispute on L&I RR; NARAP websiteconference call; BNSF (former BN) open house, Fort Worth; Conference call w/ GC Parker and KCS; Research, correspondence andgeneral office duties; Vacation, holidays.Vice-President Stephen D. Speagle—Assigned to Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Montana Rail Link, Pacific Harbor Line, Missouri &Northern Arkansas (M&NA), National Wage/Rule Committee; National Wage/Rule committee; MRL conference call, Peoria, Ill; Div.135 Christmas party, Beardstown; Div. 842 mtg., Klamath Falls, Ore.; Div. 104 mtg., Spokane, Wash.; ID meeting with carrier,Portland, Ore.; NCCC meetings, Washington, D.C.; Div. 155 mtg.; Holiday.Vice-President E.L. “Lee” Pruitt — Assisted general chairmen & members of: UP-Western Lines; UP-Western Region; UP-CentralRegion; UP-Southern Region; UP-Tacoma Belt; General office duties, telephone paperwork; New Orleans Gulf Coast RR negotiations,Chicago; Crew utilization mtg., UP Southern Region GCA, Houston; Trip Rates and ID Run negotiations, UP Western Region GCofA,Portland; UP-Tacoma Belt, office duties, paper work, filing and calls.Vice-President Paul L. Wingo Jr. — Assigned to NS-Southern Lines and Eastern Region GCofAs; Meridian Southern; New YorkSusquehanna & Western; New England Central; BLET Rail Security Officer; New England Central contract ratification issues withcarrier; Special issue with NYS&W; Washington, D.C., meetings, assisting Legislative Department; Special combined meeting of Divi-sions 239 and 782; Division 198 and 165 meetings, Christmas Party.

A message from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa

Teamster teamwork

Teamsters are proving again andagain that teamwork among unionsworks. When we left the AFL-CIO lastyear and joined the Change to Win Fed-eration we did so because our need toorganize was not being taken seriouslyby the AFL-CIO. Now we, and you, arepart of a dynamic new labor federationcomposed of six other like-mindedunions: Laborers, SEIU, Unite-HERE,Farmworkers, Carpenters and UFCW.In March, we will participate in an or-ganizing conference with our Changeto Win brothers and sisters. And, inJune, we will host a Teamsters orga-nizing conference prior to our Interna-tional Convention. Both of these are op-portunities for you to join together withprogressive union brothers and sisterswho have taken the call for organizingto heart.

Even though some technical jobshave been shipped overseas, the coreAmerican jobs such as locomotive en-gineers, warehouse workers, and truckdrivers are in need of unionization.Companies are expanding, and in somecases, becoming multi-national. We,too, are expanding our alliances andpartnerships so that we can comparestrategies with other union negotiators.

That’s why the Rail Labor Bargain-ing Coalition (RLBC) has been so effec-tive. Instead of bargaining separatelywith rail carriers, the Brotherhood ofLocomotive Engineers and Trainmen(BLET) joined with the Brotherhood ofMaintenance of Way Employes, SheetMetal Workers, Boilermakers, Firemenand Oilers, Train Dispatchers and Rail-road Signalmen for the best bargain-ing strength. This year the RLBCshowed the carriers that they werecompletely united against the rail cor-porations scheme to reduce the re-quired crew size. The RLBC assertedthat having at two crew members onboard was the right and safe thing todo. I commend the RLBC for standingup and staying united. There will bemore bargaining to come as part ofthese national negotiations, but we areconfident that we will succeed.

Rail Safety LegislationWe were proud to support Rep.

Steve Lynch’s (D-MA) legislation forrail safety that required rail employeetraining that he introduced last year.For too long, the rail corporations have

kept silent on their safety and securityplans. They wouldn’t even give theplans to Congress. Rep. Lynch’s pro-posal was one of the first to recognizethe integral part our members performwith safety on the job. No one knowsbetter than you that what you see dailyon the rails is valuable information.And, that in order to better performyour jobs, you need the training to com-pliment them. As defacto first-respond-ers to all rail accidents, you need toknow how to evacuate a train, whattypes of suspicious packages to watchout for and how to handle accidentsthat may include toxic chemicals.

In Nebraska, which boasts some ofthe largest freight shipments in theUnited States, State Sen. MattConneally (D-NE) just introduced leg-islation that calls for increased commu-nications between the rail corporationsand the police and fire officials. This isan example of local government lead-ers taking seriously the threat of acci-dents and terrorism that our rail sys-tem is open to.

We will keep fighting to bring work-place safety and public safety on therails to the forefront of America’s se-curity agenda.

James P. HoffaGeneral President