VOLUME 100 • 3RD QUARTER 2019 THE Struggles head APresident Jerry C. Boles — PAGE 2 Inside: SPRINGFIELD TERMINAL RAILWAY AGREEMENT MONTANA RAIL LINK AGREEMENT RATIFIED 7-STEP ANNUAL AUDIT BRS MEMBERSHIP SURVEY RESULTS FREE COLLEGE BENEFIT Union members and their families can earn an Associate Degree with NO out-of-pocket cost. FREE COLLEGE BENEFIT FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY The Union Plus Free College Benefit offers working families an accessible, debt-free and convenient higher education opportunity. You, your spouse, children, financial dependents and grandchildren, can all take advantage of this exciting opportunity. 0 ZERO OUT-OF-POCKET COST Members and their families can earn an Associate Degree online, with no out-of-pocket costs. A last-dollar scholarship covers the difference between any Federal grants and your tuition, fees and e-books at Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC). 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Official Publication of the BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD SIGNALMEN WWW.BRS.ORG VOLUME 100 • 3RD QUARTER 2019 DIRECTORY APPOINTMENTS AT NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: 917 Shenandoah Shores Road Front Royal, VA 22630-6418 Grand Lodge (540) 622-6522 • Fax: (540) 622-6532 Mike Efaw — National Legislative Director .............. 5 Jerry Boles, President Chris Hand — Grand Lodge Representative ............... 5 (ext. 525) • [email protected] Mike Baldwin, Secretary-Treasurer (ext. 527) • [email protected] Springfield Terminal Ratifies Agreement .................... 6 Kelly Haley, Vice President Headquarters Montana Rail Link Ratifies Agreement ...................... 6 (ext. 567) • [email protected] Agreements Brandon Elvey, Vice President NRAB (ext. 524) • [email protected] NTSB — Accident Investigation Orientation for Rail Professionals ..................... 7 Doug VanderJagt, Director of Research (ext. 570) • [email protected] Orientation — Advanced Electronics Training Program ...................................... 7 Kurt Mullins, Grand Lodge Representative United Healthcare — FSA Eligible Expenses ......................................................8 (ext. 572) • [email protected] Quinn Norman, Grand Lodge Representative Did You Know? ......................................................................................... 10, 32 (ext. 573) • [email protected] HAZMAT Rail Workers Training Program ....................................................... 11 Chris Hand, Grand Lodge Representative (ext. 566) • [email protected] Vital Decisions Living Well Program ............................................................... 12 WASHINGTON OFFICE: BRS Membership Survey Results .................................................................... 14 815 16th Street NW, 4th Floor The Thomson Foundation ................................................................................. 15 Washington, D.C. 20006 Union Plus Scholarship Program ..................................................................... 15 Mike Efaw, National Legislative Director 917 Shenandoah Shores Road, Front Royal, VA 22630 RRB Issues Statements of Service ................................................................... 16 (ext. 528) • [email protected] Tips to Help Keep Your Health on Track — Brain Health .................................. 27 FIELD VICE PRESIDENTS: Photo Highlights from Local 156 Meeting ....................................................... 33 Joe Mattingly, Vice President Midwest 400 Contessa Lane, Trenton, KY 42286 Photo Highlights from Local 14 Meeting ......................................................... 33 (270) 466-0405 • [email protected] Photo Highlights from Local Chairmen’s Training — June 2019 ...................... 34 Jim Finnegan, Vice President Commuter/Passenger Photo Highlights from Local 8 Meeting ........................................................... 35 917 Shenandoah Shores Road, Front Royal, VA 22630 (540) 622-6522 (ext. 528) • [email protected] Photo Highlights from Local 161 Meeting ....................................................... 36 Tim Tarrant, Vice President East Photo Highlights from FAMES Meeting .......................................................... 36 917 Shenandoah Shores Road, Front Royal, VA 22630 (540) 622-6522 (ext. 528) • [email protected] Photo Highlights from Local Chairmen’s Training — August 2019 ................... 37 Cory Claypool, Vice President West Photo Highlights from Local 49 and 110 Meeting ............................................ 37 917 Shenandoah Shores Road, Front Royal, VA 22630 (540) 622-6522 (ext. 528) • [email protected] Photo Highlights from Local 182 Meeting — Steve Labelle’s Retirement .......... 38 BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Photo Highlights from CSX/NS General Chairmen’s Meeting .......................... 39 Gus Demott, Chairman Photo Highlights from Local 43 and 98 Joint Picnic ........................................ 40 P.O. Box 888, Clinton, SC 29325 (864) 938-0353 John McArthur, Secretary From the President ............................................................................................ 2 P.O. Box 960639, El Paso, TX 79996 (775) 846-1794 Letter to the Editor ......................................................................................... 10 Chris Natale, Member 60 Oak Place, Babylon, NY 11702 Washington Report ......................................................................................... 18 (631) 587-0024 Railroad Retirement Questions & Answers ....................................................... 20 OFFICERS EMERITUS: Designated Legal Counsel ................................................................................ 24 V.M. “Butch” Speakman, Jr., President Emeritus 14212 Viola Place, Huntley , IL 60142 Benefits Directory ............................................................................................ 25 Continuous Membership .................................................................................. 26 The Signalman’s Journal (ISSN-0037-5020) is published Obituaries ....................................................................................................... 28 quarterly by the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen 917 Shenandoah Shores Road, Front Royal, VA 22630-6418. Signalman’s Store ........................................................................................... 30 Periodicals Postage Paid at Photo Contest Winners for 3rd Quarter 2019 .................................................. 41 Front Royal, VA and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Signalman’s Journal, The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, COVER: BNSF Signal Maintainer and Local 161 mem- 917 Shenandoah Shores Road, Front Royal, VA 22630-6418. ber Josh Hernandez, working out of Trinidad, Colorado, at Subscription Rates: $10.00 per year, sold only in the United States and Canada. Single copy price is $3.00. a Semaphore T-2 Signal, located between Springer, New Mexico, and Wagon Mound on the old ATSF main line. Photo submitted by Danny Chaparro, BNSF Assistant General Chairman and Local 161 member. FROM THE PRESIDENT Jerry C. Boles, BRS President Struggles Ahead As we move forward in today’s era of railroading, I am in today’s ever changing industry. While many of us compelled to discuss with you the many issues that face focused on Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), we our Organization, our colleagues, the labor movement, also clearly pointed out the direct correlation to a decline and the working class in general. in safety where PSR has been implemented. The con- cerns of our members are many, and they should worry As many of you probably already know, I along with not only us, but the general public as well. The potential BLET President Dennis Pierce, SMART Transportation for catastrophe grows as railroads continue to introduce Division President John Previsich, IAM Assistant tactics to further their bottom lines all while allowing to the President Andrew W. Sandburg, and Amtrak safety to take a back seat. FOP President William Gonzalez While we are were invited by We must unite and let our voices be heard, we must grateful for the U.S. House of reach out to our elected officials and inform them of our invitation of Representatives concerns, and we must stand together and support those Congress to Committee on who support Labor, our industry, and the working class. address some of Transportation our concerns, and Infrastructure the truth is our Chairman, Peter A. Defazio, to testify on behalf of our testimonies were just the tip of the iceberg. Our industry, members in front of the Subcommittee on Railroads, as well as labor in general, is under attack. We are taking Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials on “The State of the shots from all sides and those with the power to defend Rail Workforce”. A link to this hearing and testimony can the regulations and laws are not rising to the challenge. be found on our website, www.brs.org. Congress and the Administration should continue to defend safety and the regulations that have protected us Labor’s testimony showed a side of the rail industry most and the general public for many years. Instead, we are carriers would prefer