THE LOCOMOTIVE NGINEER ENEWSLETTER · JULY 2002 Procedures set for remote control arbitration The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers an- in the dispute. UTU was also a part of the January other than locomotive engineers to operate locomo- nounced on June 25 that it has negotiated a set of court ruling issued by the U.S. District Court in Chi- tives via remote control in connection with the move- procedures to be followed in upcoming arbitration cago. ment of cars, trains and/or engines in terminal op- hearings, which will determine whether Locomotive “The BLE is going to work hard and fight aggres- erations is a violation of the exclusive rights of loco- Engineers or trainmen have the right to operate re- sively to keep Locomotive Engineers from losing their motive engineers to perform such service pursuant mote control technology. jobs,” BLE International President Don M. Hahs said. to existing BLE Agreements and established prac- The tripartite arbitration decision — between the The three parties could not agree on a single tice.” BLE, United Transportation Union and six railroad question to pose to the arbitrators, so each party sub- Due to the timelines established in the agreement, companies (BNSF, Conrail, CSX, KCS, NS and UP) — mitted its own question. The merits arbitration panel it is expected that the dispute will be resolved around was reached after months of negotiations. The UTU will render a decision on the questions posed on page the end of the year. is a party to the hearing because its collective bar- 6 of the arbitration agreement. A copy of the six-page arbitration agreement is gaining agreements, as well as BLE’s, are involved The BLE question states, “The assignment of available on the BLE website. • Hahs testifies at Senate BLE scores Tex Mex victory hearing on rail A majority of workers nized the many Tex Mex em- BLE’s affiliation with the AFL- that a fight against the BLE on the Texas-Mexican Rail- ployees who spent time cam- CIO and its pending merger/ is a fight against all of labor. safety, fatigue way selected the Brother- paigning for the BLE. He also affiliation with the Teamsters “I thank Presidents hood of Locomotive Engi- thanked Special Representa- swayed many votes in favor of Sweeney and Hoffa for their BLE President Don M. neers as their designated tive Tom Miller for helping the BLE. participation in our organiz- Hahs told the Senate’s Surface collective bargaining repre- guide the representation elec- The AFL-CIO and IBT par- ing drive,” President Hahs Transportation Subcommittee sentative in a National Me- tion to a successful conclusion. ticipated in the BLE’s letter said. “Their letters had a that the Brotherhood of Loco- diation Board certified elec- He also thanked the AFL-CIO writing campaign, and letters tremendous effect.” motive Engineers has created tion on July 15. and the International Brother- from AFL-CIO President John President Hahs also a fatigue counter-measure One-hundred and nine hood of Teamsters for assist- Sweeney and Teamster Presi- thanked AFL-CIO President plan that would greatly im- of 115 eligible voters cast ing in the BLE’s organizing dent James Hoffa were deliv- Sweeney for dispatching or- prove safety in the railroad in- ballots, and a 60-49 major- campaign. ered to all Tex Mex employees. ganizer Ed Tynes to the dustry. ity voted for the BLE over Following the victory, These letters explained property to assist the BLE. Drawing a link between the United Transportation President Hahs revealed por- why the Tex Mex workers He spent a great deal of time safety of employees and the Union. tions of the BLE’s organizing should support the BLE over in the field with Tex Mex economic health of railroad BLE International strategy that made the cam- an organization not affiliated companies, President Hahs See Tex Mex, Page 7 President Don Hahs recog- paign a success. He said the with the AFL-CIO, and stated spoke at length about worker fatigue at a hearing on July 10. Citing unreliable work sched- ules, under-staffing, and Hours BLE, Rail Labor fighting to save Amtrak of Service loopholes, the BLE President noted that there are many causes of fatigue, but Bankruptcy threatens 23,000 Amtrak jobs; Members asked to contact Congress, White House said that each employee has an BLE International Presi- individual threshold for toler- dent Don M. Hahs is working ating it. steadily to secure funding for The three-pronged BLE Amtrak that will keep the na- approach to eliminating fa- tional passenger railroad on tigue would focus on educa- track now and in the future. tion, information and empow- In mid-June, Amtrak Presi- erment. It would empower rail dent David Gunn announced operating employees with the that the railroad would discon- right to call off work if they are tinue service nationwide if it fatigued after completing a set did not receive $100 million in amount of work each month. emercency funding. Following The BLE President asked the announcement, President that Congress serve as a me- Hahs and other rail and trans- diator and facilitator to bring portation union leaders the essential parties together scrambled to help save the na- to address fatigue as a way of tional passenger railroad from BLE legislative and political leaders were joined on Capitol Hill by Teamster General President James Hoffa in a improving rail safety. He also bankruptcy. lobbying effort to save Amtrak. Front row, from left: Dale McPherson, BLE Vice-President; John Mullen, BNSF noted that the Hours of Service During the last week of General Chairman; James Hoffa, IBT General President; Don Hahs, BLE International President; Ken Kertesz, Act covers rail workers but not June in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania State Legislative Board Chairman; and Brian Gallaher, Secretary of the New York State Legislative workers employed by outside President Hahs and key BLE Board. Back row, from left: John Tolman, assistant to the International President; Darrell Blake, West Virginia contractors, who often perform State Legislative Board Chairman; J.T. Norris, Virginia State Legislative Board Chairman; Raymond Holmes, the same work as railroad em- BLE Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Rep.; and Tommy Roberts, Conrail General Chairman. See Amtrak, Page 2 (Not all BLE participants are pictured; Photo courtesy Steven K. Ostrowski, Secretary-Treasurer, BLE Division 127.) See Senate, Page 8 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Since 1863, a tradition of forward thinking Page 2 Locomotive Engineer Newsletter · July 2002 BLE NEWS CN reaches another ground-breaking agreement with BLE Canadian National (CN) and the job security for all BLE members cur- vice-president, said: “This agreement thinking displayed by both the BLE and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers rently qualified as locomotive engi- mirrors the success we had in negoti- CN labor relations officers is relegat- (BLE) announced the signing of a pro- neers. The new agreement would also ating a new compensation model for ing age-old labor-management prac- gressive labor agreement covering 415 see engineers paid an hourly wage, a our members on CN’s Wisconsin Cen- tices to the past. This is an important locomotive engineers who work on CN’s modernization of the mileage- and rule- tral Division. This innovative approach step in an industry whose traditionally former Illinois Central properties in the based compensation system that dates to rail industry wage and working con- complex labor agreements for train and United States. from the era of the steam locomotive ditions will improve labor relations on engine employees have for years gen- The tentative agreement — mod- but remains standard in the rail indus- the railroad and secure a better bal- erated misunderstanding and confron- eled on one ratified by BLE members try. ance between work and home life for tation. With this agreement, CN on CN’s Wisconsin Central Division The three-year agreement, which is our members.” achieves greatly enhanced employee earlier this year — would eliminate all subject to BLE ratification, would take E. Hunter Harrison, CN’s executive productivity while BLE members obtain prior work rules and agreements in effect Aug. 1, 2002. vice-president and chief operating of- job security and significant lifestyle im- exchange for guaranteed time off and Rick Radek, BLE international ficer, said: “The fresh and innovative provements.” • BLE, BNSF sign agreement to create new era in employee safety The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) by BLE members and negotiated by the four BLE ployees,” said M. David Dealy, BNSF’s vice president, and The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway general chairmen, with the assistance of the Inter- Transportation. “Both BLE and BNSF will focus on Company (BNSF) announced an agreement in June national Division of the BLE — will allow our mem- root cause analysis and corrective action to prevent that will launch a new era in railroad employee safety bers to fully participate in creating a safer working injuries caused by behavior as well as injuries caused programs. environment.” by environmental conditions.” Through the agreement, which has been ratified The agreement provides for BLE-represented Brother Speagle concluded, “The BLE believes by BLE members, a new safety culture will be intro- safety people to assure that the agreement’s proce- that the new approach to discipline, which places a duced that focuses on the active participation of em- dures are being implemented and interpreted uni- higher emphasis on training and counseling, will also ployees and BLE and BNSF leadership working as a formly across BNSF’s 33,000-route-mile system. contribute to a better and safer work place. team to create a safer workplace. The agreement also Safety forums at different BNSF locations will ad- “The overwhelming ratification of the agreement establishes an approach to discipline that further dress conditions that have to be corrected to improve by the BLE membership is further evidence of the stresses training and counseling instead of punitive safe production, replacing the previous reporting, need for change.