DOCSLIB.ORG

BLET Calls for Positive Train Control Following Metro-North Fatality

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
BLET Calls for Positive Train Control Following Metro-North Fatality Daily news updates NOVEMBER/ WWW.BLE-T.ORG ocomotive DECEMBER 2013 NGIN ee RS RAINM E N E WS LE & T N Volume 27, Issue 8 Published by the BLET, a division of the Rail Conference,• International Brotherhood of Teamsters HAPPY NEW YEAR! Delaware & Hudson locomotive 7304, displaying the classic D&H “lightning stripe” livery, lumbers through a wintry mix of sleet and snow on the night of November 30, 2008. The Victorian-era passenger station in Wesport, N.Y., was built for the D&H in 1875-1876. Photo: copyright Gary Knapp BLET calls for Positive Train Control Members urged to following Metro-North fatality call their member STATEMENT BY BLET NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENNIS R. PIERCE: of Congress after n December 1, “First and foremost, the BLET of on-the-job training working 2013, a Metro- extends our deepest sympathies as rail conductors or in other BLET lobbies for North train de- to all accident victims and their railroad crafts. They must also railed in the loved ones. It is impossible complete classroom training Bronx, N.Y., kill- for those who were not affected and numerous written and field two-person crew bill ing four people and injuring to understand the grief that now tests prior to earning promotion n November, the President & National Legis- Odozens. The Brotherhood of Lo- surrounds those who were, but it to engineer. Locomotive engi- BLET, working jointly lative Representative John comotive Engineers and Train- is paramount that the les- neers are subject to exten- with SMART-Trans- Tolman led the team of BLET men represents more than 51,000 sons from this tragedy are used sive certification requirements portation Division (for- lobbyists, which also includ- active and retired locomotive en- to prevent any such loss in the pursuant to the provisions of Imerly the United Transpor- ed: Texas State Legislative gineers and trainmen throughout future. Our thoughts and prayers Part 240 of Title 49 of the Code tation Union), made nearly Board Chairman Ter- the United States. While we are are also with the professional of Federal Regulations (CFR). 150 visits to members of the ry Briggs; Ohio State Legis- the largest union representing and highly skilled locomotive Under Part 240, each railroad U.S. House of Representa- lative Board Chairman Tim locomotive engineers in Ameri- engineers and conductors at Met- must have in place a certifica- tives in support of H.R. 3040, Hanely; District of Colum- ca, we do not currently represent ro-North, who have expressed tion program approved by the Safe Freight Act. The bill bia State Legislative Board locomotive engineers at Metro- shock and sadness at the events the Federal Railroad Adminis- would mandate by federal Chairman Herbert Harris; North. In response to the acci- of December 1. tration (FRA). An individual law that two qualified indi- Pennsylvania State Legisla- dent, and in light of the multi- “As to questions concerning railroad’s certification program viduals are in the cab of each tive Board Chairman Ken ple requests for comments from the training that is provided to must meet minimum federal freight train operating in the Kertesz; Illinois State Legis- various news outlets, BLET issued locomotive engineers, in gener- safety requirements for the eli- United States. lative Board Chairman Paul the following statement from Na- al terms most engineers are sea- gibility, training, testing, certi- BLET National President Piekarski; Director of Regu- tional President Dennis R. Pierce: soned veterans who receive years Continued on page 2 • Dennis R. Pierce and Vice Continued on page 3 • BLET President’s Message CSX Santa Train Adopt-A-Family Cameras are not BLET Member Shawn Robinson Division 34 (Columbus, Ohio) helping the answer pg. 2 helps Santa spread good will pg. 5 families in need for the holidays pg. 6 Register• for News Flash email alerts at: www.ble-t.org Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BLETNational• 2 WWW.BLE-T.ORG BLET PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY DENNIS R. PIERCE Cameras are not the Answer AFTER THE METRO-NORTH FATALITY, POLITICIANS AND THE MEDIA ARE WRONG TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS n the wake of the horrific the Federal Railroad Administra- accident on Metro-North tion and Congress to see that this Commuter Railroad, there technology is implemented before have been several public another avoidable accident oc- Icalls for the installation of inward curs. This technology would pre- facing cameras in the cabs of vent a tired engineer from enter- all locomotives, which have sug- ing any speed restricted area too gested that videotaping locomo- fast, and would prevent a fatigued tive engineers in the workplace engineer from passing a meeting will somehow reduce fatigue in point with a crowded passenger the railroad industry. Nothing or commuter train. How many could be further from the truth, lives must be lost, and what cost or could lead us further away from in human life will this great na- preventing another tragic acci- tion tolerate, before the nations’ dent. Cameras are essentially railroads are required to take an accident investigation tool; they the steps available and necessary are not an accident prevention to truly protect their employees tool. Installation of cameras will and the public in general from provide the public nothing more BLET Secretary-Treasurers who completed training courses in Cleveland during the week these avoidable accidents? than a false sense of security. of December 15 visit the office of National President Pierce (seated) on December 18. The true test of any solution There are many factors not machines are the locomo- against those occasions where No camera can realistically affect is in its ability to prevent an ac- that contribute to fatigue in our tive engineers and trainmen as- fatigue overwhelms an engineer the human fatigue created by such cident. On the one hand, Posi- industry, but one thing is cer- signed to that locomotive, who while operating a moving loco- an unpredictable work schedule. tive Train Control will prevent tain; locomotive engineers are are human beings. motive. I call today on all railroads these horrific accidents and the true professionals who do their Engineers already place life No locomotive engineer who that are currently suspending toll they take on those affected. best to report for work fully rest- and limb at risk when they are attempts to call off from working and/or terminating engineers On the other hand, should an- ed. The fact of the matter is that compelled to work tired, and due to fatigue should be subject- for taking time off due to fa- other accident occur due to Con- engineers do not intentionally filming them provides no deter- ed to disciplinary retaliation for so tigue, because they cannot with gress delaying the now required report to work fatigued by their rent to the risks we already face. called “poor attendance.” The ma- certainty be rested for an un- 2015 implementation of PTC, a own choice. To the contrary, these cameras jority of the nation’s engineers in known on-duty time, to stop camera in the cab would merely If we are to learn from fa- will create yet another source of freight service, who operate side this counter intuitive behavior capture an image of the avoid- tigue related accidents in the distraction from the engineer’s by side on the same tracks as pas- immediately. Pressuring engi- able carnage that follows, but railroad industry we must look work tasks. More than a century senger and commuter engi- neers to work tired through only in the unlikely event that at the actual causes of fatigue of research establishes that mon- neers, work unscheduled jobs. threat of the loss of their jobs the camera and recording appa- and not assume that training itoring workers actually reduces They are “on call” 24/7, 365 days is contributing to fatigue in the ratus is not destroyed in the ac- a camera on a fatigued engineer the ability to perform complex a year and receive as little as an railroad industry and all but cident. The problem that con- will somehow deter him or her tasks, such as operating a train, hour and half notice to report to ensures that another fatigue re- fronts us is obvious, and from being tired, an assump- because of the distractive effect. work a twelve hour shift, in many lated accident will happen. cameras in the cab are no solu- tion that borders on absurdity But there are steps that can be cases with no reliable advance Equally important is the im- tion to that problem. as it is not based in medical sci- taken that will truly reduce the predictability as to their report- plementation of Positive Train ence. The only things in the cab effect of fatigue on safety in the ing time and after already being Control technology and I again Dennis R. Pierce of a moving locomotive that are railroad industry, and safeguard awake for twelve to sixteen hours. call on the railroad industry, BLET National President There are many factors that contribute to fatigue in our industry, but one thing is certain; locomotive engineers are true professionals who do their best to report for work fully rested. The fact of the matter is that engineers do not intentionally report to work fatigued by their own choice. and conductors. Although most passen- sult in instances of fatigue. The Broth- nology provides a safety overlay that METRO NORTH ACCIDENT ger and commuter rail engineers and con- erhood of Locomotive Engi- assists locomotive engineers as they ap- Continued from page 1 • ductors work scheduled shifts, fatigue neers and Trainmen has worked to ensure proach speed restrictions as well as re- fication and monitoring of its locomo- still occurs when work cycles are changed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The History of Bryn Mawr, 1683-1900
    Bryn Mawr College Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College Publications, Special Books, pamphlets, catalogues, and scrapbooks Collections, Digitized Books 1962 The History of Bryn Mawr, 1683-1900 Barbara Alyce Farrow Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.brynmawr.edu/bmc_books Part of the Liberal Studies Commons, and the Women's History Commons No evidence was found that the copyright was renewed in the 28th year from the date of publication, as required for books published between 1923 and 1963 (see Library of Congress Copyright Office, How To Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work [Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, Copyright Office, 2004]). The book is therefore believed to be in the public domain. Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Custom Citation Farrow, Barbara Alyce. The History of Bryn Mawr, 1683-1900. Bryn Mawr, PA: Committee of Residents and Bryn Mawr Civic Association, 1962. This paper is posted at Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College. https://repository.brynmawr.edu/bmc_books/14 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The HISTORY OF BRYN MAWR 1683-1900 Barbara Alyce Farrow THE HISTORY OF BRYN MAWR 1683 - 1900 Barbara Alyce Farrow Foreword by Catherine Drinker Bowen Pub lished by A Committee of Residents and The Bryn Mawr Civic Association Bryn M.:lw r, Pe nn sylvania 1962 This work is based on a thesis submitted in 1957 to Westminster College New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. Copyright © Barbara Alyce Farrow 1962 library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62-13436 II To my grandmother, Mrs.
    [Show full text]
  • Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
    1 Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie CHAPTER I CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER II CHAPTER III CHAPTER III CHAPTER IV CHAPTER IV CHAPTER V CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER IX CHAPTER IX CHAPTER X 2 CHAPTER X CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII CHAPTER XII CHAPTER XIII CHAPTER XIII CHAPTER XIV CHAPTER XIV CHAPTER XV CHAPTER XV CHAPTER XVI CHAPTER XVI CHAPTER XVII CHAPTER XVII CHAPTER XVIII CHAPTER XVIII CHAPTER XIX CHAPTER XIX CHAPTER XX CHAPTER XX CHAPTER XXI CHAPTER XXI CHAPTER XXII CHAPTER XXII CHAPTER XXIII CHAPTER XXIII CHAPTER XXIV CHAPTER XXIV CHAPTER XXV CHAPTER XXV CHAPTER XXVI CHAPTER XXVI CHAPTER XXVII CHAPTER XXVII CHAPTER XXVIII Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie 3 CHAPTER XXVIII CHAPTER XXIX CHAPTER XXIX Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie Project Gutenberg's Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, by Andrew Carnegie This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie Author: Andrew Carnegie Editor: John C. Van Dyke Release Date: March 13, 2006 [EBook #17976] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE *** Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Linda Cantoni, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie 4 ANDREW CARNEGIE WITH ILLUSTRATIONS [Illustration: [signature] Andrew Carnegie] London CONSTABLE & CO.
    [Show full text]
  • Pa-Railroad-Shops-Works.Pdf
    [)-/ a special history study pennsylvania railroad shops and works altoona, pennsylvania f;/~: ltmen~on IndvJ·h·;4 I lferifa5e fJr4Je~i Pl.EASE RETURNTO: TECHNICAL INFORMATION CENTER DENVER SERVICE CE~TER NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ~ CROFIL -·::1 a special history study pennsylvania railroad shops and works altoona, pennsylvania by John C. Paige may 1989 AMERICA'S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE PROJECT UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR I NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ~ CONTENTS Acknowledgements v Chapter 1 : History of the Altoona Railroad Shops 1. The Allegheny Mountains Prior to the Coming of the Pennsylvania Railroad 1 2. The Creation and Coming of the Pennsylvania Railroad 3 3. The Selection of the Townsite of Altoona 4 4. The First Pennsylvania Railroad Shops 5 5. The Development of the Altoona Railroad Shops Prior to the Civil War 7 6. The Impact of the Civil War on the Altoona Railroad Shops 9 7. The Altoona Railroad Shops After the Civil War 12 8. The Construction of the Juniata Shops 18 9. The Early 1900s and the Railroad Shops Expansion 22 1O. The Railroad Shops During and After World War I 24 11. The Impact of the Great Depression on the Railroad Shops 28 12. The Railroad Shops During World War II 33 13. Changes After World War II 35 14. The Elimination of the Older Railroad Shop Buildings in the 1960s and After 37 Chapter 2: The Products of the Altoona Railroad Shops 41 1. Railroad Cars and Iron Products from 1850 Until 1952 41 2. Locomotives from the 1860s Until the 1980s 52 3. Specialty Items 65 4.
    [Show full text]
  • December 2010/January 2011 SMART
    Volume 42/43 December 2010 / January 2011 Number 12/1 www.utuia.org www.utu.org The Official Publication of the United Transportation Union Conductor certification coming Jan. 1, 2012 WASHINGTON – In a Notice of Proposed •CSX General Chairperson (GO 049) John Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Nov. 10 Lesniewski ; Federal Register, the Federal Railroad Admin - •UTU Training Coordinator and Local 528 istration proposes to make Jan. 1, 2012, the (Chicago) Legislative Rep. Ron Parsons ; effective date for implementation of conductor •National Legislative Director James Stem ; certification. •Alternate National Legislative Director The rulemaking on principles, elements and John Risch ; methods of conductor certification was ordered by Congress in the 2008 Rail Safety Improve - •Local 645 (LIRR, Babylon, N.Y.) Chairper - ment Act. son Vinnie Tessitore ; The NPRM – preceding publication of a final •UTU Rail Safety Coordinator for Designat - rule, expected in early 2011 (ahead of imple - ed Legal Counsel Larry Mann . mentation) – was developed through the FRA’s The UTU will respond to NPRM with recom - Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), mendations for improvement and change in the which is comprised of stakeholders, affected final rule – as will all stakeholders. The FRA will labor unions, railroads, suppliers, manufacturers make the sole determination as to contents of and FRA safety experts. the final rule. The various stakeholders had many conflict - ductor Certification Working Group by a team Following are major provisions of the rulemak - ing objectives for the rulemaking, and the appointed by UTU International President Mike ing. A detailed summary is posted at www.utu.org. NPRM is a consensus document that required Futhey: (Click on “Transportation Safety,” and then compromise among all stakeholders.
    [Show full text]
  • The 'Pennsylvania Crailroad'>S Southerncrkail Empire
    The 'Pennsylvania cRailroad'>s c Southern Rkail Empire N the decade of the 1870's, the expanding Pennsylvania Railroad put together a loosely joined rail empire consisting of a dozen railroads in seven southern states stretching from Virginia to I 1 Mississippi and Tennessee. While many southerners in the postwar years had eagerly sought northern capital for their stricken railways, their entreaties up to 1870 had rarely resulted in more than visits of railroad carpetbaggers. Now, in the new decade, the Pennsylvania Railroad offered the South a pattern of railroad progress supported by the stable financial backing of a successful corporation, rather than the dreams and promises of penniless politicians and promoters. In the postwar years, the Pennsylvania Railroad continued a prosperity well established before and during the Civil War. Both during and after the war, President John Edgar Thomson's road paid cash dividends ranging from eight per cent to ten per cent.2 When the Pennsylvania started to look southward it was already a giant com- pared to the railways of the South. It had a capital structure (capital stock and funded debt) one quarter as large as the total railroad investment in the ten southern states from Virginia to Louisiana. The road's gross earnings of $22,000,000 in 1872 were half as great as the total for the seventy major lines in the South.3 Clearly, the Pennsylvania Railroad had both the size and the financial stature necessary for an adventure in southern railroading. The adventure started in Maryland. The Pennsylvania had earlier acquired entry into Baltimore with its acquisition of the Northern 1 Fairfax Harrison, A History of the Legal Development of the Railroad System of the Southern Railway Company (Washington, D.
    [Show full text]
  • Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
    AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW CARNEGIE Popular Edition BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY PREFACE AFTER retiring from active business my husband yielded to the earnest soHcitations of friends, both here and in Great Britain, and began to jot down from time to time recollections of his early days. He soon found, however, that instead of the leisure he expected, his life was more occupied with affairs than eve;- before, and the writing of these memoirs was reserved for his play-time in Scotland. For a few weeks each summer we retired to our little bungalow on the moors at Aultnagar to enjoy the simple life, and it was there that Mr. Carnegie did most of his writing. He delighted in going back to those early times, and as he wrote he lived them all over again. He was thus engaged in July, 1914, when the war clouds began to gather, and when the fateful news of the 4th of August reached us, we immediately left our retreat in the hills and returned to Skibo to be more in touch with the situation. These memoirs ended at that time. Henceforth he was never able to interest himself in private affairs. Many times he made the attempt to continue writing, but found it useless. Until then he had lived the life of a man in middle life — and a young one at that — golfing, fishing, swimming each day, sometimes doing all three in one day. Optimist as he always was and tried to be, even in the face of the failure of his hopes, the world disaster was too much.
    [Show full text]
  • Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, B
    The Project Gutenberg eBook of Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, b... http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17976/17976-h/17976-h.htm [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] [Pg v]vi]vii]viii]ix]x]xi]xii]1]2]3]4]5]6]7]8]9]10]11]12]13]14]15]16]17]18]19]20]21]22]23]24]25]26]27]28]29]30]31]32]33]34]35]36]37]38]39]40]41]42]43]44]45]46]47]48]49]50]51]52]53]54]55]56]57]58]59]60]61]62]63]64]65]66]67]68]69]70]71]72]73]74]75]76]77]78]79]80]81]82]83]84]85]86]87]88]89]90]91]92]93]94]95]96]97]98]99]100]101]102]103]104]105]106]107]108]109]110]111]112]113]114]115]116]117]118]119]120]121]122]123]124]125]126]127]128]129]130]131]132]133]134]135]136]137]138]139]140]141]142]143]144]145]146]147]148]149]150]151]152]153]154]155]156]157]158]159]160]161]162]163]164]165]166]167]168]169]170]171]172]173]174]175]176]177]178]179]180]181]182]183]184]185]186]187]188]189]190]191]192]193]194]195]196]198]199]200]202]203]204]205]206]207]208]209]210]211]212]213]214]215]216]217]218]219]220]221]222]223]224]225]226]227]228]229]230]231]232]233]234]235]236]237]238]240]241]242]243]244]245]246]247]248]249]250]251]252]253]254]255]256]257]258]259]260]261]262]263]264]265]266]267]268]269]270]271]272]273]274]275]276]277]278]279]280]281]282]283]284]285]286]287]288]289]290]291]292]293]294]295]296]297]298]299]300]301]302]303]304]305]306]307]308]309]310]311]312]313]314]315]316]317]318]319]320]321]322]323]324]325]326]327]328]329]330]331]332]333]334]335]336]337]338]339]340]341]342]343]344]345]346]347]348]349]350]351]352]353]354]355]356]357]358]359]360]361]362]363]364]365]366]367]368]369]370]371]372]373]375]376]377]378]379]380]381]382]383]384]385]201] Project Gutenberg's Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, by Andrew Carnegie This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.
    [Show full text]
  • Signalman's Journal
    STHEignalman’S JOURNAL Volume 93 • Number 2 2nd Quarter 2012 National Agreement and Revision Packet Now Available Information on Page 12 On the Road Protection 24/7 Get peace of mind for every driver in your household. One low fee, $69 annually, EMERGENCY • ROADSIDE covers the entire household. ASSISTANCE (less expensive than AAA). (up to $125 per incident; up to Plus $40 in gas rebates 3 times per year) BATTERY when you sign up for one year. • JUMP START Complete coverage in almost FLAT TIRE • CHANGE any car you own, rent or lease.* EMERGENCY • GAS DELIVERY LOCKOUT • SERVICE *All benefits are subject to terms and conditions listed in the membership materials and applicable to automobiles and light duty trucks only. To enroll or learn more 1-800-454-8722 UnionPlusMotorClub.com THE SIgnalman’S Official Publication of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen Web Page: www.brs.org JOURNAL Volume 93 • Number 2 • 2nd Quarter 2012 DIRECTORY FEATURES: NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: GEC Endorses Barack Obama for President ............ 4 917 Shenandoah Shores Road Front Royal, VA 22630-6418 Members of the BRS Grand Executive Council (540) 622-6522 Fax: (540) 622-6532 [email protected] elected to unanimously endorse Barack Obama for Dan Pickett, President President of the United States. (ext. 525) • [email protected] Jerry Boles, Secretary-Treasurer (ext. 527) • [email protected] Kelly Haley, Vice President Headquarters House Republicans Take Aim at Railroad Retirement Benefits ............................. 5 (ext. 524) • [email protected] John Bragg, Vice President NRAB Relco Ruling Upheld .............................................................................................6 (ext. 524) • [email protected] The New Railroad Information Depot ...................................................................7 Mike Baldwin, Director of Research No Call, No Text, No Update Behind the Wheel ....................................................8 (ext.
    [Show full text]
  • December 2011/January 2012 SMART
    Volume 43/44 December 2011/January 2012 Number 12/1 www.utuia.org www.utu.org The Official Publication of the United Transportation Union It’s your job, your vote, your responsibility Efforts at the bargaining table and in grievance es as we approach Election Day in November – While many candidates express positions you handling are the “stuff” of what labor unions do when we elect a president, all U.S. House mem - share on non-workplace issues, many also take anti- on behalf of members. bers, one-third of the U.S. Senate, many gover - labor positions, such as supporting legislation mak - nors and state legislators – we should be focusing ing it more difficult to join a labor union, eliminat - Union members also have a crucial role to play on how those candidates will impact ing collective bargaining rights and in protecting job security, wages, benefits and on our jobs and workplace safety. weakening workplace safety laws. working conditions. That role is casting ballots on Election Day for labor-friendly candidates, as The UTU backs candidates who UTU National Legislative Direc - the actions of Congress and state legislatures support working families, regardless tor James Stem offers, “The strength have significant and lasting impacts on working of their political affiliation. In deter - of our organization is our well families. mining candidates who receive sup - informed members. We strongly port from the UTU Political Action encourage active and retired mem - Judges that rule on our lawsuits, and regulators Committee (PAC), we examine their bers to participate in the political who write and enforce workplace safety rules, are record, scrutinize their speeches and process in their communities and nominated and confirmed by the political party analyze their responses to questions.
    [Show full text]
  • BNSF Changes Policies on Injury Reporting
    Volume 45 February 2013 Number 2 www.utuia.org www.utu.org The Official Publication of the United Transportation Union BNSF changes policies on injury reporting BNSF Railway has agreed to change policies ting results which will greatly benefit our mem - that federal officials say discouraged workers from bers,” UTU International President Mike Futhey reporting injuries and safety violations. said. As part of the deal announced last month by “This accord makes significant progress toward the Occupational Safety and Health Administra - ensuring that BNSF employees who report tion (OSHA), BNSF will make settlement offers injuries do not suffer any adverse consequences in 36 cases involving employees who filed for doing so,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for whistleblower complaints alleging they were Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David harmed by company policies. Michaels. “It also sets the tone for other railroad employ - ers throughout the U.S. to take steps to ensure Workers faced retaliation that their workers are not harassed, intimidated for reporting injuries or terminated…for reporting workplace injuries,” Michael added. Between 2007 and 2012, 1,206 railroad whistleblower complaints were filed, OSHA said. Other rails still have policies Of those, more than 60 percent involved an alle - gation that a worker faced retaliation for report - discouraging reporting ing an on-the-job injury. “These injuries occurred to a variety of work - The settlement announced last month was ers, including track workers, signalmen and loco - BNSF officials said the company, which is unique to BNSF, but other railroads still have motive engineers,” she added. owned by investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire policies in place that discourage reporting of “OSHA was concerned with BNSF’s policies Hathaway, had already made some policy changes injuries, Labor Department spokeswoman Diana that treated injured employees differently than in recent months to address the concerns.
    [Show full text]
  • August Journal
    BROTHERHOOD OF MAINTENANCE OF WAY EMPLOYES DIVISION Of The International Brotherhood Of Teamsters Volume 118 I Number 4 www.bmwe.org July/August 2009 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Frisco Federation Merge Richard C. Sandlin Will Head New Federation he governing bodies of the by BNSF and a number of short line Former AT & SF System Federation Rick and I came to the same conclu- TAtchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads. The new federation will con- General Chairman Mark Hemphill sion – our members will be much bet- System Federation and the Frisco tinue to maintain offices in Newton, retired June 30, 2009 after a long ter served with a larger, more efficient Federation of the Brotherhood of Kansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. career in service to the BMWED both organization,” said Brother Hemphill. Maintenance of Way Employes Former Frisco Federation General as a federation officer and as a mem- “It has taken a lot of preparation and Division convened June 25, 2009 in Chairman Richard Sandlin was elect- ber of the National Division Executive hard work but the end result is that Tulsa, Oklahoma and finalized a ed to head the new federation and Board. “After a long hard look at the our members will be better served.” merger between the two federations. offered, “Our officers and board mem- benefits of merging our federations See Merge on Page 19 The name of the newly-formed feder- bers worked hard to make this hap- ation will be the Atchison, Topeka & pen because of a deep belief that the Santa Fe Frisco System Federation.
    [Show full text]
  • Signalman's Journal
    STHEignalman’S JOURNAL Volume 94 • Number 3 3rd Quarter 2013 BIG NEWS FOR UNION MEMBERS EARN UNLIMITED %CASH 1.5 REWARDS ON EVERY PURCHASE INTRODUCING THE NEW AND IMPROVED UNION PLUS CREDIT CARDS The Union Plus Rewards Card is one of the 40 Union Plus bene ts designed to meet the needs of hard-working union members. Cardholders can earn unlimited, no-hassle 1.5% cash rewards and after just 3 months as a cardholder you may be eligible for unique assistance in times of need. This card comes with: Improved assistance bene ts 24/7 U.S.-based customer service for eligible cardholders, including job loss, strike, Competitive rates disability and hospital grants $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen Low intro APR for 12 months Get the full details at UnionPlus.org/New or call 1-800-522-4000 Another card option is available. Credit approval required. Terms & Conditions apply. The Signalman’S Official Publication of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen Web Page: www.brs.org JOURNAL Volume 94 • Number 3 • 3rd Quarter 2013 DIRECTORY FEATURES: NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: Fatal Accident Patterns — HOURS OF DAY ...................................................... 4 917 Shenandoah Shores Road Front Royal, VA 22630-6418 (540) 622-6522 Fax: (540) 622-6532 [email protected] The FAMES Committee analysis identified that a Dan Pickett, President significant number of fatal incidents occurred in (ext. 525) • [email protected] the one-hour period from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Jerry Boles, Secretary-Treasurer (ext. 527) • [email protected] Kelly Haley, Vice President Headquarters Frontline Worker Training at APTA Conference ...................................................
    [Show full text]