Daily news updates MARCH/APRIL WWW.BLE-T.ORG ocomotive 2015 NGIN ee RS RAINM E N E WS LE & T N Volume 29, Issue 2 Published by the BLET, a division of the Rail Conference,• International Brotherhood of Teamsters STARRY SKIES A CSX locomotive leads a rock train at Vulcan Materials Quarry near Notasulga, Ala., on January 10, 2015. The 30-minute exposure on this photograph features the trails of star lights moving overhead as well as the light streaks from a passing train — a mixed freight heading south to Montgomery. Photo: courtesy of Frank Orona Court victory vindicates BLET BUYS NEW BLET position HEADQUARTERS on two-person train crews BUILDING n a major legal victory to protect use supervisors or other management thanks for holding the line on this all- he National Division of the Brotherhood two-person train crews, the U.S. employees in place of engineers or con- important safety issue. of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has Court of Appeals for the Sixth Cir- ductors in the operation of its trains.” “I would also like to thank General Tpurchased a new headquarters building in cuit ruled in favor of BLET’s posi- The TRO was later converted into an in- Chairman Dewayne Dehart, retired Gen- the Cleveland suburb of Independence, Ohio. The Ition that the Wheeling & Lake Erie’s use junction. eral Chairman R.H. Linsey, Local Chair- new location fulfills the BLET Bylaws requirement of managers in place of Union conductors A unanimous three-judge panel on men Kevin Nahrebecki and Lonnie that the National Division headquarters be located is a major dispute under the Railway La- the Sixth Circuit reversed the District Swigert and the members of Division 292 in the greater Cleveland area. bor Act. The ruling, issued on April 20, Court. It found that W&LE’s “claim that for standing strong. I want to thank Gen- The BLET sold its former headquarters, the Stan- 2015, vindicates BLET’s decision to strike the Trainmen Agreement allowed it to eral Counsel Mike Wolly and his team dard Building, in July of 2014. A stipulation of the over the issue more than 18 months ago. man trains without union conductors is for helping to secure this major court Standard Building sale agreement was that BLET In September 2013, the BLET went on frivolous or obviously insubstantial, and victory on behalf of our members,” Pres- would lease back the space the Brotherhood cur- strike over the W&LE’s repudiation of the dispute is major.” The Court of Ap- ident Pierce concluded. rently occupies for a minimum of two years and Collective Bargaining Agreements that peals also vacated the injunction and re- Contract negotiations at the railroad a maximum of three years to relocate. cover the locomotive engineer and train- manded the case back to the District have been stalled for years as the Carri- “This is an exciting time for our Brotherhood,” men operating crafts. Specifically, the Court with instructions to dismiss the er apparently seeks to eliminate crew BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce said. Carrier ignored longstanding crew con- W&LE’s complaint. members and force one-person train op- “Work will begin immediately to fit the new sist agreements and operated single-per- “The favorable ruling from the U.S. erations. The BLET has long opposed to property to our operations, and once complet- son operations in an effort to eliminate Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit such freight operations as being adverse ed, our new headquarters location will provide Trainmen. constitutes a major victory for all BLET to worker and public safety. • ample room for our National Division officers When W&LE challenged the strike, members, especially our Brothers and and staff in a more modern work environment. the District Court ruled the dispute to Sisters at the W&LE,” BLET National A copy of the court ruling We will also use this opportunity to continue and be a minor one and granted the Carrier President Dennis R. Pierce said. “They is available for download expand our state-of-the-art Education and Train- a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). have fought the good fight for many years from the BLET National ing Center.” While the TRO put the BLET members now and have stood strong against the Division website: More information on the new BLET headquar- back to work, the District Court condi- carrier’s wishes to implement one-per- www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/ ters building will be made available as develop- tioned it “on W&LE’s agreement not to son train operations. They deserve our WLE_opinion_and_order.pdf ments warrant. • Special Joint Statement NJ Transit Update 2-Person Crew Bill BLET and SMART address BLET, 9 other unions BLET, SMART work together May 12 Amtrak tragedy pg. 2 request arbitration pg. 4 to protect safety 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 SPECIAL JOINT STATEMENT BY DENNIS R. PIERCE & JOHN PREVISICH Amtrak Tragedy BLET/SMART–TD statement on Positive Train Control, crew size following fatal Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia (The following is a joint state- member in the cab of the loco- ment by Dennis R. Pierce, Na- motive. The only thing on a lo- tional President of the Brother- comotive that is not a machine hood of Locomotive Engineers is the crew. The uncontrolled and Trainmen, and John Pre- external environment in which visich, President, SMART trains are operated along with Transportation Division, re- regulatory and operational de- garding questions that have aris- mands of a safe transportation en since the fatal Amtrak derail- service demand a crew of at least ment in Philadelphia on May two fully trained and qualified 12, 2015.) employees in the control cab of every train. PTC is only a safe- embers of BLET’s ty overlay that ensures a safer Safety Task Force operation, and no technology a n d S M A R T can replace the level of safety Transportation provided when two crew mem- MDivision’s National Safety bers are on board and can serve Team, in addition to represen- as a check and balance to one tatives from the Brotherhood another. of Maintenance of Way Em- Even with all the safety-re- ployees Division of the Team- lated technology that the gov- sters Rail Conference (BM- ernment has mandated on com- WED), are working with the mercial airlines, the public National Transportation Safe- would never accept an airline ty Board (NTSB) to assist in the operation with a single person investigation of the catastroph- in the cockpit. There is no rea- ic May 12 derailment of Am- son that rail employees and rail trak Train 188. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators on the scene passengers’ lives should be Significant progress has been of the Amtrak Train #188 derailment in Philadelphia, Pa. Photo: courtesy NTSB Flickr viewed any differently. made in understanding how Contrary to what some in the accident occurred on May WHY A ONE-PERSON size on the Northeast Corridor. deadline. Each death caused government may say, the only 12. That portion of the inves- TRAIN CREW? But this is only one piece of a by the delay of PTC implemen- place that crew size and PTC tigation is not yet complete, In 1981, Congress passed leg- very large, complex puzzle. tation is one too many, yet Con- do connect is when it comes to however, and even more work islation (the Northeast Rail Ser- gress is preparing to consider funding. That is especially true needs to be done to determine vice Act of 1981) that ended the WHY NO POSITIVE a blanket 5-year extension to in the case of Amtrak, because why the events of that tragic previous Conrail requirement TRAIN CONTROL? 2020. This is most certainly the government has woefully night transpired the way they that there be a second crew On the heels of another cat- not in the public interest. underfunded Amtrak since its did. member in the control cab of astrophic railroad accident in Since 2005, the NTSB has com- inception. Additional crew BLET and SMART–TD do commuter rail trains on the Chatsworth, CA, the federal pleted 16 investigations of rail- members and new technology not make official comments Northeast Corridor. Armed government mandated in 2008 road accidents that could have both cost money, and so long about any ongoing NTSB in- with that legislative precedent that Positive Train Control been prevented or mitigated with as those in Congress see fit to vestigation. Due to the number — and mindful of where its (PTC) be put in effect by the PTC. These 16 accidents claimed underfund the operation, they of press inquiries concerning funding originates — Amtrak end of this year. That was sev- 52 lives — many being BLET and undermine their own mandate issues not under investigation, has since 1983 refused to crew en years ago. Even with that SMART–TD members — and in- and shortchange the safety of however, we are providing the Northeast Corridor trains with mandate in place, and with the jured 942 people, with damages the traveling public. following information on why more than one employee in the exception of some railroads totaling hundreds of millions of Amtrak trains on the North- cab – the locomotive engineer. such as BNSF Railway, the in- dollars. NTSB has publicly stated Sincerely, east Corridor are manned by a Although BLET and SMART– dustry at large has spent the in- that the accident on May 12, 2015 lone engineer in the control cab TD have steadfastly maintained terim finding reasons to avoid was also PTC preventable.