Volume 42 October 2010 Number 10 www.utuia.org www.utu.org The Official Publication of the United Transportation Union Vote your job, paycheck, safety and future Imagine reading the following news sto - tect job security, workplace safety, pay - ries in 2011: checks, access to affordable health care WASHINGTON – Congress has voted and pensions. to repeal the Federal Employers’ Liability The endorsements follow months of Act (FELA), saying the law is too costly research and interviews with the candidates for the railroad industry. by UTU state legislative boards, the nation - WASHINGTON – Concluding union- al legislative office and the AFL-CIO. advocated safety laws and regulations are Also in this issue are columns by UTU draining corporate profits, Congress has International President Mike Futhey, ordered a freeze on new workplace safety National Legislative Director James Stem initiatives. and Bus Department Alternate Vice Presi - WASHINGTON – Saying union dent Bonnie Morr explaining the risks we organizing makes U.S. manufacturing less take by allowing anti-labor, conservative competitive, Congress has voted to repeal forces to determine election outcomes. the right of labor unions to negotiate As President Futhey says in his column, wages and benefits on behalf of workers. “By voting our paychecks and retaining a WASHINGTON – Congress has voted labor-friendly Congress, we help elect law - to end federal support for Amtrak and makers who understand the needs of work - high-speed rail projects, saying the nation ing families – and who open their doors can no longer afford the cost; and that and ears to labor leaders.” automobiles and airplanes provide sufficient This Election Day, Nov. 2, the entire U.S. We can be sure that carrier executives and transportation mobility. House of Representatives, one-third of the U.S. their families and friends will be going to the WASHINGTON – Lawmakers in Congress Senate, 37 governorships and the balance of polls – and it won’t be to fulfill the vision of have voted to privatize Social Security. power in many state legislatures will be decided. founding father Thomas Jefferson, who said in Far fetched? Many employers and their For sure, corporate interests will be voting for his second inaugural address in 1801: “A wise favored hard-core conservative and anti-labor candidates who put profits before worker safety and frugal government shall not take from the candidates don’t think so, and those results could and working-family economic security. mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” well occur if working families ignore their ability Only when working families make their voic - If working families are to walk a common path to determine the outcome of political races. es heard on Election Day – voting their pay - to a brighter future, we must exercise our power checks – are we able to counter the anti-union at the ballot box and elect a labor-friendly major - efforts of employers to turn back decades of work - ity to Congress and state legislatures. er-friendly legislation and regulation. In these very difficult economic times, sup - News and Notes In the centerfold of this issue is a listing of porting those who support working families is the labor-friendly congressional candidates – most effective means of protecting our job secu - “Thanks Anthem, UTU” Democrats and Republicans – pledged to listen rity, workplace safety, paychecks, access to affordable health care and pensions. UTUIA Field Supervisor Dan McElley to the concerns of working families and pro - recently received a telephone call from Thomas A. Wilson , a member of Local 1252 in Fresno, Calif. Wilson had received bad news from his doctor: He could no longer Two members killed; another loses arm work on BNSF. Two UTU members died in In Fontana, Calif., Sept. 10, “Brother Wilson applied for a disability separate on-duty rail accidents a surgical team amputated the from Anthem, which UTU provided to its in September and a third suf- members on Jan. 1, 2010,” McElley said. “He arm of Union Pacific conductor said that it was a lifesaver to receive these fered an arm amputation in a Al Moncada – a member of benefits and the checks have been coming in train collision. Local 1846, West Colton, weekly and the people from Anthem have These two on-duty deaths Calif. – to free him from the been so helpful! He said thanks to President brought rail-employee on-duty wreckage of a locomotive that Futhey and his administration for their work fatalities for 2010 to 13, which reportedly struck a slower-mov - at getting this done.” is three more than the 10 McCabe Roper ing freight train 50 miles east of Anthem Life Insurance Co. provides a reported on-duty fatalities for all of 2009; and national group voluntary short-term disability brought UTU-member on-duty rail fatalities to Los Angeles. plan for all rail members. (Lincoln National eight for 2010, which is equal the 12-month total The UTU participates in the Switching Oper - Life Insurance provides coverage for bus in 2009. ations Fatalities Analysis (SOFA) working group, members.) Coverage is automatic unless the a coordinated effort with the FRA, carriers and member opts out. Near Paulsboro, N.J., Sept. 2, a Conrail labor organizations to develop safe practices that The Anthem rail disability insurance plan Shared Assets conductor – John M. McCabe, provides a basic “safety net” of coverage for age 52, of Ridley Park, Pa., and member of Local reduce fatalities and career ending injuries in yard UTU members, and was designed to work in 1390, Trenton, N.J. – died during what FRA switching operations. combination with Railroad Retirement sick - investigators report was a two-man conventional To learn more about SOFA safe practices, go to ness benefits. switching move into an industrial facility. The www.utu.org and click on the “Transportation FRA said the move was observed by a surveil- The Anthem plan pays up to $346 per Safety Link” in the blue box on the left. week for up to 52 weeks a year, and provides lance camera “seconds before impact.” 24/7 coverage for accidents and sickness. The In Mobile, Ala., conductor Josh Roper, 27, That link also provides information on the 24/7 means on- and off-duty coverage for died Sept. 4 while working a conventional switch- UTU Rail Safety Task Force, which works with accidents and sickness.The cost is $31 per ing job on Alabama State Docks Terminal Rail- general chairpersons, state legislative directors, month, and is collected through payroll road. He had been furloughed by CSX before hir- local officers and members to develop safe prac - deduction. ing on with the state-owned railroad. Roper was a tices and techniques to improve – and keep at its For more information see the UTU website, member of Local 598, Mobile. He is survived by highest level – situational awareness in railroad www.utu.org. his wife, Cassie, and two-year-old daughter. yard and road operations. Page 2 October 2010 UTU News AArroouunndd tthhee UUTTUU Local 240, Los Angeles, Calif. event and these concerns are going to be organ - Local Chairperson Harry Garvin Jr. reports that Classroom pizza parties ized and forwarded to the legislative representa - the 8th annual rail reunion and retirement dinner push parents to the polls tives for resolution,” Araujo said. for employees of UP, SP, Pacific Electric, Metrolink, Amtrak and AT&SF (Locals 240, 32, Local Chairperson Dale Barnett wants Local 1175, Duluth, Minn. Long-time Legislative Rep. Richard Olson 1422, 1770, 1813 and 1846) will be held Nov. 6, students to become life-long voters when they grow up, and he is using free pizza pies to retired Sept. 1 after 32 years of service and has from 3-9 p.m., at the El Rancho Verde Golf Club, moved with wife Sheila to join family in Califor - 335 E. Country Club Dr., in Rialto. The cost is $35 teach this civics lesson. At the July meeting of Local 762 at nia. “Olson also served as a BNSF safety coordina - per person or $65 per couple, with a reservation tor for eight years and leaves very big shoes to fill,” deadline of Nov. 1. The cost will be $40 per person Montgomery, Ala., Barnett was awarded the state’s “Democracy Medallion Award,” State Legislative Director Phil Qualy said. “He at the door. For more information, call Garvin at really pushed the carrier for our members, put out an honor only four oth - (909) 261-8878 or (909) 481-7261. Send checks a lot of fires, and took care of our members and er Alabama residents or money orders to Garvin at P.O. Box 8396, Alta their families when someone was hurt or killed.” Loma, CA 91701-0395, and include names, have ever received, for address, telephone number, railroad and years of his efforts in getting service. In other news, Garvin noted the retire - students involved in ment of conductor Jesse O. Dearo Jr. Aug. 19 our nation’s electoral after 40 years of service. “All the members and offi - process. cers of Local 240 wish him many long and happy The award was pre - years of retirement,” Garvin said. sented to Barnett by for - mer Alabama Secretary Local 256, Watervliet, N.Y. of State Nancy Worley, Barnett The New York State Legislative Board recently and is given to Alabamans who strive to pro - held a fund-raiser for Rep. Scott Murphy (D-20th mote democratic principles. Dist.) at the home of legislative board Vice Chair - “At the suggestion of State Legislative person Bill Neary in Glens Falls, N.Y., State Leg - Director Ronnie Clements, I attended a work State Legislative Director Phil Qualy, left, and Local 1000 islative Director Sam Nasca reports.