JUNE 2017 Volume 31, Issue 6 Daily news updates ocomotive WWW.BLE-T.ORG LE NGIN ee RS & T RAINM E N N E WS Published by the BLET, a division of the Rail Conference,• International Brotherhood of Teamsters NATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE: Coordinated Bargaining Group Unions say contract negotiations take a “step backwards” s part of our that we have been working very ongoing ef- hard on your behalf and we will fort to con- continue to pursue every avail- clude nation- able avenue to achieve a fair al contract contract settlement worthy of negotiations, ers presented new, onerous bar- ing more work for less pay in tude. But we will not let this your consideration. the Coordinated Bargaining gaining positions. Their new many circumstances. stand in our way. In spite of this The Carriers’ latest offer is AGroup (CBG) met with the na- contract demands would have the It is clear from the Carriers’ latest turn of events, the CBG neither a fair settlement, nor a tion’s freight rail carriers (NCCC) employees not only paying more latest contract demands that they will not give up its efforts to settlement that we expect our for three days during the week per month towards their month- are emboldened by the potential achieve a voluntary settlement members would ratify. So that of June 26th. These efforts were ly insurance premiums, but would of management-friendly recom- that is fair and protects our you all are fully aware of what part of our ongoing mediation also make drastic changes in the mendations that could come members’ best interests. We has been proposed, and in an process, mandated by the Rail- amount the average employee from a Presidential Emergency therefore requested and have effort to bring all affected mem- way Labor Act when the parties pays when medical services are Board appointed by President been granted additional medi- bers up to speed, the Carriers’ have been unable to reach a vol- needed. Combined with the Car- Trump, and ultimately be im- ation sessions later in July. This latest proposal, with a brief syn- untary agreement, and managed riers’ outlandish demands for this posed on the employees by a is not by any means the end of opsis, can be found at: http:// by the National Mediation Board. dramatic cost-shifting, they sug- Congress that already has enact- the road. The Railway Labor bit.ly/2unCc00 Despite the CBG’s best efforts gested we agree to below-standard ed or is pushing for changes in Act makes it the duty of both More information will be to reach a fair agreement with the General Wage Increases with no longstanding labor laws that pro- labor and management “to ex- forthcoming after the media- NCCC, the mediation process retroactivity, and, for certain tect employee rights. ert every reasonable effort to tion sessions scheduled later tin took a step backwards on Thurs- crafts, harmful work rules chang- We of course are frustrated make agreements.” We take that July. We appreciate your con- day, June 29th, when the Carri- es that would have employees do- by the Carriers’ hard-line atti- obligation seriously. Be assured tinuing support. • The Coordinated Bargaining Group is comprised of six unions: the American Train Dis- and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail patchers Association; the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (a Division and Transportation Workers. of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters); the Brotherhood of Collectively, the CBG unions represent more than 85,000 railroad workers covered by the var- Railroad Signalmen; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, ious organizations’ national agreements, and comprise over 58% of the workforce that will be Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers; the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers / SEIU; impacted by the outcome of the current bargaining round. C&O Era A CSX train en route to the coastal ports of Virginia Cantilevereases past Milepost 3.6 on CSX’s Logan Subdivision in Barboursville, W.Va., on July 4, 2016 This interlocking is one of the last remaining control points on the C&O in West Virginia still protected by a C&O-style cantilever signal. Photo: courtesy Chase Gunnoe BLET President’s Message Contract Ratified Regional Meeting Recap A challenging round Members OK new deal News and photo highlights from of bargaining continues pg. 2 with Indiana & Ohio pg. 3 San Antonio Regional Meeting pg. 4-5 Register• for News Flash email alerts at: www.ble-t.org/newsflash Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BLETNational• 2 WWW.BLE-T.ORG BLET PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY DENNIS R. PIERCE A challenging round of bargaining continues s noted on the front Republican controlled Congress page of this edition would be in a position to im- of the Locomotive pose those recommendations, Engineers & Train- or something worse, on our Amen News, and as it goes to print, membership. the nation’s freight carriers Here are some of the ques- (NCCC) have taken new bar- tions you must ask yourself gaining positions in our long when you consider our options. running national negotiations. Will a Congress and White On June 26th, the unions mak- House that are poised to strip ing up the Coordinated Bargain- health care away from over 20 ing Group (BLET, SMART TD, million Americans care that the ATDA, BRS, NCFO, and IBB) Carriers want you to pay more were served new demands by for yours? Will a Congress that the NCCC that would take away has refused to raise the mini- the long-standing practice of mum wage for over a decade retroactive application of gen- care if the Carriers are offering eral wage increases, while dra- substandard General Wage In- matically increasing the employ- creases? The bottom line is this: ees’ monthly contribution is the current federal govern- towards their health insurance ment, who by law is authorized premium payments. In addition, to settle our dispute if we can- the Carriers have demanded not, a government that will col- drastic changes to the design of lectively side with labor or with the Health and Welfare plan that the corporations in our dispute? would shift huge additional costs President Pierce with members of the Advisory Board stand for the National Anthem during While we may not all agree opening ceremonies of the BLET regional meeting in San Antonio, Texas, on June 6, 2017. to the employees when they use on the answer to that question, the benefits. Equally concern- Unions cannot reach a volun- Emergency Board in conjunc- that is why the bargaining round the very fact that we have to ask ing are the demands for work tary settlement in contract ne- tion with the White House, has taken this recent turn. it is why our bargaining team rule changes for all operating gotiations, the terms and con- should the proffer of arbitra- Our goal and responsibility will stay at the table in an effort employees that would require ditions of the Railway Labor tion be rejected by either party as your bargaining representa- to find a voluntary contract set- you to do more work for less Act ultimately place our dis- to the negotiations. tives is to measure all of these tlement worthy of your consid- money in many cases. pute in the hands of various It is obvious from these new options carefully, and to find eration. That effort, if success- The unions making up the levels of the federal govern- demands that the Carriers have the best contract settlement ful, along with our Union’s CBG made the decision to pub- ment. Currently our bargain- every expectation they have lit- available, whether that be democratic ratification process licly share this latest set of Car- ing group is in mediation man- tle to lose by taking this dispute through a voluntary settlement would place control of the ulti- rier demands in an effort to en- aged by the National Mediation to a Presidential Emergency or by taking our dispute to a mate outcome of our contract sure that all affected members Board (NMB). If we are unable Board, appointed by President Trump PEB. As for a voluntary negotiations where it belongs: are aware of exactly why there to reach a voluntary settlement, Trump and managed by the settlement, there is no reason in your hands. Those who are has been no voluntary settle- the next step in the process will soon to be Republican controlled for the bargaining team to agree affected should have the ulti- ment of our national contract be for the NMB to proffer bind- NMB. While many of our mem- to any contract that had no mate say, and we will continue to date. It is critical that all mem- ing arbitration as a possible way bers voted for President Trump chance of ratifying. To date, the in our efforts to provide that op- bers are clear in this regard: no to settle the dispute. At this with the belief that he would Carriers have been unwilling portunity to the membership. unions belonging to the CBG writing, President Trump has help working class Americans, to agree to any terms that the As things may begin to prog- have agreed to these demands; put forward the names of two this union’s freight members members would ratify. That ress rapidly in either direction, they are the Carriers’ demands, Republican appointees to fill could soon find out whether that does not mean that we will not there may be additional devel- not ours. They are unacceptable open positions at the National is true.