TRUTH No. 1 -- UTU, not BLE, negotiated contract gains:
The UTU has negotiated contracts with major rail carriers in all recent rounds of national handling that have provided consistent and improved wages, health-care insurance benefits, and working conditions. These agreements have kept our members well ahead of inflation. The BLE has said, "me too," to those agreements -- and for good reason.
Here is an example: In 2000, the cost to the railroads for our members' fringe benefits was $28,200.10 per year, or $2,341.68 per month. As of Jan. 1, 2004, the cost to the railroads for our fringe benefits was $32,688.27 per year, or $2,724.04 per month. That is an increase of $4,488.17 per year, or $382.45 per month over the past four year period. There are college graduates that do not earn in wages what our members' fringe benefits alone are worth.
The UTU took the lead in negotiating these benefits. This is the result of a union dedicated to seeing that its membership enjoys the highest living standards possible.
TRUTH No. 2 -- BLE responsible for Van Wart Study Commission:
In 1982, the BLE conducted a national strike over the basic issue of the engineer being the highest paid member of the crew. They did not prevail because President Ronald Reagan appointed Presidential Emergency Board No. 194. It was this board's recommendation for the establishment of a study commission [see page 10 of the PEB's recommendations.]
The BLE alone was responsible for the establishment of the Van Wart Study Commission, which recommended raising the basic day to 160 miles; eliminating all arbitraries and special allowances; permitting carriers to establish extra boards at all points; the use of extra crews in lieu of pool or assigned crews; allowing road crews to do unlimited switching; using straight-time employees at will ahead of those who would qualify for overtime; and permanently capping new hire pay at 70 percent of the then-existing rate.
Being faced with these kinds of recommendations, the UTU was successful in limiting most of the recommendations from the Van Wart Study Commission. The BLE as usual, then blamed the UTU for the Oct. 31, 1985, national agreement when the BLE actually was the cause for those recommendations.
TRUTH No. 3 -- UTU undid evils of Van Wart Study Commission:
It took the UTU almost 20 years to undo the recommendations of the Van Wart Study Commission. The contract our members overwhelmingly ratified in 2002 did just that. Not surprisingly, the BLE said, "me, too."
By obtaining trip rates, the UTU forever put to rest carrier attempts to increase the basic day; rolled monies attributable to national pay elements into trip rates so carriers no longer could sharp-shoot them; and brought post-'85 employees to wage parity with respect to those national pay elements.
At no time since the study commission recommendations has the BLE attempted to take the lead and address the serious problems with those recommendations. The BLE has continued to sit back and allowed the UTU to take the lead in correcting these damaging recommendations and then lambasted the UTU for our efforts.
Members of both organizations should ask themselves, what would have happened to these recommendations had the UTU not have taken the lead? The BLE has enjoyed 19 years of sitting back and shooting at the UTU and has failed to show the power they contend they have in representing their membership.
The UTU has shown time and again who is really representing the membership of both organizations. One cannot sit back and do nothing for 19 years but blame the UTU, and then try to convince everyone that they (BLE) provide the best representation. Actions speak louder than words!
TRUTH No. 4 -- BLE negotiated first remote control pact:
The only time BLE has successfully taken the lead in bargaining was in March 2001, when then-BLE Vice President Don Hahs negotiated the very first remote control agreement with a U.S. railroad. That BLE agreement on Montana Rail Link eliminated train service employees represented by the BLE on remote control operations, replacing them with two engineers.
TRUTH No. 5 -- BLE has history of selling out crafts:
The BLE has a history of selling out other crafts and scabbing. Back in 1966, while UTU predecessor, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLF&E), was fighting to preserve the fireman craft, the BLE told its members to cross BLF&E picket lines. You can look it up. On April 1, 1966, United Press International reported that the BLE told its members, "Go back to your jobs and ignore (BLF&E) picket lines."
TRUTH No. 6 -- BLE sought to sell out conductors, brakemen:
That was not the first time the BLE attempted to sell out other crafts or scab. Again, you can look it up. According to the Daily Labor Report of Oct. 16, 1985, the BLE attempted to sell out conductors and brakemen with its Lake Erie Plan to reduce train crew size to just two engineers represented by the BLE. In exchange for helping carriers eliminate conductors and brakemen, BLE-represented engineers were to receive up to a 75 percent increase in pay. BLE President John Sytsma predicted technology would permit engineer-only operations. It was only because of UTU crew-consist agreements that the BLE's Lake Erie Plan could not be put into effect.
TRUTH No. 7 -- BLE scabbed against conductors, brakemen:
There is still more. As reported by The Journal of Commerce on Aug. 23, 1994, the BLE "authorized its members to cross UTU picket lines and return to work" during a UTU strike against Soo Line Railroad. That newspaper described BLE's scab action as "unprecedented." A shocked Transportation Communications Union President Robert Scardelletti told TCU members to display "solidarity" with the UTU. Many BLE members refused to follow the BLE directive to scab against the UTU. BLE President Ron McLaughlin was dubbed, "King Scab."
TRUTH No. 8 -- BLE admitted it lied to conductors:
More recently, on VIA Rail in Canada, the BLE promised to protect conductors if they joined the BLE. The BLE then agreed to operate VIA Rail passenger trains with engineers only. Again, you can look it up. In a story in its own April 1997 newsletter, headlined, "VIA Rail chops conductors," the BLE reported, "The role of conductors will be merged with locomotive engineers, moving the ultimate responsibility for the safe operation of trains into the cab."
What did the BLE tell the conductors that it had sold out after the BLE falsely promised to protect their jobs? The BLE told them, "There can be no reasonable expectation on the part of UTU members that they would obtain all that had been promised." That quotation appears repeatedly in legal action taken against the BLE by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which found the BLE guilty of "breaching its statutory duty of fair representation."
TRUTH No. 9 -- UTU pioneered craft protections:
While the BLE has sought to sell-out other crafts and scabbed, the UTU was pioneering an agreement allowing qualified ground-service employees, working under UTU contracts, to transfer into engine service, retaining their ground-service seniority.
The BLE was strongly opposed to train service employees being allowed to retain their train service seniority when transferring to engine service. In fact, because of the UTU's Section 6 Notice in 1978, the BLE took the fireman's contract in a representation election on the Cotton Belt Railroad. The BLE's reason was that train service employees should not be allowed to retain their trainmen's seniority when working as engineers. Every operating employee -- be it engineer or train service employee -- owes their job to the efforts of the UTU.
TRUTH No. 10 -- Teamster control could harm Railroad Retirement:
While the BLE disavows that the purpose of the Teamsters in seeking rail members is to get its hands on the Railroad Retirement Trust Fund, the BLE acknowledges that just such a disaster could occur were legislation introduced in Congress to do so. In fact, if all rail labor organizations were merged into the Teamsters -- as the BLE proposes -- and thus placed under control of the Teamsters, there would be no independent railroad union voice to oppose such legislation before Congress.
TRUTH No. 11 -- BLET boycotted rail-labor summit:
On May 8, 2004, UTU President Paul C. Thompson called a rail labor-chief summit in Washington, D.C., to discuss better cooperation of rail labor and UTU's commitment to work more closely with rail labor. Also discussed at this summit was a unified position by rail labor on FELA. All rail labor was at this meeting, with the exception of the BLET.
TRUTH No. 12 -- UTU offered protection for engineers; BLE said, "no":
The UTU offered one-half of the remote control positions to engineers. The BLE refused. The UTU was successful in negotiating up to one-half of all protection positions for locomotive engineers as a result of remote control operations. For engineers to gain this protection that the UTU negotiated, the BLE had to accept this protection. They refused because UTU -- and not the BLE -- was successful in negotiating the protection for engineers. You can look it up. See side letter to the UTU Aug. 20, 2002, remote control agreement addressing remote control protection.
The best way to avoid bad agreements is to negotiate good ones.
National agreements negotiated by the UTU have consistently improved wages, benefits and working conditions, and preserved one of the best health-care insurance plans available.
UTU IS PROUD OF ITS LEADERSHIP ROLE IN NEGOTIATING
Perhaps this is why the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) habitually says, "me, too," after the UTU reaches agreements with the carriers.
It is instructive that in the one bargaining round where the BLE did take the lead, negotiations broke down, and the Van Wart Study Commission was established during the term of President Reagan (whom the BLE endorsed for president).
The Van Wart Study Commission's horrendous recommendations included raising the basic day to 160 miles (from its then 100 miles); eliminating all arbitraries and special allowances; permitting carriers to establish extra boards at all points and use extra crews in lieu of pool or assigned crews; allowing road crews to do unlimited switching; using straight-time employees at will, ahead of those who would qualify for overtime; and permanently capping new-hire pay at 70 percent of the then-existing rate. The Van Wart Study Commission also recommended that "the carriers be permitted to institute operations changes without prior negotiations, so that rates and service standards may be established immediately."
It took the UTU almost 20 years to undo the recommendations of the Van Wart Study Commission. The contract our members overwhelmingly ratified in 2002 did just that. Not surprisingly, the BLE said, "me, too!"
By obtaining trip rates, the UTU forever put to rest carrier attempts to increase the basic day; rolled monies attributable to national pay elements into trip rates so carriers no longer could sharp-shoot them; and brought post-'85 employees to wage parity with respect to those national pay elements.
The UTU is proud of its leadership role in negotiating some of the best agreements out there.
The history of the UTU is a history of protecting crafts. The history of the BLE is attacking and selling out other crafts.
Consider the facts:
The 1962 Presidential Railroad Commission recommended the fireman be eliminated - and Congress passed such a law.
After the two-year expiration of the law, a UTU predecessor, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLF&E), gained a new protective agreement for firemen.
While the BLF&E was fighting to preserve the fireman craft, the BLE, on April 1, 1966, told its members to cross BLF&E picket lines. "Go back to your jobs and ignore picket lines," is what BLE said, as reported by United Press International.
BLE ATTACKS FIREMAN CRAFT
Incredibly, the BLE then signed an agreement in 1964 for engineers to work without firemen in exchange for $1.50 more per day per engineer.
In the face of this treacherous attempt by the BLE to sell out firemen, the UTU negotiated a national fireman manning agreement retaining the fireman as a viable craft.
The UTU also negotiated crew-consist agreements preserving trainmen crafts, and jobs.
Still, the BLE attempted to sell out conductors and brakemen. As reported by the Daily Labor Report on Oct. 16, 1985, the BLE proposed its "Lake Erie Plan" to reduce train-crew size to just two engineers represented by the BLE.
In exchange for helping carriers eliminate conductors and brakemen, BLE-represented engineers were to receive up to a 75 percent increase in pay. BLE President John Sytsma predicted technology would permit engineer-only operations.
It was only because of UTU crew-consist agreements that the BLE's Lake Erie Plan could not be put into effect.
That explains the current BLE strategy to merge all operating crafts into the Teamsters. Then the BLE could eliminate crew-consist agreements, allowing engineers to become the sole operating employees on all freight trains.
It is essential to understand that only existing moratoriums of the on-property crew-consist agreements held by the UTU provide protection for all trainmen against elimination of the conductor's position on every assignment.
There has been more BLE aggression against trainmen. As reported by The Journal of Commerce on Aug. 23, 1994, the BLE "authorized its members to cross UTU picket lines and return to work" during a UTU strike against Soo Line Railroad.
That newspaper described BLE's scab action as "unprecedented." A shocked Transportation Communications Union President Robert Scardelletti told TCU members to display "solidarity" with the UTU.
BLE SELLS OUT PASSENGER CONDUCTOR
On VIA Rail in Canada, the BLE promised to protect conductors if they joined the BLE. Then the BLE agreed to operate VIA Rail passenger trains with engineers only. In a story in its own April 1997 newsletter, headlined, "VIA Rail chops conductors," the BLE reported, "The role of conductors will be merged with locomotive engineers, moving the ultimate responsibility for the safe operation of trains into the cab."
What did the BLE tell the conductors it had sold out after falsely promising to protect their jobs? BLE told them, "There can be no reasonable expectation on the part of UTU members that they would obtain all that had been promised."
Which was the first union to sign a remote control agreement with a U.S. railroad? It was the BLE in an agreement negotiated March 12, 2001, by current BLE&T President Don Hahs when he was a BLE vice president.
That agreement on Montana Rail Link eliminated train service employees on remote control operations, replacing them with two engineers.
By contrast, the UTU has always attempted to include engineers in the remote control agreements it negotiated.
In Canada, the BLE walked away from the table when the UTU sought a joint protective agreement with Canadian National on remote control. In the U.S., the other organization declined a merger, which would have shared remote control jobs with engineers.
PROTECTING CRAFTS IS WHAT THE UTU IS ABOUT
-- The UTU is the only labor union that has united various operating crafts while protecting craft autonomy. Every agreement must be ratified by every historical craft affected by that agreement. Smaller crafts have an equal vote as larger crafts.
-- Craft autonomy has been fully protected under the UTU Constitution since 1969.
-- The UTU pioneered craft protection among train and engine service employees who move in and out of various craft assignments - from engineer to conductor to brakeman.
-- The UTU pioneered an agreement allowing qualified ground-service employees, working under UTU contracts, to transfer into engine service, retaining their ground-service seniority. Every operating employee - be it engineer or train service employee - owes their job to the efforts of the UTU.
-- Crew-consist and remote control agreements protect our members from total elimination via the adverse effects of new technology.
-- The UTU took the lead in coordinating Railroad Retirement reform, which reinstituted full retirement benefits at age 60 for those with at least 30 years of service. The other organization initially declined to participate in this effort and then said, "me, too."
-- The UTU took the lead in amending the early-retirement medical plan by reducing to age 60 the minimum age for eligibility.
-- The UTU is the leader in allowing its rail members to choose from multiple medical benefit plans and medical benefit providers. The other organization is now saying, "me, too."
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TEAMSTERS
-- The Teamsters have lost half a million truck-driver members in recent years and haven't organized a major trucking company since 1980.
-- Where the Teamsters hold contracts for truck drivers, those over-the-road drivers earn less than railroad operating employees and have fewer benefits.
-- The Teamsters' Central States Pension Plan is on life-support, with truck-driver retirement benefits having been slashed.
-- By contrast, the Railroad Retirement Trust fund has been growing and benefits were liberalized, including reinstatement of the full-benefits early retirement option at age 60. In fact, there is speculation the reason the Teamsters want a merger with rail unions is eventually to make a grab for funds from the solvent Railroad Retirement system. If the Teamsters control rail labor, then rail labor would have no independent voice in Washington to protect Railroad Retirement.
-- When Teamsters President Jim Hoffa took office, he said his number-one objective was to organize Overnite Trucking. Only 687 of 13,000 Overnite employees walked a Teamsters picket line demanding union recognition.
-- The Teamsters abandoned their attempt to organize Overnite, admitting failure of the ill-conceived strike they called.
-- The Teamsters promised to block entry into the U.S. of Mexican trucks and drivers. The Bush administration and Supreme Court splashed more egg on Hoffa's face.
-- Unable to organize truckers, the Teamsters turned to airlines for a short-lived honeymoon. More than 11,000 Northwest Airlines flight attendants and 3,000 Southwest Airlines mechanics recently disaffiliated, complaining their crafts had no voice within the truck-driver dominated union.
-- Virtually the entire ruling body of the Teamsters is made up of truck drivers.
-- The Teamsters' contract with trucking companies limits how much freight can move by rail in trailers and containers. The Teamsters Union always was, and always will be, a foe of the railroads and railroad job security.
CHICAGO - Include Alternate Vice President and General Chairperson John Babler among UTU officers who neither promoted nor wanted remote control locomotives, but recognized that new technology cannot be stopped.
Now celebrate Babler for proving that UTU's bold vision to accept ownership, control and operation of remote control technology will prevent railroads from contracting out the work. In fact, Babler has negotiated a new remote control technology agreement with Union Pacific that will create more than two dozen new UTU jobs at a new UP intermodal terminal near Chicago.
Five years ago, when UP began planning a new massive Global III intermodal terminal at Rochelle, Ill., some 50 miles from Chicago, the carrier intended to sub-contract the road switching work to a non-union short line as it may do for a new facility. UP designed the new terminal, which will handle some 750,000 container and trailer lifts annually, around remote control yard operations.
After UP and other carriers signed a letter of intent last year offering remote control work to the UTU, Babler recognized an opportunity and began negotiating with UP to give the work to the UTU rather than a non-union shortline. UTU's ratification of the new contract sealed the deal.
"We didn't give any wage concessions to get the work," said Babler. "There is no race to the bottom in this agreement. In fact, the new jobs will pay around $235 a day just for showing up. There are no rules concessions and we won scheduled days off, protected by a guaranteed extra board," Babler said. Jobs shall be advertised and awarded to the senior Eastern 1 seniority district applicants. Successful applicants will be trained on remote control operations and assigned pending certification.
The UTU remote control agreement "gave us the competitive edge over a non-union short line," Babler said. Three new jobs will be created in early September and a total of 10 new jobs should be created for UTU members at Rochelle by October and the number should grow to 25 new positions within three years, he said.
"Contrary to statements coming from other organizations, remote control operations can and will produce new work opportunities for our members," Babler said.
"John Babler has shown what real leadership is about," said UTU International President Byron A. Boyd Jr. "He has taken new technology and made it an ally of the members he represents. He has protected and created new jobs. I salute him for a job well done."
