Cy Valley wrote:

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She said it's in his seniority district.....

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Sorry I misread that......thank Mr. for that.  Hubby should learn it all in one trip and be done with it.

Snippy wrote:

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Next to the dead dude.

-- Edited by Snippy at 00:26, 2009-03-06

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Snippy wrote:

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Three letters for you:

u t u

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CLEVELAND, March 26 -- Leadership of the United Transportation Union reinforced their reputation as a company union earlier this week by jointly lobbying with rail carriers to block the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmens (BLET) efforts to improve the safety and security of remote control train operations.

Using false and misleading information, the UTU leaders also employed scare tactics in an effort to portray the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen in a negative light.

Earlier this week, the BLET worked with Teamster and TTD lobbyists to craft language for an amendment that would boost the safety of remote control train operations. Currently, the operation of remote control trains in the United States is unregulated, creating a safety and security gap in a time of increased terrorist threats.

The industry has also been plagued by a number of very serious remote control train accidents in recent months, including one accident where a UTU members foot was amputated and another where a UTU member was killed.

The BLET amendment would have provided a safety net for workers by legislating improved training for remote control operators in the absence of enforceable federal safety regulations.

The UTU leadership, in an attempt to portray the BLET and its safety efforts in a negative light, issued a news release claiming that the amendment would cause UTU members to lose their jobs.

In reality, there is a dangerous shortage of rail workers throughout the United States, particularly locomotive engineers, trainmen and conductors. The Union Pacific Railroad just announced plans to hire nearly 4,000 new workers this year alone.

Intelligent rail workers were able to see through the UTU leaderships false claim that jobs were at risk by the BLET amendment. It was just another case of the UTU leaders using scare tactics that insult the intelligence of their own members.

Before the BLET amendment was even introduced, BLET leaders knew it would be withdrawn. The original intent was to introduce the amendment and attach it to a transit spending bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure asked all legislators on the Committee to refrain from trying to attach any amendments to the bill because of its importance and the need to pass it quickly. As a result, more than 25 amendments were withdrawn, including the BLET amendment.

In other words, withdrawing the amendment had nothing to do with the efforts of the UTU.

Even though the amendment was never introduced, Congressman Mike Capuano (D-MA) agreed to read a statement into the record supporting the BLETs position on remote control. He criticized the Federal Railroad Administration for inaction, failure to enact enforceable safety regulations, and the threat this oversight poses to rail safety and national security.

The UTU leaderships efforts revealed something else that each and every railroad employee should know. For years, many have referred to the UTU as the company union. A few years ago, for example, when the railroad carriers wanted to implement remote control technology without enforceable safety regulations, they turned to the UTU -- their old friend who comfortably resides in managements hip pocket.

So earlier this week when word of the BLET amendment leaked, the UTU once again played the role of company lap dog. The UTU signed a joint letter with the Association of American Railroads opposing the BLET amendment. The joint UTU-AAR letter supported the status quo on remote control and wassent to leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

A copy of the letter is available below so members can see how the AAR and its lap dog union, the UTU, work together so comfortably. A portion of the letter reads, Experience has shown that remote control is safer than conventional operations. Its unbelievable that UTU leaders would agree to this statement when their own members are being maimed and killed by remote control operations, but sadly, they did.

In conclusion, the facts are clear: The UTU leadership claimed the BLET amendment would cause loss of jobs in an industry that needs to hire thousands of new workers, which is untrue. The UTU leadership claimed that the BLET amendment was withdrawn due to the UTUs political influence, which is untrue. And in the end, the UTUs leadership showed their true colors and provided clear evidence that they are in bed with the rail carriers. Instead of fighting for improved remote control safety, they are working jointly with the rail carriers against it. They do not have the best interest of their members at heart.

The BLET had hoped to take the high road, but the UTU leadership has chosen to make political hay out of this issue in an attempt to portray the BLET in a negative light. We cannot and will not allow their misleading statements and distortions go unchallenged.

The text of the letter is below. A copy of the letter with signatures reproduced is available on the BLET website as a PDF at:


http://www.ble.org/pr/pdf/aarutu.pdf

March 23, 2004

The Honorable Don Young
Chairman
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
2165 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable James Oberstar
Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
2163 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Young and Ranking Member Oberstar:

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the United Transportation Union (UTU) are writing in opposition to an amendment by Congressman Capuano that would effectively prohibit the use of remote controlled locomotives. The amendment is expected to be offered during markup of the TEA-LU reauthorization.

The Capuano amendment would do nothing to promote railroad safety. The amendment would have the opposite effect since remote control is safer than conventional operations. Experience has shown that remote control reduces yard accidents and injuries. Train accident rates in Canadian rail yards have been cut by almost half over the past decade where remote control has been used. U.S. railroads have also experienced a decline in accident and injury rates using remote control compared to conventional yard operations.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is closely monitoring the use of remote control technology. FRA regulations already govern the training of employees operating remote control devices as well as device inspection. Moreover, FRA Administrator Allan Rutter has stated, Based on safety data gathered to date, there is nothing to indicate that remote control operations should be banned from use.

Remote control is not a safety issue -- it is a collective bargaining issue involving a dispute over the assignment of work. In 2002, railroad reached agreement with the UTU over implementing the technology. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) challenged this agreement because it wanted the remote control jobs. After losing its challenge, BLE began claiming that remote control operations were not safe, seeking to usurp FRAs authority in this area. Ironically, BLE has signed agreements giving it control over remote control implementation on at least two large regional railroads. On these railroads, BLE is not challenging the safety of remote control.

AAR and UTU urge you to vote no on the Capuano amendment.

Sincerely,

/s/ Edward R. Hamberger
President and CEO
Association of American Railroads

/s/ James Brunkenhoefer
National Legislative Director
United Transportation Union