Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns consumers of recently reported spam e-mail purportedly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which is actually an attempt to steal consumer information. The e-mail advises the recipient that direct deposit is the fastest and easiest way to receive their economic stimulus tax rebate. The message contains a hyperlink to a fraudulent form which requests the recipient's personally identifiable information, including bank account information. To convince consumers to reply, the e-mail warns that a failure to complete the form in a timely manner will delay the issuance of the rebate check.

Florida Commuter Rail Project Derailed

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen in cooperation with a coalition of supporters defeated legislation in Florida. This legislation would have allowed CSX to; sell track to the state of Florida, subcontract out signal and other rail labor work, continue to collect revenues and run freight on the line with an adjusted schedule, and avoid liability for accidents, even if caused by CSX. This deal involved close to a billion dollars of taxpayer money from the State of Florida and the US government.

Railroad Safety Bill

House Version (.pdf)

Senate Version (.pdf)

Comparison of House and Senate Version (.pdf)

FRA Train Accident Investigation Reports
Now Publicly Available Online

To increase public awareness about the causes of specific train accidents and to reduce the need for individuals to submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is for the first time making its investigation reports of major train accidents and other incidents available online, FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced today.

"There’s no reason that anyone who’s interested shouldn’t be able to find out the probable cause of a train accident," said Boardman, explaining that formal FRA accident investigation reports generally focus on high-consequence train-to-train collisions, derailments, certain highway-rail grade crossing collisions, and all railroad employee fatalities.

Amtrak Agreement Ratified

March 10, 2008 — Signalmen employed on the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) ratified a new contract by greater than a 5-to-1 margin. On January 18, 2008, the General Chairmen approved the Agreement to send out for ratification, and ballots were sent to BRS members on February 8, 2008. The agreement’s terms mirror the recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board 242, which was created to recommend a solution to the eight-year contract dispute.

BRS Voting on Tentative Agreement

Amtrak workers are now voting on their first agreement in 8 years “President Pickett urges members to vote yes on the tentative agreement". The agreement was directly derived from PEB 242's recommendations.

Estimated Amtrak Retroactive Wage Analysis

BRS Amtrak Tentative Agreement with Summary

Tentative Agreement Reached

January 18, 2008 — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and the unions named in PEB 242 have signed a tentative agreement with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).

Press Release — BRS Amtrak Tentative Agreement

Joint Coalition Press Release

The Wait is Over — PEB 242

January 3, 2008 — Presidential Emergency Board 242’s report concerning the dispute involving The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, seven other rail unions and Amtrak has been released.

PEB 242's Report

PRLBC Press Release

BRS Press Release

Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 242

Amtrak News — Railway Labor Act Steps

National collective bargaining between rail labor and management is governed by a specific federal law, the Railway Labor Act of 1926.

President Bush Orders Amtrak PEB

November 28, 2007 — President Bush ordered a Presidential Emergency Board today to investigate and report on the contract dispute between Amtrak’s union-represented employees and Amtrak.

The Countdown Begins

For eight years Amtrak has failed to negotiate in good faith, and the National Mediation Board has rewarded Amtrak's bad behavior and stalling by not releasing Amtrak workers to seek self help — that is, until now.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Life in the Open
Returns for Season Three

Alaska Caribou and Kenai River Salmon episode launch another season of the #1 rated weekend series on VERSUS

WASHINGTON —It’s open season for sportsmen as TRCP’s Life in the Open returns to VERSUS for season three starting Friday, October 5 at 7p.m. (ET) with a caribou hunt on Alaska’s public lands followed by a fishing trip for pink and silver salmon on Alaska’s Kenai River.

New Train Braking Systems on the Horizon

September 21, 2007

Since the inception of automatic air brakes by George Westinghouse in the 1870s, brake signal propagation has been limited by the nature of air and the speed of sound. Other adjustments have sought to alleviate this deficiency, but have left the basic system unaltered. As early as 1990, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) has investigated more advanced braking concepts for freight railroads, including ECP brake systems, which promise to radically improve brake propagation by using electrical transmissions of the braking signal through the train while still using air pressure in the cylinder to apply the force of the brake shoe.

BLET Members Turn Down Amtrak Contract

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) soundly rejected a tentative agreement reached in June. The BLET represents locomotive engineers who operate the national passenger railroad's trains throughout Amtrak’s 21,000-mile, 46-state route. Amtrak and the BLET reached the tentative agreement last June that would have covered 1,300 locomotive engineers.

AFL-CIO Declares ’08 Elections a Mandate

For High Quality Health Care for All by ‘09

August 29, 2007

At its annual Labor Day briefing today, the AFL-CIO announced an historic new drive that puts the full force of 10 million AFL-CIO members and 3 million retirees behind winning secure, high quality health care for all by 2009.

“In America, no one should go without health care,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

“Health care is the top domestic issue for our members and for all Americans, and the AFL-CIO is making the 2008 elections a mandate on fixing our broken system,” Sweeney said. “We will hold candidates at every level responsible for supporting comprehensive, progressive national health care reform, and we will elect a president and a Congress prepared to turn their campaign promises into reality.”

Where’s My Back Pay?

The recently ratified National Agreement entitles most BRS members to retroactive wages. There has been some confusion on when that back pay is due.

According to the Agreement the carriers have 60 days from the date of the Agreement to fulfill their retroactive wage obligation. The National Agreement became effective on July 1, 2007. This makes the due date August 30, 2007. (Remember that July 1 is day zero.)

Members on direct deposit should have the money in their bank no later than midnight on the due date. If you have not received your retroactive wages by then please contact Grand Lodge.

New UTU Leadership Team

August 16, 2007

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Malcolm B. (Mike) Futhey Jr., Arty Martin and Kim Thompson have been elected to lead the United Transportation Union into its recently ratified merger creating the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers.

Futhey was elected president, Martin was elected assistant president, and Thompson was elected general secretary and treasurer (GS&T).

They were elected by more than 560 delegates, representing UTU locals, during UTU’s 10th quadrennial convention here at the Westin Diplomat Resort.

UTU and SMWIA Merger Approved

August 8, 2007

United Transportation Union (UTU) members have ratified a merger with the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA), establishing the 230,000-member International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers.

The merger, previously ratified by the SMWIA, becomes effective January 1.

The more than 71 percent of UTU-member ballots in favor of the merger reflected the agreement’s overwhelming support among UTU International officers, UTU general chairpersons and UTU state legislative directors. The UTU Board of Directors called SMART "the right merger at the right time."

FRA Supports PTC Research

July 27, 2007
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a $4,465,000 grant to the Railroad Research Foundation to continue development and testing of wireless communications devices and systems for use with Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) technology.

Amtrak and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Reach Tentative Agreement

July 20, 2007

Amtrak and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have reached tentative agreement on a labor contract covering Amtrak’s 1,300 locomotive engineers who operate the national passenger railroad’s trains throughout its 21,000-mile, 46-state route system.

Tentative Agreements Reached

July 17, 2007

Between Union Coalition (TCU, IAM, IBEW. and TWU) and National Carriers' Conference Committee.

UTU + SMWIA = SMART

UTU Members to Vote on SMWIA Merger
The merged union would be called "SMART"

A merger endorsed by the AFL-CIO would bring together the United Transportation Union (UTU) and Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) to form the 230,000-member International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART).