NEWS_ARTICLES.htm

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.

“The BRS has always supported commuter and high speed rail, but not at the expense of safety and highly-skilled railroad union worker jobs,” said BRS International President W. Dan Pickett.

The legislative campaign was coordinated by Lori K. Weems — Attorney/Lobbyist of the law firm Prieguez and Weems, LLC. An extraordinary effort to secure this verdict was made by, Gus DeMott — General Chairman, John Gage — Local Chairman (South Florida), Rich Edelman — Attorney (BRS special counsel), W. Dan Pickett — International BRS President, Floyd Mason — International Vice President and staff. Our coalition included the Florida state AFL-CIO, The Florida Building and Construction Trades, The Florida Justice Association (an advocacy group for FELA and trial lawyers), Florida Jobs with Justice (a union advocacy group) and a majority of Democrats and Republicans in the Florida Senate as well as many representatives from both parties in the Florida House.

We are making national organizations like TTD/Rail, ARLA (FELA attorneys), the RRB, and the US Congress aware of this issue. The BRS is confident that the expansion of commuter rail can proceed without the need for eliminating Signalmen and rail labor jobs.

The BRS looks forward to working with CSX in the future to resolve these issues while supporting rail expansion without job loss.

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.

Terms of the new agreement include wage increases of about 35.2 percent over the life of the agreement, which is January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009. Retroactive pay varies, but in general the retroactive wages should exceed $13,000 for each employee even after retroactive health and welfare contributions are fulfilled. The payments will be made in two installments — 40% within sixty days of ratification, and the remaining 60% on or before the one-year anniversary of the first payment.

The agreement provides that if Amtrak does not receive sufficient funding and revenue to pay the second retroactive payment by the one-year anniversary, it will notify the unions. After such notice, if no agreement is reached within sixty days, the unions will be free to strike.

Employee health and welfare contributions will be set at 15% of Amtrak’s insurance costs for medical, dental, vision, life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. Based on that formula, the employee monthly contribution is set at $166.25 per month.

“I am pleased to announce that after a long difficult struggle, our Brothers and Sisters on Amtrak have finally won the battle. Although this is good news, this does not mean the fight is over. Amtrak’s future will require a funding-level adequate and reasonable enough to support all the needs of Amtrak and its workers.” — Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen International President W. Dan Pickett.

Opening arguments were held today before PEB 242. The PEB was established by President Bush to address the contract dispute between Amtrak and eight rail labor unions: The National Mediation Board (NMB) released the unions on November 1, 2007, from the mediation after the NMB was unable to get Amtrak and the unions to come to terms following eight years of fruitless negotiations.

The White House established the PEB to avoid a service disruption that could potentially paralyze the passenger rail system. The unions before the PEB represent about 40% of Amtrak’s unionized workforce.

The hearing began at 9:00 a.m. with Amtrak’s opening statement, which was followed by an opening statement from the labor unions' spokesperson Joseph Guerrieri, a highly respected Washington, D.C. attorney.

Amtrak’s case seems to center around the fact that the company is a publicly funded private corporation and the PEB report would likely establish a “pattern” that would extend beyond the unions that are before the PEB to the other labor unions that cover the other 60% of Amtrak’s unionized workers. They also claimed that any mandate that comes from the Board’s report must be funded by Congress or it could push the company into financial ruin.

Speaking on today’s testimony, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen International President and Chairman of the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition, W. Dan Pickett, stated, “It appears that Amtrak wants to make up any deficit in their operating costs on the backs of the workers. In fact, that is what they have done for the last eight years.”

Amtrak will finish up their initial testimony on Wednesday and the union representatives will get their chance to prove to the Board that Amtrak employees deserve at a minimum a contract patterned after the two national agreements that the Class 1 railroads agreed to during this round of bargaining with Amtrak.

The unions in PEB 242 have rejected Amtrak’s offer of an agreement that was previously rejected by the members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

President Pickett added, “A rejected agreement does not create a pattern as Amtrak would like the Presidential Emergency Board to buy into. That agreement robs our members of back pay that they should be entitled to after eight years of getting the run around and gives away decades of work rules that we have bargained for over the years.”

Amtrak lead off with testimony from William Crosbie, Amtrak’s Chief Operating Officer. Crosbie testified that Amtrak’s operation differs greatly from the freight railroads and stated that the Northeast Corridor (NEC) is North America’s most complex corridor. The bulk of the traffic and work is concentrated in that area. He explained to the Board that the tight spacing of trains and the huge number of commuters that depend on Amtrak complicates the railroad’s ability to get work accomplished during daylight hours. Amtrak moves 10 million passengers annually and that number grows each year. He stated that Amtrak is committed to providing value to their customers and part of reaching that goal will require work rule changes by the labor unions.

Crosbie was followed by Alex Kummant, Amtrak President and CEO. Kummant reaffirmed previous testimony that Amtrak desires work rule reforms and could not afford the retroactive wages as described in the unions' proposal. He went on to say that Amtrak’s biggest difficulty is getting Congress to provide funding, and he would not agree to any agreement that he felt the company could not afford.

Next the union received their chance to speak to the Board members. Leading off was Transportation Communications Union International Vice President Joel Parker. Parker testified that Amtrak workers deserved retroactive wages based on the freight railroads’ pattern, as has been the history, because anything less would reward Amtrak for dragging these negotiations out over eight years. He explained Amtrak ridership and revenues are at record highs, and worker productivity has increased dramatically. He told the Board that Amtrak workers should not be penalized for the passenger rail carrier’s refusal to negotiate by zeroing out the back pay that these workers are due. From day one, Amtrak announced that it would not make an agreement unless the unions agreed to a long list of major rule concessions. Parker stated that any work rule changes must be negotiated on a quid quo pro basis, and Amtrak’s take-it or leave-it bargaining strategy must be summarily rejected by the unions.

The unions' next witness was Financial Economic Advisor Thomas Roth. Mr. Roth has extensive experience and is considered an expert witness in labor negotiations. He disputed Amtrak’s claims that the unions' proposal is unreasonable. He asked the Board to reject Amtrak’s comparison model that they presented in their testimony the day before. Amtrak had indicated that the passenger rail system was similar to the airline industry. Roth explained to the Board that if a comparison must be drawn, it should be with workers that do identical work, such as those in the commuter rail industry. Through detailed documentation, Roth showed compelling evidence that Amtrak workers are under-compensated when compared to their counterparts on commuter lines, particularly in the NEC.

The unions offered testimony on Amtrak’s health and welfare plan and presented proposals to keep the plans on parity with the same plan as provided to the Class 1 railroad workers. Amtrak was once part of that plan and exited that plan years ago through an arbitrated settlement. The unions claimed that Amtrak’s proposal “cherry picks” parts of the most recent freight railroads’ national agreement, while ignoring those changes that are beneficial to the workers.

Speaking on work rules, W. Dan Pickett, International President for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and Chairman of the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition, testified before the Board that his union (BRS) has always negotiated with Amtrak when approached on subjects such as subcontracting, rest days, and starting time flexibility. He went on to say that many of the flexibility adjustments that the BRS negotiated for Amtrak’s benefit in previous rounds go underutilized or ignored. He advised the Board that wide-sweeping work rule concessions are simply unreasonable and unnecessary.

Pickett’s testimony was followed by two more witnesses speaking on behalf of the unions, George Francisco, President of the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, and Don Griffin, representing the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes , a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Both presented testimony reinforcing the unions' case.

When President Pickett was asked how he thought the hearing went today he stated, “We won today; I don’t know what the Board members thought, but in my opinion we won this round. But it’s not important what I think. It is important what the Board thinks.” Adding, “I was pleased with our showing; there is no doubt in my mind who the reasonable party is here.”

Today (December, 13, 2007), the unions concluded their presentation before the Emergency Board, and rebuttals and closings arguments followed from both sides. The general feeling in the room, at least from the unions' side, is that the unions presented a more compelling case than Amtrak. However, Amtrak continued to claim that their offer was fair, even calling the compensation package “rich.” Amtrak’s President and CEO, Alex Kummant testified yesterday that he would never sign an agreement with the unions that the passenger rail carrier could not afford to pay for.

The unions’ attorney Roland P. Wilder, Jr. of the law firm Baptiste & Wilder located in Washington, D.C., presented the unions’ closing arguments. Wilder summarized the testimony presented to the Board members, stating that any resolution that does not meet the pattern established by the freight carriers, rewards Amtrak for dragging their feet for the past eight years. In fact, the wage increases that were not implemented during the term amounted to a loan from Amtrak’s employees. He told the Board that its time for Amtrak to pay up. He also covered the details of work rule concessions demanded by Amtrak, general wage increases, and the health & welfare issues that are still outstanding.

Not once did Amtrak state that the union members were undeserving of the retroactive wages; they simply maintained that they could not afford to compensate the employees with retroactive wage increases. The total cost of the retroactive wages could be as much as $150 million if such a pattern expands to the rest of the unions. The final settlement in this round is expected to set the pattern for Amtrak’s other unionized workers not represented in this PEB.

W. Dan Pickett is the International President for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and Chairman of the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition. Pickett, speaking on the presentation that the unions gave to the Emergency Board stated, “Our team presented an excellent case before this panel. Our arguments were strong and the Board members seemed genuinely interested in our plight. We anticipate that this Board will be fair and unbiased with their recommendations.”

The unions and Amtrak are free to negotiate a settlement while the Board is preparing their report, which is due before the end of the year, to President Bush, and the unions indicated that they would continue talks with Amtrak in an effort to reach a voluntary settlement. President Pickett stated, “We are still far apart on many issues, but this is as close as we have been in eight years to bringing closure to our members employed on Amtrak; we will continue talks with Amtrak as long as we are making progress.”

If the unions and Amtrak do not come to terms, it is anticipated that Congress will intervene on the issue early next year.

National collective bargaining between rail labor and management is governed by a specific federal law, the Railway Labor Act of 1926. The RLA and its amendments spell out the process of bargaining that eventually leads to each new contract. Negotiations can take months or years because of the many steps (some of which have time limits, while others do not) available to both parties. This flowchart illustrates why it can take so long to reach a new agreement on rates of pay and work rules.

Step 1	Notice is served under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act by either party.
Step 2	Reply required within 10 days sets time/date of initial conference, which must be held within 30 days.
Step 3	Negotiations begin. No time limit.
Step 4	Agreement reached through negotiations, if not, go to Step 5.
Step 5	Within 10 days after conferences end, either party may request NMB mediation, or NMB may proffer mediation.
Step 6	If mediation not requested or proffered within 10 days, strike, lockout, or promulgation of new rules.
Step 7	Agreement reached through mediation, if not, go to Step 8. There is no time limit on mediation; the NMB has the discretion to hold the parties in mediation indefinitely.
Step 8	NMB proffer of binding arbitration is offered by NMB or requested.
Step 9	Agreement reached through accepting binding arbitration. If not, go to Step 10.
Step 10	Self help strike, lockout — 30 days after NMB notifies both parties that proffer of arbitration was refused.
Step 11	NMB may notify President that it believes dispute will interrupt interstate commerce.
Step 12	President may appoint an emergency board if he/she agrees with Step 11.
Step 13	Presidential Emergency Board reports to President within 30 days.
Step 14	Voluntary agreement reached based on Emergency Board report, if not, go to Step 15.
Step 15	Indefinite strike or lockout permitted 30 days after report issued. Agreement may be reached.
Step 16	If no agreement, settlement can be legislated by Congress.

The BRS and seven other rail unions are moving forward in step 12. As expected, a Presidential Emergency Board was appointed by President Bush to hear the dispute, which temporarily bars the unions and Amtrak from implementing any self-help measures (e.g., lockout or strike). The rail unions and Amtrak will begin presenting their case before the Board on Tuesday, December 11, 2007.

November 28, 2007 — President Bush ordered a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) today to investigate and report on the contract dispute between Amtrak’s union-represented employees and Amtrak. The labor unions named in the executive order are:

The five-member PEB will be established on December 1, 2007, and the members have yet to be named. The PEB will report to President Bush by December 31, 2007, unless the parties agree to an extension. The report is a non-binding recommendation for resolving the dispute and can be rejected by either party. Following the PEB’s report to the President, there is a 30-day cooling off period before the unions are free to exercise their right to self-help.

The National Mediation Board (NMB) advised the White House that a service disruption could substantially interrupt interstate commerce and deprive sections of the country of essential transportation service. As such, the President established the PEB to block the unions from striking while the dispute is being heard by the PEB.

The NMB recently released the parties from mediation following eight years of stalling by Amtrak. At least four of the unions offered to go to arbitration to settle the dispute, but Amtrak negotiators rejected that offer. Retroactive wages and work rules are the main issues that remain unresolved.

"We have tried unsuccessfully to come to an agreement with Amtrak," reported Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen International President W. Dan Pickett. "It is a shame that it has come to this. Our members have been in negotiations for eight years and now it appears that a third party will decide their future. This is not surprising, as it has become impossible to get Amtrak to the table. In fact, at the last four meetings we attended at the NMB offices this month, Amtrak officials refused to even enter the room to talk to us even though they were only 30 feet down the hall."

Because rail service is critical to our nation, Amtrak workers are forbidden by law from going on strike until multiple steps have been fulfilled as set forth in the Railway Labor Act. Had President Bush failed to establish the PEB, the unions could have walked out on December 1.

The labor organizations are free to continue talks with Amtrak to reach an agreement at any time, but neither party can utilize self-help measures until the cooling off periods have expired. If the process goes the distance and the parties are unable to resolve their differences, Congress may step in and impose an agreement on the parties through legislation.

Eight years without a new contract and Amtrak’s unwillingness to move forward with a proposal ultimately brought four unions together to create the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (PRLBC). Those unions are: The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes/IBT (BMWED), The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, SEIU (NCFO).

In forming a coalition, the four unions agreed to bargain collectively with Amtrak. The agreement establishing the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition blocked any of the four member unions from reaching an individual agreement with Amtrak. This was done by requiring approval of the other Coalition unions before any agreement was submitted to each union’s membership for ratification.

Amtrak’s chief negotiator filed suit on the four unions that comprise the PRLBC. The intent of the lawsuit is to delay the negotiations once again. The members of the PRLBC have agreed to negotiate with the carrier on an individual basis during the 30-day cooling-off period.

Amtrak is asking the federal court for a declaratory judgment on the legality of the unions’ coalition, in particular, the terms that prevent a single union from reaching agreement absent consent from the other member unions.

Stalling seems to be the name of the game with Amtrak negotiators. In fact, at the last 3-day meeting at the NMB offices in Washington, DC, Amtrak representatives refused to even walk down the hall to meet with any of the four unions: ATDA, BMWED, BRS, or the NCFO. They did however, submit proposals that would have gutted the unions' works rules; the most offensive of which would allow them to give away the unions’ work to the lowest bidder. When the unions asked for Amtrak to sit down at the table to discuss their proposal, Amtrak refused.

BRS International President stated, "We have been trying to meet with Amtrak for meaningful and productive negotiations for eight years; so far, we have been ignored by Amtrak. We will continue to take ‘the high road’ — for now. A strike or an imposed agreement benefits neither party. It’s time for Amtrak to quit playing politics and come to the table."

Without some movement from Amtrak, the next stop most likely will to be a Presidential Emergency Board.

The 10 million members of the AFL-CIO stand firmly with the more than 800 striking nurses at nine Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals who are seeking stronger patient care protections. The nurses – members of the United American Nurses in Kentucky and West Virginia – are standing up for the communities they serve even as ARH tries to crush their spirit through intimidation and threats.

Patient care must be any hospital’s primary concern. By forcing its front-line care providers to be understaffed and overworked, ARH is recklessly putting its patients at risk. The nurses at ARH deserve respect and decent working conditions that include fair pay and benefits as well as manageable hours. It is absolutely unacceptable that ARH is putting communities at risk by refusing to listen to nurses’ concerns about staffing and other patient care issues.

The ARH nurses have shown their commitment to their patients time and time again. They are putting their jobs on the line in support of safe staffing levels. It is time for ARH to show its nurses they are committed to doing everything in their power to improve patient care at their hospitals, which includes negotiating a fair contract and addressing the nurses’ urgent concerns about patient care.

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^th 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.

The series will air this season every Friday at 7p.m. (ET) with encore airings each Sunday morning at 10:30am Eastern.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, TRCP’s Life in the Open explores today’s pressing fish and wildlife conservation issues while taking viewers to some of the best public and private hunting and fishing destinations accessible to hardworking American sportsmen, including some of T.R.’s old hunting grounds and the lands and waters that inspired him.

Beautiful production by Orion Multimedia has contributed to a fantastic audience response to TRCP’s Life in the Open, which ended its second season as the highest rated weekend field sports series on the VERSUS Network. Season three promises to be just as thrilling as viewers join host Ken Barrett for big game stalking in even bigger country, knockdown, drag-out fish fighting with Oregon’s giant sturgeon and a “run and gun” for New Mexico quail, the hot-footed missiles of the southwest.

With adventures featuring Boston Harbor stripers, Missouri whitetail, Alaska caribou and black bear, Iowa turkey, Colorado elk, Africa wildebeest and awe-inspiring scenery throughout, there is something for every sportsman or –woman.

“TRCP’s Life in the Open is unique among hunting and fishing shows. It focuses on accessibility and conservation issues while maintaining the real trophy, T.R.’s legacy and the lands and waters that form the basis of our hunting and fishing traditions,” says Barrett.

“Again and again, viewers tell us they enjoy TRCP’s Life in the Open because it portrays the true hunting and fishing experience where the fish and game are not always monsters and the weather is sometimes uncooperative,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “While TRCP’s Life in the Open occasionally takes viewers to exotic places, the majority of locations featured are public lands and waters available to the average hunter and angler. Viewers can even re-create the expeditions for themselves with the help of Ken Barrett’s trip Fast Facts on the TRCP website.”

“What’s rare about TRCP’s Life in the Open is that it’s not all just casting and blasting,” said Tim Zink, TRCP communications director, “it delves into the real-world issues for fish and wildlife that surround the adventure. We also place a careful focus on the habitat conservation challenges, both historical and contemporary, that confront the landscapes on which our show is set.”

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a coalition of leading hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, trade unions and individual partners working together to guarantee access to places to hunt and fish, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase funding for conservation.

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.

During the past 15 years, ECP brake technology has progressed rapidly and has been field tested and used on various railroads. The new technology has proven to improve train braking distance by 30% to 70%.

Advanced brake technology will enable locomotive engineers to significantly improve train control and allow trains to safely travel longer distances between required brake tests under new proposed federal rules, announced U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

“Trains with better brakes mean safer railroad operations and improved rail freight service,” said Secretary Peters, explaining that Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes provide improved train control through simultaneous and graduated application and release of the brakes on all rail cars, a significant safety improvement over conventional air brake systems.

In addition, Secretary Peters noted that the proposed rule would permit a train to travel up to 3,500 miles—more than double the current maximum distance—between routine brake tests. With ECP brakes, many long-haul trains can travel directly to their destinations without stopping because the technology performs continual self-diagnostic ‘healthchecks,’ she said.

“The safety benefits of ECP brakes are obvious and they make good business sense as well,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman.

Boardman said that, under the proposal, an intermodal container train equipped with ECP brakes originating from West Coast ports could operate all the way to Chicago without stopping for a routine brake test, as it must do now. Similarly, many ECP brake-equipped coal trains could make quicker deliveries from western coalfields to eastern and southern power plants because stopping for the routine brake test would be unnecessary.

He added that ECP brakes can help avert some train derailments caused by sudden emergency brake applications, prevent runaway trains caused by loss of brake air pressure, shorten train stopping distances up to 60 percent under certain circumstances, and improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions through better train handling. He further noted that the first ECP brake-equipped train operating under an approved waiver is expected to make its initial revenue service run in September.

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.

The BLET is a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and represents more than 59,000 employees in the United States. The BLET and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes both joined the Teamsters in 2004.

About 10,000 Amtrak workers, including the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, are working on their eighth year without a contract and another 5,000 have been without a new agreement since the end of 2004. Under the Railway Labor Act, contracts do not expire but continue in effect until changed.

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen continues to try to hammer out a long-overdue agreement with Amtrak as members of the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition. The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen is one of four unions joined in the coalition: The PRLBC consists of the American Train Dispatchers Association, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes/IBT, the BRS, and the International Conference of Firemen and Oilers, SEIU.

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.”
The announcement came the day after the Census Bureau announced that the number of uninsured rose to 47 million, and is up 22 percent since 2000.

Sweeney said the labor federation and its 55 affiliates will continue efforts to “change our nation’s economic course and guarantee the freedom of workers to form and join unions.”
“We must have a strategy to create and keep good jobs in our country. For too long, our trade policies have encouraged companies to ship jobs overseas. We will hold every presidential candidate accountable for how they will stop the flow of American jobs out of our country and protect workers’ rights around the world.
“We will continue to build support for the Employee Free Choice Act, which will make it easier for workers to form and join unions by making it harder for employers to trample their rights.” And, he said, union members are preparing “to change the direction of our country in 2008” with “the largest political mobilization in the history of our movement.”

Sweeney said that while the AFL-CIO is not endorsing a specific health care approach at this time, any proposal that gets labor’s support will have to control costs, cover everyone in the country, provide preventive care, preserve the right of patients to choose their own doctors, require the government to police greed and incompetence, lower employer costs and require them as well as government and individuals to “share fairly” in the cost. He said a health care solution also needs “to step up government’s involvement in making sure retirees aren’t the victims when corporations struggle with legacy costs, including finding early retirement solutions.”

“We can solve our health care problem in a uniquely American way. We need to create a new system that builds on what’s best about American health care – the right to choose your own doctors, and keep the best quality care where it exists -- while drawing from what works in other countries,” he said.

According to Sweeney, the “first big push” of the AFL-CIO campaign will take place in September, when union members will “hold George Bush responsible” for his failure to support the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Congress recently agreed to continue coverage for nearly 7 million children and to provide health insurance for the first time to up to 5 million more. Bush has said he will veto the legislation.
Sweeney pledged to build an army of a million union activists to organize for changing the nation’s broken health care system. “Working America -- our community organization for people who don’t have a union on the job -- is knocking on more than 3500 doors a night talking to people about children’s health care funding,” Sweeney said, adding that the AFL-CIO will continue to support state level health care initiatives as it has done in California.

Sweeney and Heather Booth, who will direct the AFL-CIO campaign, said other elements of the AFL-CIO health care reform campaign include:
Education of union members and their families about the necessity for federal action to preserve health care benefits;
      • Recruiting employers to support health care reform;
      • Linking national health care reform to reform work at the state level;
     • Shareholder activism around health care.

"America's broken health care system has failed me and millions like me,” Jean Tome, a retail worker in Ohio said at today’s announcement. "Even though I have job, I still can't afford to pay for health care. In the richest country in the world, it's simply wrong that so many hard-working people go without getting their basic needs met.""We think of a nurse sitting at a bedside and working with the families to feel comforted and safe. Today, that duty is compressed into nanoseconds because there is simply not the time," said Mary Florio, a nurse from Connecticut and AFSCME member. "The healthcare system does not allow me to be the nurse I want to be."

In addition to offering details about the AFL-CIO health care campaign, Sweeney talked about the State of America for working families.
“This Labor Day finds America not working the way it should for working people,” he said. “Housing foreclosures are rising, but wages are not. We’re losing good jobs and gaining household debt. Our bridges and roads and schools are crumbling. So are working families’ pensions.
“ Health care costs are pushing people to the edge, and now 47 million Americans have no health care coverage. Working people have been robbed of their freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life. Our nation’s middle class is shrinking.”

“Today, on the two-year anniversary of Katrina, we are reminded of all that has been lost in America – and of the unprecedented indifference shown working families by the current occupant of the White House.”

FRA Supports PTC Research
(Washington, DC) 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. CBTC is a form of Positive Train Control (PTC) that can automatically control train movements and speed to enhance safety when the locomotive engineer fails to take appropriate action. In addition to advancing technical developments, a primary aim of this grant funding is to design and build a Universal Onboard Platform that will allow a locomotive to easily switch between different PTC operating systems, or to another onboard signaling system, when it travels from one railroad network to another.

July 17, 2007 — A coalition of four unions — TCU, the International Association of Machinists, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Transport Workers Union — today reached tentative national agreements with management’s negotiating group, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee.

The unions represent 36,000 members on more than 30 railroads covered by the tentative agreements, including Burlington Northern Santa Fe, CSX, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.

The agreements cover four major crafts — Carmen, Clerks, Electricians, and Machinists.

The details of the new agreements will be sent to involved members for their review and a ratification vote in the next several weeks. No details will be released to the public until the ratification process has begun.

This round of contract talks began in November 2004 when Section Six notices under the Railway Labor Act were served by both the unions and management.

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).

The SMWIA was founded as a rail union in 1888, and for almost 120 years the SMWIA has represented rail workers. SMWIA General President Mike Sullivan is also president of the Eugene V. Debs Foundation.

The UTU board of directors voted unanimously June 11 to put the merger before the UTU membership for ratification. If ratified, the merger would become effective Jan. 1, 2008. Ballots will be mailed to United Transportation Union members on July 17. Voting will be by telephone, and the deadline for casting a ballot is August 7.

In a joint statement following its vote, the UTU board said, "This is the right merger at the right time. We have examined the merger document carefully, questioned SMWIA officials extensively and discussed the merger and its implications at length. We are of the unanimous opinion that the SMWIA is a good fit for the UTU and we enthusiastically recommend a 'yes' vote by members."

Kaiser Permanente and Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions Establish Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Institute at National Labor College

Oakland, CA, headquartered Kaiser Permanente, America’s largest integrated health plan, and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, are jointly donating $450,000 to the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, Maryland to fund the Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Institute, a program dedicated to educating labor leaders and union members on health care issues. It is thought to be the first such grant from a major health care provider to an institution serving the labor community.

Arthur M. Southam, MD, Kaiser Permanente Executive Vice President of Health Plan Operations, described the establishment of the Institute as historically fitting. “Kaiser Permanente has a long-standing commitment to providing coordinated, quality health care to workers and their families, a mission that has been sustained by our solid relationship with the labor community. The creation of the Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Institute in collaboration with the National Labor College will promote understanding of the challenges facing our current health care system and provide labor leaders and other students with the knowledge and skills for driving the effort to make affordable, quality health care available to every American.”

John August, Executive Director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said, “In this time of health care reform debate, among the topics that get lost is the question of how care will be delivered. No organization knows more about delivering high-quality health care than Kaiser Permanente, and that knowledge will be a critical element in the education of National Labor College students for many, many years.”

Ten years ago, Kaiser Permanente entered into a unique labor-management partnership that now involves more than 120,000 union, management and physician employees. The partnership is credited with creating a workforce that is focused on enhancing quality of care and service, improving frontline performance and making Kaiser Permanente a better place to work. According to company and college spokespersons, the grant to the NLC grew out of discussions between leaders of the partnership.

The Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Institute at the NLC (KPHI/NLC) will include courses focusing on health care bargaining and issues affecting the health care industry in the global economy. College officials will make the courses available individually, but they are also considering plans to create a curriculum that can lead to a certificate in health care. In addition, the KPHI/NLC will sponsor conferences on key issues in health care drawing in expert speakers. The first is being planned for this October.

“Workers today face a complex and fast-paced health care industry, insurance options that frequently change with the market, and a growing need to understand the health care industry when they sit at the bargaining table,” said Susan J. Schurman, President of the National Labor College. “Thanks to Kaiser’s support, we are delighted to be able to offer this important curriculum to our students.”

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit group practice program headquartered in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente serves more than 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 156,000 technical, administrative, and clerical employees and caregivers, and 13,000 physicians representing all specialties.

Kaiser Permanente’s unique Labor Management Partnership — the largest and most comprehensive partnership of its kind — was formed in 1997. Since then, the Labor Management Partnership has launched hundreds of initiatives, from workplace safety improvements to large-scale organizational change, achieving measurable improvement in patient and employee satisfaction, quality and service scores, financial results, and operational efficiency. For more information, visit http://www.lmpartnership.org

The National Labor College is the only accredited college in the world exclusively dedicated to educating union members, leaders, activists and staff. Originally founded by the AFL-CIO in 1969 as the George Meany Center for Labor Studies, the center became the NLC in 1997 offering upper level degree completion programs for union members seeking to finish their college education. The NLC offers a unique combination of fully online courses along with partially online programs with a low-residence on-campus component that allow full-time workers with families maximum flexibility to schedule study time. The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an independent, regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

In a showing of support and solidarity, hundreds of union members, their families and several legislators joined Amtrak employees for a demonstration outside Amtrak’s headquarters on May 17 to express frustration over the railroad’s refusal to negotiate a new contract with its employees. Amtrak workers are now in their eighth year without a new contract or general wage increase.

“The time has come for these hard working men and women to stop their sacrifice and be fairly compensated for their skill, hard work and dedication,” BRS International President W. Dan Pickett told the crowd. “The time has come for Amtrak’s Board and the National Mediation Board to reverse this road to nowhere and do what is fair and right.”

Several legislators also spoke to the crowd, including Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), and Congressmen Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD).

“We have to say to our Republican colleagues, ‘Get your hands off Amtrak,’” said Rep. Cummings. “You, the workers who keep the railroad running, have been deprived of what you are rightfully due. We are doing everything in our power to preserve Amtrak.”

Participating in the rally were the Transportation Trades Department (TTD), the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), the United Transportation Union (UTU), the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLET), the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS).

Rail labor is united in support of the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007, a bill that would provide sweeping reforms to railroad safety regulations and vastly improve the quality of life for all railroad workers.

The bill, H.R.2095, was introduced May 1 by Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, following lengthy consultation with supportive rail unions.

The BRS is proud to be a part of this effort," stated International President W. Dan Pickett. "The changes proposed by Chairman Oberstar are long overdue, and the BRS with rail labor will work to see the changes become a reality."

Among other rail unions in support of this rail safety measure are the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWE), the United Transportation Union (UTU), and the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA).

The bill would redesignate the FRA as the Federal Railroad Safety Administration (FRSA), whose goal would be to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities, and with safety as its "highest priority." The FRSA administrator would be required to have "professional experience in railroad safety, hazardous materials safety, or other transportation safety." The FRSA would also be required to double the number of safety inspectors from 400 to 800 by December 31, 2011.

Limbo time, the practice of abandoning train crews on locomotives after their on-duty time has expired, would be eliminated under changes to the Hours of Service Act. Under the new law, time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment, time spent waiting for deadhead transportation, and time spent in deadhead transportation from a duty assignment to the place of final release would be considered time on duty, thus eliminating limbo time.

Additional direct relief from fatigue would come in two forms. First, operating and signal employees would be entitled to a minimum of 10 hours undisturbed rest, regardless of the length of the duty tour. Railroads would be prohibited from communicating with their workers during their rest time. Second, they would have to have one period of at least 24 consecutive hours off duty every seven days.

Railroads would also be required to file a fatigue management plan with the Department of Transportation every two years. The bill would require input from rail labor into the plans, which would contain educational programs to help rail workers counter fatigue.

The legislation would significantly strengthen existing whistleblower protections to rail workers who report unsafe or hazardous conditions. A worker may refuse to authorize the use of equipment that the employee reasonably believes to be unsafe or hazardous to operate or work with, and this bill would protect those who do so.

Class 1 railroads would have 12 months after enactment of the legislation to submit concrete plans for the implementation of positive train control. The technology would be used to assist train crews with safety, and not as a means to reduce crew size.

The bill would also require railroads to install warning devices in non-signaled territory that would warn train crews of misaligned switches, thereby addressing the greatest risks of dark territory operations.

The secretary of transportation would be required to establish minimum training standards for each craft of rail employees under the new law. The bill would require railroads to qualify or otherwise document the proficiency of their employees in each craft regarding their knowledge of, and ability to comply with, federal railroad safety laws and regulations and railroad carrier rules. Each railroad would also establish its own training and qualification program, which would be submitted to the FRSA for approval.

The secretary of transportation would also be required to prescribe regulations and issue orders to establish a program requiring the certification of train conductors. In prescribing such regulations, the secretary would require that conductors on passenger trains be trained in security, first aid and emergency preparedness.

The secretary of transportation would also establish regulations that require railroads to provide emergency escape breathing apparatus for all crewmembers on freight trains carrying hazardous materials that pose an inhalation hazard in the event of release; and provide their crewmembers with appropriate training for using the breathing apparatus.

The secretary of transportation would also transmit to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Senate Commerce Committee a report on the effects of the locomotive cab environment on the safety, health and performance of train crews.

Also, under this proposed legislation, railroads would not be allowed to discipline, or threaten discipline to, an employee for requesting medical or first aid treatment, or for following orders or a treatment plan of a treating physician. Discipline means to bring charges against a person in a disciplinary proceeding, suspend, terminate, place on probation, or make note of reprimand on an employee’s record.

Rail employees and family members are encouraged to urge their congressional representatives to support H.R.2095, the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007.

Union members and all working families now have a unique online center where they can get involved in selecting the next president. With so much at stake in the 2008 elections, union members are working to make sure working family issues are in the forefront of the political debate.

The new interactive Working Families Vote 2008 site offers the resources and opportunity for union members to make their voices heard in the AFL-CIO presidential endorsement process. The website examines presidential candidates positions on the key working family issues: the Employee Free Choice Act, good jobs, health care, trade and manufacturing, retirement security and education. It also features links to candidate videos, polls, blog roundups and everything working families need to know to be prepared for the 2008 elections. The site includes a Forum for discussion of key issues in the presidential race. The current thread-opening question asks, What issues will get you to the polls in November 2008?

The site, which launched Friday, also features an Action Center that allows users to let presidential candidates know where they stand on the issues.

The AFL-CIO Working Families Vote 2008 website is part of the broadest effort yet to involve union members in the AFL-CIOs endorsement process, aiming for record union household turnout in 2008. Other features include a series of town hall meetings with candidates and a multicandidate forum in August.

In the 2006 elections, the AFL-CIO mobilized more than 13.6 million union household voters in 32 states in support of working family-friendly candidates. That mobilization played a key role in shifting the majority in Congress.

National and State Numbers Included in New Report Released for Workers Memorial Day

The nation's workplace safety laws are too weak to effectively protect the nation's workers, according to the new AFL-CIO annual study: Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. In 2005, there were 5,734 fatal workplace injuries, with significant increases in fatalities among Latino, African-American, foreign-born and young workers.

On average, 16 workers were fatally injured and more than 12,000 workers were injured or made ill each day of 2005. These statistics do not include deaths from occupational diseases, which claim the lives of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 workers each year. Overall, the rate of workplace fatalities decreased slightly from 4.1/100,000 workers in 2004 to 4.0/100,000 workers in 2005.

"The number of workers killed, injured and diseased on the job each year is a national tragedy and disgrace. It's time for the Bush Administration to wake up and see there are real solutions to preventing workplace injuries and deaths. Enforceable safety laws. Better funding for OSHA. Voices for workers on the job," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. "Instead of rolling back workplace safety measures, the Bush Administration should meet its responsibility to provide needed protections for America's workers."

The Bush Administration's proposed FY 2008 budget for worker safety and health programs provides $490 million for OSHA, which, adjusting for inflation, represents a $25 million cut since the Administration took office. Federal OSHA enforcement staffing levels have been cut from 1,683 to 1,543 positions and staffing for the development of safety and health standards from 100 to 83 positions.

To inspect each workplace, it would take federal OSHA 133 years with its current number of inspectors. In seven states (Florida, Delaware, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Maryland, and South Dakota), it would take more than 150 years for OSHA to pay a single visit to each workplace. In 18 states, it would take between 100 and 149 years to visit each workplace once.

The current level of federal and state OSHA inspectors provides one inspector for every 63,670 workers. This compares to a benchmark of one labor inspector for every 10,000 workers recommended by the International Labor Organization for industrialized countries. In the states of Arkansas, Florida, Delaware, Nebraska, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, the ratio of inspectors to employees is greater than 1/100,000 workers.

The fatality rate among Latino workers in 2005 was 23 percent higher than the fatal injury rate for all U.S. workers. In 2005, fatal injuries among Latino workers increased by 2 percent over 2004, with 923 fatalities among this group of workers, the highest number ever reported. The rate of fatal injuries to Latino workers decreased from 5.0 per 100,000 workers in 2004 to 4.9 per 100,000 workers in 2005.

Wyoming, Montana, and Mississippi had the highest rates of worker fatalities in the last year while Rhode Island and Vermont had the best record of workplace safety. Twenty-four states saw an increase in either the rate or number of fatalities between 2004 and 2005, with Mississippi, Montana, and South Dakota having the biggest increases in fatality rates.

The release of the AFL-CIO Death on the Job report coincides with Workers Memorial Day, April 28th, which commemorates workers who died or were injured in the past year. As part of the day of remembrance, community and union members from around the world are participating in hundreds of events to remember local workers and draw attention to the "unfulfilled promise" of worker safety.

Also for the week of Workers Memorial Day, two hearings are being held in Congress to investigate current job safety protections in the United States. On Tuesday, April 24th, the House of Representatives investigated if OSHA standards are keeping up with workplace hazards. On Thursday, April 26th, the Senate held a hearing on the state of workplace safety and health protections. Peg Seminario, the Director of Safety and Health at the AFL-CIO testified before the Senate committee, arguing that enforceable safety regulations are crucial to protecting today's workforce.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich will address the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 2007, at the unions 2007 Day of Action, a mass rally of union members aimed at highlighting the sacrifices and contributions of transportation workers worldwide.

Our goal is to articulate a clear message, Enough is Enough! and to do so at the front end of the 2008 presidential election cycle, said IAM Transportation General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr., who is coordinating the event. Union members have suffered grievously under the current gang that occupies the White House, but on May 17 our members will make their voices heard.

The day-long rally will begin at 10 a.m. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. where more than 10,000 union members and representatives of global unions are expected to attend. Additional information, maps and a list of speakers for the days activities can be found at www.17may07.org.

Founded in 1888, the IAM is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America, representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members in transportation, aerospace, woodworking, shipbuilding and manufacturing sectors. For more information about the IAM, visit their website at www.goiam.org.

The AFL-CIO launched its Working Families Vote 2008 campaign on April 18, 2007 by announcing plans for a series of town hall style forums with presidential candidates in the coming weeks, culminating with a multi-candidate forum in early August in Chicago.

America's working families are looking for a national about-face when it comes to good jobs and wages, affordable health care for their families, retirement security and a firm plan for getting out of Iraq, said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. Over the next several months, candidates for president of the United States will have a unique opportunity to listen to the real concerns of working people firsthand. And working families will have the chance to ask the candidates what they will do to make America work for working families.

The candidate town hall forums are part of an intensive six-month program to engage union members and their families in the AFL-CIOs presidential endorsement decision-making process. The Executive Council of the AFL-CIO voted last month to ask each of its 54 national unions to make no endorsement until the AFL-CIO General Board decides, following the six-month period of member consultation, whether or not to endorse a candidate prior to the primaries.

These town hall meetings provide the candidates with a real opportunity to rally and inspire the grassroots activists who are essential to victory in 2008, said AFSCME President and AFL-CIO Political Committee Chair Gerald McEntee. Union members are looking forward to hearing from the candidates and being more active than we've ever been before.

The AFL-CIO Working Families Vote 2008 campaign is the broadest effort yet to involve working people in the selection of a president, aiming for record turnout in 2008. The town meetings will help ensure that the candidates understand working peoples priorities on issues like health care reform, retirement security, jobs and the freedom to form or join a union to bargain for a better life.

In addition to the town meetings, the AFL-CIO will provide union members and their families with opportunities to engage the candidates for president through online idea exchanges and other means. Later this month the AFL-CIO will launch an interactive website dedicated to the presidential campaign and endorsement process.

In the 2006 elections, the AFL-CIOs massive union voter mobilization proved key to shifting the balance of power in Congress. The AFL-CIO mobilized more than 13.6 million voters in 32 states in support of working family friendly candidates.

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Amtrak offers a 10% discount off the lowest available rail fare to the Day of Action event in Washington, DC between May 13 and May 21, 2007. To book your individual reservation call Amtrak at 1-800-872-7245 or contact your local travel agent.

Conventions cannot be booked via Internet. Please be sure to refer to Convention Fare Code X02P-915 when making your reservation. This offer is not valid on Auto Train. Fare is valid on Amtrak Regional and Acela service for all departures seven days a week, except for holiday blackouts. Offer valid with Sleepers, Business Class or First Class seats with payment of the full applicable accommodation charges.

Groups of 20 or more paying passengers traveling together are eligible to receive a 20% discount. Amtrak's 15% senior citizen and half-fare children's discounts may be applied to eligible members of the group. These discounts are not valid on all trains and some restrictions may apply. Call 1-800-872-1477 for group fares.

FRA Approves Waiver for New Braking Technology to Improve Train Control and Safety

Two railroads will begin equipping and operating trains with new brake technology capable of significantly improving train control, reducing derailments, and shortening stopping distances as a result of a waiver approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced March 29, 2007.

It is time for the railroad industry to embrace new train braking technology and prevent some of the accidents that are happening now, Boardman said. Rail safety can be improved and better brakes are part of the solution, he stressed, noting that the FRA is considering issuing a proposed rule later this year designed to facilitate the widespread deployment of the technology known as Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes. Boardman said that ECP brake technology can help avert train derailments caused by sudden emergency brake applications, prevent runaway trains caused by loss of brake air pressure, and shorten train stopping distances up to 60 percent under certain circumstances. ECP brake systems also are capable of performing continual electronic self-diagnostic health checks of the brakes to identify maintenance needs, he added.

ECP brakes apply uniformly and virtually instantaneously on every rail car throughout a train and not sequentially from one car to the next as is done with conventional pneumatic brake systems, Boardman explained. The full train brake application, and an ability to gradually apply and release the brakes, provides for vastly improved train control and enhances safety.

Boardman said the waiver request approved by the FRA allows BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway to install ECP brake systems on trains to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the technology in revenue service. Under the waiver, trains equipped with ECP brakes will be able to safely travel up to 3,500 miles without stopping to undergo certain routine brake inspections, more than double the distance currently allowed by federal regulations. It is expected that the railroads will use the waiver to test ECP brakes on container-only trains from West Coast ports to Chicago and on trains carrying coal from the Powder River Basin fields in Wyoming to southern and eastern power plants.

FRA placed several conditions on the waiver approval, including requirements that the railroads clearly define a process for handling brake problems discovered en route; ensure that ECP brake inspections be performed by qualified individuals; and provide appropriate training to crew members. The waiver ensures that proper safeguards will be in place and will permit FRA to gather extensive data that could be used in developing its proposed rulemaking. FRA also will carefully monitor the railroads compliance with the waiver using unannounced inspections of trains subject to the waiver.

The number of train accidents declined for the second year in a row and there were fewer highway-rail grade crossing collisions according to preliminary 2006 rail safety data announced March 7, 2007, by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

The aggressive actions we are taking to improve rail safety are paying dividends," Secretary Peters said. As a result, many communities where trains operate are safer, she added, noting that 36 states experienced fewer train accidents in 2006 as compared to 2005.

The preliminary statistics released on March 7, 2007, by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reveal that in 2006 railroads had 402 fewer train accidents nationwide, or a 12.4 percent reduction from 2005, Peters said. Specifically, the number of derailments declined 8.3 percent and collisions between trains decreased by 27.1 percent. Texas led the nation with 51 fewer train accidents last year followed by Ohio (34), Nebraska (32), Indiana (29), New Jersey (24), and California (23).

The data for 2006 also reveal that train accidents caused by human error — the leading cause of all train accidents — declined 20.2 percent, Peters said. Train accidents caused by track issues decreased 5.8 percent, and those caused by equipment failure and signal problems fell by 8.2 percent and 27.0 percent, respectively, she added.

In addition, last year the number of highway-rail grade crossing collisions fell by 5.0 percent. However, grade crossing fatalities increased by 1.4 percent to 362. And, trespass fatalities, the number one cause of all rail-related deaths, increased by 14.5 percent to 530.

FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman emphasized that some of the safety gains are attributable to aggressive implementation of the Departments National Rail Safety Action Plan which focuses on the most frequent, highest-risk causes of train accidents; optimizes the use of data to target federal inspection and enforcement resources; and accelerates research initiatives that hold promise to mitigate the greatest potential safety risks.

Boardman said that during 2007, the FRA is planning additional action to further improve rail safety, including: adding two new automated track inspection vehicles to its fleet to triple the number of track-miles inspected each year; issuing a final rule to address the most common human factor causes of train accidents such as misaligned track switches; and completing several grade crossing safety and trespass prevention initiatives. He noted that in February 2007, the Department submitted a rail safety reauthorization bill to Congress seeking authority to address key safety issues like regulating railroad employee hours of service and establishing new risk reduction programs.

For more information, go to the Federal Railroad Administration's website, www.fra.dot.gov.

The AFL-CIO is asking union families to boycott the Blue Man Group, a theatrical production company headquartered in Las Vegas, running shows concurrently in five U.S. cities: Las Vegas, Boston, New York, Chicago, and Orlando. The company also produces Blue Man shows in London, Berlin and Toronto.

The decision to put Blue Man Productions on the official boycott list was taken at the request of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE) with support from dozens of performing arts unions in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

This production bills itself as cutting edge as an entertainment concept, but it is a throwback to the dark ages in labor relations, declared AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka. Blue Man Productions is about to learn a harsh lesson in labor solidarity, an experience they could have avoided by simply acknowledging the right of their workers to bargain collectively.

IATSE's Las Vegas Local 720 was certified as the bargaining agent for stagehands employed by the company following a May 25, 2006 NLRB election. Officials from the Local stress employees are predominantly concerned with health care, retirement coverage and safety on the job.

Efforts to negotiate an initial agreement for the 44 employees involved were stonewalled by Blue Man Productions management despite earlier pledges to abide by the outcome from principal partner Matt Goldman during the period leading up to the election. Goldman retained Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld — a politically-connected law firm whose partners include Democratic bigwigs Robert Strauss and Vernon Jordan along with President Bush's nephew George P. Bush — as its counsel for the election and subsequent challenges.

Lawrence Levien, a former NLRB attorney now on the Akin Gump payroll, has represented Blue Man Productions throughout the process. Nevertheless, the union has beaten back company appeals at the regional and national level, where a three-member panel ultimately upheld the union's right to bargain and affirmed the unfair labor practice charges against the company. Blue Man Productions has appealed that decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. At the union's behest, attorneys for the NLRB lodged a counter motion to enforce its bargaining order with the appeals court. It may be months before the Court acts.

Meanwhile, IATSE has secured pledges of support from 36 labor organizations including performing arts unions in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Norway, and Germany, as well as an endorsement from the massive Union Network International (UNI), an international confederation of 900 unions in140 nations, representing 15 millions workers.

Stagehands for Blue Man Productions had a collective bargaining agreement through IATSE Local 720 until October 2005 when the company refused to renew that agreement after moving from the Las Vegas Luxor Hotel to its new Las Vegas venue at the non-union Venetian Hotel.

February 1 — Yakima Valley (WA) Sundome
February 2 — Everett Events (WA) Center
February 3 — Portland (OR) Memorial Coliseu