Union seeks proposals for Section 6 notices

The SMART Transportation Division is beginning the process of formulating Section 6 notices to be served on rail carriers negotiating under the umbrella of the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which will include proposals to increase wages, benefits and improve working conditions.

As mandated by the Railway Labor Act and the current national agreement, these Section 6 notices will be served on most of the nation’s rail carriers on or about Nov. 3, 2014, to become effective no earlier than Jan. 1, 2015.

The serving of the Section 6 notices is the first step in reaching a new national agreement with railroads represented by the NCCC.

The carriers represented by the NCCC also have been working on their own wage and rule notices that they will serve at or about the same time the SMART TD notices are served.

All officers and members are invited to submit proposals for the Section 6 notices to the SMART TD headquarters.

The proposals submitted by members will be catalogued during the months of August and September.

A committee of general chairpersons from the Association of General Chairpersons, District No. 1, will review the proposals submitted and begin to fine-tune those suggestions into the notices to be served on the carriers.

The full Association of General Chairpersons, District No. 1, will then be convened to review and finalize the union’s Section 6 notices.

Soon thereafter, the Section 6 notices will be reproduced and mailed to all U.S. general chairpersons for serving on the affected railroads on or about Nov. 3.

“All affected members will be kept informed regarding the Section 6 notices and developments in negotiations, when possible, through the SMART Transportation Division News and the SMART TD website,” Transportation Division President John Previsich said.

Under the Railway Labor Act, the current national agreement between the SMART TD (UTU) and NCCC will remain in effect until a new agreement is reached.

As specified in the current national agreement, a three-percent general wage increase will be paid on Jan. 1, 2015.