Category: News

Plaque commemorates railroad strike of 1887

March 25, 2013 Most of the historical plaques at Camden Yards are about particular players’ home-runs or Babe Ruth’s father’s tavern, but a new marker outside the ballpark pays tribute not to ballplayers but to workers whose names we’ll never know. Unveiled yesterday, the sign on the Howard [...]

We cannot afford to be complacent

March 22, 2013 By Mike Futhey, SMART Transportation Division President – Election day 2012 has passed, the celebration of an inauguration is done. Now what? Complacency is not a luxury we can afford. Our fight is not over. After the candidates’ assurances of brighter days for labor, a cont [...]

Rail passenger groups seeks federal aid

March 22, 2013 The National Association of Railroad Passengers, the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, Californians for High Speed Rail, and the Midwest High Speed Rail Association are urging Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to support XpressWest’s creation of a Los Angeles to Las Vega [...]

Tags Amtrak, high-speed rail, NARP

LIRR members’ golf tourney supports autism research

March 21, 2013 The UTU’s Long Island Rail Road General Committee of Adjustment GO 505 is hosting it annual golf classic on May 13 to benefit families on Long Island affected by autism. The gold classic will tee off at 9:30 a.m. at the Hamlet Wind Watch Golf & Country Club in Hauppauge, [...]

Tags autism, fundraiser, GO 505

NTSB makes recommendations after investigation

March 20, 2013 The National Transportation Safety Board has issued 12 new safety recommendations as a result of its investigation of the Sept. 30, 2010, collision of two freight trains near Two Harbors, Minn. The NTSB recommendations were issued to the following organizations: the Federal R [...]

Tags Hersman, NTSB

UTU, Amtrak reach tentative contract deal

March 18, 2013 After more than two years of negotiations, three UTU-SMART general committees representing some 2,300 Amtrak members have reached a deal with the passenger carrier on a new contract. General Chairpersons Bill Beebe, Robert Keeley and Dirk Sampson represent Amtrak conductors, [...]

Tags Amtrak, negotiations

Coscia elected chairman, Amtrak board of directors

March 18, 2013 WASHINGTON – The Amtrak Board of Directors has elected Anthony R. Coscia to be its next chairman to help guide the future of the railroad and carry out initiatives to increase ridership and improve operational and financial performance. In addition, the Amtrak board elected J [...]

Tags Amtrak, coscia

UP ordered to reinstate whistleblower

March 18, 2013 OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has been ordered to pay $350,000 and reinstate a worker who federal regulators say was fired after reporting an injury to the railroad. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that the payment [...]

Around the UTU, March 2013

March 15, 2013 Local 23, Santa Cruz, Calif. Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District bus operator Jose Polanco, center, is recognized for his outstanding safety record and committed service to the community by a district official on Feb. 22. Polanco developed a plan to identify thousands of [...]

N.D. ‘Spring Swing’ meeting location changes

March 14, 2013 All active and retired members of North Dakota locals will have the opportunity to visit with UTU International and general committee officers and representatives from the Railroad Retirement Board, health-and-welfare benefit providers and designated legal counsel at a series [...]