By UTU International President Mike Futhey – Congratulations go to Art Rayner, the United Transportation Union Insurance Association’s man of the year for 2011. Art was recognized for his sales and leadership performance – attributes that helped propel the UTUIA last year to [...]
Never underestimate the impact of your communications to Congress. Combined with the tens of thousands of messages from others, the House Republican leadership has pulled back a planned vote Feb. 17 on a draconian transportation bill that would cost jobs, menace transportatio [...]
There are occasions when something so horrible is pending in Congress that we ask your immediate help in taking to the phones and email to alert your lawmaker to the concerns. In this case, it is especially important if you are represented in the House of Representatives by a [...]
As most railroaders can attest, there are times that procedures and operating rules set by the FRA or imposed by carriers can be difficult to understand. The language may seem vague, and the ballast-level application often is left up to interpretation, which leads to ambiguit [...]
WASHINGTON – Federal spending on transportation projects, including aviation, highway, conventional and high-speed passenger rail and transit, would increase by 2 percent under a proposed fiscal year 2013 budget presented Congress Feb. 13 by President Obama. Transit spending [...]
By Bonnie MorrVice President, Bus Department The UTU has gained a new First Transit property in Farmington, N.M., which is now in Local 1687 out of Albuquerque. Contract negotiations have begun. We also are in the initial stages of organizing some 200 workers on a transit pro [...]
By RICK JOHNSONColorado State Legislative Director Safety is job number one for UTU-represented pilots employed by Great Lakes Airlines. Yet their current contract with the carrier is substandard in terms of working conditions and wages that daily puts pressure on their abili [...]
WASHINGTON – Responding to petitions for reconsideration to its Nov. 9, 2011, final rule on conductor certification, the FRA has delayed for six months the testing implementation dates and clarified other mandates affecting territorial qualifications and the definition of hos [...]
For transportation workers, our eyes are among the most important tools of our trade. Lose your eyesight and you lose your livelihood. That’s why every transportation worker should be aware that an eye disease called glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, affectin [...]
WASHINGTON – New minimum training and qualification standards are being proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration for rail workers in safety sensitive positions. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published Feb. 7 in the Federal Register, the FRA said affected employees [...]