Category: Bus news

Rising bus death toll accentuates safety reform need

July 25, 2011 As the UTU continues to lobby safety regulators and Congress on the need for bus-operator fatigue abatement, improved driver training and tougher bus-safety inspections, tragic events are placing even more emphasis on this topic. Since January, according to Advocates for High [...]

Tags bus safety

Recipe for success: Safety first

July 12, 2011 By Vic BaffoniVice President, Bus Department I recently spoke with UTU Local 1785 (Santa Monica, Calif.) member William Alvarenga, who has driven a motor coach for more than 30 years and who has been commended for his safe and courteous driving record. I asked Brother Alvaren [...]

Tags Baffoni, Local 1785, Weingarden Rights, William Alvarenga

House bill would slash Amtrak, transit funding

July 8, 2011 WASHINGTON – The Republican leadership of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee will introduce legislation July 8 to slash Amtrak’s federal subsidy by 25 percent, prevent federal funds from being used to create additional rail passenger services unless they [...]

Tags AFL-CIO, Amtrak, bus safety, Chamber of Commerce, high-speed rail, Mica, Shuster, transit

NTSB: Latest safety recommendations

June 28, 2011 WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board has updated its “Most Wanted” transportation safety improvements. Included are recommendations for improved bus, rail and aviation safety. Following are the NTSB’s comments of interest to UTU members: Fatigue Airplanes, bu [...]

Tags fatigue, NTSB, safety

Fourth tour-bus crash since March kills driver

June 28, 2011 PITTSBURGH – In another high-profile bus crash, a tour-bus driver died and 23 passengers were injured June 27 when the bus struck the rear of a tractor-trailer near here on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, reports Reuters. The bus, owned by New Oriental Tours and carrying Asian tou [...]

Tags tour bus

Futhey pointing; Mike Futhey; Futhey, Mike; Pointing

State of the union: ‘Stronger than ever’

June 23, 2011 International President Mike Futhey SAN ANTONIO — Stronger protections for members, improved finances, successful organizing drives and superior wage and benefits agreements characterize the United Transportation Union in 2011, International President Mike Futhey told s [...]

Tags dues increase, Futhey, state of the union

NLRB seeks to speed rep-votes; increase transparency

June 22, 2011 WASHINGTON – In a move organized labor has long pushed for, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) June 21 proposed new representation-vote rules that will speed-up the voting process and give more transparency to employer actions intended to discourage a “union, yes” vote [...]

Tags National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, representation votes; rep-votes, Stem; Bus

FMCSA names UTU bus officer to advisory panel

June 17, 2011 WASHINGTON – Bus Department Alternate Vice President Calvin Studivant has been named by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Anne Ferro to a 20-member congressionally created Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee. The committee will provide advice and r [...]

Tags bus, bus department, Calvin Studivant, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA, Local 759

Wisconsin decision will embolden extremists

June 15, 2011 MADISON, Wis. – A divided state supreme court here June 14 ruled in a 4-3 decision that the state’s controversial law revoking collective-bargaining rights for public employees may go into effect – overturning an injunction issued by a lower court. This is important to UTU me [...]

Tags collective bargaining defense fund, Ohio, political extremists, UTU PAC, Wisconsin

Have you experienced unruly passengers?

June 15, 2011 The UTU, Amtrak and other labor organizations have designed a survey to aid in the development of training and awareness programs to assist Amtrak employees deal with unruly, disorderly or aggressive passengers. While development of this program is intended for Amtrak, all UT [...]

Tags Amtrak, passengers, survey, unruly