WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published a final rule — effective for drivers in 60 days — amending the commercial driver’s license (CDL) knowledge and skills testing standards, and establishing new minimum federal sta [...]
The news media may be atwitter with concerns of an al-Qaida attack on trains, but there is no validation that any specific attack is imminent or has been planned. What is crucial is that each of us — whether we work for an air, bus, freight train, transit or passenger t [...]
Union members living in areas impacted by the recent tornadoes and flooding, and who participate in Union Plus programs, may be eligible for financial assistance. Union Plus disaster relief grants of $500 are available to help participants in the Union Plus credit card, insur [...]
By Assistant President Arty Martin While we go about our daily lives, political extremists are gaining strength and working non-stop to undermine and eliminate much of what we cherish on the job and look forward to in retirement. It’s not just Wisconsin and Ohio where r [...]
Recent tornados in southern states — from Mississippi to Virginia that killed more than 340 and injured thousands more — plus severe flooding in other parts of the country have likely affected UTU-member families living in those areas. While identification of the [...]
Due to changes in the financial services markets, the UTU is no longer able to offer a UTU-branded credit card. Over the years, these UTU-branded cards generated much-needed funding for the union’s education and training fund. Servicing of former UTU credit card account [...]
We know all too well that alcohol consumption and drug use can imperil our jobs. But how about off the job; and how about family members? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 600,000 emergency room visits annually due to alcohol or drug problems; [...]
Arbitrator Michael H. Gottesman will hear presentations by the UTU and the Sheet Metal Workers International Association during five days of arbitration in June to determine whether the merger agreement between the UTU and the SMIWA is an enforceable agreement. Gottesman, a l [...]
By Calvin StudivantAlternate vice president — Bus Department A tragic bus accident in New York City in March, which killed 15 passengers, has put an unfriendly spotlight on low-fare tour bus drivers. The driver of the ill-fated low-fare tour bus reportedly had previousl [...]
WASHINGTON — The vote by Congress April 15 on a budget that keeps the federal government operating through Sept. 30 contains harsh spending cuts for Amtrak, transit and high-speed rail. Especially troubling to UTU members are the Amtrak and transit budget cuts, which co [...]