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Proposed legislation spurs rail agreements

December 2, 2011 WASHINGTON — In the face of bipartisan get-tough-with-labor legislation introduced in the House and Senate, two of the remaining unions without national rail contracts agreed to a tentative settlement Dec. 1, and a third reached agreement with the carriers Dec. 1 to ext [...]

Tags BLET, BMWE, Harry Reid, John Mica, National Carriers' Conference Committee, National Rail Contract, NCCC

Notice to UTU treasurers in Pennsylvania

December 1, 2011 Effective Jan. 1, all Pennsylvania employers, which includes labor unions, must withhold from employee paychecks the income tax due localities. This is a requirement of a law that reformed and standardized the local earned-income tax system in the state and applies to all emp [...]

Tags Act 32, Pennsylvania treasurers, Residency Certification Form

Wisconsin Rally; Wisconsin; Rally; protest

Back to Wisconsin

November 30, 2011 “On Wisconsin” is the fight song of the University of Wisconsin. “Back to Wisconsin” is the fight song of the UTU Collective Bargaining Defense Fund and other organizations determined to continue a successful “red zone” defense against anti-union political zealots. Organized [...]

Tags collective bargaining defense fund, recall, Scott Walker, Wisconsin

Driving a bus ‘a potent stress cocktail’

November 30, 2011 By Bonnie MorrAlternate Vice President – Bus Department Operating a bus may be the most stressful job in America. Early in November, 100 Detroit bus operators walked off the job after repeated passenger assaults. In New York, a study found a pattern of physical and verbal ass [...]

Tags Bonnie Morr, bus

House Republicans vow to head-off rail strike

November 30, 2011 WASHINGTON – Senior House Republicans Nov. 29 said they would act to head off a railroad work stoppage if rail unions that so far have not settled with the carriers do not have a voluntary settlement in place by the end of a final 30-day cooling off period that expires Dec. 6 [...]

Tags American Train Dispatchers Association, BLET, BMWE, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, Eric Cantor, John Boehner, Kevin McCarthy, National Carriers' Conference Committee, National Rail Contract, strike

Early rail retiree insurance cap raised

November 29, 2011 UTU members and their dependents insured under the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA) Plan (GA-46000) will have their lifetime maximum amount of coverage increased, effective Jan. 1. ERMA is a comprehensive benefits plan for employees wh [...]

Bus driver cell-phone ban finalized

November 25, 2011 WASHINGTON – A Final Rule has been issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) prohibiting bus (including school bus) drivers and truck drivers, operating in interstate commerce, from using hand-held cell phone while operating their vehicles. Also innclu [...]

Tags Cell Phone Ban, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA

Rail disability plan revisions effective Jan. 1

November 23, 2011 Revisions to the Anthem Voluntary Short Term Disability (VSTD) plan that better reflect the actual claims experience of our rail members and adjust to the prevailing market rate for this type of coverage will become effective Jan. 1, 2012. Revisions to the Lincoln National Li [...]

Congress OKs Amtrak, air, bus, transit funding

November 21, 2011 WASHINGTON — Congress, unable to agree on very much lately, has agreed on funding for Amtrak, bus transportation, commercial aviation and transit through Sept. 30, 2012. The funding is for fiscal year 2012, which began Oct. 1. Earlier, Congress agreed to legislation extending [...]

Tags air, Amtrak, bus, commercial air, Essential Air Service, FY 2012, transit

Locals announce holiday events

November 18, 2011 Two locals have placed holiday party announcements in the November issue of the UTU News, which may not reach all members in sufficient time to plan attendance. To ensure that members have advance notice of the upcoming get-togethers, see the listing of announcements below: L [...]