News Archive
Passenger rail essential as population grows
By Joe Szabo – Federal Railroad Administrator It seems like just yesterday, as UTU Illinois state legislative director and mayor of Riverdale, Ill., that I joined other mayors to successfully advocate for more frequent rail service from Chicago to downstate Illinois communiti [...]RRB issuing “Statements of Service”
Each year, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) prepares a “Certificate of Service Months and Compensation” (Form BA-6) for every railroad employee who received creditable railroad compensation in the previous calendar year. The forms will be mailed to employees by the R [...]OSHA holds contest to teach workplace safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is running a competition to help educate the public about workplace safety. Applicants should use publicly available government information (i.e., DOL/OSHA data, NIOSH data, and other online government resources) to cr [...]TWIC reforms moving through Congress
A Transportation Security Administration effort to help protect ports against terrorism was creation of a tamper-resistant biometric worker-access pass known as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) that is issued, in addition to maritime workers, to rail [...]Wis. voters return labor-friendly majority to senate
Voters in Wisconsin appear to have returned control of the state senate to a labor-friendly majority, even though anti-union Gov. Scott Walker, anti-union Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three political extremist state senate candidates gained a victory in a recall election. T [...]MOW workers on M&NA shortline ratify first pact
Turner UTU-represented maintenance-of-way employees on Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad, who chose the UTU as their bargaining representative in January, have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. UTU Alternate Vice President Doyle Turner, who assisted w [...]Funeral services set for slain LACMTA bus driver
Funeral services have been set for Alan Thomas, 51, a bus driver for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and member of Local 1563, who was murdered aboard his bus May 20 by a lone gunman. Services will be held Saturday, June 9, at 10 a.m. at the Secon [...]Wisc. anti-union governor faces recall Tuesday
Voters in Wisconsin will decide Tuesday, June 5, whether to recall their anti-union Gov. Scott Walker, a recall election engineered largely by working families and union members after Walker successfully pushed state legislation to curtail collective bargaining rights of publ [...]