Transportation News

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LACMTA bus operators have new contract

Williams LOS ANGELES – The almost 5,000 UTU members employed by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) have ratified a new contract, through June 30, 2014, by better than a three-to-one margin. The new contract provides for wage increases, a signing [...]

Diabetes: Know the symptoms

Almost 26 million Americans suffer with diabetes. Shockingly, another 79 million have pre-diabetes, and many are not even aware they have the disease. It is estimated that by the year 2050, one-in-three American adults will have diabetes unless serious steps are taken to stop [...]

Charlotte bus drivers have new UTU contract

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Members of UTU Local 1715 have ratified a new agreement with Charlotte Area Transit by a three-to-one margin. The new contract provides for wage increases, freezes employee contributions to health care insurance, restores travel time, adjusts work rules as s [...]

Proposed legislation spurs rail agreements

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 [...]

Notice to UTU treasurers in Pennsylvania

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 [...]

Back to Wisconsin

“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 [...]

Driving a bus ‘a potent stress cocktail’

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 [...]

House Republicans vow to head-off rail strike

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 [...]

Early rail retiree insurance cap raised

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

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 [...]