Attorney Larry Mann, named by his peers as the “nation’s foremost authority on railroad safety legislation and regulation,” has been appointed by UTU International President Mike Futhey as Rail Safety Coordinator to UTU Designated Legal Counsel (DLC). In this newly created post, Mann will provide expert assistance on rail safety matters to UTU Designated Legal […]
The SMART-TD Membership Services Department has compiled a list of frequently asked questions from SMART-TD rail members regarding medical-benefits coverage and has supplied appropriate answers to these questions. These questions pertain to coverage when an employee is working, is furloughed or dismissed from service, becomes disabled, or is retiring. This list contains answers to commonly […]
By Vic Baffoni Vice President, Bus Dept. The Bush Administration did it again. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters extended the right of foreign-operated trucking and transit companies to operate across the U.S. border without requiring them to even have a minimum of safeguards for U.S. citizens on U.S. roads. The U.S. Department of Transportation […]
Now is the time of year that UTU members and everyone else across the country are seeing and hearing messages regarding voter registration and upcoming elections. While many will be focused on the candidates running for the U.S. presidency, November 2008 also brings UTU members a chance to renew their union leadership at the local […]
Brothers & Sisters: I am writing this as I return from the Democratic National Convention in Denver. A high point of my week was an invitation-only luncheon with Michelle Obama and Jill and Joe Biden on Friday, Aug. 29. What a privilege it was to hear Michelle Obama speak first-hand of her husbands’ concern and […]
By International President Mike Futhey The most successful military generals are those who care best for their troops, walk among their troops and listen intently to their ideas and concerns. This week in Denver, Barack Obama, who consistently expresses his support for working families, as well as improved rail and transit service in America, reached […]
WASHINGTON — Railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration, and labor organizations, including the UTU, launched on Aug. 12 a new and formal effort to improve workplace safety through an emphasis on cooperation and education and a de-emphasis on aggressive discipline. FRA Administrator Joseph Boardman termed the effort “a new risk-based approach to identify and correct safety […]
By Vic Baffoni Bus Vice President UTU-represented bus operators and mechanics can take great pride in their accomplishments the first half of 2008, but there remain many hurdles to overcome. The final DOT rule on drug and alcohol testing for holders of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) goes into effect Aug. 25. DOT ordered that […]
Rail operating employees know the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) saves lives by forcing railroads to address safety problems carriers might ignore if the penalty were no more than the equivalent of a parking ticket. Confirmation now comes from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), which speaks for the carriers. A July 29 presentation by […]
DENVER — “I will not stand down, I will not retreat and I will not surrender until our members have the right to vote on their own constitution,” UTU International President Mike Futhey told some 700 cheering UTU officers and members here at a regional meeting in explaining his position on the court-sidetracked merger with […]
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