May 24, 2013

House Republicans propose sharp Amtrak cuts

Amtrak Logo

WASHINGTON – House Republicans are supporting a budget plan that Amtrak says will eliminate all state-supported Amtrak service nationwide beginning Oct. 1 — the start of a new federal fiscal year. Fifteen states currently provide Amtrak with subsidies in exchange for Amtrak operating additional intercity trains in their states that transport nine million passengers annually. The [...]

Negotiators speak out on national rail contract

DuBose

Former International President Tom DuBose(1991-1995) Having served as a member and as chairperson of UTU national negotiating committees, and as a UTU International officer for 28 years, I found that the failure to reach an agreement on the national level carries the risk of having third party recommendations placed in effect by Congress. In my [...]

National rail contract ballots in mail

National Rail Contract

Voting packages for the tentative national rail contract were mailed Friday, Aug. 12, to UTU members eligible to vote. The balloting period will extend for 21 days to 4 p.m., Eastern time, Friday, Sept. 2. Voting will be by craft under the craft-autonomy provisions of the UTU Constitution. Crafts voting will be brakeman, conductor, engineer, [...]

National rail contract delivers ‘more, now’

Mike Futhey; Futhey, Mike

AFL founder Samuel Gompers said the objective of labor is, “more, now.” Our national rail agreement fulfills that objective. In an economic environment that has our brothers and sisters in other industries in a vice grip of difficult times, our agreement delivers more than just a 17 percent wage increase, a 6½-year cap on health [...]