The National Mediation Board has certified that 70 percent of eligible employees voted for representation by the SMART Transportation Division.

CTR operates three segments of track in the city and its suburbs, serving a variety of industries. It connects to Union Pacific at the North Ave. and Elk Grove locations, and to Canadian Pacific at its Bensenville, Ill., location.

The Class III railroad comprises 7.6 miles of the trackage and 32 miles of storage tracks. It also interchanges with Kansas City Southern operations at Veals Yard.

The organizing effort was led by SMART Transportation Division Director of Organizing Rich Ross, who was assisted by International Organizer Larry Grutzius.

CTR is a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holdings, which also operates San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, Texas-New Mexico Railroad, West Texas & Lubbock Railway and other lines.

Tuesday night, Ed Greenberg, a spokesman for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, confirmed that the partially submerged 80-car train was leaking ethanol and diesel fuel into the Little Cedar River.

Read the complete story at Mason City Globe Gazette.

Mike Futhey

By Mike Futhey, 
SMART Transportation Division President – 

Throughout my career as a union officer, I have experienced every type of carrier safety program imaginable: from official company “snitches” to complex, overly burdensome and intrusive research, to innovative, cooperative, joint ventures. Employees need a program to know the program du jour.

When programs fall by the wayside, a newer, shinier version is released, with all the markings of its failing predecessor.

After such a critique, you may be surprised to know that, through it all, I have been a consistent proponent of collectively bargained, cooperative endeavors that recognize the real value of universal buy-in to a goal of a safer work environment.

The evidence is clear and convincing that a correlation exists between employee involvement and reduced incidences of on-duty injuries. There have been examples of carriers that have entered into collectively bargained agreements with our organization’s general committees that generated reduced rates of personal injuries on the job, only to see the positive results reversed when the agenda and agreement compliance morphed into a managerial option, with “reinterpretations” of long-standing proven processes becoming the standard.

There is one basic premise that must be recognized: “Our members are not masochists. This organization, from every level, desires to see each member go home safely at the end of the shift.”

We want to be a part of what works for the betterment of all concerned, but, we will not subscribe to a system designed to compromise the rights of the members we represent – we know the difference.

We know the difference when the managerial prerogative supersedes the integrity of the process.

We know the difference when the organization extends an offer to carriers to jointly explore a remedy for repeated violations of whistle-blower, provisions only to be met with “lawyering up.”

Genuine partnerships never, ever pull rank. Genuine partnerships must respect the integrity of the process and all who participate.

The process must be consistently adhered to, even when it is not comfortable to do so.

My message to the various decision-makers, whether they be in the airline, bus or railroad industry is, “it’s your call.”

The example you set will resonate, exposing the intent of your rhetoric. Do safety programs produce safety or manipulation of reality?

The answer to both is yes, if that becomes your intent.

Since the payment of Railroad Retirement spouse or widow(er)s’ annuities can be affected by entitlement to certain other government benefits, such dual entitlement, if not reported to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), can result in benefit overpayments which have to be repaid, sometimes with interest and penalties.

The following questions and answers describe how payments are adjusted by the RRB for spouse and widow(er) annuitants entitled to public service pensions.

1. For social security or railroad retirement purposes, what is considered a public service pension?

A public service pension is any periodic benefit payment, as well as lump-sum payments made in lieu of periodic payments, based on an individual’s own employment with a federal, state, or local government unit. Some examples are pensions paid to teachers, police officers, and civil service personnel on the basis of age or disability. Full salary benefits paid to a retired or resigned judge under the federal judiciary retirement system are also considered public service pensions.

Most military service pensions and payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs will not cause a reduction. A pension paid by a foreign government or an interstate instrumentality also has no effect on a spouse or widow(er)’s annuity.

2. How is the public service pension reduction applied to Railroad Retirement spouse or widow(er)s’ annuities?

For spouses and widow(er)s subject to the public service pension reduction, the Tier I reduction is, under current law, equal to 2/3 of the amount of the public pension. The amount of the public service pension is the current gross amount, before any deductions for income tax withholding, Medicare premiums, health insurance or other benefits.

3. What is the background of the public service reduction in spouse and widow(er)s’ annuities and how does it affect such payments?

The public service pension reduction in Social Security and Railroad Retirement spouse and widow(er)s’ benefits was brought about by 1977 Social Security legislation which also applied to the Tier I benefits of railroad retirement spouses and widow(er)s. The Tier I portion of a Railroad Retirement annuity is based on Railroad Retirement credits and any Social Security credits an employee has acquired. It is computed under social security formulas and approximates what social security would pay if railroad work were also covered by that system. Tier I benefits are, therefore, reduced in the same manner as Social Security benefits when certain other benefits are also payable.

4. Are there any provisions that would exempt Railroad Retirement spouse or widow(er) annuitants from the public service pension offsets?

Generally, in order to be exempt from a public service pension reduction, state and local government workers must be covered by social security throughout their last 60 months of employment with the pension-paying government entity.

The public pension reduction also does not apply to a spouse or widow(er) who filed for and became entitled to her or his Railroad Retirement annuity before December 1977, or to a spouse or widow(er) whose public pension is not based on her or his own earnings.

5. Where can more specific information on how these pension offsets affect Railroad Retirement benefits be obtained?

Persons can contact an RRB field office for information as to how their public service pensions could affect their railroad retirement benefits via the agency’s website, www.rrb.gov, or by calling toll-free at 1-877-772-5772. Most RRB offices are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays.

An estimated 700 passengers were on board the two trains that collided just outside Bridgeport, Connecticut, according to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority. According to MTA, the crash occurred after a train that left New York’s Grand Central Station en route to Connecticut derailed and was hit head-on by another train.

 Read the complete story at The Guardian Express.

Charles L. Little

Former UTU International President Charles L. Little, 77, died May 15 following a brief illness.

Little was the fifth president of the UTU, elected at the union’s seventh quadrennial convention in 1995 and re-elected in 1999. He served from Jan. 1, 1996, until his retirement in 2001.

Little began his railroading career with Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad Company in 1955. He became interested in union affairs and was elected local secretary & treasurer of Local 1524 in Houston in 1973. He was elected general chairperson of HB&T General Committee of Adjustment GO 425 in 1979.

At the union’s quadrennial convention in 1983, Little was elected an alternate International vice president. He was elevated to the office of vice president in 1984 and was elected to that office in 1987.

In 1991, he was elected to the office of general secretary & treasurer, serving under then International President G. Thomas DuBose.

During his tenure with the UTU, Little also held the offices of alternate delegate and delegate and served as labor co-director of the Houston Terminal Project.

A former U.S. Marine serving from 1953 to 1955, he is survived by his wife, Mary, and six children.

Services are pending near Little’s home in Leander, Texas.

Every year the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra of La Crosse, Wis., chooses five people to represent them and go out to the public and collect donations for them in their “Conductor Wannabe” contest.

The two people that raise the most amount of money get to conduct a piece of their choosing.

This year, Ingalls won first place in the contest, with donations totaling over $9,000. The second place winner raised $6,400. In all, the contest brought in $23,464 for the orchestra.

The five volunteers are usually “celebrities” in the community. Ingalls was chosen because a lot of people in La Crosse knew him growing up in the community, working on the railroad and for all of his volunteer work with the orchestra.

Ingalls has been a volunteer for the orchestra for the past 15 years. His sister-in-law became executive director 15 years ago and got him to start volunteering, and he’s been volunteering his time ever since.

Ingalls is considered a “volunteer extraordinaire” for the orchestra as he volunteers for many different events, including the committee for the Valentine Ball, Rising Stars concert, Fourth of July free concert, and the Symphony for Youth, among many other events.

“I consider this a great honor to represent the volunteers of the past, present and future,” Ingalls said, when asked why he was in the contest.

Ingalls expressed that he wanted to win this competition for all the volunteers that give up their time and energy to bring the orchestra together and make events happen.

“My campaign was to drum up the small donation: $5, $10, $20 donations,” Ingalls said. His theme for the contest that helped him win was “help me be a conductor again.”

At first, he had reservations about being able to raise money, but it turned out to be an enjoyable experience.

He got to get out and walk the streets of La Crosse and talked to a lot of people and business owners.

Saturday, April 20, Ingalls conducted Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. When asked if he had a background in music, Ingalls mentioned that he played the cello throughout high school.

Art Ingalls conducts the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra in performing Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man.

As a member of the Transportation Division of SMART, your feedback and insight are critical to discovering how we can ensure this union works better for everyone.

Below is a link to the survey, which should take less than a few minutes to complete. Please note the survey will close on Friday, May 17.

Click here to take the survey. 

Thank you for your participation.

“Here’s looking at you, kid,” is a cherished line from the movie Casablanca, but when the looking is through a hidden camera lens in the locker room or even visibly trained on crewmembers inside a locomotive cab, well, you won’t hear the more famous line, “This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

In fact, Kansas City Southern Railway, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the United Transportation Union are heading to federal court over the railroad’s announcement it intends to install inward facing cameras in its locomotive cabs as a safety overlay to monitor crew behavior and train-handling techniques.

Read the complete editorial at Railway Age.

CSX conductor Vincent “Vinny” Kelly, 38, died Jan. 24, GO 049 General Committee Secretary Erik R. Belew reports. He is survived by his wife of 17 years, Melissa; daughter, Brittany; and sons Joshua and Vincent.

Local 239, Oakland, Calif.

This Union Pacific local held a retirement barbecue March 15 at the East Oakland Yard office for former Local Chairperson, Delegate and General Committee Secretary Brian Lewis, who ended his 35-year railroading career Jan 1. The gathering, organized by Local President Tom Cahill, was attended by more than 50 current and former UTU members and retirees. Pictured, from left in the front row, are Matt Kurtz, Local Chairperson Dan Fretty (100), Lewis, Ted Olsson and Vice Local Chairperson Robert Hudson. In the back row, from left, are Local President Darin Spencer (100), Cahill, Lance Jenkins, Local Chairperson Dan Spencer, retired member Bob Paulson (1801) and yardmaster Leslie Dixon (1801).

Local 240, Los Angeles, Calif.

Local Chairperson Harry J. Garvin Jr. and the members of this local congratulate the following brothers who recently retired: conductor Brett D. Ray, March 18, after 33 years of service; conductor Herb M. Dean, March 1, after 33 years of service; conductor Mike L.M. Pierce, March 1, after 35 years of service and Georgia L. Davis, April 1, after 34 years of service. Garvin also noted the deaths of members Edward G. Sheehy, 79, and conductor Lloyd G.L. Williams, 59.

Local 243, Fort Worth, Texas

This local hosted a CPR class at its monthly meeting in April, where 12 members were CPR/AED-trained, according to member Steve Cline. Members that completed the training were entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card, which was awarded to Michael Taylor. Besides Taylor, Rickey Claiborne, DeAndre Anderson, Secretary & Treasurer Cameron Cullum and Vice Local Chairperson Mark Truelove and others received the certification, which was taught by fellow member Joshua Livingston. Pictured above, from left, are Livingston, Claiborne and Anderson.

Local 311, La Crosse, Wis.

Legislative Rep. Rick Hauser recently received a plaque from Local President Loren Molling in recognition of his hard work in educating local members about the importance of donating to UTU PAC. “Rick simply emphasizes to the members that they are entering one of the best job markets out there, and the UTU helped to create those high-paying jobs with great benefits,” State Legislative Director Craig Peachy said. Hauser said his local has doubled its PAC contributions over the last few months. Legislative Rep. Bruce Przybylski of Local 312 at Madison, whose local was second in the nation in average contributions per member, per month, was also awarded a plaque, Peachy said.

Local 313, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Michigan State Legislative Director Jerry Gibson would like to thank everyone for their donations and prayers for his daughter, Kelsey, who was seriously injured in an automobile accident Jan. 29. “While she is out of critical care, has opened her eyes and can recognize voices, we still have a long road for a full recovery. I am so proud to be part of an organization that, regardless if we had ever met, would step up to the plate and assist each other in times of need. Anyone that has never belonged to a fraternal organization would never understand that feeling of unity,” Gibson said. “Our family would like to extend a special thank you to Brother Don Silseth, who on his own, set up the fund for Kelsey.”

Local 453, Clinton, Ill.

Decatur (Ill.) Trades and Labor Assembly President Carl N. Draper (768) and Local Secretary & Treasurer Lloyd Holman attended the unveiling of the new additions to the Workers’ Memorial in Decatur. Each year April 28, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers’ Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew their efforts for safe workplaces. This year, newly added names will be cut in stone instead of displayed on laminated sheets of paper. There are 108 names listed, 21 of which are railroaders, Holman said.

Local 506, Herington, Kan.

This trainmen’s local has developed a website at http://smartlocal506.angelfire.com, according to Local President Rusty R. Beames. The website features contact information for local officers, local news, agreements, an explanation of the union’s structure and more.

Local 446, Cheyenne, Wyo.

This Union Pacific local recently installed Joshua “J.P.” Johnson as lodge historian, Local Chairperson Tyler Thompson reports. “J.P. was a natural fit for historian. He is a fifth-generation railroader, a published railroad historian and has college degrees in history and philosophy.
He is also a steam locomotive fireman and engineman. Our lodge is proud to have him as our new historian and welcomes his vast knowledge and immense pride as a brother railroader,” said Local President Pat Wade. Pictured above, in his trademark conductor’s hat, is Johnson, being congratulated by Wade.

Local 583, Fond du Lac, Wis.

Wisconsin Central/Canadian National conductor John T. Cetnar, 50, died March 30, State Legislative Director Craig Peachy reports. He is survived by his wife, Laurie, daughter, Jenifer, and sons John and Joseph. “Johnny had been battling cancer for quite a long time. It was a courageous battle. He never gave up and always tried to make every meeting for the local. He always wore a smile on his face and was upbeat,” Peachy said. A memorial fund in Cetnar’s name is being established.

Local 1440, Staten Island, N.Y.

Trainman John “Flyman” Burman, who retired in 2011, has been inducted into the Railroaders’ Hall at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pa., according to Secretary & Treasurer Vincent LaBella. He had previously served as the local’s president and secretary & treasurer. “Mr. Burman’s passing in 2011 left a sad hole in his peers’ hearts, as he was known for really enjoying his job and being a leader amongst his peers. The members of Local 1440 congratulate Mr. Burman’s family on this accomplishment and would also like to thank motorman Anthony Sutera for his assistance with this process,” LaBella said. Others wishing to nominate another individual for the hall may contact Sutera at rzx724@gmail.com. In other news, LaBella reported the retirement of engineer Charles Brodbeck, who worked on Staten Island Railway from 1985 until 2013. “He served the passengers, co-workers and the community with polished professionalism,” LaBella said.

Local 1892, Houston, Texas

Yardmaster James Boehm reports that his father, James Larry Boehm, passed away April 7. The senior James, 69, hired out with Union Pacific in 1972 as a switchman. He was a UTU member for 31 years. During the last 20 years of his career, he worked as a yardmaster.