The Railroad Division of the TWU has released the following important reminder concerning members' health coverage.

Click here to read the alert.
Click here to read the notice.

On June 25, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, rejected the Air Transport Association's (ATA) attempt to overturn new National Mediation Board (NMB) rules governing union elections.

"The court has made a just ruling that brings America's working families one step closer to fairer union elections," said TWU International President James C. Little.

On May 10, the NMB announced changes in union voting requirements under the Railway Labor Act that would bring greater democracy to workers in the air and rail industries. Just one week later, the ATA, composed of major U.S. air carriers, filed a legal challenge to the change, causing a delay in the effective date of the new rule.

"The deck has been stacked against workers for too long with many union elections being invalidated by unfair rules that required super majority participation – a standard found nowhere else in our democracy," said Edward Wytkind, President of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department. "The new rules put an end to the practice of counting all non-voting employees as ‘no’ votes."

The Transport Workers Union, which represents tens of thousands of people who work in the railroad and airline industries, applauds the NMB's decision to reject the ATA's proposal to overturn the new rules. The TWU have lost elections in the past due to the rigged elections in which non-voters counted as "no" votes.

"We are currently working to help employees of Jet Blue and Virgin America airlines organize to win the same rights that our members at Southwest, American and other air carriers experience today," said TWU Organizing Director Frank McCann. "We look forward to holding union elections at these airlines, where employees do not currently benefit from collective bargaining, under the new rules that will finally and rightfully look like every other election in our society where a simple majority prevails."

"This change decision was long overdue. But rather than mourn the injustices of the past, we're going celebrate justice for workers today and we're going to organize," said President Little.

TWU Railroad Division (JCC) members have ratified a new 5-year agreement with Amtrak. The agreement covers wages, health care benefits and rules.

The total vote of the Joint Council of Carmen, Coach Cleaners, and Helpers (JCC) was 493 in favor, and 431 opposed. The JCC is comprised of TWU Railroad Division members and TCU Carmen members.

Members will receive their first wage increase, 1.5%, on July 1, 2010. Over the term of the agreement members will receive 15% in wage increases. The agreement also puts caps on future health care contributions and freezes copays and deductibles.

Once again, Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka stated that it was an excellent agreement:
"Unlike in past agreements, our members are not going to have to wait for years for their wage increases. Under this agreement, they receive solid wage increases now."

Ratification packets, which include a detailed explanation of the tentative agreement between the Amtrak Service Workers Council (ASWC) and Amtrak are in the mail to TWU ASWC members. In addition to the ratification packets, TWU Officers will be visiting crew bases over the next several weeks to explain the agreement and answer questions that members may have.

Click here to view contract details.

BALLOTS MUST BE RETURNED BY JUNE 18

"This is an excellent agreement that provides our members what they deserve: solid wage increases, without delay," commented Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka. Maslanka added that the agreement also provides for significant health insurance cost controls, including a five-year freeze on health insurance co-pays and deductibles, dollar caps on employee insurance contributions, and it holds the line on the 15% insurance contribution formula. This is an excellent agreement by any standard.

ASWC members' votes on this agreement is very important. This agreement provides a window of opportunity to secure solid wage increases and extremely important benefit protections now. Given the many factors that relate to Amtrak there is no guarantee that this agreement will be available in the future.

TWU's Railroad Division is pleased to announce that it has reached a tentative agreement with Amtrak for its ASWC (On-Board Service) members on Amtrak. The agreement was bargained jointly with ASWC member Unions TCU and HERE.

Commenting on the agreement, TWU Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka stated:
"It is an excellent 5-year agreement that brings our ASWC members what they deserve: solid wage increases without delay."

Less than a month ago the Railroad Division reached a tentative agreement that entails the same economic elements as the ASWC tentative agreement. That agreement is currently out before the membership for a ratification vote.

Later this week the TWU will be releasing more details on the ASWC agreement.

The ratification process to vote on a new 5-year agreement for TWU Railroad Division members (JCC) employed on Amtrak is well underway.

Click here to View a Summary of the Tentative Agreement

Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka statement on the Agreement:
“This is an excellent Agreement that brings our JCC members what they deserve: solid wage increases, caps on health care contributions and a 5-year freeze on heath care co-pays and deductibles. Likewise, there are no major work rule changes in this Agreement.”

As pointed out in the summary, this Agreement compares favorably to any agreements currently being reached throughout the United States.

The ratification deadline is May 26.

TWU’s Railroad Division is pleased to announce that it has reached a tentative agreement with Amtrak for its JCC members employed on Amtrak. The agreement was bargained jointly with Coalition partners BRC-TCU (JCC), along with IAM and IBEW who reached identical agreements.

In a brief statement Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka stated: “It is an excellent 5 year agreement that brings our JCC members what they deserve, solid wage increases without delay.”

Currently internal processes are being finalized, after which the tentative agreement will be rolled out for ratification.

Additional details will be made available over the next few days.

President Barack Obama announced the allocation of $7.9 billion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for the creation of high-speed intercity passenger rail service during a town hall meeting in Tampa, Fl. on Jan. 28.

Projects in the West Region will receive almost $3 billion; the Midwest Region will receive $2.6 billion; Southeast region, $1.9 billon; Northeast Region, $485 million, and $26.7 million in additional awards are allocated for Iowa and Fort Worth, Tx.

Wisconsin received a grant for $810 million for the Milwaukee-to-Madison portion of the corridor, and an additional $12 million to provide for improvements on the line near the Milwaukee airport. Minnesota was awarded $600,000 to extend the line to the Twin Cities. California will receive $2.25 billion, Florida will be awarded $1.25 billion for the Tampa to Orlando segment, and Illinois will receive $1.1 billion for the Chicago Hub Network from Chicago to St. Louis. Additionally, Washington will receive $590 million, North Carolina was awarded $520 million, and Ohio will receive $400 million for the Cleveland to Cincinnati line. Read the full details of the plan here.

At the town hall meeting in Tampa Obama said: “Through the Recovery Act, we are making the largest investment in infrastructure since the Interstate Highway System was created, putting Americans to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, and waterways for the future. That investment is how we can break ground across the country, putting people to work building high-speed rail lines, because there’s no reason why Europe or China should have the fastest trains when we can build them right here in America.”

Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said: “A robust, high-speed rail system will go a long way toward solving some of our nation’s economic, energy, environmental, and transportation challenges. For example, congestion is crippling our major cities and small towns, and our infrastructure is aging at an alarming rate. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, traffic congestion in 2007 cost $87.2 billion, including 4.2 billion hours of delay and 2.8 billion gallons of wasted fuel, in our nation’s metropolitan areas. Solving the problem of congestion will take more than just building new roads, and high-speed rail is a key part of the solution."

According to the Christian Science Montior: "Over all, once built out, a national high-speed network would cut oil use by 125 million barrels a year, says Rob McCullock, transportation advocate for Environment America, a citizen-based environmental advocacy group."

The old saying “It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good” seems appropriate to TWU members who are benefiting from government stimulus spending to offset the recession. So far, this has been particularly true for Amtrak members, reports Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka. (In future issues, the Express will take a further look at how stimulus money is benefitting TWU members in all divisions.) 


Less than six months after President Obama signed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on February 17, 2009, which included funding for Amtrak capital projects, the benefits of this legislation are beginning to show up on the shop floor. This has been the case at Amtrak’s Bear, Delaware and Beech Grove, Indiana maintenance facilities. The skills and dedication of TWU Carmen were on display in two separate events celebrating the completion of overhauls on equipment being refurbished with Recovery act (ARRA) funding. 


On July 13, during an event at the Bear facility attended by local and federal politicians, Amtrak rolled out Amfleet II coach 25103 for revenue service. Coach 25103, which had been damaged in a yard accident a few years ago, was completely restored with the help of Recovery Act funding.


Just weeks later, on August 6, during an event at Amtrak’s Beech Grove maintenance facility Amtrak rolled out Superliner Sightseer Lounge 33016 for revenue service. The Lounge Car, completely restored with Recovery Act funding, is being returned to service on Amtrak’s Midwest and Western routes.


The economic benefits of Amtrak stimulus projects at Bear and Beech Grove go well beyond the return to service of idled equipment and meeting customer demand and needs. At Bear, Amtrak hired 52 employees in the mechanical department to work on these projects. Of the 52, 25 were hired as Carmen and have become members of Railroad Division Local 2015. At Beech Grove, Amtrak hired an additional 108 employees in the mechanical department to work on these projects. Of the 108, 50 were hired as Carmen and have become members of Railroad Division Local 2003. In addition to the jobs at Amtrak it was pointed out that numerous other companies that supply various components for these projects have realized a shot in the arm for their business.

The United States’ first municipally owned transit system started operating in 1912 as The San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni). Over the next three years the Muni system grew considerably. In 1918 the Muni pioneered the use of motor buses for feeder service in areas where tracks had not yet been constructed. By 1929, Muni had 20 miles of track, 20 miles of motor coach routes and ten miles of trolley coach routes. It merged with the Market Street Railway in 1944, which consolidated transportation of San Francisco’s railway and motor-coach lines. 


The Market Street and Muni merger led to a difficult dispute that the Transport Workers Union finally solved in 1949. With the merger came a clash of union representation. Muni railway workers were represented by the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Workers, AFL, Division 508. Market Street Railway workers were also members of AFL, but in Division 1004.


Market workers were now considered government employees and had to be blanketed into civil service status. The two companies also would have to find a way to create seniority tables. Both sides stubbornly refused to give in to several attempts at a compromise. 


Almost 800 Market employees were deemed ineligible for employment under the city charter that prohibited employment of people over 70 years of age, aliens, or those not residing within its boundaries, and those with less than one year of service. 


San Francisco Mayor Roger D. Lapham suspended these charter requirements in order to utilize all man power because of competition that came from the military and war industries. But the mayor’s proclamation also granted equal pay and equal seniority rights, such as preference in hours and runs based on lengths of service, regardless on which line the service had been worked.


Because the Civil Service Commission regarded Market Street carmen as new city employees, it decided to pay them the beginner’s rate. 


Division 508 challenged the seniority proposal, since many of the Market men had seniority for years before the Muni started operation in 1912. Division 508 suggested creating a man-for-man list with alternate names from each Division.


Division 1004 refused the proposal as well as 508’s suggestion to move to arbitration. Both divisions filed lawsuits; the Muni employees filed against the seniority proposals and the Market workers filed against the pay action. 


On April 1, 1945 the Amalgamated International ruled against 508, ordered both divisions’ charters revoked and issued a charter for 1380 to cover both divisions. Unhappy with the ruling, 508 refused to submit to arbitrary action and constituted themselves as the Municipal Carmen’s Union. 


The Transport Workers Union saw an opportunity to help the Muni workers and offered for them to affiliate with the TWU. The Municipal Carmen’s Union agreed and was issued a TWU charter on August 2, 1945. 


For the next four years a dispute raged over which organization should represent all Municipal Railway employees. Finally, in May 1949 a rank-and-file election committee, with members of each union, was named to conduct a winner-take-all election.


The AFL union instructed their members not to vote but most platform employees cast votes anyway and an unofficial tally showed TWU Local 250 to be the winner. 


Today, the TWU has three locals in San Francisco, 200, 210 and 250-A, whose members work at Muni, various city agencies and Mobility Plus Transportation.