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Rail Division Blog

Obama’s High-Speed Rail Plan Announced

Feb 04 2010

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."

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Stimulating Success 

Aug 14 2009

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.

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San Francisco

Aug 14 2009

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. 

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Congress Authorizes Funds for Amtrak Back Pay

Mar 01 2009

Congress Authorizes Funds for Amtrak Back Wages; Railroad Pledges to Make Payments on May 1

On March 10, Congress passed an appropriations bill that cleared the way for the second of two installments of back wages due under the Amtrak contract reached last year. The nation’s passenger railroad received $1.49 billion in funding in the legislation.

In a message to employees, Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman reiterated his pledge to use a portion of the funds to pay the remainder of retroactive wages. Later in the month, he announced that the Board of Directors unanimously approved paying the back wages to all eligible employees on May 1.

Last spring, workers received the first back pay installment of a long-delayed 10-year agreement. TWU Railroad Division Director and International Vice President Gary Maslanka said that workers received checks for about 40% of the total back pay. The remaining 60% will be paid on May 1.

Amtrak finally agreed to a negotiated settlement with its shop craft unions, including TWU, in January 2008. Contract terms include wage increases that average 35.2 percent over the life of the agreement, which is January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2009, or 3.1 percent compounded per year. Retroactive pay varies, but averages $12,800.

Boardman told employees that the Amtrak authorization was up from previous funding levels, although he noted that capital funds (or any stimulus funding) couldn’t be used for back pay. “I want you to know that we’re going to meet our commitment to deliver the back pay this year,” he wrote. “We have a dedicated workforce and I value the work you do – delivering on the back pay is one way we can show our commitment to you.”

In his second message, Boardman was upbeat about Amtrak’s role in the stimulus package. “It is critical that we all work together as we begin to invest an unprecedented $2 billion in stimulus and FY ’09 funding for capital programs, and I look forward to seeing us live up to our collective potential.”

Amtrak workers are hoping that stimulus spending will increase employment. Maslanka said that early estimates point to an increase of 150-160 jobs, including 50 TWU Carmen jobs at Beech Grove, Indiana and 25 at Bear, Delaware.

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Local 1460 Officers Sworn In at TWU Headquarters

Mar 01 2009

International Vice President and Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka (right) congratulates officers of Local 1460 (Amtrak On-Board Service Workers) after swearing in ceremonies at TWU headquarters in New York. From left in photo are: Fran Albach, International Administrative Secretary for the RR Division; Local Secretary Treasurer Victoria Smith, Vice President Amy Griffin, Boston Base Chair Mike Leary, President Richard Adams and RR Division Director Gary Maslanka.

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Railroad Division Sponsors Regional Training Seminar

Dec 01 2008

TWU’s Railroad Division conducted the first in a series of regional meetings and training seminars to encourage Local participation at minimal cost to the Local unions. The initial event was held in mid October in Cleveland and drew participants from eight Locals from five states. “I was really pleased with the attendance and the enthusiasm of the Local officers to what we’re trying to do,” said Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka. The morning session of the day-long seminar covered information on the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), Railroad Retirement benefits, and legislation affecting railroad members. The afternoon session covered the history of the TWU Railroad Division, grievance handling and disciplinary case handling, as presented by International Research and Education Director Bob Wechsler. Also included was technology training presented by TWU’s IT Director David Moses.

Maslanka announced that the next two regional meetings will be conducted in New York for a winter session and Elkart, Indiana in the spring of 2009. Local union officers in attendance (photo above) were: Steve Kondash (L. 2009), Jeff Layne (L. 2011), Roy Murray and Sam Hardison (L. 2014), Tom Lutton, Wayne Rabbish. Bob Chirdon and Boyd Dunn (L. 2017), P.J. Smith, Eric Strodbeck, Doug Wegryn and Mark Victor (L. 2019), Dave Kellner (L. 2020), Joe Montana (L. 2022), and Rodney Hartman and Shane Barendregt (L. 2037).

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BSA Honors Fran Albach, Woman of Achievement

Dec 01 2008

The Brooklyn Council of the Boys Scouts of America selected TWU Railroad Division Administrative Secretary Francine Albach for its annual “Woman of Achievement Award.” TWU Local 101 President Marsha Spinowitz, co-chair of the annual fundraising breakfast, presented the award. Among those attending were Int’l President James C. Little, Executive Vice President Harry Lombardo, Secretary Treasurer Joseph C. Gordon and Administrative Vice Presidents Hubert Snead and Susan Resch. Photo shows Albach with Railroad Div. Dir. Gary Maslanka and two of the scouts featured in the program.

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