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Wednesday, February 25, 2004 |
DEAR RRESQ SUPPORTERS. With the horrible tragedy that occurred over the weekend that resulted in the death of two of our own men, we must now act. Below is a news flash from KTSM-TV9 in El Paso Texas. Many individuals are now picking up the phone and reporting their issues to media. We MUST NOT be afraid to do this. We must prevent any further tragedies. Please I urge each and everyone of you to get involved now. Call your local media and report your long hours, absenteeism investigations, and the continued abuse by Union Pacific Railroad. You want change...MAKE IT HAPPEN NOW. Below is also an email received by RRESq from a concerned wife. I urge this individual to pick up the phone and call the media, call your congressman, call your Senator. Demand that Union pacific be held accountable.
Union Pacific overworking train crews
KTSM-TV9 - El Paso, Texas - February 23 2004
EL PASO, Texas -- Union Pacific employees have called News Channel 9, wishing to be unidentified, with stories of exhaustion and long hours of work.
Federal law requires train workers to work in shifts no longer than 12 hours with a break no less than 10 hours.
But the train crews News Channel 9 spoke with say Union Pacific often breaks this law. One worker reported a time where he worked an 18 hour day with as little as three hours off between his next shift.
"Union Pacific is forcing people to go to work tired and exhausted putting both the the employees on those trains in jeapordy and the general public in danger as well," said Bill Hannah, General Chairman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
Hannah says a reason Union Pacific overworks employees is because it is understaffed, especially in El Paso.
Union Pacific has not responded to these claims.
Dear rresq-- I am so glad to see rail wives getting involved. I think we could run this company together in a much more efficient way! Beyond that i would like to address the issue of the fra law that says that the conductors are not to be "on duty " for more than 12 hrs. My husband has sat on his unit for up to 16 hours , 4 hours past dead time, waiting for his relief crew. Now you say to management this and their response is the same. " well he is off duty cuz the train isnt in service at the moment" Oh really, so does that mean that i can go pick him up myself?! Well of course NOT ! He MUST stay and protect the train. So i ask How is that NOT working??? Basically they need to be relieved in plenty of time to avoid this! I am not so unreasonable to know that there will be exceptions, however this has become the consistant pattern over the past few years
Thank you for your continued support,
RRESQ
www.rresq.com
9:51:48 AM 
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Attention News Editors:
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference is concerned with safety at CNR due to
CAW strike
MONTREAL, Feb. 24 /CNW Telbec/ - Teamsters Canada Rail Conference,
representing Locomotive Engineers and Rail Traffic Controllers, today
expressed their concerns with the safety of their members employed by
Canadian National during the ongoing CAW legal strike.
With the strike now in the sixth day, the Rail Conference is now
becoming aware of certain shortcomings relative to equipment and train
inspections. It is very unfortunate that Canadian National appears to
have neglected the main priority of their operation - safety.
The Rail Conference will not allow their members to be forced to
operate
in an unsafe atmosphere and is dealing with these items directly with
Transport Canada.
The Rail Conference supports the CAW in their efforts to secure a
proper agreement with Canadian National, and we are well aware of our
responsibilities, both under the Canada Labour Code and our Collective
Agreement. Nevertheless, our members' safety and that of the general
public is a major concern of the Rail Conference.
The Rail Conference is also in the midst of negotiations with
Canadian National and will be advising the employer that they will not
meet with the Company until there is a resolution to the strike by our
CAW sisters and
brothers. One common area of concern for locomotive engineers and rail
traffic
controllers is the manner in which Canadian National treats their
employees.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, (formerly the Brotherhood of
Locomotive
Engineers), represents employees on Canadian National Railway, Canadian
Pacific Railway, VIA Rail Canada Ltd, and numerous shortline railways
across Canada.
For further information: TCRC Headquarters, (613) 235-1828
9:43:44 AM
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Canadian rail workers go on strike
(The Associated Press distributed the following article on February 20.)
TORONTO -- About 5,000 workers at CN Rail went on strike at midnight Thursday after last-minute talks with the railway ended without an agreement, union officials said.
The Canadian Auto Workers announced the strike plans in a news release issued from Toronto, saying talks that have intensified since Tuesday concluded with ``no agreement in sight.''
CN's shopcraft, intermodal and clerical workers were walking off the job at midnight local times, the union said.
The CAW, Canada's largest private-sector union, said it was willing to resume talks at any time.
``Our one and only aim is to secure an agreement that can earn the support of our members,'' CAW chief negotiator Gary Fane said in a statement.
The union agreed Tuesday to a request by Labour Minister Claudette Bradshaw for both sides to attend meetings in Montreal.
The latest logjam between the two sides occurred after union members rejected a three-year offer with annual wage increases of three per cent.
CN has said it has contingency plans to keep moving freight in Canada in the event of a strike, and the CAW has pledged not to interrupt passenger services such as the GO Transit system in the Toronto region, commuter trains in Montreal and Via Rail service.
The union obtained a 90 percent strike mandate from its members last month.
Besides salaries, employees are dissatisfied with working-condition provisions, including disciplinary matters. The employees' average annual salary is about $33,827 (45,000 Canadian dollars.)
CN is Canada's largest railway company and a major North American freight hauler. It has operations from coast to coast in Canada and down into the U.S. Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico.
The CAW represents about a quarter of the CN's 22,000 employees.
Last year, CN moved about 4.2 million carloads of freight across Canada and through the U.S. Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico.
Friday, February 20, 2004
12:13:58 AM
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