May 27, 2005
All Norfolk Southern Employees
Re: Crew Consist and FELA
Dear Brother and Sisters:
On November 1, 2004, the railroads represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) served notice on the UTU to mandate
negotiation of reduction in crew size, crew consist, and matters relating to the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).
UTU filed an action in the Federal Court on March 15, 2005 to protect local crew consist agreements and FELA, since crew consist is no appropriate
for bargaining on the national level as it is barred by local moratoria and FELA is a matter of federal law not appropriate for collective bargaining.
Attached is a copy of an update to the UTU National Negotiating Committee.
What is the BLET doing? NOTHING! UTU again is leading the fight to protect operating employees. BLET is sitting on their hands – doing nothing:
absolutely nothing – to protect operating employees.
Regardless of BLET/IBT promises to get trainmen to sign “A-Cards,” if BLET were serious about their promises to “protect” trainmen positions, BLET
would have filed their own lawsuit to preserve crew consist and FELA.
Remember VIA Rail! BLE narrowly won a representation election promising to protect conductors jobs and then turned around and negotiated away
conductors’ positions for a few pieces of silver and a new uniform saying, “The BLE cannot be held accountable for what was said during a campaign and
there can be no reasonable expectation on the part of UTU members that they would obtain all that had been promised.”
Is this the kind of representation you want? Do not be fooled by BLET/IBT promises to sign an “A-Card.” BLET has not delivered on previous
promises: IT COULD MEAN YOUR JOB.
Fraternally yours,
Paul C. Thompson
International President