February 7, 2008
UTU Local 194 & UTU Local 1620
Elkhart Indiana
Dear Delbert:
After an all day joint meeting to explain our understanding of the proposed agreement, with more than
one hundred members total in attendance, the members requested that the following questions be
answered prior to their voting to ratify the agreement. Of course, some of the questions do not deal with the
terms of the agreement, rather, if or why certain issues were not addressed in the agreement. We assured
them that you, as a member of the negotiating committee, would be able to provide answers their concerns.
For your information, the major issue of concern, which could sink the agreement, was the entry rate.
Questions regarding contract:
If, as President Futhey says in his press release, “We Busted the Pattern”, how is it that by requiring entry
rate resolution, we are still concerned about breaking the pattern?
How much is the net wage increase after paying back COLA and the increase in the cost of H&W?
Since we have paid tax on COLA money received, how will the tax on back-pay money received be handled?
Can we send the entry rate issue to arbitration “before” we vote on the contract?
Why is there no weekend differential pay addressed in the contract?
Why is there no extra vacation weeks demanded as the BLE did?
Why can’t we have profit sharing?
Why are we paying back COLA? Does the Harris COLA Award require pay back?
Why did we not address personal leave days to equal holiday pay days for members in yard service?
UTU Local 194 & 1620 Agreement questions page 2
Can Arbitration order retroactive pay increases for entry rate advances?
Will positive arbitration results of entry rates be binding?
Is there any training language that will be included in this contact?
Does CSX General Chairman Lesniewski’s question and answer document apply equally to our NS General
Committees, and if so, how can we reconcile his answers regarding the proposed agreement with the
statements of President Futhey and many other members of the negotiating committee concerning
“breaking the industry pattern”?
Please explain why during 3 years of negotiating, the prior committee was not able to make progress, yet in
two days time, this committee was able to reach a tentative agreement. Were we previously demanding too
much or have we now conceded too much to the carrier?
Thank you for your efforts and we look forward to reporting the answers to our members.
UTU Local Committees 194 & 1620