Summer 2006 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

■Amtrak Long-Term Funding: The issue of long-termfunding for Amtrak remained unresolved in 2005. Shorttermfunding was taken care of in appropriations for thecarrier, but long-term funding was still in question. Thereare several bills which would provide much needed longtermfunding.National Negotiations: There is a chance this year thatCongress will move to take part in freight rail negotiations,as a built-in provision of the Railway Labor Act.Remote Control Operations: Remote control is still anissue that remains unresolved. The Conference feels thatthe railroads should not be allowed to run remote controllocomotives free from Federal Railroad Administrationoversight. The Conference continues its opposition to thecurrent state of these operations.Oppose Intrusive Criminal Background Checks: The RailConference considers the following to be an essential partof the background check process to ensure that employerscannot summarily dismiss employees without cause: confidentialityof records, privacy protections, due process proceduresto allow correction of errors and consideration ofmitigating circumstances and a list of criminal offensesthat truly define a security risk continue. The governmentshould require all railroad subcontractors and theiremployees receive standardized training and undergo thesame background checks as required for rail employees.Positive Train Control Systems: PTS is on the NTSB’smost wanted list. This technology would prevent train collisions,over-speed accidents and protect roadway workerwork limits by requiring automatic control systems tooverride mistakes by human operators. Over the last threedecades, the Safety Board has investigated a long list ofcollision accidents in which a positive train control systemthat incorporated collision avoidance could have preventedtrain collisions. While several railroads have taken actionto implement PTC technology, the NTSB feels that theseefforts have been inadequate. The system must not takeaway any of the duties of locomotive engineers and trainmen.The Rail Conference is first and foremost concernedwith protecting the lives of its members. PTC can serve asa tool to make sure locomotive engineers and trainmen gethome alive. However, if the technology is improperlydeployed, the Conference fears that it could distract locomotiveengineers and interfere with their vigilance, endangeringboth the train and its lading, and persons who mayaccess the right of way.Infrastructure Improvements: As seen on the NortheastCorridor and around the country, railroad carriers haveallowed the infrastructure of our nation’s railroads todegrade. Railroad companies must be forced to maintain■■■in Washington, D.C. He has since pleaded guilty. Last year,an accidental crash of a Norfolk Southern train containingchlorine in Graniteville, South Carolina, killed nine peopleand caused hospitalizations and widespread evacuations.House Democrats Blast DHSDemocratic Members of the U.S. House of RepresentativesCommittee on Homeland Security also blasted theDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) for its failure toissue mandatory security standards for the nation’s railroadsto safeguard the transportation of toxic chemicals.Fifteen members of the Homeland Security Committeesent a letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff on April 3demanding an explanation why his department, on March 31,issued voluntary security guidelines for railroads instead ofenforceable regulations.The Democrats also question why the railroads are notheld to the same high security standards as other modes oftransportation.“The Coast Guard already mandates security standards inour nation’s ports, both to protect our economic infrastructureand to protect the people living nearby,” the Committeewrote. “The Department should be doing the same thing forthe elements of the rail system used to transport TIH (Toxic-By-Inhalation materials) and other hazardous materials.”In the letter the Committee members write: “We areextremely disappointed with your decision not to require railroadsto meet certain security standards regarding the movementof toxic-by-inhalation (TIH) materials by rail. Instead,you have decided to issue recommended security actions thatare purely voluntary.“It is time for your Department to take a more active rolein securing our nation’s rail systems. Terrorists have alreadytargeted rail systems in the past few years.”The Democratic committee members also wrote: “Ournation depends on your Department to ensure there is somelevel of baseline security to prevent terrorist attacks on TIHmaterials transported by rail, and to reduce the consequencesof such an attack. Voluntary standards are not enough.The committee members argue that enforceable regulationsneed to be put in place, echoing the sentiments of the RailConference and other rail labor organizations.Amtrak, National Negotiations onRail Conference AgendaIn addition to the Community Rail Security bills, the RailConference is working on other legislative and bargainingissues in the coming year, including:■■■■Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA)the tracks and the surrounding areas, in spite of the costsof doing so. There were several accidents this year whichoccurred as a result of problems with infrastructure—cracked rails, dark territory.Workers’ Rights: Right-to-work legislation is up for a votein several states. This legislation is an effort to weaken theability of workers to join together and bargain collectively.LM-30 issues: The LM-30 changes by the Department ofLabor have put an undue burden on labor organizations.These changes need to be rolled back. Accountabilityshould not be this difficult to achieve.16 | Rail Teamster | Summer 2006 | www.teamster.orgwww.teamster.org | Summer 2006 | Rail Teamster | 17