Save Our Trains Michigan
Conductor
I got this from my union by e mail.
To stay informed go to WWW.UTU.ORG
UPDATE ON AMTRAK PRESERVATION FIGHT
Ever so sadly for Amtrak employees and the American public, Amtrak’s Perils of Pauline existence continues.
Amtrak, once again – as has been the case since its inception in 1971 -- is on life support, awaiting adequate funding from Congress.
Amtrak’s opponents – conservative lawmakers egged on by the Bush administration -- are hell bent on putting our national intercity rail passenger network down as if it were a lame horse on the president’s Crawford, Texas, ranch.
The UTU PAC and UTU lobbying efforts have helped hold Amtrak’s opponents at bay while building support for more consistent and reliable funding.
The effort is fraught with challenge.
Amtrak’s board of directors, handpicked by the Bush administration, has a new plan to kill Amtrak by dividing its political supporters.
This would be accomplished by separating the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston from Amtrak’s intercity routes that operate over freight railroad track. Amtrak proponents warn that were our national intercity rail passenger network so Balkanized, the confederation of lawmakers from various parts of the nation similarly would be split and forced into competition with one another for individual project funding, giving rail-passenger opponents the upper hand in Congress.
Management targeting conductors
Meanwhile, Amtrak’s management, thumbing its nose at safety and security concerns, wants to eliminate the assistant conductor position and have just one conductor responsible for the safety and security of upwards of 1,000 passengers. The lessons of 9/11 and train bombings in London and Madrid seemingly are being ignored by Amtrak management at the bargaining table.
Indeed, negotiations with Amtrak, under the Railway Labor Act, have been in progress since mid-2000, with little progress made because of Amtrak’s unceasing attack on assistant conductors. The National Mediation Board has scheduled a public meeting for March 23-24, 2006, in Baltimore to address the concerns of both sides – and to look at other Amtrak labor-management issues.
Amtrak employees do receive cost-of-living adjustments every six months while negotiations toward a new contract continue with Amtrak management.
Funding Summary
Following is an update on congressional activity to fund Amtrak:
Early in 2005, the Bush administration sent to Congress a proposed budget for fiscal year 2006 – which began Oct. 1 – providing zero funds for Amtrak, which would have caused an immediate shutdown of Amtrak on Sept. 30 had Congress accepted the president’s proposed budget.
As the House and Senate continue to debate how much money they will provide Amtrak for the 12 months that began Oct. 1, Congress agreed to continue funding Amtrak at its fiscal 2005 level. This is why Amtrak continues to operate while awaiting fiscal 2006 funding.
The good news is that both the Republican-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate have snubbed the Bush administration’s Grinch position toward Amtrak. There are many Republicans standing arm-in-arm with most Democrats in support of Amtrak.
With the UTU PAC and UTU lobbyists influencing labor-friendly Republicans, and with UTU-member phone calls and e-mails streaming into both Democratic and Republican lawmakers urging adequate funding for Amtrak, a light is appearing at the end of the fiscal year 2006 tunnel.
Indeed, the House approved some $1.8 billion in funding for Amtrak for fiscal year 2006. “Key to that vote were the overwhelming number of calls and e-mail messages sent by UTU members, their families and friends and others from all quarters of labor,” said UTU International President Paul Thompson.
The Senate, meanwhile, approved some $1.5 billion in funding for Amtrak for fiscal year 2006, also following a barrage of communications from the UTU family. This is about $300 million above the fiscal 2005 level, while the House figure is some $600 million higher.
The two chambers still must reconcile their different bills through a conference process; and President Bush has threatened to veto that joint effort. The fight is far from completed. To stay current on this legislation, watch the UTU website at www.utu.org.
Longer Term Effort
The UTU also is spearheading a longer-term effort to keep Amtrak intact. Senate bill No. 1516, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, would do just that.
S. 1516 would adequately fund the existing Amtrak – our national intercity rail passenger network – with $11.4 billion for six years through 2011, which is enough to maintain Amtrak’s current operations, upgrade its equipment and return Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor to a state of good repair.
The legislation also includes funds to create a new grant program for states that want to add or improve intercity rail passenger service.
"UTU members, their families, their friends and their neighbors should continue sending e-mails and making phone calls to congressional lawmakers in support of Amtrak," Thompson said.
"We must do this to preserve essential intercity rail passenger service, on behalf of our brothers and sisters employed by Amtrak, and to preserve the financial health of the Railroad Retirement system, which would be in jeopardy if Amtrak ceases to operate or is privatized and exempted from paying Railroad Retirement payroll taxes."
To stay informed go to WWW.UTU.ORG
UPDATE ON AMTRAK PRESERVATION FIGHT
Ever so sadly for Amtrak employees and the American public, Amtrak’s Perils of Pauline existence continues.
Amtrak, once again – as has been the case since its inception in 1971 -- is on life support, awaiting adequate funding from Congress.
Amtrak’s opponents – conservative lawmakers egged on by the Bush administration -- are hell bent on putting our national intercity rail passenger network down as if it were a lame horse on the president’s Crawford, Texas, ranch.
The UTU PAC and UTU lobbying efforts have helped hold Amtrak’s opponents at bay while building support for more consistent and reliable funding.
The effort is fraught with challenge.
Amtrak’s board of directors, handpicked by the Bush administration, has a new plan to kill Amtrak by dividing its political supporters.
This would be accomplished by separating the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston from Amtrak’s intercity routes that operate over freight railroad track. Amtrak proponents warn that were our national intercity rail passenger network so Balkanized, the confederation of lawmakers from various parts of the nation similarly would be split and forced into competition with one another for individual project funding, giving rail-passenger opponents the upper hand in Congress.
Management targeting conductors
Meanwhile, Amtrak’s management, thumbing its nose at safety and security concerns, wants to eliminate the assistant conductor position and have just one conductor responsible for the safety and security of upwards of 1,000 passengers. The lessons of 9/11 and train bombings in London and Madrid seemingly are being ignored by Amtrak management at the bargaining table.
Indeed, negotiations with Amtrak, under the Railway Labor Act, have been in progress since mid-2000, with little progress made because of Amtrak’s unceasing attack on assistant conductors. The National Mediation Board has scheduled a public meeting for March 23-24, 2006, in Baltimore to address the concerns of both sides – and to look at other Amtrak labor-management issues.
Amtrak employees do receive cost-of-living adjustments every six months while negotiations toward a new contract continue with Amtrak management.
Funding Summary
Following is an update on congressional activity to fund Amtrak:
Early in 2005, the Bush administration sent to Congress a proposed budget for fiscal year 2006 – which began Oct. 1 – providing zero funds for Amtrak, which would have caused an immediate shutdown of Amtrak on Sept. 30 had Congress accepted the president’s proposed budget.
As the House and Senate continue to debate how much money they will provide Amtrak for the 12 months that began Oct. 1, Congress agreed to continue funding Amtrak at its fiscal 2005 level. This is why Amtrak continues to operate while awaiting fiscal 2006 funding.
The good news is that both the Republican-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate have snubbed the Bush administration’s Grinch position toward Amtrak. There are many Republicans standing arm-in-arm with most Democrats in support of Amtrak.
With the UTU PAC and UTU lobbyists influencing labor-friendly Republicans, and with UTU-member phone calls and e-mails streaming into both Democratic and Republican lawmakers urging adequate funding for Amtrak, a light is appearing at the end of the fiscal year 2006 tunnel.
Indeed, the House approved some $1.8 billion in funding for Amtrak for fiscal year 2006. “Key to that vote were the overwhelming number of calls and e-mail messages sent by UTU members, their families and friends and others from all quarters of labor,” said UTU International President Paul Thompson.
The Senate, meanwhile, approved some $1.5 billion in funding for Amtrak for fiscal year 2006, also following a barrage of communications from the UTU family. This is about $300 million above the fiscal 2005 level, while the House figure is some $600 million higher.
The two chambers still must reconcile their different bills through a conference process; and President Bush has threatened to veto that joint effort. The fight is far from completed. To stay current on this legislation, watch the UTU website at www.utu.org.
Longer Term Effort
The UTU also is spearheading a longer-term effort to keep Amtrak intact. Senate bill No. 1516, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, would do just that.
S. 1516 would adequately fund the existing Amtrak – our national intercity rail passenger network – with $11.4 billion for six years through 2011, which is enough to maintain Amtrak’s current operations, upgrade its equipment and return Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor to a state of good repair.
The legislation also includes funds to create a new grant program for states that want to add or improve intercity rail passenger service.
"UTU members, their families, their friends and their neighbors should continue sending e-mails and making phone calls to congressional lawmakers in support of Amtrak," Thompson said.
"We must do this to preserve essential intercity rail passenger service, on behalf of our brothers and sisters employed by Amtrak, and to preserve the financial health of the Railroad Retirement system, which would be in jeopardy if Amtrak ceases to operate or is privatized and exempted from paying Railroad Retirement payroll taxes."
