Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

IBT BLET Rail Members Save the Right to Vote For Their Top Officers

http://tdu.org/blet-right-to-vote
BLET Members Save the Right to Vote
August 30, 2010: By an overwhelming vote of 6,305 to 2,452, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in the Teamsters have saved the Right to Vote for their top officers.

BLET members won the Right to Vote in 2006, by a smaller margin and lower turnout.

That was before three of the union’s top officers left in disgrace for misusing tens of thousands of dollars of union funds, double-dipping on expenses, and soliciting a $20,000 bribe from an attorney.

Members Organize

In December, officials from Divisions 13, 98, 155, and 236 started circulating petitions to take away the Right to Vote, and the issue was put to a referendum vote. Behind the scenes, top BLET officers campaigned hard to take away members’ democratic rights.

Right away, rank-and-file members and local officers mobilized to protect their rights.

“The Right to Vote gives us the tools to hold our leaders accountable, punish officers who violate our trust, and root out corruption from our union,” said Hugh Sawyer, President of BLET Division 316 and a member of TDU’s Steering Committee, in a letter that was mailed to all BLET members.

Railroad Workers United (RWU) Resolution of Support for the Borax Miners

Railroad Workers United

Unity – Solidarity – Democracy: The Rank & File in Action!

Railroadworkersunited.org info@railroadworkersunited.org (206) 984-3051

PO Box 1053, Salem, IL 62881
Co-Chairs

Jon Flanders, IAM 1145
CSX, Selkirk, NY

Ed Michael, UTU #979 BLET #724
UP, Salem, IL

Robert Hill, BLET #758
BNSF, Vancouver, WA

General Secretary

Ron Kaminkow, BLET #51
AMTK, Reno, NV

Recording Secretary

Jen Wallis, BLET 518
BNSF, Seattle, WA

Treasurer

Chet Whyers, UTU #979
UP, Salem, IL

International
Steering Committee

Penny Artis, IBEW #813
NS, Roanoke, VA

Steve Desavouret, TCU #6608
CN, Chicago, IL.

Jon Flanders, IAM #1145
CSX, Selkirk, NY

Ron Friend, BMWED #1509
CSX, Marietta, OH

Robert Hill, BLET #758
BNSF, Vancouver, WA

Ron Kaminkow, BLET #51
Amtrak, Reno, NV

Mike Matson, UTU 911
CP, St. Paul, MN

Ed Michael, UTU #979 BLET #724
UP, Salem, IL

Jen Wallis, BLET #518
BNSF, Seattle, WA

Matt Weaver, BMWED #2624
CSX, Detroit, MI

John Wright, BLET #78

900 axed Japan JNR rail unionists may get ¥29.5 million each in new deal
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100225a2.html

Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

900 axed JNR unionists may get ¥29.5 million each
Kyodo News
A 23-year-old dispute over the dismissal of unionized workers at the Japanese National Railways may finally be heading toward a resolution now that the ruling bloc and an opposition party have drafted a ¥27 billion settlement plan.

The package, hammered out Tuesday by the three coalition partners andNew Komeito, calls for a payment of ¥29.5 million each to about 900 former JNR workers who have sued over their dismissal and asks the current Japan Railway companies to hire about 230 of them who are 55 years old or younger, according to sources.

In exchange, the workers will drop their lawsuits.

The proposed ¥27 billion payout would be undertaken by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, an independent administrative agency that inherited JNR's debts after it was privatized and split up in 1987.

Representatives of the railway agency and the National Railway Workers Union, known as Kokuro, are expected to sign a compromise deal based on the package, the sources said.

Belgian rail workers take wildcat action over safety fears after fatal collision
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/belg-f17.shtml

Belgian rail workers take wildcat action over safety fears after fatal collision
By Julie Hyland
17 February 2010
Workers on Belgium’s rail network took wildcat strike action yesterday following the crash between two rush-hour trains near the capital, Brussels, the previous day that left 18 people dead and almost 200 injured.
Rail workers said that their spontaneous walk-out was due to concerns over safety conditions on the network and deteriorating working conditions, including a shortage of personnel that meant another accident such as the one at Halle, just 15 kilometres from Brussels, was likely.
According to reports, train drivers, signalling staff, machinists and technicians are all involved in the action. Depots across the country were blockaded, causing widespread disruption to train services, particularly in Wallonia in the south.
Rail officials said the strikes could continue for several days, compounding widespread disruption to the network, including routes connecting some of the major cities in Europe.
The SNCB said that 85 percent of its depots were affected by the strike. There were mass cancellations of trains and international services. Eurostar and Thalys, which run between France, Germany and the Netherlands, said that they would be unable to continue operating normal routes.

Illinois-based railroads ordered by US Department of Labor to compensate employee fired for reporting work-related injury
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/osha20100157.htm

News Release
OSHA News Release: [02/11/2010]
Contact Name: Rich Kulczewski
Phone Number: (303) 844-1302
Release Number: 10-0157-KAN
Illinois-based railroads ordered by US Department of Labor to compensate employee fired for reporting work-related injury
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered the Illinois Central Railroad Co. and the Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad, both headquartered in Homewood, Ill., to pay a former railroad employee more than $80,000 in back wages, compensatory damages and attorney's fees.
OSHA investigated the employee's allegation that the railroads terminated his employment in retaliation for reporting a work-related injury he sustained while performing his job. OSHA's investigation found that officials from both railroads ordered an investigation into the cause of the employee's injury, which ultimately resulted in their decision to terminate his employment. The evidence showed that the employee was in compliance with the railroads&' rules governing the reporting of work-related injuries and not at fault for his injury.'

General Strike In Turkey Against Privatizations And Attack On Labor-Transportation Workers To Act

http://www.sendika.org/english/yazi.php?yazi_no=29082

Turkey – GENERAL STRIKE!
04 February 2010 -

To support the TEKEL tobacco and food workers struggle against privatizations, contracting and roll backs, 6 labor confederations started a joint general strike in Turkey. The confederations announced they are exercising their “right not to work” as the basis of their action.

Entire country is behind the struggling workers because everyone is under attack from neo liberal, free market policies of the Islamic, pro-US government implementing the IMF and World Bank mandates. Other sectors in Turkey such as students, youth and professional associations are also supporting the strike and are on the streets.

Transportation comes to a halt in Izmir

The third largest city in Turkey came to a halt today as all public workers participated in the action against imperialist mandates to economy in Turkey. The buses and other public transportation systems have completely stopped in Izmir.

Police attacks workers

Workers marching in Unkapi district in Istanbul were attacked by the police, currently, the police and the workers are on a stand-off.

Korean KCTU Labor group picks moderate leader who is train driver in Busan
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/01/30/201001300030.asp

Labor group picks moderate leader

The nation's second-largest umbrella labor union picked a moderate leader in a meeting of delegates on Thursday.

Kim Young-hoon, 42, former head of the Korea Railway Workers' Union, was elected to lead the hard-line Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which represents about 650,000 members nationwide. His tenure runs through 2013.

"I'll make efforts to unify the organization and to reform its old way of operation. I'll work to make a strong and winning KCTU," Kim said after the announcement of voting results.

Within the union, Kim is considered young and free from the influence of several rival factions. And that aspect appealed to many members who prefer to participate in social issues through conversation, not violent struggle.

It remains to be seen, however, if he will take a moderate line in labor movements, observers say.

Last year, labor and management disputes were caused over a revision to labor union law. Amid expectations of an economic recovery, experts say the disputes could be accelerated this year.

Cameras on Trains Have Big Blind Spots

http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2010/01/cameras-trains-have-big-blind-spots

Cameras on Trains Have Big Blind Spots
by Ron Kaminkow and ... | Tue, 01/26/2010 - 4:04pm
Putting videos in train locomotives will place blame for accidents squarely on individual worker behavior and ignore systemic factors like overwork and poor training that are the real underlying causes of most workplace accidents and injuries. Photo: Andrew Ciscel.
Ron Kaminkow and Ed Michael's blog

The National Transportation Safety Board’s ruling last week on the need for cameras recording locomotive engineers as they work is an attack upon all working people. Besides raising basic constitutional issues with the regard to the right to privacy, it is highly debatable whether or not implementation of such video cameras would diminish the likelihood of railroad accidents.

To begin with, we believe most railroad accidents are not caused simply by operator error. And those that are in fact caused by the operator, more often than not, are caused by things such as miscommunication, poor judgment, fatigue, improper training or lack of qualification—factors that video recorders in the cab of the locomotive are not going to correct or alter in any way. In fact, focusing on the individual worker rather than these systemic conditions misses the forest for the tree.

Outsourcing of yard operation and inspection and repair work will cause the second and third Amagasaki rail accidents!
Stop such outrageous attempts!

It’s quite outrageous to practice total outsourcing of yard operation and inspection and repair work. It should not happen. If such an attempt is practiced, rail safety will collapse. The second and third Amagasaki rail accidents would be inevitable in the metropolitan areas.
The JR (Japan Railway) Company is going to abandon technological as well as business capacity indispensable for a railway company. The targets of outsourcing are: maintenance, inspection and repair work of vehicles, tracks, signals, communication and power systems, building works, station works, etc. All of these skills proper to the railroad and historical achievement for hundred and scores of years are going to be hastily abandoned by outsourcing.

JR is no longer “railway company”;
The JR Company is going to stop to be a railway company. A medium term business scheme in November 2000 titled “New Frontier 21” was the promoter of today’s outsourcing policy.
It stated as follows: “The time has come when the severe market principle, the principle of survival of the fittest and self-responsibility prevail in the society.” “This reform is the only way for corporations to survive and for the employees and their families to realize their happiness even though it will be accompanied by hardship and pain”. It was to be materialized in the “business strategy” that comprises:

Canadian National Railway Engineers Begin a Strike

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/business/global/29canadian.html

Canadian Rail Engineers Begin a Strike

By IAN AUSTEN
Published: November 28, 2009
OTTAWA — About 1,700 locomotive engineers with the Canadian National Railway went on strike early Saturday morning. The walkout, which may create difficulties for manufacturers and resource companies, followed a decision by Canadian National to impose a new contract on its workers.

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Although the strike does not involve engineers for Canadian National’s operations in the United States, it may nevertheless cause problems in both countries. Some American imports from Asia and Europe land at Canadian ports and then are moved to the United States on Canadian National trains.

The railroad, based in Montreal, said in a statement that it would try to maintain service by using managers to operate trains. Given the scale of the walkout, however, it was not clear whether that would be possible.

Automobile manufacturers in Ontario are particularly dependent on Canadian National both for parts shipments and for delivering cars, most of which are destined for the United States. In Western Canada, the strike will make it difficult, if not impossible, for many farmers to ship grain to ports in British Columbia.