March & April 2001 Meetings

March 2006 Meeting

Here's What Happened at the Meeting on Monday, March 20 2006

Division 758 Meeting opened by the R. Etienne, acting president in due form.

Members present: Brother's R. Etienne, D. St John, R. Reams, L. Weed, R. Moore, S. Hill, R. Huelle T. Jacobs, W. Pelham and B. Knowles. Guests, P. Bovarnick and M. St. John. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. Corrections were made where noted. Motion to accept as read by Brother Reams, seconded by Brother Weed. Motion passed.

Finances: Correspondence received was presented and discussed. The current membership is 110. Status of finances for the division was given and discussed. Motion to pay the bills by Brother Knowles, seconded by Brother Huelle. Motion passed.

Legislative Rep: Brother Knowles discussed a few issues but there is not much currently going on. M. Ricci the Current State Legislative Rep is asking for our support in his bid for VP Safety for the BLET.

Cab committee report by R. Reams – He discussed several issues including refrigerators. People are cutting the cords on the refrigerators to use for computers etc. Please don’t do this; the carrier is not going to replace them. Bathrooms, report any defects to mechanical, then fill out the appropriate forms that they have available. We cannot fix this with out information. We have checklists available also, please use them. We need to do our part to keep the cabs clean also, if you see an issue with your fellow workers please let them know or let us know. More information will be coming.

Paul Bovarnick – Gave a brief presentation on the Locomotive Standards Act. The floor was opened for discussion.

Local Chairman – Cameras on Engines – Please leave them alone. We currently are having issues with people messing with them. This is being considered extremely serious and could be used to fire you.

The weekend Incentive Agreement was cancelled by the BNSF effective 1159hrs on 03/25/06.

Yard Limits Extension Agreement – Our NP brothers and sisters voted to ratify this agreement. It had been turned down, but after campaigning by UTU General Chairman, it was accepted. Not sure when it will go into effect. Still needs to be signed. Manpower not available right now. Extra mileage will be paid on top of trip rates if you go past Vancouver.

Whistle Rule – We’ve been informed that whistle rule violations will be a level “S” offense. We are working on making sure whistle boards are accurate. We are trying to get whistle boards down where they shouldn’t be. If there is a whistle board with no crossing, like Wishram, still whistle.

Track work on the Fallbridge – Will continue until the middle of April. Held away is up at Pasco, but will continue to monitor. Re-routes still iffy. Still unable to project accurately.

Hot box and hot wheel detectors – Be sure to familiarize yourselves with the changes in this rule. If you get a reading, you cannot leave until the warm bearing detector desk gives the OK. Crews are getting in trouble for leaving before given permission. Please be sure to comply. Don’t let the dispatcher ramrod you into leaving before given permission. Permission can only be given by the warm bearing desk.

New General Manager – Jackson is now gone. Doug Jones from Nebraska is our new GM. He’s a former BN and allegedly a decent person. Maybe he will temper the hostility of our management at Vancouver.

Yard Job 229G – Notice was sent to the carrier last week to bulletin 229G. Job had gone more than 3 days with an engineer. To date, carrier has ignored the request. We will research and timeslip for whomever should own the job.

Vacation bulletins – Vacancies for vacations are posted for bidding. One successful bid will be accepted per employee. This will prevent any one person from taking all the vacancies.

Vacation Buy Back – The carrier has posted a notice on buying back vacations. If you choose to sell your vacation, please allow this committee to change a prime week for one that isn’t. Once the week is sold, it’s no longer available for filing. We’d rather fill the prime weeks and have the other’s go away. Please think of others.

Laying off – Carrier has changed the way management can lay off employees. We are appealing to the GCA to help fix this. We are a 24/7 industry, but the management works day hours. Terminal Manager and above are only ones that can approve layoffs once the allocation is reached. Unfortunately, they are counting everything, including CBT in the allocation. Please let this committee know if you are having a problem.

Floor opened for discussion.

Motion to close by Brother Huelle, seconded by Brother Jacobs. Meeting adjourned at 1450.

April 2006 Meeting

Here's What Happened at the Meeting on Monday, April 17 2006

Division 758 Meeting opened by the president in due form.

Members present: Brother's R. Etienne, D. St John, S. Cordes, D. Haney, T. Reddish and B. Knowles. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. Corrections were made where noted. Motion to accept as read by Brother Haney, seconded by Brother Reddish. Motion passed.

Finances: Correspondence received was presented and discussed. The current membership is 110. Status of finances for the division was given and discussed. Motion to pay the bills by Brother Haney, seconded by Brother Knowles. Motion passed.

Legislative Rep: Brother Knowles reported. The Washington Dept of Transportation conducted a rail listening session. There were approximately 60 people there. They broke into discussion groups to decide what the state could do to help improve the rail industry in Washington. The main feeling that occurred was they are going to come up with approximately 2million dollars and try and help railroad workers and railroads. The representatives there were happy to see labor representatives there and Bill and Mark Ricci were asked questions by all concerned. Bill made available a report by the WSLB with an overview of what they are currently working on. There were also made available maps outlining the state representative districts in our area.

Safety Representative T. Reddish – He will be in Pasco tomorrow for a town hall meeting with D. Jones the new GM in Seattle. He will also have his boss with him. He appears to be bringing some new ideas into the area and we will continue to monitor how things go. He will report back next week.

Cab committee report by D. Haney – Not receiving many cab reports from engineers. Most of the one’s we are getting are from Conductors. We can’t get anything done without your help. Please fill out these forms when you have any cab issue. Have had some contact with mechanical forces and have been able to fix 80% at this point.

Local Chairman –

Yard Job 229 – was awarded then cancelled after 7 days.

Sleep modules that were required with intrusive questions are now supposed to be voluntary. Please let us know if you are required to take these.

Yard limits extension agreement – We are already seeing abuse of this agreement. Road switchers on duty 0500 and 1700. These jobs cannot replace yard jobs already working. These jobs can put trains away that they dog catch outside yard limits. If train arrives in yard limits, they cannot put the train away – only shuttle whole trains across terminal. These jobs cannot go east of McLoughlin. Pool crews/road crews can take trains as far as MP 120. Extra mileage will be paid on top of trip rates/mileage if you go past Vancouver. When more manpower is available, jobs will go to 5 days with a relief job. If you are asked to go beyond Vancouver Jct. North, and you haven’t been there in 12months, be sure to ask for a pilot. Failure to do so can result in a FRA decert.

Cameras on locomotives – Please be sure to leave these cameras alone. They appear to be hooked into the pulse system. Real time monitoring is taking place. Carrier wants to make a federal case out of messing with them. Protect yourselves – leave them alone. Also, be sure to whistle for the 15 seconds when you have a camera. It’s recording everywhere you go.

Track work on the Fallbridge is over now. MOW blitz is now on the Hi-line. Perhaps we will get some reroutes our way.

Excessive on duty times – Please document when you are on duty 15 hours or more. Leave this committee a copy of your delay report and any comments to show your attempts to get relieved in a timely fashion. It appears our new GM has some plans to cut down the excessive on duty times. We still need delay reports when it happens.

The carrier has posted a notice on buying back vacations. If you choose to sell your vacation, please allow this committee to change a prime week for one that isn’t. Once the week is sold, it’s no longer available for filing. We’d rather fill the prime weeks and have the other’s go away. Please think of others.

Claims – This committee continues to need 816’s for claims to be processed. Also, complete paperwork in order to work the claims. Claims without proper documentation will be returned to claimant.

61 & 62 car change in train at Pasco – It appears letting the 61 car be first out on their rest has been working. What does the division say about possibly letting the 61 & 62 car continue to do this? Shall we discuss this and possibly vote on it later? Floor was opened for discussion. Issue tabled in order to gather more information from the members. We will try and make a decision about this at the May meeting.

Floor opened for discussion.

Due to opening in VP positions and in accordance with current Bylaws and as bulletined. No written nominations were presented. Floor was opened for nominations. Brother Etienne nominated T. Jacobs for position of VP, Seconded by T. Reddish. Motion to close by Brother Haney, Seconded by Brother Reddish. As there were no other nominations T. Jacobs is elected by acclamation.

Motion to close by Brother Reddish, seconded by Brother Haney. Meeting adjourned at 1445.