BLET members reject Division size initiative

CLEVELAND, August 26 -- BLET members have rejected an initiative that would have created larger local divisions within the Brotherhood. Section 37(b) of the Brotherhood’s bylaws called for a membership vote on whether to keep divisions at their current size or merge them with other divisions if active membership in the division falls below 25. Currently, the BLET has 94 divisions that have less than 25 members. Ballots were mailed on July 22 and voting concluded at the close of business today. “This is just another example of why the BLET is one of the most democratic unions in the United States,” said BLET National President Don Hahs. “All active members of our organization were given the opportunity to vote on this provision and the majority voted no. The membership has spoken loud and clear and we will abide by the membership’s voice.” Friday, August 26, 2005 bentley@ble.org http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=4167 © 2005 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen http://www.ble.org

 

The first two locomotives in Union Pacific's Heritage series were displayed recently in Omaha.

Union Pacific has a new series of locomotives painted to recall the railroads that have merged into the UP.

"Our reputation as America's greatest railroad has been strengthened by the many lines that have become a part of the UP.," said Chairman Dick Davidson. "It is time we pay homage to those railroads and the generations of men and women who helped to build a great nation and the foundation for our future."The first two locomotives in the series were displayed recently in Omaha. Painted to recollect the Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific railroads, the locomotives will operate across the UP system, the railroad said.The Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific locomotives will be followed in coming months by locomotives painted in the style of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy), Chicago & North Western, Southern Pacific, and Denver & Rio Grande.
The addition of Missouri Pacific more than doubled Union Pacific's route miles, Western Pacific track led UP to the Ports of San Francisco and Oakland, Katy gave UP access to Texas through Oklahoma, Chicago & North Western brought UP to the Windy City, and Southern Pacific and Denver & Rio Grande Western provided the famous Sunset Route and a direct route through Colorado.UP said its Heritage Series marks the fifth time in company history thatthe railroad has painted locomotives in colors other than the traditional "Armour Yellow" paint scheme.Locomotives were custom made in 1991 to honor UP employees serving in the Persian Gulf War, in 1994 to call attention to the United Way Campaign, in 1996 for the Atlanta Games Olympic Torch Relay Train, and in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Games Olympic Torch Relay Train

President Hoffa's Message to All BLET and BMWE Members - Change to Win Coalition

To read a PDF version of President Hoffa’s message to all BLET and BMWE members regarding the AFL-CIO disaffiliation and the creation of the Change to Win Coalition Click HERE.

Clarifying UTU smoke and mirrors

CLEVELAND, August 9 -- When sorting through the UTU's latest smoke and mirrors attempt to obscure the truth ("How to smoke out a pair of skunks," August 5), BLET and UTU members need to keep one fact in mind: No amount of spin doctoring will obscure the truth. Here is a link to UTU's proposed contract agreement with BNSF, in which UTU leaders propose the elimination of yard engineers from Rivergate Yards in Portland. Not only do UTU leaders propose eliminating these locomotive engineer jobs, they further propose using ground crew employees qualified as engineers to operate locomotives in a conventional manner. http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/utuproposal.pdf BLET and UTU members can recognize a sell-out when they see one. No amount of UTU spin doctoring can obscure that fact. A sell-out is a sell-out, no matter how UTU tries to spin it. BLET General Chairman Dennis Pierce (BNSF/MRL), a major target in UTU's August 5 attack, clarified the real story behind the UTU sell out in a letter to his Committee today. Brother Pierce makes it clear that he has not "climbed in bed" with BNSF management, as UTU falsely claims. In fact, he has had no formal meetings with the carrier regarding this issue as the only formal meetings that took place were between UTU and BNSF in BLET's absence. While BLET requested a joint meeting with UTU and BNSF, UTU ignored the request. BLET generated no written contract proposals with the carrier on this issue, however, the UTU did. The UTU has put in writing its willingness to sell out engineers. What BLET informally suggested was that both unions, BLET and UTU adopt the jointly negotiated compromise agreement that UTU and BLET agreed to on another portion of the BNSF property in 2004. That agreement left one engineer and one conductor on the job in return for agreement language preventing the sale of the line. Brother Pierce notes that it was UTU that agreed to open up its crew consist agreement and eliminate the brakeman's position in order to prevent the line sale in Texas, not BLET. No negotiations occurred concerning the groundmen's craft without UTU present in the Texas case, nor did BLET suggest any occur in the Portland case. Pierce further explains: "Without getting into each and every tired old accusation that UTU has peppered its post with, you can rest assured that BLET did no negotiating behind closed doors to attack the groundmen's craft," he said. "Once notified of the proposed sale, we asked for a joint meeting with UTU and BNSF to discuss the possible adoption of the attached agreements. Ironically, unlike any agreements that UTU has negotiated on its own, the agreements that BLET proposed considering actually have hard fast language preventing the Carrier from selling the covered portion of the operation so long as the agreement is in effect. UTU obtained no such protection in its remote control sell out, in fact yards where UTU represented employees operate RCO are also up for sale and UTU has no agreement to prevent the sales. "As for our request to meet jointly, UTU did not even respond, instead they met alone with BNSF behind closed doors in our absence, returning to their offices after the meeting to draft an agreement that was clearly intended to eliminate a craft for which UTU holds no jurisdiction on this property." A copy of Brother Pierce's letter, along with all attachments, are available here: http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/PierceRebuttaltoUTU.pdf http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/ReducedCrewUTUBLET.pdf http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/BLETUTUInitrop.pdf http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/Fitgeraldrequest080205.pdf Tuesday, August 09, 2005 bentley@ble.org http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=4164 © 2005 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen http://www.ble.org

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Posted by BLETSR to Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen UPSR News at 8/11/2005 10:42:14 PM

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATOIN TO THE JAMES R HOFFA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND IS SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

James R. Hoffa became a Teamster member in 1934, served as General President for 14 years, and, in recognition of his tireless service to the Union and its members, was honored as General President Emeritus for life. At the November 1999 General Executive Board meeting, General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel presented a resolution to establish a new scholarship fund in recognition of Hoffa’s outstanding Contributions to the Union.

The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund Essay Contest will award scholarships annually to 50 students. All applicants must comply with the following eligibility criteria.

Each applicant must:

1. Be the son, daughter or grandchild of an eligible Teamster member

2. Be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate college, university or community college program, or a technical orvocational program;

3. Be 23 years old or younger by September 30, 2005; and

4. Not be a former winner of an award from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The applicant’s Teamster parent / grandparent must be able to demonstrate that

1. He/she was a member in good standing for (i) 12 consecutive months prior to the application deadline; or (ii) 12 consecutive months preceding the member’s retirement / disability / death or (iii) 12 consecutive months prior to the member’s layoff (layoff date must be no earlier than three years prior to the application deadline); or (tv) a period of less than 12 consecutive months prior to the application deadline, together with 12 consecutive months of good standing during some other previous period; and

2. He/she was not a Teamster officer or employee during the relevant period of good standing listed above.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

1. Applicant and Teamster parent or grandparent must complete questions 1-12.

2. Applicant must attach, on a separate sheet, a type-written essay of 500 words or less. (Essay will not be returned.)

3. Applicant must forward the completed application and essay to the James R. Roth Memorial Scholarship Fund office by September 30, 2005. We cannot allow any extensions to this deadline.

2005 ESSAY TOPIC:

Describe a brief history of your Teamster parents’ or grandparents’ involvement in their Local Union. How has it affected your family and why it is important to you?

To view a PDF copy of this information click HERE.

To download a copy of the application right click HERE and select save target as.

RAILROAD RETIREMENT AGE REDUCTIONS

August 2005

Railroad retirement benefits are subject to reduction if an employee with less than 30 years of service retires before attaining full retirement age.

Employees with less than 30 years of service may still retire at age 62.

However, the age at which full retirement benefits are payable was increased by 1983 social security legislation first effective in the year 2000. This legislation affected railroad retirement benefits through coordinating provisions of the Railroad Retirement Act, and the age requirements for some unreduced railroad retirement benefits changed just like the social security requirements.

The following questions and answers explain how these early retirement age reductions are applied to railroad retirement annuities.

1. What is the full retirement age for employees with less than 30 years of service and is it the same for all employees?

Full retirement age, the earliest age at which a person can begin receiving railroad retirement or social security benefits without any reduction for early retirement, ranges from age 65 for those born before 1938 to age 67 for those born in 1960 or later, the same as for social security.

2. How are the changes in the maximum age reduction being phased in?

Since 2000, the age requirements for some unreduced railroad retirement benefits have been rising just like the social security requirements. For employees with less than 30 years of service and their spouses, full retirement age increases from 65 to 66, and from 66 to 67, at the rate of two months per year over two separate six-year periods. This also affects how reduced benefits are computed for early retirement.

The gradual increase in full retirement age from age 65 to age 66 affects those people who were born in the years 1938 through 1942. The full retirement age will remain age 66 for people born in the years 1943 through 1954. The gradual increase in full retirement age from age 66 to age 67 affects those who were born in the years 1955 through 1959. For people who were born in 1960 or later the full retirement age will be age 67.

3. How does this affect the early retirement age reductions applied to the annuities of those who retire before full retirement age?

The early retirement annuity reductions applied to annuities awarded before full retirement age are increasing. For employees retiring between age 62 and full retirement age with less than 30 years of service, the maximum reduction will be 30 percent by the year 2022. Under prior law, the maximum reduction was 20 percent.

Age reductions are applied separately to the tier I and tier II components of an annuity. The tier I reduction is 1/180 for each of the first 36 months the employee is under full retirement age when his or her annuity begins and 1/240 for each additional month. This will result in a gradual increase in the reduction at age 62 to 30 percent for an employee once the age 67 retirement age is in effect.

These same reductions apply to the tier II component of the annuity.

However, if an employee had any creditable railroad service before August 12, 1983, the retirement age for tier II purposes will remain 65, and the tier II benefit will not be reduced beyond 20 percent.

The following shows how the gradual increase in full retirement age will affect employees.

Employee Retires with Less than 30 Years of Service

--If the employee was born in 1937* or earlier, his or her full retirement age is 65 and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 20%.

--If the employee was born in 1938*, his or her full retirement age is 65 years and 2 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 20.833%.

--If the employee was born in 1939*, his or her full retirement age is 65 and 4 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 21.667%.

--If the employee was born in 1940*, his or her full retirement age is 65 and 6 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 22.50%.

--If the employee was born in 1941*, his or her full retirement age is 65 and 8 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 23.333%.

--If the employee was born in 1942*, his or her full retirement age is 65 and 10 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 24.167%.

--If the employee was born in 1943 through 1954*, his or her full retirement age is 66 and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 25%.

--If the employee was born in 1955*, his or her full retirement age is 66 and 2 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 25.833%.

--If the employee was born in 1956*, his or her full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 26.667%.

--If the employee was born in 1957*, his or her full retirement age is 66 and 6 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 27.50%.

--If the employee was born in 1958*, his or her full retirement age is 66 and 8 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 28.333%.

--If the employee was born in 1959*, his or her full retirement age is 66 and 10 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 29.167%.

--If the employee was born in 1960* or later, his or her full retirement age is 67 and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 30%.

__________

*A person attains a given age the day before his or her birthday.

Consequently, someone born on January 1 is considered to have been born on December 31 of the previous year.

4. What are some examples of how this will affect the amounts payable to employees retiring before full retirement age with less than 30 years of service?

Take the example of an employee born on June 2, 1950, who retires in 2012 at the age of 62. In terms of today's dollars and current benefit levels, not counting future increases in creditable earnings, assume this employee is eligible for monthly tier I and tier II benefits, before age reductions, of $1,200 and $800, respectively, for a total monthly benefit of $2,000.

Upon retirement at age 62, the employee's tier I benefit would be reduced by 25 percent, the maximum age reduction applicable in 2012. This would yield a tier I monthly benefit of $900; the employee's tier II benefit would also be reduced by 25 percent, providing a tier II amount of $600 and a total monthly rate of $1,500. However, if the employee had any rail service before August 12, 1983, the tier II benefit would be subject to a maximum reduction of only 20 percent, providing a tier II amount of $640, and a total monthly rate of $1,540.

As a second example, take an employee born on June 2, 1960, and also eligible for monthly tier I and tier II benefits, before age reductions, of $1,200 and $800, respectively, for a total monthly benefit of $2,000. This employee retires in 2022 at age 62 with no service before August 12, 1983.

Consequently, a 30 percent reduction is applied to both the tier I and tier II benefits and the net total annuity would be $1,400.

5. How are railroad retirement spouse benefits affected by this change?

If an employee retiring with less than 30 years of service is age 62, the employee's spouse is also eligible for an annuity the first full month the spouse is age 62. Early retirement reductions are applied to the spouse annuity if the spouse retires prior to full retirement age. Beginning in the year 2000, full retirement age for a spouse gradually began to rise to age 67, just as for an employee, depending on the year of birth. While reduced spouse benefits are still payable at age 62, the maximum reduction will be 35 percent by the year 2022. However, if an employee had any creditable rail service prior to August 12, 1983, the increased age reduction is applied only to the spouse's tier I benefit.

Take for an example the spouse of a railroader with less than 30 years of service, none of it prior to August 12, 1983, retiring in 2022 at age 62, with a spouse annuity, in terms of today's dollars and current benefit payments and before any reductions for age, of $1,000 a month. With the maximum reduction of 35 percent applicable in 2022, her net monthly benefit would be $650, while if this same spouse were retiring in 2005 at age 62 with the maximum age reduction of 30 percent, her net monthly benefit would be $700.

The following shows how this will affect the spouses of railroad employees if the employee retires with less than 30 years of service.

Spouse Age Reductions

--If the employee retires with less than 30 years of service and the employee's spouse was born in 1937* or earlier, the spouse's full retirement age is 65 and the spouse's maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 25%.

--If the spouse was born in 1938*, the spouse's full retirement age is 65 years and 2 months and the spouse's maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 25.833%.

--If the spouse was born in 1939*, her or his full retirement age is 65 and

4 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 26.667%.

--If the spouse was born in 1940*, her or his full retirement age is 65 and

6 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 27.50%.

--If the spouse was born in 1941*, her or his full retirement age is 65 and

8 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 28.333%.

--If the spouse was born in 1942*, her or his full retirement age is 65 and 10 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 29.167%.

--If the spouse was born in 1943 through 1954*, her or his full retirement age is 66 and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 30%.

--If the spouse was born in 1955*, her or his full retirement age is 66 and

2 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 30.833%.

--If the spouse was born in 1956*, her or his full retirement age is 66 and

4 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 31.667%.

--If the spouse was born in 1957*, her or his full retirement age is 66 and

6 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 32.50%.

--If the spouse was born in 1958*, her or his full retirement age is 66 and

8 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 33.333%.

--If the spouse was born in 1959*, her or his full retirement age is 66 and 10 months and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 34.167%.

--If the spouse was born in 1960* or later, her or his full retirement age is 67 and the maximum annuity reduction at age 62 is 35%.

_________

*A person attains a given age the day before his or her birthday.

Consequently, someone born on January 1 is considered to have been born on December 31 of the previous year.

6. What age reductions are applied to employees who retired with 30 years of service prior to 2002?

Under the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001, employees with 30 or more years of creditable service are eligible for full age and service annuities the first full month they are age 60, if their annuities begin January 1, 2002, or later. The spouses of such employees are likewise eligible for full annuities, which can also begin with the first full month the spouse is age 60. Also, if a disability annuitant is age 60 and has 30 years of service, his or her spouse can receive an annuity at age 60 without any age reduction if the spouse's annuity beginning date is January 1, 2002, or later.

However, early retirement reductions are applied to the tier I portion of an employee's annuity if the employee first became eligible for a 60/30 annuity July 1, 1984, or later and retired at ages 60 or 61 before 2002.

The tier I benefit awarded such an employee's spouse will also be reduced for early retirement, regardless of whether the spouse retires at age 60 or 62, and regardless of the date the spouse's annuity begins.

7. Are age reductions applied to employee disability annuities?

Employee annuities based on disability are not subject to age reductions except for employees with less than 10 years of service, but who have 5 years of service after 1995. Such employees may qualify for a tier I benefit before retirement age based on total and permanent disability, but only if they have a disability insured status (also called a "disability

freeze") under Social Security Act rules, counting both railroad retirement and social security-covered earnings. Unlike with a 10-year employee, a tier II benefit is not payable in these disability cases until the employee attains age 62. And, the employee's tier II benefit will be reduced for early retirement in the same manner as the tier II benefit of an employee who retired at age 62 with less than 30 years of service.

8. Do these changes also affect survivor benefits?

Yes. The eligibility age for a full widow(er)'s annuity is also gradually rising from age 65 for those born before 1940 to age 67 for those born in

1962 or later. A widow(er), surviving divorced spouse or remarried

widow(er) whose annuity begins at full retirement age or later will generally receive an annuity unreduced for early retirement. However, if the deceased employee received an annuity that was reduced for early retirement, a reduction would be applied to the tier I amount payable to the widow(er), surviving divorced spouse or remarried widow(er). The maximum age reductions will range from 17.1 percent to 20.36 percent, depending on the widow(er)'s date of birth. For a surviving divorced spouse or remarried widow(er), the maximum age reduction is 28.5 percent.

For a disabled widow(er), disabled surviving divorced spouse or disabled remarried widow(er), the maximum reduction is also 28.5 percent, even if the annuity begins at age 50.

9. How can individuals get more information about railroad retirement annuities and their eligibility requirements?

Employees should contact the nearest field office of the Board for information or refer to the Board's Web site at www.rrb.gov.

Persons can find the address and phone number of the Board office serving their area by calling the automated toll-free RRB Help Line at 1-800-808-0772, or from the Board's Web site. Most Board offices are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.

BLET remote control hazard study available

CLEVELAND, August 5 -- Due to overwhelming interest, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Traimen’s remote control hazard study has been made available on the BLET website. The BLET’s National Division released the report on July 27, which, among other things, concluded that major U.S. railroad corporations should no longer be permitted to operate remote control locomotives free from regulatory oversight by the Federal Railroad Administration. The study was conducted by renowned railroad work organization expert Dr. Frederick C. Gamst and former FRA Associate Administrator for Safety George A. Gavalla. Among the study’s most significant findings are the following: * Because remote control locomotives ultimately are controlled by on-board computers, RCO introduces a level of mechanical hazard into switching operations that does not exist in conventional switching operations. * Certain design features of the “black box” actually may increase the likelihood that an unintended movement will occur. * Blind shoves -- because of the lack of a requirement to provide human protection at the leading point of a movement -- undermines, if not defeats, the purpose of designated “remote control zones.” * Training provided RCOs was routinely criticized as lacking in sufficient time and detail. The authors recommended that FRA audit accident and injury reports submitted by the railroads, so that reliable baseline data can be amassed for remote control accident and casualty rates. Further, that FRA refine existing accident investigation procedures to include studying technological or systemic factors that may cause or contribute to accidents. Finally, that the industry should no longer be permitted to regulate itself concerning remote control operations. A copy of the 245-page report is available here on the BLET website as a PDF. Friday, August 05, 2005 bentley@ble.org http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=4163 © 2005 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen http://www.ble.org

 

UTU seeks sell-out of BNSF engineers

CLEVELAND, August 4 -- Once again showing its willingness to sell out operating crafts, leadership of the United Transportation Union has proposed eliminating locomotive engineer jobs on BNSF Railway lines in Washington and Oregon. To reduce its operating costs, the BNSF is seeking to short line large portions of its territory. BNSF management recently advised that certain portions of the yard operations at Pasco, Wash., and Portland, Ore., were potentially up for sale or lease unless the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and UTU were able to come up with an agreement to reduce costs. The BLET proposal was one of compromise. BLET suggested that the carrier operate with two man crews in the yard — one BLET-represented locomotive engineer and one UTU-represented remote control operator. The UTU proposal, however, was one of self-preservation. UTU provided the carrier with a contract proposal that totally eliminates the yard engineer position and uses foremen to operate locomotives conventionally. It’s just another case of UTU leaders promising one thing but then doing another. “While the UTU puts out its spin after spin fabricating what BLET would do if it had the representation rights for ground men, they have now put in writing the steps that they are willing to take to eliminate even more yard engineers,” said BLET General Chairman Dennis R. Pierce, who represents engineers in the effected territory. “While these actions no longer come as any surprise to us, we must make every effort o insure that all operating employees are aware of the steps that UTU is willing to take to survive as an organization.” The BLET has advised the carrier that any action toward considering the UTU proposal will lead to swift action to protect BLET’s work rights in conventional operations. To view a copy of the correspondence in PDF format click HERE (1 meg file) Thursday, August 04, 2005 bentley@ble.org http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=4161 © 2005 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen http://www.ble.org