Attached you will find a letter from UTU President Paul Thompson to all UTU General Committees and State Legislative Boards outlining their latest agreement proposal with the National Carrier Conference Committee. The NCCC is the bargaining agent for all the Carriers in national handling that is under the influence of the UP and BNSF railroads. It is my understanding that a similar document is to be presented to our bargaining team next month when they meet with the NCCC. Please read these documents carefully. This should tell every employee exactly what Union Pacific thinks we are worth. You need only review the Compensation section of the agreement to get the full brunt of their philosophy.
1. Compensation
A. General Wage Increases and/or other forms of compensation.
1. Wage freeze during the term of the agreement (no GWI’s etc) for all current employees.
Employees establishing UTU seniority after date of Agreement – full rate of pay set at 80% of full rate position on June 30, 2005
B. Cola
1. COLA under current UTU National Agreement eliminated on effective date of Agreement.
2. No Harris COLA for periods subsequent to moratorium in New Agreement.
What that means to everyone is that under this proposal there will be no general wage increases (GWIs) for anybody during the life of this outlandish proposed contract. This proposal is offered in the wake of record setting profits by both Union Pacific and BNSF in the second quarter of this year (UP increased NET Profit for the 2nd quarter by 67%).
We as operating employees (all engineers and trainmen) should be outraged at Union Pacific snubbing their nose at the very people who are responsible for the record profits they are bragging to Wall Street about. You the employees who are hauling the freight that is responsible for those record profits in their eyes are not worthy of a raise.
Digest these documents fully so that you can understand the contempt your employer has for the job that you do.
