ALL LOCAL UNIONS
SYSTEM COUNCIL NO. 2

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

On February 28^th, former President Local 708 and Assistant General Chairman Jim Prizmich retired from the Union Pacific Railroad. Many of you know Jim through his participation with the IBEW’s “Code of Excellence”. Brother Prizmich was appointed by President Hill in 2007 to serve as the COE Liaison for the IBEW Rail Department. I would personally like to thank Jim for his hard work and dedicated service to the IBEW over the years and wish him and his family the best of luck and success in the future.

Due to Brother Prizmich’s retirement and pursuant to the System Council bylaws, I have appointed Brother Dave Banducci (Denver Local 708) to fill the System Council No. 2 Executive Board position vacated by Brother Prizmich, pending final approval by the SC Executive Board. We welcome Brother Banducci and look forward to working with him in the future.

With regards to the FMLA dispute Arbitration, I was recently advised that the arbitration panel has set the hearing for the remedy issue for April 21, 2009 in Washington, DC. At that time the arbitrators will decide the appropriate remedy for the outstanding claims which were filed.

On January 21, 2009, the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) published a final rule in the Federal Register. The final rule revised Form LM-2 and established a procedure whereby OLMS may revoke, when warranted, the authorization to file the simplified report Form LM-3. On February 20, 2009 the DOL published a notice in the Federal Register postponing until April 21, 2009, the effective date of the more tedious LM-2 regulations which the Bush DOL previously announced. The purpose for the delay is to allow time for the agency and the public to further review the policy concerning the regulations, and to permit unions to delay costly development and implementation of any necessary new accounting and recordkeeping systems and procedures pending this further consideration. The Department further explained that it may modify or rescind the regulations.

A decrease in business and car loadings continue to affect the nation’s railroads. At this point however, neither the Union Pacific nor the Kansas City Southern has indicated any force reductions or furloughs which will affect IBEW forces. On the date of February 2, 2009, Assistant General Chairman Don Tortorice met with Progress Rail Services (Caterpillar) and the members of Local 800 at the Rockland, California traction-motor plant. As a result of locomotives which have been placed in storage by the various Carriers’, the overall business at the Rockland plant declined. Therefore, by reducing the plants operations to one shift, both IBEW and IAM represented employees were affected by furloughs throughout the month of February. The System Council will continue to monitor the business needs and staffing at the Rockland plant in hopes of returning those furloughed members to work.

I was required to report for jury duty the week of February 9, 2009; therefore, VGC Pat Perry attended the annual IBEW Railroad Department General Chairmen’s meeting on my behalf on February 10^th. During the week of February 17, 2009, myself, VGC Perry, AGC Telecom Starkjohann and IBEW Railroad Director Bill Bohne attended a presentation and meeting with Union Pacific in Omaha to discuss the upcoming “Positive Train Control” project and the associated work required for its implementation. Also, on February 18^th, we met with the officers of Omaha Local Union 618.

During the month, Union Pacific agreed to move the work of retrofitting of sixty-two CBTC (Positive Train Control) equipped locomotives from South Morrill to the North Platte facility where electricians will be involved with the installation and training for this project.

Please find hereto attached the following which can be disseminated and/or posted:

1. RRB Labor Member Speakman’s January 2009 letter entitled “Income-related Part B Medicare Premiums”;
2. RRB Labor Member Speakman’s February 2008 letter entitled “Federal Income Tax and Railroad Retirement Benefits”;
3. RRB “Scheduled Informational Conferences” dated February 2, 2009;
4. RRB Job Vacancies list for February 2009;
5. Working Families article “Save American Jobs";
6. Working Families article “Contact Congress Now";

With best wishes, I am
 

Fraternally yours,

Jim Wisniski

General Chairman, SC#2