Dear Sisters and Brothers:

    On the dates of July 6-8, 2005, I attended the Eleventh District Progress Meeting held at the Hilton in Omaha, Nebraska.
    On the dates of July 27-28, 2005, I attended the Railroad Department Meeting in San Diego, California, and the Coordinating Council meeting on July 29, 2005.
    It has been brought to the attention of this office that the Machinists have signed a tentative agreement and are stating they don’t have to pay retroactive back pay.  At the outset, the correspondence that I have read merely states that they are not going to take their health and welfare out of their retroactive pay.  However, nowhere does it state that they will not have to pay back their health and welfare in another way.  It is my understanding that they have chosen to pay the health and welfare back as has been the case with the Boilermakers at a cost of so much an hour being removed from their check until the payment is complete.
    Although this office has been swamped with telephone calls claiming that they would not have to pay, this office is not able to elaborate and point out the Agreement since I do not have access to their Agreement.  However, you may rest assured, the Machinists are not getting a free ride.  Even to a layman, to reward the Machinists and give them more than the other Crafts have received by negotiating, settling or going to Arbitration, would be amiss in anyone’s imagination.
    Anyone retiring with thirty-sixty (30-60), even though the Carrier will pay their insurance, they must notify United Healthcare of their intent to retain coverage.
    The Carrier has once again come out with a new Absentee Policy and it appears that if a situation they create doesn’t work, then they keep making the situation worse in hopes that it will.  I am hereto attaching my letter to D.A. Moresette, Labor Relations, with a copy to President Young and the copy of the Absentee Policy.  Please do not post nor disseminate this letter.

    I am hereto attaching copy of the following information:
    1.   TTD information (7 pages); details here
    2.   Letter from D. A. Moresette dated July 28, 2005, concerning ePayroll;
          details here
    3.   Kujawski & Nowak, P.C. article “Industry Sponsored Changes in Missouri
          Law Will Restrict or Bar Your Rights under the FELA” details here
    4.   COPE Contribution letter from SC#2 convention; details here
    5.   FMLA Woods v. Daimler Chrysler Corp. letter and attachments from
          Attorney Michael S. Wolly; details here
    6.   Letter from Tom Osborne, Congressman, concerning Pension Reform
          legislation; details here
    7.   RRB Railroad Job Vacancies List; details here
    8.   Letters from Reno Hilton Managers; details here
    9.   Article entitled “Transportation Communications Union Affiliates With IAM”
          details here
    10. Letter from Senator Ben Nelson concerning regulation within commercial
           industries;  details here
    11. Article entitled “Safe Trains or Star Wars?” details here

    Also, please find enclosed our financial report for the month of June 2005 which is not to be posted or disseminated.


       With best wishes and warmest regards, I remain

                                                                        Fraternally yours,

                                                                        Vic Janecek

                                                                        General Chairman, SC#2
VLJ:se
Enclosures
cc:       Ray Cobb, Director Railroad Department
            All IVP’s, System Council No. 2