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MARCH 2005 MONTHLY REPORT |
ALL LOCAL UNIONS
SYSTEM COUNCIL NO. 2
****Note****
Due to my scanner being under the weather, I will be unable to place the
attachments online this month.
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
On the date of March 8, 2005, I
attended the General Chairman’s Association meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada,
and on March 9, 2005, we met with General Director of Labor Relations Dan
Moresette and Chief Mechanical Officer Barry Kanuch with the Coalition.
Assistant General Chairman Don
Tortorice is working with the SACP on problems we have encountered with the
Employee’s Assistance Program now under the direction of Assistant Vice
President Labor Relations D.J. Smith. It is Mr. Smith’s position that
anyone caught and not turning themselves in will be considered in a
dismissed status and therefore, will lose their health coverage under the
dismissal time frame. Although the Union Pacific Railroad Company was
a pioneer in setting forth the Employee’s Assistance Program to help those
employees who have alcohol and drug related problems which is considered a
sickness, the Carrier has now taken the position that if they are caught, an
investigation is held, or if they sign a waiver, they are placing themselves
in a dismissed status rather than under a Leave of Absence on sickness.
This office, along with Brother Tortorice’s help, is vigorously pursuing
this. A motion was made during the General Chairman’s Association
meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, to send a letter to John Marchant concerning
this very grave matter. Our Provident sickness benefits is something
that was derived at a cost of $.25 per hour per employee when it was
secured.
On March 15, 2005, I met with the
Carrier in Omaha, Nebraska, and discussed an Implementing Agreement
concerning the transfer of work from Taylor/West Colton, California.
However, the Carrier is now attempting to change, modify and adjust the
standard Implementing Agreement rather than having an Implementing Agreement
that covers all employees being transferring from Taylor to West Colton.
Since that did not occur, we now face the problem of having to re-negotiate
a new agreement each and every time employees are transferred if they go
beyond the six (6) months set forth in the Carrier’s Side Letters.
On the date of March 30, 2005, I met
with the officers at Salt Lake City, Utah. I was planning on attending
a mutual conference to be held on March 31, 2005, which at the last minute
the Carrier cancelled, concerning one of our Communications workers and
officers.
Again, I cannot emphasize enough that
our Financial Secretaries and Local Chairmen monitor our seniority rosters
to assure that the beginning of each year and throughout year that when
officers, supervisors, managers or foremen cease paying dues, that this
office is notified immediately in order to enforce the Maintenance of
Membership Agreement. This System Council has three (3) separate
Agreements governing the Maintenance of Membership Agreements. The
Union Pacific Maintenance of Membership Agreement is June 1, 1981; the
Missouri pacific Maintenance of Membership Agreement was November 1, 1983;
and the National Maintenance of Membership Agreement is January 1, 1988.
Therefore, any Foreman, manager, supervisor or official promoted after the
dates the Agreement became effective must either pay dues or are removed
from the seniority roster. Those promoted prior to those dates under
those Agreements will be frozen and will cease to accumulate their
seniority. Therefore, again, each and every year, it should be
monitored that these people who are frozen are dropped another year for
non-compliance. Should you have any questions concerning these
Agreements or interpretations, please notify the undersigned.
On the date of March 29, 2005,
Assistant General Chairman Jim Wisniski, Assistant General Chairman Don
Tortorice, and Vice General Chairman Pat Perry and myself met with John
Esses, who is Barry Kanuch’s assistant, and Dave Kleffman, met in my office
concerning the LEMT positions and tests. We further discussed
upgrading the Electrician Apprentice program to be more in phase with the
work that they will be performing. Also, the undersigned suggested
that those Mechanics assigned an Apprentice would at minimum receive Lead
pay while instructing and grading the Apprentices for their performance.
Last, but not least, I suggested that
the Classroom Instructor, Apprentice Instructor and TSC Instructors’
rate of pay which is not uniform, should be paid one Instructor’s rate of
pay. That rate should be the rate of an Apprentice Instructor which
should be and was at one time equivalent to a foreman’s rate of pay while
instructing. I believe the Carrier is beginning to realize that they are
having difficulty in securing good Electricians and will have to start
upgrading and using their Apprentice programs to the fullest.
I have been advised that the update
of the National Wage Negotiations will be handled through this office on
account of Local Unions not having an updated list of officers, addresses
and telephone numbers filed with the Railroad Department and Mr. Hill’s
Department. Again, I request that those Local Unions that have not updated
their List of Officers with complete addresses, telephone and work numbers,
to be forwarded to this office immediately with copies to the International
Vice President in their respective areas, Vice General Chairman Pat Perry,
and the Railroad Department of the IBEW. Should any Local Union need
any copies of the form, please contact my office and sample forms will be
forwarded and/or faxed.
Please find hereto attached the
following:
1. Letter from International
President Edwin Hill to all Railroad General
Chairmen involved in National Freight Negotiations updating our
members on the National Wage and Health movement;
2. TTD News Release
“Transportation Labor Lauds House Passage of
Highway/Transit Jobs Bill”;
3. RRB Scheduled Informational
Conferences date and places to be
held click for details;
4. RRB
Railroad Job Vacancies List; and
click for details
5. Jack
F. Moore, IBEW, Eleventh District Scholarship Fund and Ray
Edwards, IBEW, Eleventh District Scholarship Fund with attached
form please contact us for copy of application.
Also hereto attached is System
Council No. 2's Financial Report for February 2005, which should not be
posted or disseminated along with this newsletter.
With best wishes, I remain
Fraternally yours
Vic Janecek
General Chairman, SC#2
VLJ:se/Enclosures
cc: Ray Cobb, Director of Railroads
