Last week, officials and members from TCU/IAM, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Unite-HERE banded together to lobby Congress on issues facing our members at Amtrak. Each union focused their meetings on Members of Congress whose districts are near Amtrak onboard service crew bases. For TCU, however, our lobbying efforts ran the full gamut of
Canadian National Railway Company (CN) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR 232.305, Single car air brake tests. Specifically, CN requests relief from part 232.305(b)(2), regarding the requirement to conduct a single car air brake test on a
In the testimony of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), President Larry Willis, he stated TTD’s opposition to the proposed rule on decertification of representation. TTD represents 32 affiliated unions (including TCU) in all modes of transportation. This includes a number of unions whose members work in the aviation and rail sectors, are covered by
A TCU Member and ARASA Division Supervisor was shot in the left leg inside his truck at the Sunnyside Yard in Queens just after 8 a.m. on Thursday March 28th. Another employee was also in the truck but not injured. The TCU supervisor and an unrelated employee got into a white SUV when the suspect
Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations regarding refresher training for mechanical inspectors. Specifically, NS proposes to create a 3-D simulation using web-based software to satisfy the “hands-on” portion of the training required by 49 CFR 232.203(e),
This is a follow up to the October 19th article regarding the Kansas City Southern Railway Company’s (KCS) petition to allow Class III air brake tests currently required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to be performed at the U.S. / Mexican border by American inspectors to be instead performed by Kansas City Southern de
Every three years, the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) Chief Actuary conducts a study of the longevity of its annuitants, as part of a valuation of future revenues and benefit payments. Click here to read the questions and answers release that summarizes the results of the most recent longevity study.
Joseph H. Boardman, Amtrak’s second-longest-serving president and CEO, suffered a stroke while vacationing with his wife and family in Florida on March 5 and passed away March 7th, Amtrak announced. A U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran who served as New York State Transportation Commissioner for 8 years beginning in 1997, Boardman was named Administrator of
In an Amtrak train stalled in mountain snow, with 183 people stranded, James Lake didn’t hesitate to give a hand. James is an on-board lead service attendant for Amtrak and member of TCU Local 2508.
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued its decision in BNSF v. Loos. In a 7-2 decision written by Justice Ginsburg, the Court found that a railroad’s payment to an employee as pay for time lost due to an on-the-job injury is taxable “compensation” under the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA). Historically, these payments were always
