Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen

       A Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

 General Committee of Adjustment

 AMTRAK / MBCR/Connex

Mark. B. Kenny 
General Chairman 
                                                                                                                               

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Memorandum

                                                                                                     

 

To:         All Local Chairmen, Amtrak/MBCR/Connex GCA

               All Legislative Representatives, Amtrak/MBCR/Connex GCA

From:     Mark B. Kenny, General Chairman

Date:      April 19, 2005

Subject: Amtrak Crisis & Pending Bush Legislation

 

                                                                                                                   

 

 

In view of the substantial number of negative issues already confronting our membership, i.e., no forward movement in contract negotiations, crew base closings, service disruptions and discontinu­ances, continuing employee protection disputes, unwarranted discipline practices, the unilateral imposition of the absurd and equally ineffective block training process and intrusive employee review procedures, just to name a few, I did not want to distract anyone from their considerable day to day responsibilities any more than necessary.  Nonetheless, the time has come to alert you and the general membership to a very serious matter. 

 

As you all know too well, we have become uncomfortably accustomed to dealing with Amtrak’s unstable financial condition over the course of time and the associated appropriation process that goes hand in hand with that problem.  This time, however, we are facing a totally new situation, despite what may seem to many to be a re-run of the same old movie.  In view of the Amtrak bill submitted in 2003 by the Bush White House, recent statements over the past two months by Transportation Secretary Mineta, and the failure of Amtrak’s Board of Directors to request a continuing funding appropriation, it has become increasingly clear to Rail Labor leaders that we are about to engage in a battle the likes of which we have not seen in the past.  Last week’s introduction of the Passenger Rail Investment Reform Act of 2005 (PRIRA), and Amtrak Board Chairman Laney’s willingness to accept the Bush plan for “zero funding” has dramatically underscored that  perception with stark reality. 

 

In anticipation of precisely what we expected would come to pass, Rail Labor Chiefs (typically union Presidents or their designees) within the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department (TTD), have been meeting regularly over the past two months with the purpose of developing a strategic plan to counter the adverse consequences the proposed Bush legislation would bring to the shoulders of the Amtrak work force and rail labor as a whole.  To that end, the Amtrak Action Alliance (AAA), comprised of members from twelve labor organizations was established.  The BLET National Division, in the form of President Hahs and First Vice President Rodzwicz, has appointed my office to act as the principal BLET contact in the context of those meetings.  BLET Brother John P. Tolman has also been assigned by the ND to assist with those efforts, and several staff members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) are also playing an active advisory role in the process and offering assistance as necessary.  The AAA is being chaired by Brother Gary Maslanka (TWU). 

 During the two full days of strategy meetings last week, the various participating Unions were assigned responsibility for coordinating the extensive efforts of the AAA in contacting targeted congressional members, — especially Republicans — Governors, state and local officials, business leaders, passengers, and external activist groups sympathetic to the common goal of killing the proposed Bush plan and retaining the Amtrak national system in its current form.  We will also be involved in an organized effort to blitz congressional leaders on Capitol Hill immediately on the heels of returning from our GCA Quadrennial Meeting in mid-May.  There will also be various rallies and informational leafleting of stations and communities around the nation to build any and all the support we can and to get our message out.  In addition to the information you will receive from my office, you should also make a point of regularly visiting the TTD website at  www.ttd.org to keep abreast of these activities as they are planned.

 

Given that we (BLET) have been assigned to coordinate at least thirty states across the nation with the afore stated purpose, it is plainly obvious that this undertaking will require every effort and assistance we can muster at the GCA, Division, State Legislative and General Membership level.  It should also be stressed that it is absolutely imperative for us to effectively mobilize all our officers and members to assist in this effort if we expect any form of success with this approach.  I also want to add that I fully realize and understand that our membership is totally dissatisfied with not having a new contract and the irresponsible antics of Amtrak’s management, which range from egotistical local managers right up to top level labor relations officers and CEO David Gunn himself.  In my estimation, they are all part of the larger problem and nobody is more frustrated by their actions than my office because I personally see and deal with it day in and day out in more forms than I care to count.  Still, at this critical juncture, we must divorce ourselves from those strong personal feelings and concentrate our collective efforts in working towards the common goal of preserving the national rail system because our jobs depend on it.  To illustrate the importance of this issue, I  want to point out that the GCA has performed a comprehensive impact analysis relative to the overall effect the proposed legislation would have on our membership in the event its adopted as law.  That picture is dismal at the very best.  According to our projections, between 45 % to 60% of our membership will be adversely affected by job losses if the Bush plan succeeds.  If not picked up by virtue of state funding solutions, which is not likely in many scenarios due to the unstable financial condition of many states, Off-Corridor long distance intercity service will effectively cease to exist in its present form.  The NEC is not safe from harm either, as some may think.  I’m certainly not suggesting they will blacktop the NEC and start running bus service, but for those of us who already survived the uncertainty and turmoil the restructuring of passenger rail service brought about in the early eighties, take my word, this plan will make that exercise look like a sunny day in the park.  Moreover, if 20,000 Amtrak employees are purged from the Railroad Retirement system, which is clearly part of the overall plan here, not only will our jobs be in jeopardy, the pensions of our freight Brothers and Sisters will also hang in the same precarious balance.  That means appreciable economic reform will be passed along to compensate for that loss, with substantially enlarged weekly contributions by those remaining in the industry.  Thus, there will undoubtedly be an overarching residual consequence delivered to the freight side of the industry as well.