Newsletter June-July, 2001
781
NEWS AND INFORMATION
NEXT UNION MEETING:
SEPTEMBER 13 AT 18:30.
HOLIDAY INN IN
JOHNSON CITY
This newsletter will cover both months of June and July. I
appreciate the comments and suggestions that I have been
receiving on the newsletter. Keep them coming.
IN MEMORY:
We recently lost a dear friend and coworker. Patty Adams passed
away in June, 2001. We all will miss her.
GENERAL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS:
CL Roy was re-elected as our general chairman. Our local chairman
was nominated for fifth alternate, but was defeated by only two
votes.
POSSIBLE MERGER OF UTU/BLE.
The UTU and BLE should be sending out more information on this
issue. Also a ballot will be mailed out for you to vote on this
issue.
A web site has been set up to answer all members' questions and
the unification agreement can be downloaded and printed from this
site. The web site is at www.ble.org/utumerger
RAILROAD RETIREMENT:
THE HOUSE PASSED THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT BILL!!! It will be sent
to the Senate now for a vote. Keep the letters, e-mails and phone
calls going.
CLAIMS CONFERENCE:
There was a claims conference in Erwin on June. Everyone who had
a claim paid should have a copy of said claim. There will be
another claims conference call on August 21, 2001.
ISSUES PENDING WITH GENERAL COMMITTEE'S OFFICE:
We have had a number of issues pending with the general
chairman's office. Our general chairman, Cleatus Roy, now has
ninety days to act upon these issues.
The issues are:
*Absenteeism
*Dante pushers
*CRR #15 violations
*Lodging at Shelby
*Stepping up of conductors
*Engineer training
*Payroll denial of Established claims
DEADHEADING AND COMBOS:
Remember anytime you get into a taxi, other than within a yard,
you need a deadhead number. If you make a turn and one leg of the
trip is in a taxi, get a combo number. Payroll can't pay you the
combo miles without a combo number.
POOL SERVICE:
CMC is not placing engineers at the bottom of the pool as called
for. If you are on a pool job and you are on a personal leave day
or a daily vacation and you are due to mark up at 0001, you
should be placed at the bottom of the pool. You should call the
crew caller and make certain that you are placed at the bottom of
the calling order. Tell the crew caller that you were compensated
for the day and you are due to be placed at the bottom of the
calling order.
Also, on the Extra board you should be placed at the bottom of
the board.
LOYALL POOL:
Payroll still contends that the 02 miles should be 140 instead of
144. This is presently being worked on by the General Committee's
office. Submit claims for the four miles that you are shorted
each trip under code 97, agreements CRR ART 16 and 458 award ART
6.
Also, continue to watch you're rate of pay when called for a trip
to Loyall. The rate of pay should be KS 3 instead of KS 2.
BEING DISPLACED:
If you are working a job and you are displaced by a senior
engineer, and the person who displaced you marks off before they
work the job than you are due to be called for the job. Example:
You are working the A1 pool, q693, and you get displaced on
Monday morning at 0600, and the person who displaced you marks
off before the job is called. You are due to work that job.
MEMBER NEWS:
If you have any news you would like printed in the newsletter
please let me know. Email me at brewmaster99@msn.com or
call and leave a message at 423-741-2066
FL Dishman retired in July. We will miss him, but we hope he will
enjoy his retirement.
CONTACT INFO:
MATT THORNTON
423-467-9860 HOME
423-676-2089 CELL
JT LITTLE
423-612-2240
E-MAIL: jlittle4th@cs.com