March 2001 News Letter
This news letter is the first of a monthly news
letter that will help keep all of you informed of the local's
activities, information on how and when to summit claims,
information on the companies activities, and general information
that should keep you up to date on what is going on around you.
Officers and Members:
We would like to start out welcoming our new officers we elected:
Local Chairman, Matt Thornton
Vice Local Chairman, J.T. Little IV
Vice Local Chairman, Fred Jessee
Division President, Steve Fox
Vice President, Trish Grashoff
Secretary / Treasurer, James Rasnick
Alt. Secretary / Treasurer, Robert Freschi
Guide, Mike Edwards
Del. to state Leg. Board, J.T. Little IV
Alt. to The State Leg. Board, Tim Hunt
Delegate to ID, Mark Gibson
1st Alt to ID, Tim Love
2nd Delegate to ID, Bill Pate
Chaplin, Dave Hill
These are our officers. Be sure to welcome and support them.
Without our support they can accomplish little or nothing.
We'also have a new member,
T.A. Bragg, voted in the local at the February meeting. If you
see Tim welcome him and offer any help you can.
CHAIRMAN'S TRIP TO JAX:
Matt made a trip to Jacksonville in Feburary to meet with General
Chairman, Cleatus Roy, and Crew Management. Matt said the trip
was very imformative and he was able to put some faces to the
names we all hear every day. Talked with CMC about trying to keep
pool jobs filled, marking up engineers to fill, ect. Input from
pool engineers welcome if need to add or cut pool jobs.
GREIVANCES AND CLAIMS:
As was reported at the March meeting, Steve Knippenburg was contacted to set up claims conference. There are 145 claims to be conforenced. He is to get back to Matt with the date.
The GC had claims conference on Jan. 9. Out of 57 claims, 4 were paid, 16 withdrawn, and the remainder was sent back in appeal.
We have had 3 claims paid thru the ACTS system to date.
When summitting CRR 3 claims: turn in 8hrs code 97, subcode cm, text in the time you arrive Spartanburg and the time you depart Spartanburg terminal. Also include train numbers and call times.
All claims need time the penalty started
and the agreement that was violated.
Mike Strother's greivance on not being
pulled off the extra board when marking off was responded
to by the local and C.L. Roy. The problem is being
addressed by the TECS system people. The programing was
set up according to the 1996 agreement and marking off on
the daily board was set up the same as bi-weekly boards.
This problem is being worked on.
Greivance forms can be found on the BLE
bulliten board in Erwin. Please make copies as needed and
place back on board.
LOYAL JOBS:
Loyall Guarantees are being worked on by the GC. Last talked to
the GC on 3-13-01, and they met with payroll on 3-14 to try to
correct the problem.
ON 3-16-01 TALKED WITH GC, AND WE ALMOST HAD A WALK OUT IN CORBIN
OVER THIS. LABOR RELATIONS GOT BUSY FAST AND PUT IN WRITING TO
PAYROLL WHAT THE JOBS ARE DUE.
DANTE JOBS:
The company wants to advertise the Shelby tums out of Dante with
limits between Shelby and Kingsport. Matt contacted J.W. Thompson
in labor relations and this is currently being worked on. We may
be able to add some jobs in Dante. Please let Matt know your
thoughts on this.
SOUTHEND POOLS:
When you are called to Bostic and while enroute you are changed
to Spartanburg ask the dispatcher or clerk at bostic to contact
CMC and get another ticket in account going past destination.
Keep up with arrival time at Bostic, this will be the time you
start the new day. Handle this way in order to avoid a
confrontation for delaying train.
CALLS TO WORK:
If you don't want anyone but you taking calls, please call CMC
and let them know. Also, let them know who can take calls for
you.
MARRIAGE???????
The topic of placing the pools back together has come up again.
Just to let you know, this is not a local problem. Labor
relations and CMC are trying to sort through. Matt is going to
have a conference with J.W. Thompson in labor relations about
this. Again, this is a TECS system problem. The system was
programed for the 1996 core agreement and there was nor is any
provisions for jobs being rnarried. Therefore; this is not a
problem of one local not working with the other, it is a company
problem.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
There is scholarship information from the
international posted on the clip board and bulletin board
in Erwin. If you need more information please contact
Matt.
There is also new material from the GC on
the clip board in Erwin. Copies are being sent to Dante
and Bostic also.
APRIL MEETING:
The next local 781 meeting is April 12,
2001, 6 pm at the Holiday Inn in Johnson City.
An operating crafts seniority agreement
was sent from the GC for our vote. We will vote on this
at the April meeting. Copies are circulating and can be
found on the board in Erwin. Please be there if you can.
You're vote counts!!
WEB PAGE COMMING!!!!!
David Fitzgerald is working on getting a web page set up for
local 781. If you have any suggestions please contact him.
e-mail: webmaster@ble781.org
COMPANY INFORMATION:
According to the FRA the company officers
can now shunt track and perform e-test. BE ON YOU'RE
TOES!!!.
When receiving permission to enter work
orders, be sure to get maximum permitted speed. If not
you must run controlled speed not exeeding 20 mph, and
officers can set up banners. They can also ask the
employee in charge not to give you maximum permitted
speed in order to give test.
If called in to talk to company offical
about anything, rather it be formal or informal, let Matt
know. Don't wait until you are set up for an
investigation for Matt to find out.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
E-mail:
Matt Thornton: ble781@msn.com
J.T. Little: jlittle4th@cs.com
PHONE NUMBERS:
Matt Thornton: 423-282-3243 home
423-676-2089 cell
Any suggestions or comments about the
newsletter are welcome. E-mail Todd Tucker At brewmaster99@msn.com