The West Virginia House of Delegates last month adopted a resolution created by the BLE that calls for the state's continued legislative support of Amtrak.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 18 was introduced by Brent Boggs, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and member of BLE Division 751 in Gassaway, W.Va. Boggs also serves as Political Affairs Coordinator for the BLE's Legislative Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The pro-Amtrak resolution was adopted unanimously by acclamation. Boggs reports that he received help from BLE West Virginia State Legislative Board Chairman Darrell Blake in lobbying members of the West Virginia House to approve the resolution.
"The unanimous adoption of the resolution is a testament to the efforts of our hard-working Brothers from West Virginia," BLE President Clarence Monin said.
The West Virginia Senate is expected to act soon on the BLE resolution. Brother Boggs encourages other State Legislative Board Chairmen to consider similar action in their states.
Portions of the resolution read as follows:
"...Whereas, The National Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) provides a quality transportation product in the form of clean, comfortable and on-time service; and...
"Whereas, Amtrak's management and employees are dedicated to providing the high-quality service that Amtrak's customers deserve; and...
"Whereas, Additional capital investment is needed to acquire the modern equipment and efficient facilities that are essential to satisfy the demand for superior intercity rail passenger service and to provide the world class service American rail passengers deserve; and
"Whereas, Amtrak's management and its employees are dedicated to using the collective bargaining process to reach equitable agreements that provide a sound basis for improved customer service and that contribute to the long-term viability of the corporation; and
"Whereas, Amtrak provides excellent service to its customers, is using its federal investment wisely and efficiently and is making significant and measurable progress in improving the financial performance of intercity rail passenger service; therefore, be it
"Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
"That Amtrak shall continue as the nation's premier intercity rail passenger service; that increased federal funds shall be provided to meet Amtrak's current needs and to face future challenges; and that state and local governments shall join with the federal government and private parties in support of Amtrak; and, be it
"Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to all members of Congress from West Virginia and to Amtrak."
(Members can contact the BLE's Washington D.C. Office for a complete copy of House Concurrent Resolution No. 18.)
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers along with the United Transportation Union, Association of American Railroads, Shoreline and Regional Railroad Association and railroad shippers and suppliers recently met for two days in Washington, D.C., as part of a lobbying effort called "Destination D.C."
The group established several common goals during the two-day event:
The lobbying effort occurred on Capitol Hill on March 3 and 4. AAR had asked the BLE and UTU each to commit to bringing 10 to 15 people to assist in the lobbying effort.
The effort involved lobbying members of Congress on the Surface Transportation Board's reauthorization and working on issues dealing with re-regulation of the railroad industry.
The issue is important because shippers want the ability to move their own goods. For example, a coal mine would like to use its own trains and train crews to move coal from the mine to a power plant. If granted, this would result in job losses for the railroad industry and have adverse effects on safety.
The leaders of the freight railroad industry joined together in an effort to inform members of Congress about the impact of increasing government regulation on the industry. The railroad representatives discussed:
Union members may have won the battle by defeating California's Proposition 226 during the summer of 1998, but they have not yet won the war.
California's highly controversial paycheck protection act known to unionists as "paycheck deception" would have required labor organizations to obtain written approval from each individual member before using dues money for political purposes. The measure would hand handcuffed labor unions and caused the loss of millions of dollars in paper work and red tape.
Fortunately, a massive grassroots effort headed by the AFL-CIO lead to the defeat of the measure. However, union members are warned that the war isn't over. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers has its eyes on 14 other states that have similar measures pending in their legislatures.
BLE State Legislative Board Chairmen, Legislative Representatives, and rank-and-file members are encouraged to use the information provided here to help fight the paycheck deception legislation in their home states.
The BLE is monitoring potential activity in the following states:
The BLE will closely watch how the U.S. Department of Transportation deals with two of its 10 top-priority management issues: surface transportation safety and Amtrak's viability and modernization.
In a recent report, the DOT pledged to reduce grade crossing and rail trespasser accidents through enforcement, education and technology.
Rail and transit accidents result in an average of 850 deaths annually, which is why DOT has made reducing the number of accidents that lead to fatalities one of its main priorities. The department plans to tackle the issue by:
DOT also wants to see Amtrak, which was created by Congress in 1971, operate without Federal assistance by the end of Fiscal Year 2002, the main reason being that it is unclear how much longer Congress will be willing to provide operating assistance.
According to the report, Amtrak's modernization is linked to three DOT strategic goals:
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