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Safety Task Force investigates
school bus-train collision
CLEVELAND, April 30 -- Members of the BLE Safety Task Force continue
their investigation of a fatal March 10 grade crossing collision involving
a school bus in the tiny town of Buffalo, Mont.
Two students were killed and four others injured, including the bus driver,
when the Hobson, Mont. School District bus stopped on the tracks and blocked
the way of an oncoming Burlington Northern-Santa Fe freight train. The crash
happened at approximately 7:43 a.m.
According to the Safety Task Force report, the lead locomotive struck
the bus in the left rear quadrant, and the passenger compartment separated
from the bus chassis. Two teenage brothers sitting in the back seats of
the bus were killed. There were only five students on the bus.
Members of the four-person train crew were not injured and there was
no significant damage to the train. The crew's home terminal is Great Falls,
Mont., and all received proper rest under the Hours of Service Act.
More details will be presented as the investigation unfolds. Dave Hanson
of the BLE Safety Task Force is investigating the crash with the National
Transportation Safety Board.
BLE CALENDAR
JUNE 8-10 St. Paul, Minn. BLE Secretary-Treasurer Training Class.
Due to popular demand, this S-T training class was added at the last
minute. It will be held at the Best Western Kelly Inn in St. Paul. For hotel
reservations, call (612) 227-8711. For further details and registration,
contact Patti Smith of the BLE International Division at (216) 241-2630,
extension 227.
JUNE 14-18 BLE-GIA Southeastern Meeting Association. Just a few
miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Drawbridge Inn in Ft. Mitchell, Ky.,
will be home to the 1998 SMA. Chairman Jerry L. Wyatt announced convention
activities may include a trip to Kings Island amusement park, a Cincinnati
Reds game, the Cincinnati Zoo, thoroughbred racing and riverboat dining.
Contact the Drawbridge Inn at (800) 354-9793 (in Kentucky please call (800)
352-9866). To contact Brother Wyatt, call (606) 331-5859, or write: 3061
Lindsey Dr., Edgewood, KY 41017-3252.
JUNE 25 U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Informational Conference in
Minnesota. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board conducts a free informational
conference in Eagan, Minn. at the Yankee Square Inn 3450 Washington Dr.,
I-35 and Yankee Doodle Rd. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the conferences
run promptly from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
JULY 12-15 Operation Lifesaver 10th International Symposium. Held
in Indianapolis, Ind. at the Westin Hotel. Room rates are $97 per night
and early-bird registration is $165 and guest registration is $95. After
June 12 registration is $205. More details to come. For more information,
contact Operation Lifesaver, Inc., 1420 King St., Suite 401, Alexandria,
VA 22314; or call (800) 637-6224.
JULY 12-17 BLE Local Chairman Workshop. The expanded local chairman
training workshop is a valuable training tool for all new and experienced
local chairmen (see page 2 article for more details). It will be held at
the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, Md. An additional
class is scheduled for November 8-13. For further details, contact Carolyn
Copeland at: (216) 241-2630, ext. 253.
SEPTEMBER 17 U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Informational Conference
in Spokane, Wash. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board conducts a free
informational conference in Spokane, Wash. at the Ramada Spokane International
Airport. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the conference runs promptly
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Bluegrass State welcomes SMA
CLEVELAND, May 15 -- The Bluegrass State will host BLE members attending
this year's Southeastern Meeting Association convention.
The June 14-18 convention will be held at the Drawbridge Inn in Ft. Mitchell,
Ky.
SMA Chairman Jerry L. Wyatt said convention-goers can take advantage
of Ft. Mitchell's close proximity to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Members wishing to travel north of the Ohio River will enjoy Kings Island
amusement park in suburban Cincinnati, a Reds major league baseball game,
and the Cincinnati Zoo.
Those who stay in Kentucky will enjoy the thrills of thoroughbred racing
and riverboat dining.
Brother Wyatt encourages everyone to register soon for the June deadline.
Reservations can be made at the Drawbridge Inn by calling: (800) 354-9793.
Members living in Kentucky should call (800) 352-9866.
For last-minute details and registration information, contact:
- Jerry L. Wyatt
- 3061 Lindsey Dr.
- Edgewood, KY 41017-3252
- Phone: (606) 331-5859
- Advisory Board April Activity: By action of the delegates at the Fifth Quinquennial Convention,
summaries of BLE Advisory Board members' activities are published monthly:
- International President Clarence V. MoninInternational Office: General supervision of BLE activities, meetings;
BLE advisory board mtg.; Rail Labor Division, TTD, AFL-CIO, Washington;
Mtg. w/ John Sweeney, AFL-CIO President; Rail Safety Advisory Committee
mtgs.; AFL-CIO executive council mtgs.
- First Vice-President & Alternate President Edward
DubroskiInternational Office. Assisted president
supervising BLE activities; Publications Committee; U.S. Nat'l Legislative
Board; Washington D.C., BLE Advisory Board mtg.; Amtrak mtg., Good Friday;
Short Line Association dinner & mtg.; TTD committee to Mexico; Washington
D.C.; BLE-UTU mtgs.
- General Secretary-Treasurer Russell W. BennettInternational Office: Supervision of BLE and BLE Building Assn.;
Financial depts.; Records Dept.; BLE Job Bank; Publications Committee;
BLE Advisory Board mtg.; Union Privilege mtgs.
- Vice-President Paul T. SorrowInternational
Office, Assisted president and first vice-president in performing duties
in connection with Chief of Staff position; Mtg. w/ Georgia Railroad/CSX;
CSX single agreement negotiations; Participated in CSX Roundtable Safety
discussions; Coordinated Conrail/NS/CSX merger mtgs.; Conrail district
mtg.; Assisted GTW general committee.
- Vice-President Joseph A. Cassidy Jr. Port Authority Trans Hudson contract negotiations; Ney York &
Atlantic Rwy. mtg., manpower shortage; Computer training class; BLE Advisory
Board mtg.; St. Lawrence & Hudson Rwy.; Springfield Terminal mtg.;
Amtrak; SEPTA; SBA 928, prepare Ex Parte submission; Prepare arbitration,
C-2 issue; Mtg. w/ Commisioner of Labor, NY state; Long Island Rail Road.
- Vice-President & U.S. Nat'l Legislative Representative
Leroy D. JonesWashington D.C. Office; AFL-CIO
admin. mtg.; TTD legislature mtg, rail division mtg. & political directors
mtg.; Mtg. w/ Agriculture Sec'y. Dan Glickman; DSCC breakfast; Various
mtgs. with Cong. Senator Daschle (D-SD), Cong. Gephardt (D-MO), Thompson
(D-MS), Costello (D-IL), Obey (D-WI), Callen (D-ME), Clayton (D-NC), Sherman
(D-CA), Spratt (D-SC), Brown (D-CA), Maloney (D-CT), Brown (D-FL); FRA
mtg., voice recorders; Western General Chairmen's mtg.; BLE mobilization
training; AFL-CIO COPE mtgs., w/ Vice-President Gore; FRA locomotive cab
noise task force and cab temperature task force mtgs.; BLE Mass. St. Legis.
Bd. mtg.; Mtgs. w/ Cong. Moran (R-KS), Nadler (D-NY), Pascrell (D-NJ),
Frank (D-NJ), Menendez (D-NJ), Lewis (D-GA), Governor Miller (D-NV), Kate
Whalen, Exec. Dir.; House Trans. & Infrastructure Committee/Sub committee;
Mtg. w/ FRA Molitoris & Deputy Admin. Itzkoff; Mtg. w/ NLRB.
- Vice-President James L. McCoyUP-SP
merger mtgs., Kansas City Hub & St. Louis Hub negotiations; Illinois
Central GCofA; BLE Advisory Board mtgs.; Kansas City Southern mtgs. w/
Ed Dubroski, GC Sam Parker, Asst. VP Emerson Bouchard; Metra Section 6
negotiations held w/ Metra general chairman; Eastern Idaho negotiations;
PLB 5559, discipline case; Arbitration board, Illinois Central.
- Vice-President William C. WalpertInternational Office; BLE Education & Training Dept.; Internal
Organizing, Mobilizing & Strategic Planning Dept.; Publications Committee;
Public Relations Dept.; BLE Safety Task Force; BLE Special Reps.; National
Mobilization Team; UP/SP mobilization training; BLE Advisory Board mtg.;
Inspectionof Savannah Army Depot and Belt Rwy. Yard as proposed sites for
simulator; Mtg. w/ Fingerhut, Powers, & Smith, public relations firm;
Local Chairman Training for BN (Frisco) GCofA.
- Vice-President Edward W. Rodzwicz Conrail/NS/CSX merger & implementing agreements; Division
315 mtg.; Div. 74 & 459 mtgs.; BLE Advisory Board mtg.; Finance Docket
33888; SBA 894; New Technology Joint Information Committee mtg.; CR/NS/CSX
implementing agreements; UP/SP mobilizing network.
- Vice-President Don M. Hahs UP/SP
merger east, St. Louis & Kansas City hubs; BLE advisory Board mtg.;
General office duties; BNSF merger, Kansas City hub; Houston hub, UPSP
merger; BNSF (former Frisco) GCofA mtg.; MRL.
- Vice-President Richard K. RadekInternational
Office; BLE Decertification Helpline services; Director of Arbitration
Dept; National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB); Rail Safety Advisory Committee
(RSAC); Cornell Univ. IRL School, union day, intern inverviews & selection;
BLE Advisory Board mtg.; Various NRAB award adoptions & arbitrations;
Misc. general assistance, Metra; Section 3 subcommittee; PLB 6038; 49CFR
240.409 proceedings, BNSF Docket EQAL 94-54, 97-29, NS EQAL 97-05 and 96-59.
- Vice-President & Canadian Director Gilles HalléOttawa Office; Advisory Board mtg.; CN Rail negotiations, Montreal;
annual vacation.
- Vice-President & Canadian National Legislative
Representative T. George HuckerOttawa Office;
Canadian National Legislative Board mtgs.; BLE Advisory board mtg.; FRA
North American Partnership; FRA Washington; AAR work/rest; CPR CANALERT/health
& safety mtgs.; 1998 ACRI contract; Operation Lifesaver mtgs.
- BLE Publications Committee:
-
- Clarence V. Monin, International
President
- Edward Dubroski, First Vice-President
& Alternate President
- Russell W. Bennett, General Secretary-Treasurer
- Leroy D. Jones, Vice-President &
U.S. National Legislative Representative
- William C. Walpert, Vice-President
& Editor
-
- John Bentley Jr., Associate Editor
COPYRIGHT 1998, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER NEWSLETTER
is published monthly by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
1370 Ontario Street, Cleveland, OH 44113-1702.
END OF MAY 1998 NEWSLETTER
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