Steve Bruno – National Secretary-Treasurer

  • Currently have $13.8M in the general fund, $12.1M is unrestricted, and presently sitting at a 50/50 split between cash and investments.
  • Membership currently at 30,762; down again, but stabilizing.
  • National dues to increase $1 with the July 1 GWI.
  • Division’s that are not in compliance with bylaws are beginning to receive merger notices.

Marcus Ruef – National VP and Head of Arbitration Department

  • Presentation on defending attendance charges:
    • Carriers are constantly pushing for their policies to be applied mechanisticly, either it is violated or not they do not believe in mitigating circumstances.
    • Our job is to force the arbitrator to apply a “just cause” standard, otherwise the discipline is applied by management prerogative, not according to rules and agreements.
    • In the hearing you should highlight all instances where the policy was applied unreasonably.
    • When researching awards, if you cannot find it in the knowledge store, try searching for it in Google.
    • Regarding timeliness of charges if the last lay off was more than ten days prior to the date of charge, this has been upheld as untimely.
    • Also, if the charging manager cites date of first notice, push for them to prove the date of first notice.
    • Carriers have been utilizing scripts in an attempt to be more successful at the board, this is inherently prejudicial.
    • When an attendance case involves medical issues, the employee does have the right to their privacy behind HIPAA, however, this looks like an uncooperative act. You can have your privacy, or your job, not both.
    • If you submit medical documentation as exhibits it carries the same weight as the Carrier submissions, unless discredited in some way it should stand on its own merit.

Dennis Pierce – National President

  • Discussion on upcoming national negotiations and forming of bargaining coalitions.

Dave Spradling – KCS General Chairman

  • PSR implementation and general issues of train size and issues regarding crews getting relieved.

Richard Crow – UPNR General Chairman

  • PSR implementation resulting in longer train length and shutting down of yards
  • Commuter Operations increased PTC enforcements leading to discipline and dismissals.

Robby Cunningham – BNSF Vice General Chairman

  • Continued forced changes toward work rules and terminal limits.
  • Issues getting transportation for train crews.
  • BNSF open to a form of PSR

Upcoming regional meetings

  • 2019
    • St. Louis, MO 6/24-6/28
    • Clearwater, FL 7/22-7/26
  • 2020
    • Milwaukee, WI 6/22-6/25
    • Cincinnati, OH 8/17-8/20
  • 2021
    • Austin, TX 6/12-6/15
    • Nashville, TN 8/2-8/5