Brothers and Sisters,

In the reflection of Labor Day and what it stands for, I wanted to share a deeper look into a portion of what a Labor Union provide to its members. The following is a real life situation that was truly an eye opener for me from a recent conversation. Over the last few weeks, I have been in consistent contact with Brother Clem Harris, Local Chairman / Legislative Representative of BLET Division 15, Albuquerque, New Mexico, who has helped initiate a boots to the ground movement getting the word out to BLET members far and wide to contact their U.S.Senators for their support in the movement of H.R. 2 / INVEST in America Act, which will pick up where the FAST Act leaves off (please see the informational emails below), in the funding of Amtrak’s Long-Haul / National Network. Additionally, working with the New Mexico State Legislative Board, Chairman – Eric Gabaldon, he was instrumental in discussions with Congressional Leadership of New Mexico in the preservation of the Southwest Chief, when this National Service was in jeopardy between Trinidad and Santa Fe.

In one of our talks, I asked Brother Clem about his career prior to working for Amtrak, he went on to explain the time that he worked for a non-union carrier, which has many departments and facilitates just about everything in the railroad industry that you could imagine. Here’s the story as told by Brother Clem, as it relates to the carrier : I worked for them for 11 years. I hired out in Texas on the TRE (Trinity Railway Express). I was part of the start up crew from Rail Runner in New Mexico. I did anything from Conductor, to Engineer, Dispatcher (put through BNSF’s Dispatching Class at TCC in Ft. Worth, TX) to mechanized tie gangs, Rules Examiner, and their equivalent of an RFE ( Road Foreman of Engines).

They have a non union side and a union side.

This is what made me begin to understand why unions were important…..

I watched the carrier at the time fire one of my guys. His wife had a lot of medical issues. He blew a slow order and had owned his screw up. They decertified him. A couple months later, he ran through a rigid switch. In their haste to get rid of the Conductor, they fired the Engineer as well. I all but begged to keep him on. It was a stupid mistake on his end with a lot of mitigating circumstances. Both at work and in his personal life. The GM couldn’t work out the mental exercise to deal with the Conductor, but not the Engineer? The thing the GM told me was “You trained him, you can train another to take his place.” That’s never left my ears since. That attitude cost a good man a lot.

Once I grasped his story and applied it to scenario(s) I was aware of in my own railroad career, where railroad labor person(s) did get fired, but even after 5 years were able to get their job(s) back through the appeals process; this was only because they were members of a labor union. In this case it just so happens to be the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. It can never be overstated or said enough that we must protect not only our lives by way of safety in our industry with laws to support this effort, but our livelihoods as well. When the avenues and opportunities to do so are made apparent, we should take the appropriate steps.

Currently, members who operate trains for Amtrak are at a crossroads in their careers that could amount to 295 furloughs on the BLET, and 95 student positions; if the necessary funding is not received to maintain the weekly-schedule of Amtrak’s National Network. The former CEO of Amtrak, Richard H. Anderson will remain as a senior advisor until the end of this year in support of the current CEO William J. Flynn, both are in favor of the reduction to a tri-weekly schedule despite it being a failed business model. Prior to his role at Amtrak, Anderson served as CEO of Northwest and Delta Airlines, it has been said that he is running Amtrak like a for-profit business, rather than a service for the American people.

** William Flynn, Amtrak’s CEO will be testifying in front of Congress this Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 11:00 am EST. The premise of this subpoena is that he is being held accountable for his efforts to cause irreparable harm to the national network by attempting to make the schedules tri-weekly. Please see the link below.

https://transportation.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/amtraks-response-to-covid-19

In the current situation that our brothers and sisters who operate trains for Amtrak are now facing, the AAR (Association of American Railroads) is definitely watching in anticipation of what the outcome will be, if the U.S. Senate under the Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not allow H.R. 2 to be heard in the Senate. It is my opinion if he is not willing to act on the behalf of the people via the appropriation of funds to Amtrak, this could be a foreshadowing of what is to come pertaining to the Association of American Railroads – Class I Freight railroad / carriers and their biased position feeling emboldened not to negotiate amicably with unionized railroad labor, as National Negotiations are on the horizon.

AAR – https://www.aar.org/about-us/aar-members/

That being said, let’s not leave anything to chance, locate the information below and form an understanding. Please contact your U.S. Senator(s) listed to include the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, and let them know you support H.R 2, Invest in America Act and H.R. 7681,and would appreciate their supportive efforts towards its successful passage out of the U.S.Senate. Connect with family, friends and co-workers in your networks, ask them to assist in these efforts. Every inroad made is one conversation closer to the desired outcome. Additionally, keep your eyes on and follow S. 2922 and H.R. 7616 as listed below.

Background of H.R. 2: or as it is more commonly known, INVEST in America Act (Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act), has stalled in the Senate. As we’ve seen, there’s gridlock in the Senate. If the full Senate passes a transportation or other combined infrastructure bill, Congress could move to create a conference committee to seek to reconcile the diverging visions of the House and Senate. They could try to come to agreement on a temporary extension of the five-year transportation law, known as the Fast Act, that expires in September, though members from both parties say they oppose such a move. The FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) is currently the Amtrak authorization bill.

H.R. 2 at a glance

Reported to House (06/26/2020)
Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act or the INVEST in America Act

This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Among other provisions, the bill

• extends FY2020 enacted levels through FY2021 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs;
• reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2025 several surface transportation programs, including the federal-aid highway program, transit programs, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and rail programs;
• addresses climate change, including strategies to reduce the climate change impacts of the surface transportation system and conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify opportunities to enhance the resilience of the surface transportation system and ensure the efficient use of federal resources;
• revises Buy America procurement requirements for highways, mass transit, and rail;
• establishes a rebuild rural grant program to improve the safety, state of good repair, and connectivity of transportation infrastructure in rural communities;
• implements new safety requirements across all transportation modes; and
• directs DOT to establish a pilot program to demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee to restore and maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and achieve and maintain a state of good repair in the surface transportation system.

H.R.7681 – Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund Act, has been introduced in the Senate. This bill has been fashioned to provide a secure and permanent funding source for Amtrak and other rail agencies. H.R.7681 is an ultimate effort in reconciliation of the bills in the Senate and the House.

S.2922 -The Passenger Fairness Act, gives Amtrak the power to hold host railroads accountable for any delays encountered due to the issues host railroads use to delay Amtrak trains nationwide.

In July, a bill was introduced in the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) committee that contains funding for Amtrak. H.R. 7616 not only has funding and is a reauthorization bill, but it also mandates that there are no material changes to the national network in terms of schedule frequency, but it also mandates that there are to be no furloughs.

H.R. 7616 THUD at a glance

Reported to House (07/16/2020)
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2021

This bill provides FY2021 appropriations to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and several related agencies.

The bill provides appropriations to DOT for

• the Office of the Secretary,
• the Federal Aviation Administration,
• the Federal Highway Administration,
• the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,
• the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
• the Federal Railroad Administration,
• the Federal Transit Administration,
• the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation,
• the Maritime Administration,
• the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and
• the Office of Inspector General.

The bill provides appropriations to HUD for

• Management and Administration,
• Public and Indian Housing,
• Community Planning and Development,
• Housing Programs,
• the Federal Housing Administration,
• the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae),
• Policy Development and Research,
• Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity,
• the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes,
• the Cybersecurity and Information Technology Fund, and
• the Office of Inspector General.

The bill also provides appropriations to several related agencies, including

• the Access Board,
• the Federal Maritime Commission,
• the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Office of Inspector General,
• the National Transportation Safety Board,
• the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation,
• the Surface Transportation Board, and
• the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

As your Washington State Legislative Board – Chairman, I have assisted our National Legislative Office in Washington D.C., contacting and conveying our position with Congressional Leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and continue these same efforts in the U.S.Senate.

Together we stand, divided we fall.

– Shahraim

Brothers and Sisters of BLET Division 60,

Our brother in Division 15, which some of you may know, Clem Harris, wrote a very thorough message to help support the continued daily service of our national network. It goes without saying that a reduction to tri-weekly service would be devastating to many. Not only would the passengers be inconvenienced and miss connections, but our membership and membership from other crafts could see a crippling number of furloughs. I encourage all of you to call or write your US Senators to support the bills that support Amtrak through the unprecedented consequences of the pandemic. At the end of brother Clem’s email, I have adjusted the information to contact the Senators for the membership of Division 60, which include Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. Please take a few minutes to reach out to your Senators to help support so many of us who rely on Amtrak’s National Network.

Fraternally,
Patrick Christian
BLET Legislative Representative Division 60
Seattle, WA

Words from Brother Clem:

Brothers and Sisters,

Amtrak has made it known that without the passage of two bills, H.R.2 and S.2922, they intend to operate the National Network as a tri-weekly service.

H.R.2 or as it is more commonly known, INVEST in America Act (Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act), has stalled in the Senate. As we’ve seen, there’s gridlock in the Senate. If the full Senate passes a transportation or other combined infrastructure bill, Congress could move to create a conference committee to seek to reconcile the diverging visions of the House and Senate. They could try to come to agreement on a temporary extension of the five-year transportation law, known as the Fast Act, that expires in September, though members from both parties say they oppose such a move. The FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) is currently the Amtrak authorization bill.

H.R.7681 – Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund Act, has been introduced in the Senate. This bill has been fashioned to provide a secure and permanent funding source for Amtrak and other rail agencies. H.R.7681 is an ultimate effort in reconciliation of the bills in the Senate and the House.

S.2922, or as it is more commonly known, The Passenger Fairness Act, gives Amtrak the power to hold host railroads accountable for any delays encountered due to the issues host railroads use to delay Amtrak trains nationwide.

The bottom line is that regardless of where your political ideology takes you, Amtrak’s immediate future is directly tied to the reconciliation and passage of these bills. Senator Mitch McConnell has boasted that H.R.2 is more or less dead on arrival to the Senate.

I’ve avoided asking you to cast your vote for specific candidates. It is now more critical than ever that you consider candidates that are not only friendly towards the needs of labor (you), but also willing to properly fund and protect Amtrak (your paycheck). In lieu of asking you how to vote, I am asking that you take a few minutes to write not only to our Senators in New Mexico, but also Senator McConnell. We need Senator McConnell to allow the hearing of either H.R.2 or H.R.7681. Either of these bills clearly communicates (yet again) to Amtrak’s Board of Directors the direction that America wants them to go with the National Network.

During the attempted bus bridge of the Southwest Chief in 2018, the winning formula was writing letters and meeting with our elected officials. I feel that this can also be part of the winning solution in conjunction with the efforts of the passenger rail advocacy group’s efforts. Please ask your family and friends to call and write the Senators. Their contact information is listed below.

Fraternally,

Clem Harris
Local Chairman/Legislative Representative Division 15

Additional words from Brother Cleme:

The bills that I mentioned in the last message have many “lightning rod” type issues in them. As we’ve seen so far, tying our fate to one of the aforementioned bills has done little to advance our cause.

In July, a bill was introduced in the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) committee that contains funding for Amtrak. H.R. 7616 not only has funding and is a reauthorization bill, but it also mandates that there are no material changes to the national network in terms of schedule frequency, but it also mandates that there are to be no furloughs.

At the State Legislative Board level, we have recently spoken with Tom Udall’s office regarding Amtrak’s future. Senator Udall understands the value of the Southwest Chief in terms of the services it provides to the rural communities of New Mexico, but also the jobs it provides.

Additional Information:

Amtrak Empire Builder – operates from Seattle, WA to Chicago, IL / Portland, OR to Chicago, IL.

Amtrak Coast Starlight – operates from Seattle, WA to Los Angeles, CA.

Please continue to let your elected officials hear your voice on these matters.

Mitch McConnell-Senate Majority Leader

317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2541
Fax: (202) 224-2499
Email: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=ContactForm

U.S. Senators from Washington State:

Patty Murray
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-2621
Fax: 202-224-0238
Toll Free: 866-481-9186
Email: https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Maria Cantwell
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3441
Pax: 202-228-0514
Email: https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email

U.S. Senators from Oregon:

Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3753
Fax: (202) 228-3997
Email: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact

Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C., 20510
P: (202) 224-5244
F: (202) 228-2717
Email: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/email-ron

U.S. Senators from Montana

Jon Tester
311 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-2604
Phone: (202) 224-2644
Fax: (202) 224-8594
Email: https://www.tester.senate.gov/contact/

Steve Daines
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2651
Email: https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve

U.S. Senators from Idaho

James Risch
483 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-2752
Fax: 202-224-2573
Email: https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email

Mike Crapo
239 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6142
Fax: (202) 228-1375
Email: https://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/email-me

Fraternally,

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen – Washington State Legislative Board, IBT-Rail Conference: Division 238, Tacoma-Auburn-Centralia, WA / Division 518, Seattle-Everett-Bellingham, WA / Division 892, Tukwila-Seattle, WA / Division 60, Seattle-Spokane, WA / Division 104, Spokane, WA / Division 443, Spokane, WA / Division 402, Pasco-Kennewick, WA / Division 58, Wishram, WA / Division 758, Vancouver, WA