ESSB 5267/Unpaid Leave: Update

By all appearances, ESSB 5267, the bill that would extend unpaid–and unpunished–sick leave to railroaders who work in Washington, has sufficient support for passage. Knowing this, a handful of Representatives are using the Amendment process to pervert the bill’s intent, and to thereby keep it from reaching the House floor for a vote. One of those proposing ruinous amendments is Representative Mike Volz of Washington’s sixth district, an area that includes northern Spokane. Here are the Amendments offered by Representative Volz:

“NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act does not apply to employees of a railroad carrier who are covered under a collective bargaining agreement and whose schedules involve the transportation of wheat grain.”

“NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act does not apply to employees of a railroad carrier who are covered under a collective bargaining agreement and whose schedules involve the transportation of chemicals used for public water systems.

Clearly, Representative Volz relied on the railroads and their lobbyists when forming his novel understanding how we work; hence, the bizarre notion that we follow “schedules” when transporting wheat and water-treatment chemicals. Hopefully, the truth can help Mr. Volz change his mind.

It must be admitted that, of all BLET members who work territory in Washington, our terminal–at least in the short term–may gain the least from this legislation: Div. 104 members who live in “right-to-work” Idaho have no representation in Olympia, and a majority of the division’s Washington residents physically report for work in Idaho. It’s unclear how the bill would immediately aid the minority of our members who don’t work at Yardley. Our brethren who work elsewhere in Washington, however, would benefit immediately and tangibly from ESSB 5267’s passage . Efforts we make to aid the bill’s passage can be viewed as small but meaningful steps toward our own division’s long-term progress, carried out in solidarity with BLET colleagues–and other railroaders–who might right away stand to gain more than we do.

Representative Volz’s amendments would exclude us–railroad workers–from legislation written to protect railroad workers. Please contact Representative Volz and give him the opportunity to do the right thing. Urge him to withdraw his amendments to ESSB 5267. His Olympia phone number is 360-786-7922. His email address is mike.volz@leg.wa.gov.

Washington Sick Leave Legislation

The railroads and their anti-labor enablers are hunkering down against ESSB 5267, the bill that would allow railroaders working in Washington to take unpaid sick days without punishment, points, or other punitive consequences. In the course of its campaign to ensure that railroaders continue to come to work sick, BNSF executives have made outlandish claims to Washington’s elected representatives, testifying that railroaders enjoy “a great deal of scheduling flexibility;” that the Railroad Retirement Board gives railroad employees “paid time off;” and that crews can lay off “at any time, and for any reason.”

If the above sounds like an honest description of conditions under which you work, please do nothing: you’ve got a great arrangement! Everyone else should follow the link below and take a couple minutes to send your Representative a message–either by phone or by email–and ask him/her to support of ESSB 5267.

Legislators are hearing the railroads’ fictions. Let them hear the truth from you.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Update for your – URGENT, TIME IS RUNNING OUT. New Messages to Send for Washington Legislators on Safe Unpaid Leave Act and Train Length Legislation

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Surface Transportation Board Hearing Tuesday April 26, 2022 and Wednesday April 27, 2022

All GCA 150 LCs and Members:

Surface Transportation Board (stb.gov)

If you click on the link above you will see a link titled “Watch Live Hearings Here” on the upper left side of your screen. Here’s the link to the STB YouTube channel as well:

(1067) Surface Transportation Board – YouTube


The Surface Transportation Board today announced that Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is expected to provide testimony at the scheduled Board hearing on Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service, beginning on April 26, 2022.  Secretary Buttigieg will be the first speaker and will be followed by Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh, and on behalf of himself, Commissioner Carl W. Bentzel of the Federal Maritime Commission.

The Board is also announcing a revised start time for the second day of the hearing, to ensure that all witnesses will be called within the scheduled two-day hearing.  On Wednesday, April 27only, the hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET.  On Tuesday, April 26, the hearing will begin as previously scheduled at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The current hearing notice in Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service, Docket No. EP 770, may be viewed and downloaded here.  This link will be updated to include all revisions to the schedule when available.

This was my submission to the STB hearings. Copy/paste or edit as you see fit. The big thing is to get it sent in. Don’t wait till tomorrow.

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June Regular Meeting

Date: June 21st, 2023
Time: AM

Spokane Valley Eagles
16801 E Sprague Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99037