International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

S H E E T M E T A L | A I R | R A I L | T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

Transportation Division NewsJoseph Sellers Jr., SMART General President • Rich McClees, SMART General Secretary-Treasurer • John Previsich, President, Transportation Division

Volume 47 • Number 7 November 2015

Inside this issue of SMART Transportation Division News:

Short line and bus contracts ratified. See page 3.

National Legislative Office Secretary Jenny Miller meets Melissa Gilbert. See page 4.

UTU PAC 2014 Roll of Honor announced. See pages 5 & 6.

SMART TD Holiday Trinket Guide. See page 10.

WASHINGTON - The Occupational Safetyand Health Administration issued a final ruleestablishing procedures and time frames for han-dling employee retaliation complaints under theNational Transit Systems Security Act (NTSSA)and the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA).The final rule became effective Nov. 9, 2015.

NTSSA establishes protections against retalia-tion for public transportation agencyemployees who engage in whistle-blowing activities related to publictransportation safety or security.FRSA provides protectionsagainst retaliation for railroad car-rier employees who report a work-related injury or engage in other whistle-blowing activities related to railroad safety orsecurity. These protections extend to employeesof contractors and subcontractors who do workfor public transportation agencies and railroadcarriers.

Both provisions were enacted by the 9/11Commission Act of 2007. FRSA was amended in2008 to prohibit railroad carriers from denying,delaying or interfering with employees’ medicalor first aid treatment. The FRSA amendmentsalso require that injured employees be promptlytransported to the nearest hospital upon request.

“Railroad workers have the right to reportinjuries and to follow their doctor’s treatmentplans for injuries sustained in the course of theiremployment without fearing that they will beretaliated against,” said Assistant Secretary ofLabor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr.David Michaels. “Railroad and public transit

agency workers must never be silenced by thethreat of losing their job when their safety or thesafety of the public is at stake.”

In 2010, OSHA published an interim final ruleand requested public comments. The final ruleresponds to the comments, incorporates recentcase law under the statutes and updates the rulesto improve both employees’ and employers’

access to information about the case duringOSHA’s investigation and their ability to

participate in OSHA’s investigation.OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection

for Public Transportation Agency Work-ers* and Whistleblower Protection for

Railroad Workers* fact sheets explain whois covered under the acts, protected activity,

types of retaliation and the process for filing acomplaint.

The final rule stipulates and clarifies the fol-lowing:

1. Prompt medical treatment violations orinterference with medical treatment cases will behandled procedurally the same way as all otherwhistleblower cases.

2. A refusal to allow an employee to return towork, which is not based on standards recorded inthe railroad’s official policies, not uniformlyapplied or not medically reasonable, can beoffered to demonstrate that the refusal is not alegitimate safety concern, but rather motivatedby retaliatory intent.

3. The time limit to file a whistleblower com-plaint is 180 days after the railroad’s decision hasbeen made and communicated to the employee.To clarify this is when the employee is aware orshould be aware of the decision, not when theemployee learns of the retaliatory nature of theaction.

4. A contributing factor for a retaliatory actionis that the adverse action must take place withina temporal time of the protected activity, or atthe first opportunity available to the retaliatingmanager. That can be a number of years betweenthe protected activity and the retaliatory actionsin situations where the manager did not have theopportunity to retaliate until a later time.

5. Interest on awarded back pay will be com-puted by compounding daily IRS interest rates forthe underpayment of taxes, which is currentlythe Federal short-term rate plus three percent.

6. Front pay is a potential remedy where rein-statement is not possible because of the unac-ceptable working relationship, the position hasbeen abolished or the employee is medicallyunable to work because of severe depressioncaused by the retaliation.

7. OSHA has the authority to grant injunctive

OSHA issues final rule on retaliation, whistleblowing

Member dies in UP

switching accidentTroy J. Jordan, 49, of Shawnee, Kan. died

in an accident while working on UnionPacific property in Kansas City, Kan. Sept.29, 2015.

After high school, Jordan graduated fromCentral Missouri State University with abachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

He hired out with Union Pacific railroadin 2008 and became a member of SMARTTransportation Division Local 1403 (KansasCity, Mo.) that same year.

Jordan was a member of St. JosephCatholic Parish and was proud of his Irishheritage.

Jordan leaves behind his wife of nine years,Dorothy, children, McKinsey, Tyler, Shan-non, Emilee, Brianna Smith, Tori (Grant)Frazier, parents Bobbie and Joe; grandchil-dren, Brooklynn Smith, Tucker Smith,Kinadee Frazier and Carson Frazier.

Memorial contributions may be made tothe family in care of Amos Family FuneralHome, 10901 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS66203.

Transportation Division sets

2016 Regional Meetings

The SMART Transportation Division has set the dates and locations of the union’s two 2016 regional meetings.

The western regional meeting will be held July 4-6 in San Francisco.

The eastern regional meeting will be held July 25-27 in Chicago.

Cost for rooms at both locations is $169 per night.

Both regional meetings will run Monday through Wednesday.

The Transportation Division’s officers and director of meeting management will continue to finalize details of both meetings in the coming months. Check www.utu.org regularly for meeting updates.

relief such as expunging certain personnel files,not applying a policy to an employee, posting anotice regarding a whistleblower result, trainingfor managers, etc.

8. Hearsay evidence is admissible.9. An employee filing a complaint in district

court must give notice to OSHA within sevendays after filing the complaint.

10. An employee may file both a whistleblowerand a FELA complaint at the same time. If viola-tions of other laws are involved, employees mayalso file those complaints at the same time.

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisionsof 22 statutes protecting employees who reportviolations of various securities, commercialmotor vehicle, airline, nuclear power, pipeline,environmental, rail, maritime, health care, work-place safety and health, and consumer productsafety laws and regulations. For more informa-tion, please visit www.whistleblowers.gov.

Under the Occupational Safety and HealthAct of 1970, employers are responsible for pro-viding safe and healthful workplaces for theiremployees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these condi-tions for America’s working men and women. Formore information, visit www.osha.gov.

Page 2 November 2015 SMART TD News

Around the SMARTAround the SMART TDTD

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

Auxiliary of the UTU Shooting Stars Lodge 711 held their annual children’s Christmas party Nov. 22. The lodge held the party in support of SMART TD Local 1374 (New Castle, Pa.). About 145 members and their families attended this catered event, free of charge. All children in attendance received a gift from Santa Claus and were read to by Mrs. Claus. “We could not have held this event without the generous support of DLC Matt Darby of Berman, Sobin, Gross, Feldman & Darby, and Pennsylvania State Legislative Direc-tor Paul Pokrowka,” Lodge President Anita Rayner said.

Local 426, Spokane, Wash.This local suffered the loss of member Christo-

pher Gross, 27. Before hiring out with BNSF, Gross served as a U.S. Marine sergeant and par-ticipated in three tours of duty, one in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, and was in MARSOC Spe-cial Operations for five years. Gross received sev-eral awards and medals for his service.After he left the military, Gross moved to Idaho and hired out as a train conductor. Gross was a member of the Gilbertsville Fire Department, FD EMS Explorers Post 44, Boy Scouts Troop 44 and the Gilbertsville Baptist Church. Gross leaves behind a wife and two daughters. A GoFundMe account has been set up for financial support of the family. Members wishing to make a donation may go to https://www.gofundme.com/sgtchrisgross or send a check to Kassandra Gross, 105 Ridges End Dr., Boerne, TX 78006.

Local 627, Wymore, Neb.This local reports that long-time Local Chair-

person John Foote retired Oct. 20, 2015 with 39.5 years of service with Burlington Northern and BNSF. Foote also served his local as legisla-tive representative for two terms prior to being elected local chairperson beginning January

Local 7, North Platte, Neb.

Local President Calvin Songster reports that his local held a summer party Aug. 1 at a ski club at Lake Maloney, Neb. Members and their fami-lies took part in swimming, games, food, raffles and fellowship. Songster said, “As a small local we could not have done it alone, so thank you to the Bremseth law firm, along with other local businesses in North Platte for sponsoring the par-ty. Thank you for all the fun. We plan on making this an annual event.”

Local 240, Los AngelesLocal Chairperson Harry J. Garvin reports that

member Bruce R. Buell, 63, lost his three-year battle with cancer Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Mary Jean Schofield; daughters Kristen, Sandy Julian, Rejeana Williams, Crystal Thacker and Merrie Kate Buell; sons Timothy and Quinn Buell; par-ents Robert Buell and Mary Costello; brother Kevin Buell; and 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Rd., Burlington, NC 27215.

UTU Auxiliary Lodge 711,New Castle, Pa.

Members of Auxiliary Lodge 711 put together their annualchildren’s Christmas party in support of SMART TDLocal 1374. Lodge members are seen here with Mr. andMrs. Claus and two elves.

2003, a position which Foote held until his retire-ment.

Local 1607, Los Angeles

Local 1607 member Socorro Cisneros-Her-nandez (left) met with Rep. Paul Cook (R -Calif.) to ask him to co-sponsor H.R. 1763, the Safe Freight Act. “The meeting with Congress-man Cook went favorably and he indicated that we can count on his support to co-sponsor H.R. 1763,” Cisneros-Hernandez said. National Leg-islative Director John Risch thanked Cisneros-Hernandez saying, “It makes all the difference in the world when congressional folks hear from the folks back home, especially face-to-face. Thank you for doing this and all you do for our member-ship.”

Local 1607, Montebello, Calif.GCA BNSF General Chairperson Tom Pate

reports that several members of this local attend-ed a c a m p a i g n fundraiser in support of Councilwoman Christina Cortez of Montebello, Calif. “Council-woman Cortez has been one of the only members of the council who has been supportive of SMART TD members’ pursuit of wage increases during negotiations. As a result, we made a con-tribution to Cortez’s campaign with our PAC funds.”

Members of Local 1596 are pictured here during cleanup of their "adopt a city street." From left are N.C. Legislative Board Vice Chairperson Edrow Wingo, LCA TMM (Transit Management of Charlotte, Inc.) Secretary Michael Jenkins with his two daughters, Local Trustee Bernard Romero, Vice Local Chairperson Gary Moore, Local President James Hin-ton, General Chairperson (GCA TMM) Craig Patch, Reginia Goode and Weston Page.

Local Treasurers attend training workshop in Kansas City, Mo.SMART TD conducted a two-day treasurers’

workshop in Kansas City, Mo., where 35 localtreasurers gathered to learn about their responsi-bilities and reporting duties. The workshop wasconducted by Auditors Bobby Brantley, MikeAraujo and John Purcell as well as SMART TDDirector of Billing Audit/Updating MarilynSpangler.

The workshop focused on direct receipts, Win-Stabs, working the billings and mandatory filingsrequired by the IRS and U.S. Department ofLabor.

“The workshop was a success with many newtreasurers in attendance,” Spangler said.

Look for details about the next treasurers’ work-shop coming Spring 2016. Details will be postedon www.utu.org as they become available.

Local 1596, Charlotte, N.C.

Top left: Local treasurers stop for a photo during a break inbetween training sessions.

Top right: Auditor Bobby Brantley (right) spends someone-on-one time with a treasurer and answers questions.

Bottom: Local treasurers attentively listen at one of thetraining sessions offered during the workshop.

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

Page 3November 2015 SMART TD News

The mainte-nance workersof First StudentInc. of BusLocal 1908 inR o c h e s t e r ,N.Y. have rati-fied a four-yeara g r e em e n t .

The agreement was approved with 17 members voting for the agreement and one against.

This collective effort improved work rules, created travel time per diem for techs and increased boot and tool allowance. Additionally, a wage increase of 9.5 percent with an Automated Service Excellence (ASE) incentive program increased hourly wages up to 80 cents per hour.

ASE are certification tests (diesel engines, sus-pension and steering, heating and A/C, brakes, preventative maintenance, etc.) taken by mechanics. After passing, the mechanics will receive 10 cents per test for a maximum of eight tests. First Student has agreed to pay for each test and for one retest. Each certification lasts for five years before the mechanics will have to be re-certified. A mechanic can pick and choose which tests he or she would like to take and receive the incentive.

“I would like to give recognition to Local Chairperson Jonathan Connors, with the nego-tiating committee; Vice Local Chairperson Doug Pearce, Local Committee Secretary Todd Cle-venger, Shop Steward Mark Meuse and Techni-cians Sean Irwin and Chris Divens. Everyone worked long evenings in the effort to bring a superior agreement to the membership in Rochester,” Alternate Vice President-Bus Alvy Hughes said.

SMART TransportationDivision Director ofOrganizing Rich Rossreports that non-oper-ating employees ofCentral Maine &Quebec Railway

(CMQ) located in Her-mon, Maine, have voted

in overwhelming favor of rep-resentation by the SMART Transportation Divi-sion.

The National Mediation Board certified theelection results October 28, 2015. “I would liketo thank SMART TD Organizer Larry Grutzius(Local 1895 – Chicago) for all of his hard work inthis campaign,” Ross said.

CMQ is a Class III freight railroad responsiblefor car repair, car storage and switching servicesin the states of Maine and Vermont. The non-operating employees build and repair track andtrack infrastructure, repair and inspect freightcars and locomotives. CMQ operates 220 miles oftrack in Maine and 23 miles in Vermont. Therailway is owned by Railroad Acquisition Hold-ings, LLC.

SMART Trans-portation Division Local 30 engineers, conductors and transportation spec-ialists ratified their tentative agreement with Tri-Rail/Transdev.

The agreement, which passed by an over-whelming majority, provides members a fair wage with affordable healthcare for themselves and their families.

“I would like to thank the members for staying united throughout the lengthy negotiations,” said GO-769 General Chairperson Dirk Sampson. “We would not have been able to have this successful outcome without the assistance of SMART Transportation Division Vice President Jeremy Ferguson. Brother Ferguson, with the help of Local 30’s Local Chairperson Andy D’Egidio and Vice Local Chairperson John Britt, made a team that enabled us to negotiate an agreement that will provide the members with a 9.24 percent wage increase over the three-year period. It also maintains our high standards of health and wel-fare benefits with only a modest increase in bi-weekly premiums.”

Members can expect to see the increase in bi-weekly contributions applied in the next pay peri-od, and a retroactive wage payment that will fol-low.

The Tri-Rail system serves a 72-mile corridor running parallel to Interstate 95 between West Palm Beach in the North to Miami in the South. It provides service to three major airports. There are 18 stations en route, which provide ticket vending services for customers as well as electronic train information signs. The service is designed to integrate with local bus routes at every station to ensure excellent connections and seamless passenger service. Transdev employs 85 people who operate 50 trains each weekday, carry-ing 16,000 passengers every day.

First Student maintenanceworkers ratify contract

Central Maine & QuebecRailway votes SMART

Tri-Rail/Transdev agreement ratified

SMART TD-repre-sented trainmenemployed by Paducahand Louisville Railway(P&L) have ratified anew five-year agree-ment by an over-whelming majority.

The agreement provides for wage increases retroactive to January 1, 2014, and each year through Dec. 31, 2018, for a 16 percent cumula-tive increase.

In addition to the general wage increases, the agreement provides full back-pay, an increase in certification and meal allowance payments, increases in 401K contributions and a cap to health and welfare contributions over the life of the agreement. The agreement also establishes call windows for regular assignments, preserves cost of living adjustments and improves bereave-ment and personal leave provisions.

“General Committee of Adjustment 433 (CN Illinois Central) General Chairperson Adren Crawford, retired General Chairperson Red Dare, former General Committee Secretary JJ Russum, Vice General Chairperson Jonathan Dooley and Local 785 (Paducah, Ky.) Chairper-son Jason Luscombe did an outstanding job of bringing the members’ concerns to the table and negotiating an agreement with dramatic improvements in wages and working conditions,” said Vice President Dave Wier.

P & L t r a i n m e n a p p r o v ef i v e - y e a r c o n t r a c t

Organizing department attends classMembers of SMART, including

members from the Transportation Division, attended a week-long organ-izing class at Kellogg West Conference Center, Pomona, Calif. Representa-tives present from SMART TD were Director of Organizing Rich Ross, Organizer Bonnie Morr, Alt. Bus VP and Organizer Alvy Hughes and Organizer Larry Grutzius.

SMART Director of Organizing James White and SMWIA Outside Counsel Richard McCracken put on the class. The class taught attendees about the development of an overall strategic plan for their organizing

departments and included creating an organizingaction plan; analyzing tactics; strategies andgoals; and how to build comprehensive researchfor campaigns and the legal considerations of var-ious tactics.

“The class was very helpful and beneficial toboth transportation and production. We arelooking forward to taking another class,” Rosssaid. “Chris Carlough, Frank Greer and RichardMcCracken were excellent in their presenta-tions.”

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

November 2015 SMART TD News Page 4

State Watch News from SMART TD State Legislative Boards

National Legislative Office

State Legislative Director Paul Pokrowka (middle left) andAlternate National Legislative Director Greg Hynes (mid-dle right) discussed PTC, ECP brakes and inward-facingcameras with Rail Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Denham(R - Calif.) on left and Transportation & InfrastructureChairman Bill Shuster (R - Pa.) on right.

Dist. 85) and Rep. Andy Thompson (R - Dist. 95).

In other news, a two-person crew bill (S.B. 229) was introduced in the Ohio Senate by Sen.Joe Schiavoni (D - Dist. 33) and Sen. KennyYuko (D - Dist. 25). The bill has bi-partisan sup-port and calls for penalties of up to $10,000. Thebill has been referred to the Public Utilities Com-mittee.

“I am requesting that every member in Ohio contact the senators of the Public Utilities Com-mittee and urge them to support S.B. 229,” urged Gardner. “Email and call your state senators and tell them to support S.B. 229 for the safety of our members and the general public that resides near railroad tracks.”

For more information on finding your Ohio Representatives and sample emails, go to: http://utu.org/2015/10/23/slb-calls-ohioans-to-action-on-two-person-crew-bill/.

Pennsylvania

Pictured from left: Jenny Miller, of the National Legisla-tive office, meets with Melissa Gilbert. The former "LittleHouse on the Prairie" star is running for congress in Michi-gan's District 8. She has also served as president of theScreen Actors Guild union.

Submit your legislative stories by emailingnews_td@smart-union.org.

California has more museums dedi-cated to railroads than any other state inour country – and it’s easy to see why.From the transcontinental railroad tothe developing high-speed rail system,rail transportation has played a signifi-cant role in shaping this state’s history.

The people of California believe pas-senger rail is key to the state’s future,too. At a public hearing in Modesto lastsummer, plans to improve and expand passengerrail service received overwhelming support fromarea residents, Republicans and Democrats alike.And a new poll prepared by Dean Mitchell ofDFM Research found those same sentiments areshared by the people of California’s 10th Con-gressional District.

Those living in the district enjoy six dailyAmtrak train routes in the San Joaquin Valley,running from Bakersfield to Sacramento and theBay Area. More than 8 of 10 polled say they wantto see Amtrak service increased or at least remainthe same, and more than 80 percent want com-muter rail services increased or maintained atcurrent levels.

Modesto-area residents aren’t alone. AsAmtrak continues to grow in popularity – rider-ship hit an all-time high in 2014 with 31 millionpassengers – an overwhelming majority of Amer-icans support increasing passenger rail service in

In addition to expanded passenger railservice, Californians also say emphati-cally that they favor policies making railtransportation safer.

Not unlike the views of most Ameri-cans, the idea of running 19,000-tonfreight trains – many containing haz-ardous materials – with only one crewmember doesn’t sit well with the peopleof the 10th Congressional District. With

up to 50 freight trains running through the regioneach day, a stunning 95 percent of residents sup-port a state law requiring a minimum of two crewmembers on all freight trains running throughCalifornia – such as the one signed into law inSeptember by Gov. Jerry Brown.

More than 90 percent of those surveyed wantnational legislation mandating the same thing.This issue impacts passenger rail safety as well,because in most parts of the country Amtrakshares the tracks with freight trains.

Californians understand that having a safe,efficient rail system is vital to a strong economy.We need actions that can bring relief to a cloggedtransportation system that is choking productivi-ty, stunting job creation and undermining effortsto grow our economy. California voters couldn’tbe more clear: they like passenger rail service,they want more of it and they expect their elect-ed officials to make it as safe as possible.

all parts of the country, both in traditionally blueand red states from the South, to the Midwestand Northeast.

Sadly, not everyone is hearing this call.Some in Congress continue to fight the old

anti-Amtrak wars by proposing the eliminationof all federal funding to support the service,which would bankrupt the railroad and strandriders in California and across America. Whilethose efforts have failed, the persistence of anti-passenger rail forces has strengthened resolve toadvance a robust passenger rail expansion andmodernization plans.

Like the vast majority of Americans, most res-idents of Stanislaus County, Calif. and the sur-rounding areas have shown they don’t agree withsuch proposals. In fact, when told that Amtrakgets over $1 billion per year in federal support,more than 80 percent say want to continue thecurrent funding level.

Previsich, TTD’s Wytkind: ‘We want trains to be safer’

By John Previsich & Edward Wytkind

SMARTSMART

Transportation DivisionTransportation Division

President’s ColumnPresident’s Column

Alt. National Legislative Director Greg Hynes (left) and National Legislative Director John Risch (right) meet with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D - Miss.).

OhioSMART TD Ohio State Legislative Director

Stu Gardner reports right-to-work (for less) leg-islation (H.B. 377) was introduced in the Ohio House by Rep. Tom Brinkman (R - Dist. 27) in October. Brinkman received opposition to the bill’s introduction by fellow Republicans. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Kristina Roegner (R - Dist. 37), Rep. Paul Zeltwanger (R - Dist. 54), Rep. John Becker (R - Dist. 65), Rep. Tim Schaffer (R - Dist. 77), Rep. Ron Hood (R - District 78), Rep. Robert McColley (R - Dist. 81), Rep. Jim Buchy (R - Dist. 84), Rep. A. Nino Vitale (R -

UtahState Legislative Director

Jay Seegmiller reports thatthree out of the four politicalcampaigns that the legisla-tive board endorsed wontheir elections.

The board endorsed SaltLake City CouncilmanCharlie Luke, Salt Lake CityMayor Jacki Biskupski,Draper City Councilwoman

Michele Weeks and SMART TD WashingtonState Legislative Director Herb Krohn for a seaton the Seattle Port Commission. Unfortunately,Krohn lost his election.

In other news, the board started an educationaldrive in October, geared toward educating thegeneral public on the Safe Freight Act or H.R.1763, the national two-person crew bill.

Seegmiller reports SMART TD members andofficers distributed over 3,000 leaflets to citizensof Utah’s first congressional district.

Vice Local Chairperson Dan Brewer (1554),Local President Frank Buck (1554), LocalChairperson Ryan Cornia (1554), Pete Gasiu-nas (1554), Jeremy Hansen (238), ChristineMellor (1366), Boyd Redington (238), JustinStocks (1366) and Pat Winslow (1554) were allinstrumental in distributing the leaflets withSeegmiller. The leaflets directed citizens to thewebsite www.safertrains.org to read more aboutthe Safe Freight Act, which saw a large influx ofactivity after the leaflets had been distributed.

“Our recent success is attributed to memberinvolvement, and new aggressive outside-the-box approaches,” Seegmiller said. “I want tothank our members, here in Utah, who are reallystepping up to the plate contributing time andwearing out shoes dropping flyers on doorsteps.

“Additionally, last state legislative session wehad 45 SMART TD and BLET members show upat the Utah State Capitol for the debate of a crewvan bill in the Utah Senate. One of the senatorson the senate floor acknowledged the railroadersin the gallery. That made quite an impression.”

Seegmiller

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

Page 5 Page 6November 2015 SMART-TD News November 2015 SMART-TD News

I, (please print) , of Local ,proudly pledge to UTU PAC the amount indicated below annually, to be pro-rated monthly and collected with myunion dues.

� $ per year � $60 per year � $120 per year � $300 per yearBronze Club Silver Club Gold Club

� $365 per year � $600 per year � $1,200 per year � $2,500 per yearDollar-A-Day Club Diamond Club Platinum Club President’s Circle

� I wish to contribute $ per month, or I would like to make a one-time contribution of $ . (Please enclose a check to “UTU PAC” with this form.)

� I am a retired member of Local and I still want to help my union. I am enclosing a contri-bution of $ to UTU PAC. (Please enclose a check to “UTU PAC” with this form.)

Signature Effective date

UTU PAC reports are filed with the Federal Election Commission, 999 E St. N.W., Washington, DC 20463, and are available for inspection from that agencyand appropriate state agencies. Contributions or gifts to UTU PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

UTU PAC contributions for 2014Your top UTU PAC contributors

Alabama598 Mobile .31622 Birmingham 2.16762 Montgomery 1.82772 Sheffield .64847 Birmingham .811053 Selma .351291 Birmingham 1.531887 Fairfield .001972 Birmingham .25State Average .87

Alaska1626 Anchorage 1.54State Average 1.54

Arizona113 Winslow 7.79807 Tucson 3.061081 Glendale 14.701629 Phoenix 4.461800 Tucson 2.97State Average 6.60

Arkansas221 North Little Rock 1.54462 Pine Bluff 2.03507 Van Buren 2.95656 North Little Rock .57733 DeQueen 4.50950 West Memphis 11.37State Average 3.83

California23 Santa Cruz 1.8531 San Jose 9.8432 Glendale 1.4384 Los Angeles 2.70 98 San Luis Obispo 2.06100 Oakland .63239 Oakland .80240 Los Angeles 5.41492 Sacramento .44694 Dunsmuir 2.37771 Needles 1.34811 San Bernardino 3.37835 Bakersfield 1.071201 Stockton 1.061241 Richmond .671252 Fresno .221422 Los Angeles 1.901544 Maywood 3.031563 El Monte 1.161564 Los Angeles 1.301565 West Hollywood 1.171570 Roseville .941581 Bakersfield 2.421584 Lancaster .001607 Los Angeles 1.151608 Chatsworth 1.691674 Los Angeles 5.741694 Barstow .231700 Perris .001701 Montebello .001730 Richmond .501732 San Jose 1.201741 San Francisco .001770 Los Angeles .781785 Santa Monica .431801 Martinez .411813 West Colton .661846 West Colton .54State Average 1.59

Colorado40 Denver .00201 Trinidad .73202 Denver 2.99204 Pueblo 3.76500 Grand Junction 2.90945 La Junta 2.831136 Sterling 2.73State Average 2.28

Connecticut277 Hartford .00328 New Haven .041361 New Haven .921672 New London .31State Average .32

Delaware1378 Wilmington 2.77State Average 2.77

District of Columbia1522 Washington 1.241933 Washington 2.98State Average 2.11

Florida30 Jacksonville 3.22903 Jacksonville .591035 Lakeland .131138 Miami 4.081221 Tampa .72

Average UTU PAC contribution per member, per month in dollars for 2014

1312 Pensacola .271502 Wildwood 1.161504 Sanford 1.26State Average 1.43

Georgia511 Atlanta 1.63535 Macon 1.52674 Augusta 1.42941 Columbus .75998 Waycross .861031 Savannah 1.481033 Atlanta .661245 Atlanta .971261 Atlanta 1.271263 Valdosta .861598 Manchester .641790 Fitzgerald .41910 Macon 1.301971 Atlanta .64State Average 1.03

Idaho78 Pocatello 6.25265 Pocatello 1.931058 Nampa 2.07State Average 3.42

Illinois168 Chicago 2.47171 Aurora 1.05195 Galesburg 3.20196 Beardstown 3.16198 Peoria .14234 Bloomington 9.37258 Rock Island 1.11432 Champaign-Urbana 3.39445 Niota 2.26453 Clinton 2.88469 Madison 4.30528 Chicago 1.23565 Centralia 5.87577 Northlake 1.49597 Des Plaines 4.81620 Chicago 2.44653 Blue Island 1.93740 Joliet .86768 Decatur 2.42979 Salem .401003 Kankakee 1.361083 Villa Grove 1.251258 Elgin 3.031290 Chicago 2.881299 Chicago 3.101358 Danville 1.161402 Dupo 1.981421 Franklin Park 9.071423 Galesburg 1.321433 Elmwood Park 1.411494 Chicago 3.861525 Carbondale 5.481534 Chicago 2.761597 Chicago 3.331883 Riverdale 2.051895 Chicago 2.131929 East St. Louis 2.211973 Chicago 1.41State Average 2.75

Indiana6 Indianapolis 1.79194 Elkhart 2.81206 Peru 3.91298 Garrett 5.18333 North Vernon 3.20490 Princeton 9.27744 Frankfort 6.19904 Evansville 2.841202 Fort Wayne 2.231381 Hammond 1.631383 Gary .431518 Indianapolis 3.821526 Michigan City 2.251548 Indianapolis 3.581620 Elkhart 4.491663 Indianapolis 2.62State Average 3.52

Iowa17 Marshalltown 2.45199 Creston 3.51228 Cedar Rapids 1.62306 Eagle Grove 2.00316 Clinton 1.49329 Boone 1.71418 Sioux City .92493 Waterloo 2.89646 Council Bluffs 1.80867 Des Moines 2.53State Average 2.09

Kansas44 Phillipsburg 3.8494 Kansas City 3.82412 Kansas City 3.90464 Arkansas City 1.04477 Newton 1.16495 Salina 1.91

506 Herington 2.16527 Coffeyville .97533 Osawatomie .68707 Marysville 8.72763 Pittsburg .97774 Atchison 1.07794 Wellington 3.031227 Wichita 1.551409 Kansas City 1.821503 Marysville 5.241532 Kansas City 4.96State Average 2.76

Kentucky376 Louisville .32573 Danville .44630 Ashland 1.15785 Paducah .361190 Ludlow .631310 Loyall .121315 Covington .411316 Ravenna .921328 Louisville .611377 Russell .971567 Corbin 1.391963 Louisville .33State Average .64

Louisiana659 Leesville .70781 Shreveport 1.46976 Shreveport 2.411066 New Orleans .531337 New Orleans .771458 DeQuincy 2.021501 Baton Rouge 2.641545 Monroe 1.461678 Minden 1.691836 New Orleans 1.031947 Lake Charles 1.18State Average 1.44

Maryland430 Cumberland .98600 Cumberland .30610 Baltimore .26631 Brunswick 1.511470 Edmonston 4.171949 Baltimore .33State Average 1.26

Michigan72 Battle Creek 1.25278 Jackson 7.78313 Grand Rapids 8.04320 Saginaw 2.75886 Marquette 4.601075 Trenton 8.871183 Port Huron 2.781438 Lincoln Park 1.051477 Dearborn .881709 Pontiac 9.211760 Detroit 2.05State Average 4.48

Minnesota650 Minneapolis 3.97911 Minneapolis 1.491000 Minneapolis 1.841067 Virginia 5.111175 Duluth 3.831177 Willmar 1.721292 Proctor 2.081614 St. Paul 1.801976 St. Paul 1.05State Average 2.54

Mississippi427 McComb 1.81584 Meridian 1.25853 Amory .481088 Jackson .271334 Hattiesburg 1.12State Average .99

Missouri5 Kansas City 2.57185 Brookfield 3.89219 Hannibal 9.23226 Moberly 1.79259 St. Joseph 5.06303 Springfield 2.21330 Poplar Bluff 1.10349 Kansas City 4.56607 Thayer 2.73643 Kahoka 3.45933 Jefferson City 4.53947 Chaffee 2.141216 Kansas City 2.411388 St. Louis 2.631403 Kansas City 1.511405 St. Louis 4.351704 Kansas City .001780 Kansas City 4.691823 St. Louis 3.251975 Kansas City 1.29State Average 3.17

Montana486 Glendive 1.95544 Havre 5.67730 Great Falls 3.82891 Whitefish 6.491840 Glasgow 5.10State Average 4.61

Nebraska7 North Platte 2.78200 North Platte 3.45257 Morrill 1.52286 North Platte 6.21305 Lincoln 2.09367 Omaha 3.53626 McCook 3.81627 Wymore 3.72872 Omaha 6.19934 Alliance 1.86962 Alliance 3.70State Average 3.53

Nevada1043 Sparks 1.181117 Las Vegas 8.461775 Elko 3.78State Average 4.47

New England States254 Fitchburg 2.81262 Boston 2.10352 West Springfield .56587 Greenfield .37663 Bangor .64679 Attleboro .00898 Boston .171400 South Portland .131462 Boston 2.671473 Boston 1.17State Average 1.06

New Jersey60 Newark 2.04710 Newark .14759 Newark .26800 Jersey City 3.471390 Trenton .601413 Jersey City 1.421445 Elizabeth 2.711447 Newark 1.471558 Bergenfield .721589 New Brunswick .081702 North Brunswick .00State Average 1.17

New Mexico1168 Clovis 2.521687 Belen 3.77State Average 3.14

New York1 Buffalo .7329 Babylon .8695 Rensselaer .30153 Spring Valley .00167 Albany .47211 Binghamton .17212 Albany .17256 Watervliet .49292 East Syracuse .00318 Hornell .87377 Salamanca .03394 Albany .24645 Babylon 2.02722 Babylon 1.70982 Rochester .001007 Syracuse .061370 New York .871393 Buffalo .331440 Staten Island .401491 Port Jervis .001566 Buffalo .321582 Albany .261831 Babylon 3.991908 Buffalo .011951 Albany .281978 New York .83State Average .59

North Carolina0782 Asheville 3.700783 Spencer .401011 Hamlet .351105 Wilmington 1.001106 Rocky Mount .761129 Raleigh 15.851166 Charlotte 1.181596 Charlotte .501715 Charlotte .02State Average 2.64

North Dakota0525 Grand Forks .620887 Harvey 2.170980 Enderlin 2.931059 Minot 1.491137 Fargo 2.331344 Mandan 2.72State Average 2.04

UTU Political Action Committee Donation Form

24950 Country Club Blvd., Suite 340, North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333

“To have a strong union, you must have a voice in your local union, attendyour local union meetings and support and contribute to your PAC fund. Hereat Local 854, all members (100 percent) contribute to the PAC fund. Weteach our new members by example. I am a proud Gold Club member. WhenI greet a new member with an application to join, they also receive a PACform with information that all 854 members support our PAC.”

Ronnie R. Hobbs, Local 854 Legislative Rep.

Robert “Scott” JonesLocal 1081

Jared M. CostelloLocal 1129

Ronnie R. HobbsLocal 854

Darin D. JessupLocal 31

Brian J. HageleLocal 234

Shawn NanceLocal 490

Joseph H. WingerterLocal 219

Steven R. EvansLocal 950

Kamron T. SaundersLocal 508

Christopher H. WilliamsLocal 1709

Ohio2 Toledo .2714 Cincinnati .07138 Lima .68145 Columbus .26225 Bellevue 1.04284 Cleveland 1.05378 Cleveland .16421 Conneaut 1.07440 Sharonville .51496 Portsmouth .15586 Willard .44601 Crestline .00792 Cleveland .20860 Middleport .06991 Steubenville .141365 Youngstown .781376 Columbus .981397 Columbus 1.291529 Walbridge .381816 Toledo .471928 Toledo 1.081948 Youngstown .321962 Toledo 1.04State Average .54

Oklahoma770 Heavener .42894 Tulsa 1.521016 Enid 1.581042 Oklahoma City 4.061188 Oklahoma City 1.301289 Tulsa 1.89State Average 1.80

Oregon0283 Portland 5.230471 Eugene 3.600473 La Grande 3.531573 Klamath Falls 1.781574 Portland 1.641841 Klamath Falls 4.18State Average 3.33

Pennsylvania61 Philadelphia .68172 Darby .00300 Philadelphia 1.09309 Altoona .00340 Connellsville .11386 Reading .57498 Allentown .36596 Albion .00632 Altoona .00816 Harrisburg .49830 Harrisburg .66838 Philadelphia 2.071006 Brownsville .041074 Freeport .111373 Philadelphia 1.591374 New Castle 1.201375 Philadelphia 3.021379 Pittsburgh .191418 Conway .221594 Upper Darby .761628 Pittsburgh 1.04State Average .68

South Carolina407 Charleston .50793 Columbia 2.46931 Greenville .85942 Florence .23970 Abbeville .611814 Spartanburg 3.09State Average 1.29

South Dakota64 Huron 2.68233 Aberdeen .21375 Edgemont .54State Average 1.14

Tennessee338 Chattanooga 1.19339 Jackson 6.36750 Knoxville 1.61753 Memphis .00974 Nashville .631162 Erwin .261301 Knoxville .201308 Bruceton/Hollow .841314 Etowah .411345 Knoxville .091346 Nashville .171420 Memphis .461557 Memphis 1.641703 Knoxville .00State Average .99

Texas9 Slaton 3.3211 Houston .2418 El Paso 1.4120 Beaumont .72243 Fort Worth 1.30293 Houston .76331 Temple 1.20439 Tyler 2.95

489 San Antonio 3.30508 Smithville 12.07513 Gainesville 1.66524 Palestine .81564 Cleburne .66569 Ennis 1.66594 Mineola 2.58756 San Antonio 1.87773 Galveston 2.69818 Fort Worth .81821 Del Rio 6.91823 Big Spring .26857 San Antonio 1.95878 Greenville .93923 Dalhart .51937 Mart 1.46940 Wichita Falls 2.81949 Sherman .13953 Victoria 3.65965 Dallas 1.771092 Teague 2.121205 Kingsville 1.381313 Amarillo 2.961524 Houston .201571 El Paso 2.601593 Brownwood 2.231670 Laredo 1.571886 Houston 1.461892 Houston .441904 Houston 3.551918 El Paso 1.281957 Silsbee 5.781974 Fort Worth 1.82State Average 2.14

Utah166 Salt Lake City 6.81238 Ogden 1.551294 Milford 2.341366 Salt Lake City .721554 Ogden 2.49State Average 2.78

Virginia48 Norfolk .65363 Roanoke .98623 Clifton Forge 1.74662 Richmond .54706 Roanoke .82769 Alexandria 1.49854 Portsmouth 19.15924 Richmond .55971 Crewe 2.591601 Appalachia .00State Average 2.85

Washington117 Vancouver 4.00161 Seattle .23324 Seattle 1.80426 Spokane .97556 Tacoma 2.96845 Seattle 1.69855 Spokane 1.46977 Pasco 1.031238 Vancouver .461348 Centralia 1.791505 Spokane 1.111637 Wishram 1.881713 Everett .491977 Seattle .64State Average 1.46

West Virginia118 Hinton .05504 Wheeling .36605 Grafton 3.45655 Bluefield .12915 Handley .831062 Huntington 1.751172 Mullens .591327 Peach Creek .071386 Parkersburg .081869 Williamson 1.51State Average .88

Wisconsin281 Milwaukee 3.57311 La Crosse 5.76312 Madison 8.62322 Milwaukee 5.71581 Green Bay 2.35582 Stevens Point 2.17583 Fond du Lac 3.05590 Portage 2.38832 Superior 2.241293 Altoona 1.661382 Milwaukee .24State Average 3.43

Wyoming446 Cheyenne 2.46465 Gillette 2.03866 Rawlins 1.63951 Sheridan 5.221279 Greybull 3.941280 Casper 3.331857 Green River 5.86State Average 3.49

Local AmountArizona $6.60Montana 4.61Michigan 4.48Nevada 4.47Arkansas 3.83Nebraska 3.53Indiana 3.52Wyoming 3.49Wisconsin 3.43Idaho 3.42Oregon 3.33Missouri 3.17New Mexico 3.14Virginia 2.85Utah 2.78Delaware 2.77Kansas 2.76Illinois 2.75North Carolina 2.64Minnesota 2.54Colorado 2.28Texas 2.14District of Columbia 2.11Iowa 2.09North Dakota 2.04Oklahoma 1.80California 1.59Alaska 1.54Washington 1.46Louisiana 1.44Florida 1.43South Carolina 1.29Maryland 1.26New Jersey 1.17South Dakota 1.14New England States 1.06Georgia 1.03Mississippi .99Tennessee .99West Virginia .88Alabama .87Pennsylvania .68Kentucky .64New York .59Ohio .54Connecticut .32

How does yourstate stack up?(Average UTU PAC contributions permember, per month)

(Average UTU PAC contributions per member per month)

Local City Amount

854 Portsmouth, Va. $19.15Ronnie R. Hobbs, Legislative Rep.

1129 Raleigh, N.C. 15.85Jared M. Costello, Legislative Rep.

1081 Glendale, Ariz. 14.70Robert S. Jones, Legislative Rep.

508 Smithville, Texas 12.07Kamron T. Saunders, Legislative Rep.

950 West Memphis, Ark. 11.37Steven R. Evans, Legislative Rep.

31 San Jose, Calif. 9.84Darin D. Jessup, Legislative Rep.

234 Bloomington, Ill. 9.37Brian J. Hagele, Legislative Rep.

490 Princeton, Ind. 9.27Shawn Nance, Legislative Rep.

219 Hannibal, Mo. 9.23Joseph H. Wingerter, Legislative Rep.

1709 Madison, Wis. 9.21Christopher H. Williams, Legislative Rep.

If You Want a Say…Give a Dollar a Day

UTU Alumni AssociationPage 7 November 2015 SMART TD News

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

News, information for members of the UTU Alumni Association

UTUUTUAlu

mniAlu

mni

T H E F I N A L C A L L

Following are the names of recently deceased members who maintained annual membership in the UTU Alumni Association, according to reports received atSMART TD Headquarters. These brothers and sisters will be missed by their many friends and by fellow UTU Alumni Association members.

Alumni Association and Landfall Travel offer two tours in 2016

Local Name City/State Local Name City/State Local Name City/State

14 Yacenich, John W. Cincinnati, Ohio72 Henry, John R. Battle Creek, Mich.100 Carlin, Francis X. Auburn, Calif.118 Mann, Daniel W. Beaver, W.Va.198 Strand, Robert J. East Peoria, Ill.211 Lewis, F.J. Dehni, N.Y.211 Vaccaro, Michael L. Susquehanna, Pa.225 Lippert, Kenneth H. Sandusky, Ohio256 Fugere, Giles H. Newport, Vt.324 Tisdell, Harold Bemidji, Minn.403 Lalonde, Roger A. Ottawa, Ont.407 Hunt, Lee C. Charleston, S.C.426 Jenkins, Lawrence A. Clayton, Wash.440 Hoepker, Jerry C. Harrison, Ohio483 Readman, Charles W. Hamilton, Ont.496 Parsley Jr., Millard F. Lucasville, Ohio498 Kester, Donald E. Tamaqua, Pa.508 Fleming, Jimmie G. Smithville, Texas533 Lindsey Jr., Donald F. Osawatomie, Kan.565 Swain, Larry D. Dix, Ill.569 Timms, H.C. Ennis, Texas577 Hoelzel, Gavin E. Overland Park, Kan.

577 Lilja Jr., Harold Blue Island, Ill.605 McCartney, Robert G. Grafton, W.Va.610 Curd, James W. Monkton, Md.674 Kinney, James E. Greenville, S.C.744 Nelson, Ronald R. Lafayette, Ind.753 Teeters, Jimmy D. Memphis, Tenn.759 Dorfman, Joseph Saddle Brook, N.J.771 Bernal, Edward R. Needles, Calif.781 Keith Jr., Cullen B. Princeton, La.792 Peterson, Walter E. Canton, Ohio792 Oehlstrom, Kenneth A. Cleveland, Ohio811 Smith, Robert J. Las Vegas, Nev.866 Kelly, Harold L. Ft. Collins, Colo.891 Kober, Gary D. Olney, Mont.1058 Thompson, Elden A. Bliss, Idaho1074 Duncan, David J. Reynoldsville, Pa.1074 Finch Jr., Charles H. Leesburg, Fla.1139 Proulx, Real J. Gatineau, Que.1202 Reinhardt, Blaine A. Peru, Ind.1221 Wilkins, Kenneth L.New Smyrna Beach, Fla.1293 Fohrman, Albert J. Cottage Grove, Minn.1348 Gerber, Alvan G. Vancouver, Wash.

1374 Greenwood, William F. Lehigh Acres, Fla.1377 Laber, Thomas F. Ironton, Ohio1393 Galena, Daniel Lancaster, N.Y.1393 Krueger, Dale F. Lutz, Fla.1393 Meschi Jr., Robert Rochester, N.Y.1403 Coon, Charles W. Independence, Mo.1405 Leonard, Daniel L. Mountain Home, Ark.1422 Sloan, Robert L. Anaheim, Calif.1473 Frado, Edward L. Monroe, N.H.1477 Wood, Bobby O. Canton, Mich.1503 Harms, Darreld L. Grand Island, Neb.1518 Robinson, James L. Brownsburg, Ind.1532 Brown, Ronald G. Bonner Springs, Kan.1534 Spoo, Clarence K. Tinley Park, Ill.1548 Allen, Richard L. Gonzales, La.1709 Williams, James R. Port Huron, MI1732 Aven, Robert L. Fresno, Calif.1760 Heugel, Ralph C. Ft. Pierce, Fla.1947 Stein, E.L. Lake Charles, La.1963 Gill, Frederick R. Anderson, Ind.

Landfall Travel - the official travel agency ofthe UTU Alumni Association - is offering twonew trips for 2016: a train tour across Switzerlandand a river cruise along the upper Mississippi Riv-er.

Take an exotic nine-day train tour acrossSwitzerland with Cosmos Tours Sept. 23 - Oct. 1,2016. Marvel at spectacular scenery from thefirst-class carriages of the Swiss train network.Your journey begins in Zurich, where you willtravel to your next stop of Lucerne where you willspend the night. Travel through breathtakingmountain pastures and quaint villages beforereaching your next stop where you will spend thenight at Lausanne on Lake Geneva. Next you'lltravel to Zermatt and then on to St. Moritz. Yourtravel ends back where you started in Zurich.

Starting price is $2359.00 per person and therate includes most meals. Pre- and post-tour staysare optional for those interested. Airfare is not

The SMART Transportation Division is proudto announce a hearing discount programwith Amplifon Hearing Health Care.

As a SMART Transportation Divi-sion member, you and your familymembers are eligible to receivediscounts on hearing exams aswell as the purchase of hearingaids. You may also have a fundedbenefit which will help your out-of-pocket cost be significantly less. Besure to check your benefits and thencontact Amplifon to schedule yourhearing appointment to take advantage of thesavings!Did you know: Untreated hearing loss has far-reaching consequences

People say it all the time: “My hearing problemisn’t really that bad…I can get by just fine with-out hearing aids.” There’s just one problem withthis statement: it defies compelling evidence tothe contrary. Left untreated, even a mild hearingloss can negatively affect key areas of your life,including:MENTAL HEALTH

Studies have linked untreated hearing loss toirritability, negativism, anger, stress and depres-sion. A study by the National Institute on Deaf-ness and Other Communication Disorders foundthat moderate to severe depression occurred

more often among people age 18 orolder with a self-reported hearingloss (11.4 percent) versus those whohad no hearing impairment (5.9 per-cent).

PHYSICAL HEALTHEven a mild hearing loss makes you

three times more likely to fall thansomeone with normal hearing, con-cluded a study led by Johns HopkinsUniversity School of Medicine.

Injuries from falls result in annual medical costsof $20 billion, according to government reports— truly a national healthcare crisis.INCOME

Working individuals sacrifice job performanceand income if they do not hear well. Conversely,the use of hearing aids can reduce the risk ofincome loss by 90 percent to 100 percent for peo-ple with milder hearing losses and by 65 percent

to 70 percent for those who have moderate losses,reports the Better Hearing Institute (BHI).Who is Amplifon Hearing Health Care?

Amplifon Hearing Health Care is one of thelargest providers of hearing healthcare benefits inthe United States.

The Amplifon Hearing Health Care programfeatures:

• Custom hearing solutions – finding thesolution that best fits your lifestyle and yourbudget• Hearing aid low-price guarantee• A 60-day risk-free trial period• Aftercare program – including 1-year offollow-up care, 2-years of batteries and athree-year warranty• Easy access to your hearing health carebenefit — just call 1-877-310-3057If you suspect hearing loss, call Amplifon

Hearing Health Care at 1-877-310-3057 toschedule a hearing test with a credentialedAmplifon Hearing Health Care provider. Youmay also visit our website atwww.amplifonusa.com/smartTD to learn more.

included and rates are subject to change.For those who prefer to stay in the United

States, travel with the America Queen Steam-boat Company on the largest steamboat everbuilt, the American Queen. Your journey beginsOctober 2, 2016 with an overnight stay in St.Louis, where you'll awaken refreshed and readyfor your October 3 - 10 cruise. You'll sail awayfrom Alton, Ill. (near St. Louis) and stop alongthe way in Mark Twain's home town of Hanni-bal, Mo. Next, visit the city of Clinton, Iowawhere you'll get a chance to explore the historyof this fascinating river town. Explore the manyhistoric sites of Iowa's oldest city of Dubuquenext. A stop in La Crosse, Wis. is the final stopon your itinerary before your journey ends in RedWing, Minn. (near St. Paul, Minn.) on day nineof your journey.

Rates start at $1874.25 plus $149 port tax perperson for an inside cabin. This rate is based on

double occupancy. Rates and availability are sub-ject to change. Landfall Travel requires a depositof $500 per person to hold your place on board.

Interested parties can contact Landfall Traveldirectly at (440) 799-8977 or toll-free at (800)835-9233 for more information. All members arewelcome. You do not have to be a member of theAlumni Association to enjoy these travel oppor-tunities.

SMART TD introduces hearing discount program from Amplifon

November 2015 SMART TD News Page 8

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department ofTransportation’s Federal Transit Administration(FTA) is announcing the availability of $22.5million through the latest round of the Lowor No Emission Vehicle DeploymentProgram (LoNo) that will help deploythe next generation of energy-efficientvehicles nationwide. The funds areintended to encourage adoption ofgreen technologies in transit buses,such as hydrogen fuel cells and electricand hybrid engines.

“These grants will help ensure that thefuture of mass transit is energy-efficient andfriendly to the environment,” said U.S. Trans-portation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This fund-ing will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels andsupport the growing sustainable energy industryin the United States.”

The FTA’s Low or No Emission VehicleDeployment Program was established under theMoving Ahead for Progress in the 21st CenturyAct (MAP-21). It focuses on commercializingthe cleanest and most energy-efficient U.S.-madetransit buses to help reduce emissions like carbondioxide and carbon monoxide.

The LoNo program builds on the success ofFTA’s National Fuel Cell Bus Program, whichinvested in the research, development and test-

ing of alternative fuels and related equip-ment for the transit industry.

A Notice of Funding Availability forthe FTA LoNo Program can be found inthe Federal Register. The previousround of LoNo funding, announced inFebruary 2015, awarded $55 million ingrants to ten organizations nationwide.“The LoNo program has helped deploy

environmentally-sound, technologically-advanced vehicles across the country, providing abetter riding experience for passengers andimproving public health,” said Acting FTAAdministrator Therese McMillan. “By reducingfuel and maintenance costs, these modern vehi-cles are a great public investment – saving tax-payer money in the long run while poweringinnovative American enterprises.”

FTA will award the LoNo funds on a competi-tive basis to transit agencies and state transporta-tion departments working either independentlyor jointly with bus manufacturers already makinglow- and zero-emission buses. Priority will be giv-

en to proposals that, among other criteria:• Use tested bus models with proven effective-

ness, especially zero-emission models;• Exhibit strong transit agency and communi-

ty commitment, including technical and projectmanagement skills; and

• Demonstrate understanding of and accom-modation for public safety.

In addition, all LoNo procurements will haveto follow FTA Buy America regulations andundergo Bus Testing at FTA’s facility in Altoona,Pa.

Of the $22.5 million available in LoNo grantfunds, a minimum of $3 million is available tosupport facilities and related equipment. Transitagencies may also use a portion of their annualFTA formula funds to purchase additional vehi-cles.

In addition to their environmental benefits,LoNo transit buses will, in the long run, helptransit agencies save money on fuel and mainte-nance costs. According to the National Renew-able Energy Laboratory, zero-emission buses canachieve up to 87 percent greater fuel economycompared to buses running on diesel and otherfuels.

WASHINGTON – TheFederal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration (FMCSA)announced that the Com-mercial Motor Vehicle(CMV) Driver Restart Studyhas concluded data collec-tion for the congressionally-mandated naturalis-tic study of the operational, safety, health andfatigue impacts of two provisions of the hours-of-service (HOS) restart regulations.

Following the study requirements set forth byCongress, the study team collected data to com-pare five-month work schedules of drivers toassess safety critical events (e.g., crashes, near-crashes, and crash-relevant conflicts), operatorfatigue/alertness, and short-term health out-comes of drivers who operate under the HOSrestart provisions in effect between July 1, 2013and December 15, 2014, and those drivers whooperate under the provisions as in effect prior to

July 1, 2013. Drivers from a wide variety of fleet

sizes and operations provided a substan-tial amount of data throughout thecourse of the study period. More than220 participating drivers contributeddata as they drove their normal, rev-

enue-producing routes, including:

• More than 3,000 driver duty cycles, as cap-tured by electronic logging devices

• More than 75,000 driver alertness tests• More than 22,000 days of driver sleep dataData analysis has commenced, and the agency

is working towards completing the final report bythe end of the year. The agency does not havepreliminary study findings; however, FMCSA ispleased with the high volume of data collectedfrom participating drivers and expects this datawill help inform future activities by the agency aswell as the current study.

DOT announces $22.5 million for low emission buses

The Consolidated and Further ContinuingAppropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235), enactedDecember 16, 2014, suspended enforcement ofsections 395.3(c) and 395.3(d) of the HOS regu-lations. Section 395.3(c) requires a CMV driverwho wants to restart his/her weekly driving win-dow (of 60 hours on duty in seven consecutivedays, or 70 hours in eight consecutive days) to taketwo consecutive periods off duty from 1a.m. to5a.m. as part of the 34-hour (or longer) restart.Section 395.3(d) allows the voluntary 34-hourrestart to be used only once every seven days.

These provisions were enacted following exten-sive research and public comment with the goal ofreducing excessively long work hours that increaseboth the risk of fatigue-related crashes and long-term health problems for drivers. Enforcement ofthese sections will remain suspended as requiredby Congress until the Secretary of Transportationsubmits the CMV Driver Restart Study finalreport to Congress.

Bus Department News

FTA issues proposed rule on safety and repairsWASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of

Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration(FTA) Sept. 30 issued a proposed rule that wouldrequire public transportation agencies to moni-tor and manage their capital assets to achieveand maintain a state of good repair. Identifyingand prioritizing maintenance and repair needs oftransit vehicles and infrastructure could lowercosts, increase reliability and performance,reduce travel delays for passengers, promoteresilience and yield system safety improvements.

“Transit ridership is rising, public transporta-tion equipment and infrastructure are aging, andthere is a growing backlog of transit-related cap-ital maintenance needs with limited fundingavailable,” said U.S. Transportation SecretaryAnthony Foxx. “Better and more efficient man-agement of transit assets is a smart way to getmore from our investments while ensuring wemaintain the safe, reliable and accessible transitservice the American public deserves.”

The proposed rule would require public trans-portation agencies to develop a Transit AssetManagement (TAM) Plan that determines thecondition of its capital assets, including the sys-tem’s equipment, rolling stock, infrastructureand facilities. To reduce the burden on smalloperators, the proposed rule offers a two-tiered

approach for the TAM Plan requirement. Smalltransit providers operating 100 or fewer vehiclesin revenue service and no railfixed-guideway service and all sub-recipients under the Rural AreaFormula Program would beallowed to participate in a GroupTAM Plan that would be devel-oped by a State or other directrecipient of FTA funding.

The Moving Ahead for Progressin the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) directs FTA to create a TAMSystem to help transit agenciesachieve a better and moreinformed balance between system preservationand expansion projects, with a strong focus onimproving safety. The TAM System is intendedto provide a transit agency with a comprehensiveunderstanding of how the condition of its capitalassets may impact the safety of its system.

“Strategic and targeted investments to replaceand rehabilitate aging transit infrastructure areneeded to bring the Nation’s bus and rail systemsinto a state of good repair,” said FTA ActingAdministrator Therese McMillan. “Given thediversity of transit systems, from complex urbannetworks to small operators in rural communi-

ties, the proposed rule offers a flexible approachfor public transportation providers to better man-

age and maintain their assets.”The proposed rule would also

define the term “state of good repair,”establish state of good repair perform-ance measures, and have transit agen-cies set performance targets based onthose measures, which they can thenuse to prioritize limited capital invest-ment funding. In addition, transitagencies would be required to reportnew information to the NationalTransit Database.

Insufficient funding combined withinadequate asset management practices havecontributed to an estimated $86 billion transit instate of good repair backlogs nationwide thatcontinues to grow with reduced levels of invest-ment. To address this need, the Administration’smulti-year transportation funding bill, theGROW AMERICA Act, proposes a total of $7.6billion in fiscal year 2016 to support FTA’s stateof good repair efforts, with incremental increasesin each fiscal year through the end of the Act’sauthorization period.

Public comments on the proposed rule areaccepted through Nov. 30, 2015.

FMCSA: commercial motor vehicle study concludes

SMART TransportationDivision members have anotherway to connect with theirunion: Facebook.

The SMART TD News Face-book page, which can be found by searching“SMART Transportation Division News” inFacebook’s search box or by going tohttps://www.facebook.com/SMARTTransportationDivision/, is updated daily by your unionand features news articles as well as other postsand pictures not always found onwww.utu.org.

Members can also comment on posts andconnect with other members by doing so.

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

November 2015 SMART TD News Page 9

Why become an Auxiliary member?

• Unites families of SMART transportation division.

• Eight 4-year scholarships of $1000 awarded every year.

• Stay connected on legislative issues that affect your.

family, spouse or relatives.

• Access to Union Plus discounts, scholarships and other

benefits.

Who can become a member?

• Spouse, family or relatives of a SMART TD or Auxiliary

member in good standing.

• Retired SMART TD members or employees.

• Employees of SMART TD at the International.

• Staff of state legislative boards, general committees or

the legislative office in Washington, D.C.

• Spouse, family or relatives of a deceased SMART TD

member that was in good standing at time of death.

ONLY $5 to join. Visit www.utu.org/auxiliary for an application.

FTA’s TRACS reports on fatigue and worker assaults

WASHINGTON – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has recently accepted two reports from the Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS), a safety committee established by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and com-promised of transit industry stakeholders.

In Establishing a Fatigue Management Program for the Bus and Rail Industry, the report identifies the major organizational and behavioral chal-lenges that may be faced in addressing transit employee fatigue and recommends components of a successful fatigue management program.

In Preventing and Mitigating Transit Worker Assaults in the Bus and Transit Industry, the report discusses the risks and impediments to a safe workplace and recommends a process and meas-ures to reduce the hazards that enable these assaults.

FTA will review the recommendations from both reports as it considers possible future action on these safety issues.

Learn more by visiting TRACS at http://www.fta.dot.gov/about/13099.html.

The Associationof American Rail-roads (AAR) reportsthat a homemadeblade was found in achock in the storagebin (pictured left),with the blade fac-

ing in toward the railcar at a Subaru facility inVancouver, Wash.

The knife was found when a rail loader went toremove a chock from the storage bin on the side ofthe rail car, and he noticed the homemade bladesticking out of the chock next to the release han-dle. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Similar discoveries should be reported imme-diately to an AAR employee or MID inspector.

“Please give this information widespread dis-tribution to coworkers, contractors, customersand all who deal with freight cars and be on thelookout for any similar acts of vandalism. Thiswill enable us to broadcast alerts to all who may

be affected,” AAR Assistant Vice President,Technical Services James P. Grady said.

It has recently been announced that an attempt may be made to attachlanguage from H.R. 1763, the Safe Freight Act, which is the federal two-person crew bill onto H.R. 3763 (PTC deadline extension bill). It waslater announced that the two-person crew bill would not be attached toH.R. 3763.“Due to the expected rules governing consideration of the legislation andagreements among the leadership of the House Transportation and Infra-

structure Committee on which amendments will be allowed, there is no path for the amendment topass or receive strong support. A significant loss on the floor would set back our efforts,” Alt. NationalLegislative Director Greg Hynes said. “While this is not the result we hoped for, we ask that you allcontinue to push forward and generate support for the stand-alone, two-person crew legislation, H.R.1763. The more cosponsors we have on H.R. 1763, the better position we will be in to pass it as astand-alone bill or attach it to a larger bill next time the House considers rail safety legislation.”

C o n t a c t y o u r l e g i s l a t o r s a b o u t t w o - p e r s o n c r e w s

AAR safety alert: blade found in chock

Visit us on Facebook!

SMART Transportation Divisionis looking for good photos, andawards prizes to monthly photowinners.

Submit photos or digitalimages of work-related scenes,such as railroad, bus or mass tran-sit operations, new equipmentphotos, scenic shots, activities ofyour local, or photos of yourbrothers and sisters keepingAmerica rolling.

Printed photographs should bemailed to SMART TD, 24950Country Club Blvd., Suite 340,North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333.

High-resolution digital photo-graphs should be in JPEG formatand emailed to“news_td@smart-union.org.”

Please include your name andSMART local number, the namespeople in the photo (left to right),photo location and all other perti-nent information.

All photographs submittedbecome property of SMART.

Remember to review youremployer’s policies regarding useof cameras on the property or dur-ing work hours.

www.smart-union.org / www.utu.org / www.utuia.org

Page 10 November 2015 SMART TD News

This photo was taken by retired Grand Trunk Western Railroad Conductor Dennis Smolinski of Local 1709 at Pontiac,

Mich. “I took this picture at a photo charter on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in October 2013. The photo was

taken at Helmstetter’s Curve. The steam engine came from the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad.”

Photo of the month

Joseph Sellers Jr.SMART

General Presidentjsellers@smart-union.org

Richard L. McClees,SMART

General Secretary-Treasurerrmcclees@smart-union.org

John Previsich,Transportation Division

Presidentpresident_td@smart-union.org

John Risch,Transportation Division

National Legislative Directorjrisch@smart-union.org

Contact us: news_td@smart-union.orgPhone (216) 228-9400; fax (216) 228-5755

S H E E T M E T A L | A I R | R A I L | T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

T R A N S P O R T A T I O N D I V I S I O N

American Products offers a line of union-made SMART TD gear, clothing

Show your union pride with union gear

It’s not too early to begin your holiday shop-ping and the SMART Transportation Divisionwebsite is just the place to start, without everleaving your home or going to a busy shoppingmall. Just visit the SMART TransportationDivision website at www.utu.org and click onthe “Gear” tile.

All of the SMART items featured there aresold through American Products and areunion-made and/or are made in America.

American Products is offering several newitems this fall that were debuted at the regionalmeetings this summer and will feature someadditional items for sale by the end of thismonth. Please be sure to check the website fordetails on all the new items.

All items carry a 100 percent quality guaran-tee against defects in materials and workman-ship. Volume discounts on customized orders areavailable to SMART locals.

Watches and clocks carry a two-year manu-facturer’s warranty against defects.

All of the featured items can be ordered bycredit card directly through the company’ssecure website, or by calling the company’stoll-free telephone number: (800) 272-5120.

Members may also download and print acustom order form that can be mailed toUTU Merchandise.com, 1600 North Clin-ton Avenue, Rochester, NY 14621.

Apparel prices may vary depending onsize. Visit the SMART TD online storefor complete details about prices andavailable sizes.

SMART TD Navy Jacket SMART TD Stocking Cap SMART TD Lapel Pin

SMART Watch SMART ‘Burning with Pride’ ts SMART Navy Polo

SMART Travel Mug SMART TD Stickers SMART Oxford Shirt

2016 railroad paid holiday scheduleRail employees working under the national agreement between SMART Trans-

portation Division and the National Carriers’ Conference Committee will receive 11paid holidays in 2016. They are:

• New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1

• President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 15

• Good Friday, Friday, March 25

• Memorial Day, Monday, May 30

• Independence Day, Monday, July 4

• Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5

• Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24

• Day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 25

• Christmas Eve, obs. Sunday, Dec. 25

• Christmas Day, obs. Monday, Dec. 26

• New Year’s Eve, obs. Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017

Happ y Hol iday s!