December 8, 2011 Federal environmental regulators have made a direct link between the controversial drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing and groundwater contamination.
On Nov. 23, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) announced it sent letters to National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC)-represented railroads covered by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) recommendations stating that the union plans to extend the “cooling off” period from Dec. 6 to Feb. 10, 2012.
November 18, 2011 - In a stunning victory for all of us who value public health, the Delaware River Basin Commission has cancelled their public meeting, planned for the 1,800 seat Patriots Theater in the War Memorial in Trenton on Monday morning. Apparently the DRBC does not like to have their regulations voted down.
November 11, 2011 – Late Wednesday afternoon, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) categorically rejected the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division’s (BMWED) compromise offer on meals and lodging reimbursement for traveling employees.
Early this September, Protecting Our Waters hosted the movement to resist dirty drilling for shale gas, here in Philadelphia. Outside the gates of the industry’s national convention, some 2,000 citizens along with members of the Pennsylvania Federation BMWED-IBT rallied (in the middle of a workday) for clean air, water, and earth, in what was the largest U.S.
President Obama Announces the Creation of a Presidential Emergency Board, Names Members. Today, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve an ongoing dispute between major freight rail carriers and their unions.
President Obama said, “Freight rail is vital to our economy and our future.
We reject the blame and punishment directed at working people for budget crises that originated not from workers and their unions, but from irresponsible corporate behavior. We do not accept that the cuts are inevitable because “there is no money.” There’s a lot of money available if we change our priorities.
"Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy. Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries. Where there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air. Look for me mom I'll be there. Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand. Or a decent job or a helpin' hand. Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free. Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."
While United Transportation Union members have a national contract in hand with the major freight railroads, members of 11 other rail labor unions continue to wait for their respective union to negotiate a national agreement with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC).
A resolution to support high-speed rail and the union jobs that should go with it was passed on June 30 by 1,800 delegates to the Teamsters 28th International Convention with full support from its 70,000-member Rail Conference.
