Representatives of the UTU and BNSF met in Fort Worth on September 7, 2001, to review and discuss recommendations submitted by the joint Executive Safety Committee, appointed by UTU, BLE and BNSF after the initial Safety in Operations Summit meeting in April. For reasons of their own (and without commenting on those reasons) no BLE representatives attended this meeting.

The recommendations of the Executive Safety Committee intentionally took a "broad brush" approach to future efforts to create a safer working environment on BNSF. In my view the recommendations and subsequent dialogue conveyed the following principles:

• Developing effective strategies for a safer workplace will require a greater focus on accident and injury prevention rather than punitive discipline.
  
  
• A preventive, pro-active focus mandates a balanced effort to eliminate both environmental and behavioral risk.
  
  
• Eliminating workplace risk involves virtually all aspects of the work experience including the physical plant, training, rules, agreements, fatigue, attendance, staffing, discipline, behavior, attitude, etc. If safety is truly the first priority, then no other issue can be "off the table."
  
  
• Success will require mutual commitment and mutual participation.
  
  
• Implementation must occur in the context of mutually binding, voluntary agreements between the duly authorized representatives of the parties.
  
  
• Success must be measured by quantitative, mutually agreed criteria.

Under these broad principles, the parties must now develop specific implementation strategies. UTU Vice Presidents Rick Marceau and Carl Vahldick were assigned to assist (if requested) any involved General Committee in the implementation phase. Another meeting is scheduled for October 17, 2001.

As you know, our Committee already has an optional Safety Agreement in place that provides a groundwork for local cooperative safety initiatives. Nothing in these recommendations conflicts with that existing process, and it is my hope that both avenues can be used to acheive real progress in making BNSF a safer place to work. We solicit your input and observations, and we will report on any future developments.