The UTU National Negotiating Committee met with the National Carrier’s Conference Committee in Miami, Florida earlier this month in the first such meeting since the parties served their respective Section 6 Notices to begin this round of national negotiations.

Bob Allen served as chief spokesman for the Carriers, while UTU International President spoke on behalf of the UTU Negotiating Committee. Perhaps the most heated discussion in this meeting came after President Thompson’s very pointed questions to Mr. Allen as to the Carrier’s intentions concerning possible crew consist changes. Brother Thompson explained clearly that Crew Consist on the major carriers involved in national handling is a matter exclusively within the jurisdiction of the General Committee(s) on the property, and therefore inappropriate for discussion in any national negotiations.

On the subject of the Carriers’ Notice calling for a joint legislative effort to modify or eliminate the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), Brother Thompson reiterated UTU’s commitment to work with the Carriers to improve rail safety and thereby reduce injuries, but made it very clear that FELA must be preserved to provide a means of redress for rail employees injured through the negligence of their employer.

This first negotiating session was generally a clarification of the parties’ respective Notices. The parties are scheduled to meet again on March 13 and 14, and we will keep you informed as these negotiations progress.