Over the past several days, numerous UTU members have reported being forced to watch a BNSF propaganda video in which BNSF Labor Relations Vice President John Fleps seeks to personally blame UTU President Paul Thompson for the fact that UTU has not yet reached agreement with the Carriers in national handling. Of course, Mr. Fleps' video does not mention that UTU has repeatedly had to resort to court action to stop the Carrier from pursuing illegal demands for work rule changes during this round, or that the Carriers still adamantly refuse to address entry rates of pay as they solemnly promised in Side Letter No. 2 of the current contract. In other words, the Carriers in national handling don't mind breaking the law in an attempt to force negotiations on topics they have sworn to leave alone, but they really have a problem talking about the one thing that they committed to address first.

Mr. Fleps explains that the Carriers have offered UTU the same "pattern" contract that BLET signed, including the total elimination of future Cost Of Living Allowances (COLAs) and the double off-setting of past COLAs, rising health care and prescription drug co-pays, reduction or elimination of seniority displacement rules, etc., not to mention the beginning of attrition that will mean the eventual elimination of their entire craft as new technologies replace the engineer. What Mr. Fleps doesn't say is that the Carriers want UTU to take that same agreement and just shut up about entry rates and all the other things that aren't addressed in that "pattern" settlement.

Attached is the response sent to Mr. Fleps today, addressing some of the misleading statements contained in his video.