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Division 333 Bulletin Board |
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BLET
DIVISION 333 NEXT MEETING |
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Tuesday, September 16th @ 7:00 pm
Amtrak Depot
730 Transfer Rd
St Paul,
MN
55114
map
Meetings are held every third Tuesday of the
month.
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Become a BLET Division 333 member |
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NEW
BLET DIVISION 333 MESSAGE BOARD THREADS |
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Even though this is a company program it has helped many
people, including some of our own Division members. This
charity has helped those that have suffered major
tragedies including weather disasters, major health
problems, fires and evacuations from the family home.
Here's a Powerpoint
Presentation...
Friend to Friend ppt.
If you would like to
find out more or donate to this good cause you can visit
the company link here..
Friend to Friend. Or you can contact Robert Resch to
personally answer your questions by email at
RJRESCH@up.com or by calling him (402) 544 - 5197.
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Attached and
below is
reference to the
final rule
regarding
payments from
the RR
Retirement
System pursuant
to Court Decree
or
Court-Approved
Property
Settlement. The
law has been
changed to
continue Tier II
benefits to
former spouses
even after the
death of an
employee
effective August
17, 2007.
This
is important
information for
all members who
have the
misfortune to
have recently
gone through or
are going
through a
divorce with
instructions
that they
provide the same
to their legal
representation
in the matter.
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Payments Pursuant to Court Decree
or Court-Approved Property Settlement
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Flexible
Spending Account |
Registration for the money-saving Flexible
Spending Account (FSA) begins in just over two months, and members are
encouraged to take advantage of this valuable new health and welfare
benefit.
The
Flexible Spending Account allows engineers to use pretax dollars to pay
for covered medical expenses and covered childcare expenses that they
would otherwise pay for with after tax dollars. The end result is that
all money dedicated to the FSA is treated like any other income tax
deduction or 401k contribution; it lowers the engineer’s taxable income
at the end of the year. For every dollar put in the FSA, most engineers
will save at least 25 to 30 percent of those dollars in tax liability
that can then be spent on covered expenses.
Covered medical expenses include prescription co-pays, doctor visit
co-pays and deductibles, costs for braces, glasses and contact lenses
not covered by insurance, as well as many every day "over the counter
medications" like Tylenol and Maalox.
However,
the benefit will be lost unless membership participation increases. Side
Letter #8 of the 2007 National Contract specifies that at least 5
percent of eligible BLET members must participate in the plan or it will
be terminated as of December 31, 2009. Current participation levels are
below the 5 percent threshold, and the BLET is encouraging all members
to sign up once open enrollment begins.
Open
enrollment for the plan will begin in the near future. Details on how to
enroll will be provided on the BLET website and in the BLET newsletter
once open enrollment begins. As soon as
the open enrollment begins, I will put a link on our website where you
can go to sign up. So check back soon.
In the meantime, the following information is being made available to
BLET members so they can learn more about this money-saving plan.
2007 mailing
regarding 2008 plan year
2008 claim form
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Notification of Symbol & Route Change Extended Haul |
I came across this Q and A
email on Extended Haul Trains and thought I'd pass it along....
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Brothers,
Here are the answers to your questions. I verified this information with FRA today and attached a file containing the extended haul regulations.
Q 1. Can an extended haul train once designated have is designation changed in route... IE if they want they train to do more than one pick up or set out in route, can they simply remove the extended haul designation?
A 1. Under 49CFR 232.213 an extended haul train must be designated in writing to FRA. If a train is to be removed from the list, that too must be done in writing. There is no provision for temporarily removing the extended haul designation for convenience sake. Of course we know that there will be a manager that will insist that the designation is removed, but when that happens then that location would become the initial terminal for the new train and it must immediately receive a class one initial terminal mechanical and air brake inspection. If the manger understands this requirement, I don’t believe they will want to remove the designation.
Please report any change to an extended haul designation to this office so we can forward the same to the FRA.
Q 2. How can a crew verify or tell if an extended haul train has done work in route? We have crews that are instructed to make a pick up or set out in route on extended haul trains but they have no way to verify if they are out of compliance with the extended haul waiver.
A 2. When cars are picked up or set out enroute, by UP rule, the crew is supposed to document the event and notify the next crew what work was done. However, if the paperwork is lost for example, then the next crew would have no knowledge of previous set-outs or pick-ups. Under this scenario the crew could not be held liable for a willful violation of the regulations. Only a willful violation of a FRA regulation would subject an individual to a civil penalty. Even then, civil penalties are extremely rare.
I should note that 232.213(a)(5)(i) states that before any cars are added to the extended haul train they first must be inspected by a qualified mechanical inspector. This is a car man, not the conductor. See the attached definition of a qualified mechanical inspector.
I would also suggest that all pick-ups and set-outs on extended haul trains be reported to this office. Maybe we can identify a pattern of abuse by the carrier which could result in the waiver being revoked.
I also emailed Steve Beckwith, UP manager, for his input on question two. I forward his answer if he responds.
Q 3. Is setting out and picking up power in route considered a work event by FRA on an extended haul train? Many times crews are instructed to pick up power to shuttle it to other locations and they are told that is not considered a pick up or set out under the extended haul waiver.
A 3. 232.213(a)(5) States that, except for the set-out of defective equipment, the train shall have no more than one pick-up and one set-out en route. This section does not separate locomotives and cars. They are both considered equipment (rolling stock). Therefore, FRA does consider a pick up or set out of a locomotive to be a work event. Again, report these occurrences and we will forward the information to the FRA.
I hope I have answered your questions satisfactorily. If you have any further questions, please let me know.
Fraternally,
Terry Briggs, State Legislative Chairman
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen - IBT
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Powerpoint
Presentation on
Engineer Certification |
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UP Drug and alcohol
testing |
Currently,
employees who test negative under the UP Drug and Alcohol Policy are
mailed individual letters advising them of their test result. Effective
June 1, 2008 these letters will be discontinued and employees who test
negative will be able to go online to review and print their negative
results.
UP Drug and
Alcohol Testing
To access results, go to
www.uservices.com or
go to "Drug
Testing Results" on
the Employees site and
follow these steps:
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Click on "Toxicology
Services."
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Click on "UPRR Drug
Testing Results."
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Enter appropriate
information:
Employee ID number,
Specimen ID Number
or Chain of Custody
Number (found on the
top portion of the
testing form) and
date of collection.
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Click "submit."
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Division 333 Photo
Gallery |
I
have been doing a little work on our photo gallery. Kevin Klitzke has
sent me some cool photos he took around South St. Paul. I started a
members gallery which I will try and work on over the next couple
months. A gallery for submitted photos for anyone wanting to post photos
of just about anything (try and make them clean).
And
probably most important, a gallery of safety issues and hazards. If you
see something you feel is a workplace hazard report it first of all,
then submit photos. It will keep other Brothers aware of the hazard, it
will document the hazard (please include with the photo... time, place,
and to whom you reported it to) maybe the more attention it brings the
sooner it will get fixed. We can only hope...
Anymore
ideas or problems with the website let me know.
Thanks
guys, Paul Winfield - Webmaster
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SUMMARY OF NEW BLUE
FLAG PROTECTION RULE |
Train or
Yard crew: Train or yard crew members are permitted to work on, under,
or between any Train or Yard crew: Train or yard crew members are
permitted to work on, under, or between any railroad rolling equipment
they are called to operate, without establishing blue signal protection.
Note: The train and yard crew exclusion only applies to the equipment
they are called to operate.
Motive Power and Equipment Compliance Manual
Revised 3/06 5 - 7
They cannot assist another crew, unless blue signal protection is
established (if the task warrants blue signal protection) or the entire
crew (including the locomotive) is involved assisting another crew,
provided that both crews are in communication with each other and are
aware of the movements to be made.
Can a train crew member perform a mechanical repair (change a brake
shoe) without establishing Blue Signal Protection?
Yes, if the repairs are performed on the equipment he/she is called to
operate and
he/she is not working as a Utility Employee.
Can members of one crew assist another crew, such as making a coupling
at a road crossing, replacing or changing EOT batteries, or changing a
brake hose without establishing blue signal protection?
NO - It would have to involve the entire crew, to include using the
locomotive, to handle the equipment and assist the other crew. If only a
few crewmembers assist the other crew, then blue signal protection must
be established.
Utility Employee (UE) is not restricted to any particular craft or job
title. The UE may be any railroad employee, provided that all of the
prerequisites contained in § 218.22(a) are met.
Worker means railroad employees assigned to inspect, test, repair, or
service railroad rolling equipment and their components, including brake
systems. Train and yard crews are excluded, except when assigned to
perform such work on railroad rolling equipment that is not part of the
train or yard movement they have been called to operate. The train and
yard crew member exclusion is based on the rationale that the crew
working together as an operating crew, with their assigned locomotive
engineer at the controls of the locomotive, would have complete control
over the movement of any rolling equipment on which they are working.
Railroad security forces or clerical personnel who board railroad cars
for the purpose of checking lading for pilferage or vandalism, or store
house employees loading or unloading cars (even when using a forklift)
are not considered to be workers as defined in this part because they
are not assigned to inspect, test, repair, or service the railroad
rolling equipment. Therefore, blue signal protection is not required
under the regulation. Fueling and sanding locomotives does not require
blue signal protection, provided the tasks do not require the individual
to go on, under, or between the locomotive.
The law only applies to “railroad workers”. The term “railroad worker”
means an employee who is employed and paid directly by the railroad.
Non-railroad employees (contractors, suppliers, etc.) are not required
to use blue signal protection under Federal regulations.
FRA Blue Flag Protection for
Workmen
49 CFR Part 218, is
available on our
Downloads page.
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B.D.MacArthur (BDMac@dybb.com) wanted you to know about the following
news flash from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen: Update from BLET Tax Compliance department Internal Revenue Service regulations require that the BLET National
Division inform its members that a certain portion of your National Division dues are not tax deducible as a miscellaneous itemized deduction on your personal tax returns. If you are looking for a good tax preparer contact Peter Paszkiewicz. He has been preparing tax returns for many of us for 15 years that know of. He knows a lot about railroad deductions and he even comes to your house to prepare them. He is extremely busy this time of year so leave a voice message or e-mail him. He will send you a check list of the things he will need to prepare your taxes.
Peter J. Paszkiewicz, EA
1718 Clinton Ave Apt 3
Minneapolis, MN 55404-1856 Phone: 612-871-7228
Fax: 612-871-1556
peterpaske@msn.com |
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
This is only a informational website only. Information and
statements contained on this web site has been provided for the benefit of
BLET Division 333 Members. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Division 333 and this webmaster are not liable for discrepancies, omissions, opinions, whether expressed, implied, false or misleading content. All content © 2008 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 333. |
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