URGE YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO SUPPORT H.R. 2095
CALL, EMAIL OR SEND A LETTER TODAY!
H.R. 2095, the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act 0f 2007, is a landmark
piece of legislation that was introduced last week by Congressman Jim Oberstar
(D-MN) and Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL). Along with outlining the
mission for the Federal Railroad Administration (termed re-authorization) the
legislation seeks to accomplish the following important goals that would have
a strong positive impact on the livelihoods of locomotive engineers and all
railroad employees:
1 - AMENDS THE HOURS OF SERVICE ACT
2 - ELIMINATES LIMBO TIME
3 - ELIMINATES CAMP CARS FOR MAINTENANCE OF WAY WORKERS
4 - INCLUDES STRONG WHISLTLE BLOWER PROTECTIONS
5 - ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF DARK TERRITORY
6 - ADDRESSES HIGHWAY/RAIL GRADE CROSSING SAFETY
7 - REDESIGNATES THE FRA AS THE FEDERAL RAIL SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
To find your member of Congress and their contact info click
here.
For a guide on contacting members of Congress click
here.
SAMPLE LETTER
READ THE LEGISLATION
READ TESTIMONY RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS
Monday, April 2, 2007
*****REVISED STOP LIMBO TIME ALERT*****
BLET members are encouraged to contact their members of Congress during the
Easter recess and urge them to include provisions to eliminate limbo time in
any rail safety legislation that is introduced. The BLET and its allies in
Rail Labor believe this provision should be included in any rail safety
legislation.
The message that BLET members should convey to their members of Congress is
that train crews are fatigued and waiting endless hours for transportation
after working 12 hours on a train is contributing to this fatigue.
The BLET has data from one Class I railroad showing that nearly 335,000 crews
had work tours in excess of 14 hours during the years 2001 through 2006. This
is an average of over 150 crews exceeding the Hours of Service by two hours
every day for six years. However, during the past three years, the average is
over 205 crews per day. During that same period, an average of about 94 crews
per day had work tours longer than 15 hours.
These excessive work tours contribute to the fatigue problem in the industry.
The decade since the Supreme Court's decision has seen both the number of
crews stranded waiting for transportation and the length of limbo time
increase. The problem has become so prevalent in recent years that the
December 16, 2003 BLE National Agreement included language committing that
participating carriers would "make reasonable efforts to relieve and
expeditiously transport [outlawed crews] to the tie-up point." Unfortunately,
things have only deteriorated since that commitment was made.
Due to this deterioration, Congress must act on the issue of limbo time by
including it in any rail safety legislation. BLET members are also encouraged
to use personal examples about their experiences with fatigue and limbo time
when talking to their Representatives.
BLET members can find their Representative by
clicking here.
John P. Tolman
Vice President & National Legislative Representative
25 Louisiana Avenue, N. W. ,
Washington, D. C. 2001
office 202-624-8776
fax 202-624-3086
cell 216-272-1246
tolman@ble.org
bletdc.org