Engineers and Trainmen

or

Train and Engine Service Employees?

Frequently ask Questions

Q.   If the National Mediation Board grants the UTU petition to combine the crafts of Engineer and Trainmen into a single operating craft, how many crafts will there be?

A.   There will be one new craft known as: Train and Engine Service Employee

Q.  Why would the Union Pacific Railroad support the "single operating craft" idea?

A.   The carrier sees the opportunity to eliminate jobs and save money.

Q.   How would dealing with one craft (as opposed to several) help the carrier?

A.   The carrier could demand a single contract for everyone. It would also provide the potential for the carriers to seek engineer only operations on some assignments

Q.    What could a single operating craft contract mean?

A.    Combined seniority, loss of craft incentives (such as short crew pay and productivity fund disbursements), common extra boards, etc.

Q.    If the National Mediation Board (NMB) rules there is a single operating craft, who will vote in the election?

A.    Everyone in the new craft will vote. (All former crafts of Trainmen, Conductor, Brakeman, Switchmen, Yardmen and Engineers will vote.)

Q.    How many operation employees will vote?

A.    From all of the operating employees included in the new craft. 50% plus 1 of all eligible voters must vote in favor of union representation. In other words, if there were 8,000 former Trainmen and 6,000 former Engineers, there would now be 14,000 Train and Engine Service Employees. Of these 14,000, 50% + 1 or 7,001 must vote.

Q.    If 50% + 1 do not cast a vote what happens?

A.    There will be no union representation on Union Pacific for the New Craft. The LTPRR could promulgate the rules and set the wages and working conditions as they please. Just think about that!

Q.    What does it take for the BLE or UTU to win the election?

A.    After at least 50% + 1 of the eligible voters cast their ballots, the union with the majority of the votes wins.

Q.    Why would the UTU take such a risk, asking the NMB to eliminate multiple crafts and form a single operating craft?

A.    The UTU is losing membership as a result of their own agreement to be the sole source of supply for persons promoted to locomotive Engineer, and other agreements that reduce crew size.