By Raymond Holmes, BLE Vice-President & U.S. National Legislative Representative
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The latest attack by the UTU leadership against the BLE’s efforts to bring safe remote control operations to our industry is filled with the usual baloney about what a great job the UTU is doing in looking out for the safety of its members.
The article, if you missed it, is classic UTU leadership hogwash. They say they are going to change the world by convincing “the bi-partisan leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee to order a complete review by the FRA of every aspect of remote control safety.” The UTU drivels on that this audit is currently underway only because of their actions. Interesting. Later in that same diatribe, they ramble on about a push (inferred to be by the BLE) for investigations into the work performance of (we assume) the operators of remote control. What do they think the audit is going to do?
The remarks come on the heels of another fatality to a railroad brother. Is the San Antonio death by Union Pacific remote control yet another example of how the UTU is working closely with the railroad industry to implement safe remote control operations? How can an organization allow a Class 1 railroad to force a person to conduct switching operations — locomotive and all, in a major terminal — alone?
The safety oversight for which the UTU leadership is so proud is seriously flawed. Their ability to oversee safe implementation of this technology when the railroads hold all the cards is wishful thinking. The tragic death of a railroad worker under the circumstances where he was alone in a dangerous yard operation should help all of us see the gravity of the situation.
The BLE stands by its comment on this issue presented in testimony at the Informal Safety Inquiry on One-Person Crews and Remote Control Locomotive Operations in Appleton, Wisc., on December 4-5, 1996. The comment:
- “The potential for an accident increases significantly with just one person. Trains and tracks have two sides, two ends and the possibility of movement in more than one direction. Railroad operating rules, rights-of-way, equipment and the system generally have recognized the need for two or more persons to cope with this reality. We submit that it is asinine for railroad managers to seek such operations. It shows a callous disregard for employee and public safety. That we are required to make this argument is indicative of how far off target some in this industry have come to show a greater profit. In consideration of these remarks, we ask FRA to deny any use of one person remote control locomotive operations.”
BLE is amazed that we have come to the place where a labor organization defends remote control operations and unsafe operating practices in public forums with their management allies. What we said in the foregoing about railroad managers is doubled when it comes to union leaders.
They are so far off target they aren’t even in the right war zone.