March, 2018

Brothers and Sisters,

            I am pleased to announce that Amtrak and the BMWED have signed a tentative agreement to resolve our outstanding wage, benefit and work rule issues.  Attached for your review and use is the tentative BMWED-Amtrak agreement.  It is our intention to work with the American Arbitration Association to have this agreement in the mail to the membership for their approval or rejection by March 27, 2018.   American Arbitration Association will count the ballots 25 days later.  The schedule could be changed by a day or two depending on the logistics of the process.

In solidarity,

Jed Dodd

2018 BMWE Tentative Agreement

January 2018

December, 2017

The Freight BLE, BRS & UTU voted to accept the pathetic agreement. We hope it doesn't set a pattern for the industry but we know the railroads will try to say it does.

At some point the Unions, and the working class, will have to stand up and demand  living wages and benefits. This agreement doesn't do that. Their members voted to accept it. Now they have to live with it.

It's odd that the biggest concern was going up against a Trump PEB. It's odd because many union members voted for Trump to stand up for the working class, yet when it came down to proving it, they did not want to 'take the chance' and lose work rules. The vote on the agreement speaks for itself...

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BLE & UTU, on the Freights, have a proposed agreement that can hurt all of us if passed. It will set the standard for the industry and has low wage increases and huge increases for healthcare, especially for the sick.

Healthcare not Wealthcare!

 
Click on Image to see comparison

BMWE Stands Opposed To This Agreement

Letter to Membership from Jed Dodd - Penn Fed 10/13/2017

Letter to Membership From BMWED - President Simpson 10/14/2017

Read Appeal To Reason for full explaination

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June 7, 2017

Amtrak's Obstructionist Negotiating Tactics
Amtrak's Bad Faith and Our Indignation

Today in Philadelphia the Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (PRLBC) met with National Mediation Board (NMB) mediator Eva Durham and representatives of Amtrak, only Amtrak never entered the room. 

The PRLBC was represented by 16 people, made up of BMWED and BRS union officers, our legal council, economists and advisors.

Mediator Durham entered the room and immediately expressed her disappointment that there were so many of us. She requested that our bargaining sessions be limited to small groups, hinting that most of us should leave and only the principal officers remain, generally implying that Amtrak wants to bargain quietly and away from the prying eyes and ears of those who will work under any agreement reached.

PRLBC legal council, Mr. Richard Edelman quickly pointed out that the federal mediator can request small group meetings but she cannot compel small group meetings. The PRLBC has the right to bring anybody to a bargaining session that we see fit. Our council continued by sternly advising the mediator that Amtrak’s insistence on discussing work rules in the absence of a wage proposal that is communicable or comprehensible is in violation of the Railway Labor Act. The mediator left the room to confer with Amtrak and upon her return announced that this scheduled bargaining session was over and she would be in touch.

Our bargaining coalition came to Philadelphia prepared to bargain. From Virginia and the District of Columbia, from New York and beyond we traveled many collective miles only to be denied any meaningful discussion. Amtrak wasted all our time. 

Update 2/2017

At the last mediation meeting Amtrak presented a proposal with 3 different scenarios for wages and healthcare. Unfortunately they could not explain there own proposals. Their proposal was filled with inaccurate information, to the point that they could not explain it.

The BMWE/BRS presented evidence that supports raises in line with other transit organizations as opposed to the freight lines.

There is a proposed meeting at the end of April but only if Amtrak can come with proposals they can understand themselves. (You can't make this stuff up)

Update 9/2016

Another round of negations and Amtrak still refuses to give the BMWE the information we need to compare their healthcare plans. Amtrak is negotiating in bad faith and we have repeatedly ask the federal mediator to release us from mediation. There is another meeting scheduled in November where we will see if they will come with the information we need to analyze their proposals. Amtrak management has has shown how incompetent they really are at these negotiation meetings. They should be embarrassed but they seem to lack the comprehension to grasp that fact... 

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Update 11/30/2015

Jed Dodd's letter to Amtrak Chairman of the Board regarding the current bargaining emergency and Amtrak's lawless conduct at the bargaining table. Read letter here

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Update: 11/9/2015

The Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition writes Amtrak Board Chairman Coscia regarding our earlier letter and the facts supporting that Amtrak is violating law by withholding information from us and our consultants. Read the letter here

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October 23, 2015

The Passenger Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (PRLBC) has written Amtrak’s Board Chairman Coscia regarding the proposed drastic and unprecedented changes in benefits plans that would dramatically increase costs for members of the BMWED and BRS.

Amtrak has refused to provide our healthcare consultants with the information needed to analyze Amtrak's proposals, even though Amtrak initially promised to be very forthcoming with information regarding its proposal. Instead, we have received heavily redacted data that is effectively useless.

If Amtrak maintains it’s current position then they will be in violation of the Railway Labor Act, Section 2, First. We should not be expected to negotiate while wearing a blindfold. The parties are bound by the Railway Labor Act to exert every reasonable effort to make and maintain agreements and settle all disputes. Amtrak’s obstructionism not only violates law but disrespects the workers and the workers’ families.

Read letter from the PRLBC to Amtrak Board Chairman Coscia here