With the ink barely dry on the National Contract signed July the first, the UTU leadership rolled confident and proud into Denver for the first of this year's two Regional meetings.  Ratified by a large margin, this new contract sported none of the previous ‘work rule' capitulations, it contained a 17 percent wage increase, and a 3% per year, COLA-loan provision.   As a result, there seemed little justification for any grumbling by local officers or the rank and file in attendance at Denver. 

Nevertheless, there were no congratulatory parades or demonstrations of approval.  Two and half years in the making and arriving just in time for this economic nightmare of rising food and fuel prices combined with falling home values, need one ask the rhetorical question:  Is there any reason to celebrate?   The wage increase alone won't even cover what our members are now forced to pay for gasoline just to get to work!

The members of the UTU negotiating committee, when addressing the seminars and assemblies, were quick to remind us of how bad it could have been when negotiations began three years ago and the railroads and republicans had the ‘perfect storm' threatening our crew consist moratoriums,  FELA, apple pie and motherhood.  Most certainly the ‘wolves were at the door' and we do owe the leadership the ‘street cred' for stalling, litigating and working the halls of congress the way that they did.  This was however, a ‘pattern agreement' with some minor improvements, and we are left with more serious problems to address in the next round of negotiations coming up in just over one year's time.  This short turnaround in contract negotiations should command our immediate attention and we need to force our separate organizations to speak for all of us with one voice.

With a little ‘Hillary egg' left on their faces, the UTU leadership's focus at this regional was to push for the support and election of the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama.  Numerous speeches and exhortations from the podium urged our commitment and unflagging support for the Dem nominee.   What should be a ‘no-brainer' given our working class status, the UTU leadership felt it necessary to give us a stern ‘finger wagging'.   Speaking perhaps to those in our ranks manipulated by right-wing media campaigns using  ‘guns' and ‘gay marriage' to distract from real bread and butter issues,  the message to unite around Obama was clearly a plea for the survival of our unions against the onslaught and power grab by the railroad corporations.

The Obama campaign, for its part, provided a surprising ‘issue-specific' letter of support to the UTU and its members and was included in our registration packets.  Calling for the preservation of FELA, Railroad Retirement, and Amtrak funding, the letter also included commitments to train-staffing and calls for adequate rest time.

These Regional meetings each year are beneficial to the membership and particularly helpful to local officers that get to network with other local and general committee officers; attend FRA, Hazmat and Railway Labor Act seminars; legislative and bookkeeping workshops and the all-important No Rules seminar for Local Chairmen.  Chaired by lawyer Steve Young and NMB arbitrator, Francis Quinn, No Rules guides local chairmen through the requisites and pitfalls of the investigation process under the Railway Labor Act.

During the two and half days of bustling about from seminar to workshop there was a palpable silence by the UTU leadership concerning the abruptly-halted merger between UTU and Sheet Metal Workers.   A dedicated cadre of Save Our Union advocates manned a table in the main foyer passing out buttons and distributing the latest update on the legal wrangling.   At each turn the court continues to award the Save Our Union advocates with victories against the seven UTU International officers that are attempting to force the merger upon the membership; the seven officers endeavor being well-funded by the Sheet Metal workers union.

I spoke with one Save Our Union advocate who told me that he had talked with one of those seven officers who admitted that the court rulings were not going their way. The officer said that his next concern would be for his own job!

Whether that comment was a justifiable fear became clear on the final day of Regional meeting when President Futhey gave his signature address to all assembled.   The uneasy silence was broken when Futhey stated that he had ‘been misled' in his initial support of the merger and that only after the vote had he discovered the intent of the merger was to subvert union democracy.  Futhey stated that he will, "not stand down, not retreat, and will not surrender until our members have the right to vote on their own constitution".

Interrupted by numerous applause breaks, this portion of his speech received a stand-up ovation.  Nevertheless, not everyone was on their feet and a number in the audience sat on their hands suggesting that the seven International officers in opposition to union democracy had some support at this regional meeting.

It is hoped that the rank and file will support President Futhey in his defense of union democracy and force the seven International officers to drop their despicable litigation.   If a new merged Constitution is created through proper negotiations, the seven International officers would only have themselves to blame if it is turned down by UTU members.   These officers have so soiled their reputation and the merger that the ‘baby may well be thrown out with the bath water'.